New Sword Kiyomitsu

[Prewar70]

I have for discussion a Bishu Osafune Kiyomitsu.  I have many questions.  Overall it is a very pleasing package to me, otherwise I wouldn't have bought it!  Nagasa is a touch of 28", 71 cm.  Ubu to me with one ana, drilled not punched.  Nicely cut mei and well finished nakago.  The blade has nice sori and extended, chu?, kissaki.  Choji hamo and I can see good activity, if in polish there would be lots to see.  Bright and clear nioiguchi.    The hada is hard to make out but seems very small and tight.  What makes me very happy too is that there are no forging flaws visible, no openings, even in the shinogi.  So in my amateur eyes, it presents as a well made sword in good condition.

 

The fittings also add to the package.  They look like they've been together for a long time.  I am not sure of the style but appear made of copper.  The tsuba shape and work with dragons fit nicely.  The seppa do not fit and must be later additions.  The menuki I got curious about, because I figured they were brass or some other alloy but the lack of tarnish and a voice in the back of my head saying maybe they're gold kept bugging me.  SO I took the tsuka to my jewelry story where they tested the menuki in as many spots as we could get the right angle with the radar gun and they came back around 17-17.5 gold.  Not sure if it's solid without removing them which I don't plan on doing.

 

So many smiths in the Kiyomitsu lineage.  My guess is Muromachi era??.  I read a lot about Bizen produced swords, custom made vs mass production.  This sword would fall into the characteristics of mass produced, signed Bishu not Bizen, and undated.  But the sword doesn't look mass produced.  So I'm curious what folks think I have here.  Thank you very much for your time and interest.

 

 

 

[Prewar70]

[Prewar70]

[Prewar70]

[klee]

Hi @Prewar70

 

I started out as a Kiyomitsu collector and love their work. Unlike Sukesada, there were not that many recordedSue Bizen Kiyomitsu smiths ( 12 or so from 1500 to 1590 ) 

 

Unfortunately for this blade I can comfortable say it is a gimei. The nakago is off and the signature doesnt match sue bizen as well. Specifically the way the "Osa" 長 kanji is written with the rounded stroke is something never done by Kiyomitsu.

 

The hamon pattern is also something you would not see from Kiyomitsu

 

The mekugi ana should be punched not drilled. And the position of the mei relative to the ana is way off for sue bizen as well.

 

The very small and tight hada you see might point to a shinshinto blade but I am not knowledgable in post Koto works.

 

And for future refercence you will see that the Bizen / Bishu signature does not really correlate to quality in Sue Bizen. Esp for Kiyomitsu

 

Best regard

 

-Kevin

 

[eternal_newbie]

24 minutes ago, klee said:

And for future refercence you will see that the Bizen / Bishu signature does not really correlate to quality in Sue Bizen.

 

Indeed. There are many Juyo and higher blades with "Bishu" mei, and many mediocre works with "Bizen"