Konuka hada?

[Nicholas]

Hard to capture in a picture due to an older state of polish but could this be konuka hada? The sword in question is signed Hizen Kuni Omi Daijo Fujiwara Tadayoshi which would be the 4th generation Tadayoshi. I have reservations on the signature being correct but the sword seems to be well made.

[O koumori]

Difficult to say from this photo,

[Nicholas]

Another photo. Different light angle.

[2devnul]

Hi,

 

IMO it is not Konuka Hada. It reminds me Hada from my 3rd Tadayoshi. 

https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/45103-shinto-wakizashi-hizen-kuni-mutsu-kami-tadayoshi-please-comment/

 

There are opinions that sometimes with fancy Hamon (not Suguha) Hada wasn't 'that' typical Konuka. 

https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/53901-sandai-tadayoshi/#comment-566175

On 11/4/2025 at 11:01 PM, Sukaira said:

So the jigane will actually be done slightly differently on blades that do not have suguha hamon. For Tadayoshi blades with suguha, the jigane will be done in a very luxurious way, while the blades with hamon like yours will be done in slightly lessor way, for whatever reason. Maybe to let the hamon take more of the attention.

[Nicholas]

In my opinion the hada on this sword is tighter grained or finer than the sword you posted. It looks similar in my opinion to a really tight ko-mokume.

[Brian]

I'd reach out to Roger Robertshaw, his opinion on this is highly regarded.
@omidaijo

[Nicholas]

Thanks @Brian. I spoke to Roger many years ago about the signature on the sword. He was under the impression that it was a possible dai-mei by the 5th gen for the 4th gen Tadayoshi. 
       

[Robert S]

That old polish didn't even attempt to honour the actual hamon.  I'm getting a right bee in my bonnet about this kind of treatment.  Why on earth would a togishi do that? 

 

I know, off topic from the hada... sorry.

[Bazza]

Ahhhh, hadori vs sashikomi observation?????  A vexed and long-standing bête noire of collectors...

 

BaZZa.

[ROKUJURO]

No, he did not mean that. The polish does not follow the HAMON, it is sloppy work.

[Nicholas]

I’m assuming it’s a war time polish. Blade is in type 98 shin gunto koshirae. Hamon is chogi midare.

Edited December 10, 2025 by Nicholas

[Nicholas]

[ROKUJURO]

Nicholas,

you probably meant CHOJI MIDARE.

It is very difficult to show HADA in photos made at an angle. And if the polish does not expose the HADA very clearly (which usually needs high-end work), you will have problems to catch it in an image. 

[Nicholas]

58 minutes ago, ROKUJURO said:

you probably meant CHOJI MIDARE.

I absolutely meant Choji midare. Sorry, typing too fast on my phone.

 

    Like I said earlier I believe the sword is in a war time polish that doesn’t help distinguishing the features of the sword.