NBTHK Study Swords 1998–2024

[Markus]

If you ever wondered how many swords you would have been able to study if you had attended every single monthly NBTHK main branch meeting the last 25 years, here you go:

 

https://markussesko.com/2025/05/12/nbthk-kanshokantei-blades-analysis/

 

 

 

[Lewis B]

Lots of Kotetsu, a fair number of Masamune and surprisingly few Ichimonji, of all branches and eras. Not a single Go Yoshihiro. 

[Markus]

And not a single Sadamune.

 

[Lewis B]

Plenty of Rai grandmasters (Kuniyuki, Kunitoshi and Kunimitsu). I was able to study 4 long blades by these makers at length last weekend. What an absolute honour that was. 

[Lewis B]

3 minutes ago, Markus said:

And not a single Sadamune.

 

Does this suggest tastes are changing at the mother ship? 

[Markus]

I tend more towards what is readily available and restrictions with gifts/donations, e.g., gifts coming with conditions, like needs to be in a special exhibition first, needs to be published in an exhibition catalog before made public to members and in the magazine, etc.

 

[Rivkin]

Thank you very much!

Its a very strange list.

There are many rare smiths - Hankei, Horikawa Kunihiro, Masamune. However, if you wanted to see the rarest you would probably ask for Umetada and there is only one Myoju. There is ton of Muramasa (is that an interesting or educational smith you need to see many times to appreciate?), no Hasebe, and something happened with Ichimonji, though some of it have to do with personal names. There is a batalion of Kanemoto and Sue Bizen, but only one Akihiro and Hiromasa each.

 

 

[Markus]

Hasebe is there, apologies for the confusion, it is Kunishige, Kuninobu, and the like, with the Hasebe reference after their name. So, its maker first, then school. Should have pointed that out.

[CSM101]

 

Thank you Markus for all the work you do for the community! 

 

 

What the data doesn´t show is that the NBTHK can sometimes be a little bit mean. Take session 707: 4 blades by Rai Kunimitsu and a Uda Kunifusa with a Rai Kunimitsu utsushi.

[Jussi Ekholm]

Absolutely amazing stuff again Markus

 

I have tried to locate the ownership of blades as well as I can from publications. So far I have not found Sadamune or Gō that would be owned by NBTHK (where ownership would be written in book or on display text). I mistakenly thought that 太鼓鐘貞宗 was owned by NBTHK but it is owned by private person. It has just been displayed at NBTHK recently where I saw it last year and will see it again in their next exhibition when I visit next month.

 

NBTHK owns at least 2 Masamune, Musashi Masamune and Ashiya Masamune as I have seen both in their exhibitions, and it is written that they own the item. NBTHK has also exhibited one Masamune that I saw last year that is privately owned, and that has been also featured on the viewing sessions. I believe many of the items brought in for viewing sessions are privately owned by NBTHK members and they share the great items as study material for the group. Then there are of course extreme rarity items like Ko-Hoki Sanekage tachi and Bungo Sadahide tachi that are both owned by NBTHK. They are very often used as reference items as I seem to have both in 15+ different references.

 

I feel the NBTHK viewing sessions have a focus on high level items by great makers. Focus on items like these and you will get high level knowledge and will train your eye for details. There is extremely rarely obscure and weird stuff used in these sessions (at least written down). I personally like obscure weapons from less known smiths as that makes me tick but NBTHK does not appreciate that type of items highly which is of course understandable.

[Soshin]

Hi @Markus,

 

Thank you for your work, information, and the blog post. I found it interesting to download the NBTHK-Kantei Alphabetical PDF and look up different swordsmiths I have been able to examine work examples in my study over the years.