New member with a 1st purchase to share

[anguilla1980]

I've learned something else. 

 

Aoi had the sword listed as 1576. But comparing the "Tenshō 3, 8th month" (天正三年八月日) inscription against a modern calendar, and knowing that in this time period the Senmyō-reki lunisolar calendar was used (which was the specific system in use during the Muromachi and Azuchi-Momoyama periods before the Jōkyō calendar reform) - it actually looks like my sword was made in 1575 and probably in September. The 8th lunar month in that year technically was a window between September 5 – October 4. 

 

Anyway, I'm sure this is the tip of the iceberg in learning about these swords. I gotta say though, it's pretty fun learning all this stuff.

[anguilla1980]

My nihonto book collection is growing. In addition to the usual generic classics I had before making my purchase, I've now acquired these since they are Bizen-specific and have received them:

 

Osafune Chōshi - General Bizen Sword History

Osafune Chōshi - 2 Vol Research Ed (this is the big mutha)

Nihonto Koza - Vol IX - Koto Part III - Bizen

 

I'll be busy the rest of this year going through them :D 

[nulldevice]

43 minutes ago, anguilla1980 said:

My nihonto book collection is growing. In addition to the usual generic classics I had before making my purchase, I've now acquired these since they are Bizen-specific and have received them:

 

Osafune Chōshi - General Bizen Sword History

Osafune Chōshi - 2 Vol Research Ed (this is the big mutha)

Nihonto Koza - Vol IX - Koto Part III - Bizen

 

I'll be busy the rest of this year going through them :D 

 

Sounds like a wonderful set of books to keep you busy on all things Bizen-den! 

 

It only gets worse from here btw 

[anguilla1980]

The dealer I purchased my sword from was good enough to provide me with a high-quality photo of the 1958 Torokusho registration. I know it has to be surrendered upon export in a couple of weeks, so I'm going to print it out life-size on to some cardstock to keep with the sword. I think it's cool to have. 

 

I've also done some further research on the craftsmen who signed the fuchi, Maruyama Sōzan. It looks like he was active from the Kyōhō to Hōreki era (ca. 1730s to 1750s). The Maruyama school was known for producing high-relief, sculptural fittings that combined traditional themes with a refined sense of balance. It's possible the tsuka has been re-wrapped since then, and it's in hineri-maki style. All of the mountings are a common and coherent motif for mid-Edo; dragon in clouds/waves (representing celestial authority, power, and dynamic force) on the fuchi and kashira, abstracted futatsudomoe forms (associated with natural forces such as wind and water) as the tsuba, and abstract vegetal imagery (evoking growth, vitality, and the sustaining rhythms of the natural world) for the menuki. I found this info in the Haynes Index and Markus Sesko's Signatures of Japanese Sword Fittings Artists.

 

It's been a real joy diving into these little details and learning about them. For me, this is what it's all about when I buy an antique. 

 

 

[anguilla1980]

I wanted to post a brief update on what I’ve been learning about how blades like mine were originally shaped and finished in their period.

 

The overall sugata of mine aligns with what is described as Tenshō-sugata: shinogi-zukuri construction; relatively wide motohaba, firm kasane, minimal funbari, and a robust chu-kissaki. This proportion set appears frequently in late 16th c Bizen work and reflects the practical requirements of the period.

 

The edge geometry is best understood through the concept of niku (肉). Rather than a thin, flat bevel, these blades were shaped and maintained with a hamaguri-ba (蛤刃), a convex clam shell profile. This places more steel behind the ha, improving resistance to chipping or rolling when striking harder targets such as components of tōsei-gusoku. The convex surface also supports a smoother wedging action during the cut, reducing binding. 

I found this image posted previously on the forum which illustrates this:

 

On the finishing side, I’ve been reading about sashikomi-togi (差し込み研ぎ) in contrast to hadori. In sashikomi, the hamon is not artificially outlined. Instead, the nioiguchi, nie, and internal activities such as ashi and sunagashi emerge naturally through the final hazuya, jizuya, and nugui stages. Earlier sashikomi approaches could rely on fine stone powders such as Tsushima-to during shiage, rather than heavier iron-oxide-based mixtures, resulting in a more integrated ji-ha contrast. - This approach is particularly relevant for late Kotō Bizen where features like utsuri may still be present. The choice of polish style has a direct effect on how utsuri, nie-deki, and gunome-midare are perceived.

 

Studying the hamaguri-ba geometry together with sashikomi-togi has given me a clearer understanding of how blades of this period were shaped, sharpened, and intended to be used, and now viewed. It also explains why blades of this construction and metallurgy from Bizen in this period often show jihada which appeals to me much more so than others. I've never been a huge "look at that flamboyant hamon" fanboy, but man, dark/wet/active jihada just does it for me  Also, early on when I started researching nihonto, I was greatly turned off by swords that appear mirror-like and overly polished, which can make the jihada hardly visible at all; it was partly down to the polish style and now I understand the differences. 

I hope I got all of the Japanese terms and my understanding right, I'm still learning. 

 

Edited February 17 by anguilla1980

[eternal_newbie]

8 hours ago, anguilla1980 said:

man, dark/wet/active jihada just does it for me

 

No small amount of effort has been put into researching how the Koto smiths achieved the uruoi (潤い) wet jihada look, and for good reason - it's long been seen as a hallmark of grandmaster artisans.

[anguilla1980]

Indeed.

 

Early on, I found it fascinating that jihada look, and the refined grain and utsuri, were attributable to the high-purity masa-satetsu iron sands with its low titanium content from the Chūgoku Mountains weathered granite. The chemical interaction between this specific iron ore and the charcoal from the surrounding forests was said to create a steel with both the resilience for combat and a unique aesthetic depth. 

I'd previously taken a deep-dive into tamahagane metallurgy, and this context about the blade shapes and polish styles really helps with additional context. 

[anguilla1980]

I wanted to share a picture now that everything has arrived and I've had time to go through it all. Close-up images of the blade will have to wait until I get some appropriate lighting just for that.

 

I've built a custom display in my living room with lighting that I'll post images of once it's all set up in there.

 

Edited March 7 by anguilla1980

[Rivkin]

I generally find anti-Muromachi sentiment prominent among many collectors to be both understandable and strange. There was a ton of crap forged between 1500 and 1550, the kind of crap the jigane is so coarse it barely holds together.

There are blades of true mastery - more during Oei to Onin, but some of Tensho work of almost zero level names was very-very impressive.

[anguilla1980]

Very much agree. I consider the upper-tier Tensho Bizen-den blades to be peak Koto sword making. Bizen had some of the best local materials and culminated knowledge from generations of master smiths, combined with the mastery by that time to forge blades for maximum damage and survival in combat when they had to be used. Then the mudslide of 1591 came along and basically reset sword making in the region. While earlier Heian/Kamakura and later Edo period upper-tier blades are rightly treasured for their beauty, personally, I believe the late-Muromachi>Azuchi-Momoyama>Early Edo blades to be peak functional craftsmanship and metallurgy. 

 

Everyone has their favorites for sure and reasons behind that. For me, history is the major driver, so late Sengoku is where it's at (it has to be for most that are drawn to the history of true samurai warriors). Combine that with the beauty of the Bizen-den jitetsu, jigane, and utsuri ..... and I get excited :D 

The longer this period is looked down upon in nihonto collecting for all of the mass-produced lower-tier swords that it keeps the pricing of the upper-tier blade reasonable, the more I'll be able to collect. Just as taste in the shape of the hamon has ebbed and flowed with the centuries and even recent decades, this too may perhaps change. 

 

Now that I have my feet wet after years of study, I'm feeling cautiously confident to spend much more on the next one I acquire on perhaps a juyo blade. 

Edited March 8 by anguilla1980