Marcus Devonport Posted January 29 Report Posted January 29 Wanted to make a post, sharing my latest acquisition to the group. Signed Harima no Kami Fujiwara Teruhiro- whilst the first 3 smiths of the line were tremendously skilled representing the best of the line, the NBTHK has attributed this piece as the work of a "later" generation. I absolutely love the presentation of this sword; having been mounted in Naval Kyu-Gunto Koshirae. I had seen a small number of Teruhiro signed pieces appear in the catalogues of higher-end auctions; with these largely being Shodai or the early generation blades. The majority of which being Tanto/Wakizashi length. Full-length katana have proved to be far more elusive- Despite their line continuing over 15 generations, I've struggled finding many examples of their work for reference online. So, I thought the group would appreciate a post, on this lesser seen smith. In my search, I happened across a past article, featuring this exact sword So I'm pleased to be able to share more of it to the group I'm not usually one to gravitate towards Hada when viewing a blade, but it really is a stand-out feature in this blade. The Hada itself tends towards Itame with burls of Mokume. There is a high degree of contrast in the colour of the steel, which makes the 'grain structure' appear 'bright' (without better terminology to describe it!) I *think* I see Chikei. Although this is a feature I struggle identifying, at my current stage of learning (I'd be grateful to the more seasoned members, who may correct me if I've misidentified this) I'm also greatly enjoying the variation to the Hamon, shifting between Kawazuko-Choji and Gunome-Togari There's abundant Hataraki throughout; with many instances of Sunagashi, Inazuma and Tobiyaki. Hope you enjoy- and of course, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the blade itself All the Best, and Happy Collecting - Marcus Quote
Jon Posted January 29 Report Posted January 29 Brilliant thanks for posting, I did put up the original question around the generation of the smith because I was considering purchasing the bade back in 2024… it looked great, but I decided against.. due to wife aversion issues( my wife is pathological adverse to me spending money on swords). 1 1 Quote
Marcus Devonport Posted January 30 Author Report Posted January 30 48 minutes ago, Jon said: Brilliant thanks for posting, I did put up the original question around the generation of the smith because I was considering purchasing the bade back in 2024… it looked great, but I decided against.. due to wife aversion issues( my wife is pathological adverse to me spending money on swords). Thanks, I have something of a history with this particular sword... I was really invested in the sword when it came up for auction, but couldn't match the winning bid 😁 Yet somehow the sword found it's way back to me a little over a year later, in a dealers private collection.- It took 12 months of gentle negotiation before we could close a deal 2 Quote
PNSSHOGUN Posted January 30 Report Posted January 30 Very nice indeed, it appears to be an Utsushi of Yokoyama Daijo Sukesada. 1 1 Quote
Jon Posted January 30 Report Posted January 30 15 minutes ago, Marcus Devonport said: Thanks, I have something of a history with this particular sword... I was really invested in the sword when it came up for auction, but couldn't match the winning bid 😁 Yet somehow the sword found it's way back to me a little over a year later, in a dealers private collection.- It took 12 months of gentle negotiation before we could close a deal Good going getting it, I may have to come over for tea and a look if im ever in Yorkshire. 1 Quote
Marcus Devonport Posted January 30 Author Report Posted January 30 19 minutes ago, PNSSHOGUN said: Very nice indeed, it appears to be an Utsushi of Yokoyama Daijo Sukesada. Thank you, for the kind words. It is very reminiscent of Bizen-den in the lower portion of the blade; especially with the lobes of tadpole choji. Its only the later third of the blade, before you start to see that classic Mino-style gunome. 1 Quote
PNSSHOGUN Posted January 30 Report Posted January 30 If you have any more pictures of the mounts we'd love to see them, sometimes you can find the officers surname on the guard under the fittings with these. Quote
Marcus Devonport Posted January 30 Author Report Posted January 30 11 hours ago, PNSSHOGUN said: If you have any more pictures of the mounts we'd love to see them, sometimes you can find the officers surname on the guard under the fittings with these. I've seen officers signing their names in pencil, on a couple of Type 98 swords I used to own. Ive not seen any signs of this on Kyu-Gunto though. Ill do my best to photograph more of the koshirae over the weekend, with a focus on the individual fittings. I quite enjoy the unique 'East-meets-West' aesthetic of 'Russo-Japanese' wartime mounts. 2 1 Quote
Geraint Posted January 30 Report Posted January 30 Dear Marcus. What's not to like? Super blade in good polish with papers and accompanied by Naval mounts in great condition with a silver Saki mon. Pleased for you that your negotiations payed off and that it now resides in your collection. All the best. 1 Quote
Marcus Devonport Posted January 30 Author Report Posted January 30 6 minutes ago, Geraint said: Dear Marcus. What's not to like? Super blade in good polish with papers and accompanied by Naval mounts in great condition with a silver Saki mon. Pleased for you that your negotiations payed off and that it now resides in your collection. All the best. Ive always been curious about the Katabami-Mon, it's interesting that there may be some links to the Sakai clan. Thanks again, Geraint 😁 1 Quote
Marcus Devonport Posted February 1 Author Report Posted February 1 (edited) On 1/30/2026 at 1:54 AM, PNSSHOGUN said: If you have any more pictures of the mounts we'd love to see them, sometimes you can find the officers surname on the guard under the fittings with these. Tried to include a few more few close-ups, showing the detailing of the mounts. Each of the components are adorned with cherry-blossoms, with finer-detailing to the backstrap. I suspect the Saya has been done in Dogfish/Eel skin, instead of conventional Rayfish Same- the texture appears very uniform and lacks any variation; being without any obvious "Nodes". One interesting feature to the sword is the folding "retention flap", which secures the blade within the scabbard Edited February 1 by Marcus Devonport 3 Quote
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