Gassan Ko Garasu Maru,where are you now?

[Lindus]

Last contribution for a while so when I found these photographs of a sword that briefly passed through my hands I thought, I wonder where it is now?.

 

Not in the condition when I had it, my old chum who had it polished in Japan sent me these "after" shots , ever felt a mistake was made, should have taken out a bank loan........

 

Interesting Mei for those with a keen interest in late swords.

 

Roy

[huntershooter]

That is pretty wonderful Roy.

Thank you for the photos.

[Ford Hallam]

Hi Roy,

 

could you post a larger image of the nakago/mei please. I think I know this lovely :D ...and where it is now

 

regards,

 

ford

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

Roy, could it be possible to have an enlargement of the part highlighted hereunder ?

I'm interested in watching the Hada there. Sorry for lack of proper therminology.

 

[cabowen]

Beautiful blade...

 

There was an ad that ran in a war era newsletter published by the Minatogawa Jinja placed by Gassan's workshop offering kogarasumaru blades in tachi koshirae for the readers to order. I always wondered how many were made and where they are now....

 

I also recall talking with Enomoto Sadayoshi, who was an uchideshi at this time in Gassan's shop, about these and other Sadakatsu blades and he told me that many of them were daisaku. He said he was often asked by Gassan to make them, as was his son.

 

Regardless, what a nice piece of work!

[Lindus]

Roy, could it be possible to have an enlargement of the part highlighted hereunder ?

I'm interested in watching the Hada there. Sorry for lack of proper therminology.

 

 

[Lindus]

Hi Roy,

 

could you post a larger image of the nakago/mei please. I think I know this lovely :D ...and where it is now

 

regards,

 

ford

 

Hallo Young Ford

 

Are these better for your purpose?. if not mail me and will try a large attached.

Roy

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

E-mail sent, Roy. Thanks in any case.

[Lindus]

Then their is this one. Still here but may leave soon.

 

Roy

[cabowen]

Really interesting to see the Gassan take on matsukawa hada.....

[Surfson]

Gorgeous sword - truly epitomizes the "art and the sword". Thanks for posting. Bob

[Lindus]

Only ever had three, this one I am not so sure about but the work is very good.

 

Roy

[cabowen]

Have a look at my (?) Gassan mei, would appreciate your thoughts.

Regards

 

Roy

 

Can't say anything definitive from internet photos, but nothing jumps out at me screaming "GIMEI!"....It could be the photos, but it may well benefit from a polish...

 

It would seem you have had the trifecta of Gassan smiths, something few can claim....I didn't see much more than a small section of the Sadakazu blade, but based on what I have seen of the three blades, I would say the Sadakatsu is my favorite. I generally do not care much for the o-hada as seen in the Sadakazu, though I have seen enough Sadakazu blades to know he was a fantastic smith with a much deserved reputation....

[Lindus]

Have a look at my (?) Gassan mei, would appreciate your thoughts.

Regards

 

Roy

 

Can't say anything definitive from internet photos, but nothing jumps out at me screaming "GIMEI!"....It could be the photos, but it may well benefit from a polish...

 

It would seem you have had the trifecta of Gassan smiths, something few can claim....I didn't see much more than a small section of the Sadakazu blade, but based on what I have seen of the three blades, I would say the Sadakatsu is my favorite. I generally do not care much for the o-hada as seen in the Sadakazu, though I have seen enough Sadakazu blades to know he was a fantastic smith with a much deserved reputation....

 

The blade mei" Made by Gassan sada kazu,Imperial arts & crafts expert in August 1912 made this copy of the works of Norishige of GoFukuyama province" is it dai mei? and the second " Made by Gassan Sada yoshi for Tanaka Keitsu" Dai mei as well?.

 

Your opinion would be valued.

 

Roy

[cabowen]

The blade mei" Made by Gassan sada kazu,Imperial arts & crafts expert in August 1912 made this copy of the works of Norishige of GoFukuyama province" is it dai mei? and the second " Made by Gassan Sada yoshi for Tanaka Keitsu" Dai mei as well?.

 

Your opinion would be valued.

 

Roy

 

I could not begin to make that kind of judgment without a good collection of oshigata at hand as I am not a specialist in the Gassan tradition. Unfortunately most of my library is still in storage pending the move into the new house...

 

The Sadakazu work is late so it is possible that the mei was cut by Sadakatsu. The Sadayoshi, not so much so, so it should in most cases be his mei, not Sadakazu's...

 

Why are you asking this? Have you been told the mei are not good?

[Lindus]

The blade mei" Made by Gassan sada kazu,Imperial arts & crafts expert in August 1912 made this copy of the works of Norishige of GoFukuyama province" is it dai mei? and the second " Made by Gassan Sada yoshi for Tanaka Keitsu" Dai mei as well?.

 

Your opinion would be valued.

 

Roy

 

I could not begin to make that kind of judgment without a good collection of oshigata at hand as I am not a specialist in the Gassan tradition. Unfortunately most of my library is still in storage pending the move into the new house...

 

The Sadakazu work is late so it is possible that the mei was cut by Sadakatsu. The Sadayoshi, not so much so, so it should in most cases be his mei, not Sadakazu's...

 

Why are you asking this? Have you been told the mei are not good?

 

 

No , like you I have some books on Gassan but untill recently did not care too much, the Tanto Ken Mishina confirmed but that was many years ago in the UK, the Sadayoshi arrived much later. The lack of Kao and the fact that in the case of the Tanto, Gassan was at that time quite old.

Roy

[cabowen]

If Mishina san confirmed the tanto, I would be comfortable with that.

 

Generally speaking, and it is of course not always true, blades with long mei such as these two are usually not the work of a faker. All those extra kanji are simply more data to judge by....

 

They may be daimei, but that is probably not that big of an issue. Daimei are a standing tradition in the Gassan school and nothing that detracts...

[Lindus]

If Mishina san confirmed the tanto, I would be comfortable with that.

 

Generally speaking, and it is of course not always true, blades with long mei such as these two are usually not the work of a faker. All those extra kanji are simply more data to judge by....

 

They may be daimei, but that is probably not that big of an issue. Daimei are a standing tradition in the Gassan school and nothing that detracts...

Thanks Chris,one other odd detail not re Gassan, I read somewhere way back the none dated sword with a mei to a smith were likely to be Fake.....?

 

Roy

[cabowen]

Thanks Chris,one other odd detail not re Gassan, I read somewhere way back the none dated sword with a mei to a smith were likely to be Fake.....?

 

Roy

 

That depends on the smith and what his custom was. Some smiths routinely dated their work and it would be odd to come across an undated example. Others never, or very rarely, dated. I have seen many fakes with a date, so not so sure a faker would avoid adding a date if it was normal in the real smith's work....

 

Generally speaking, the later a blade, the more they were dated. One sees most shinshinto dated, and all better gendai. In fact, when it comes to gendai, I would not in most cases own one that was not dated....

[Lindus]

Thanks Chris,one other odd detail not re Gassan, I read somewhere way back the none dated sword with a mei to a smith were likely to be Fake.....?

 

Roy

 

That depends on the smith and what his custom was. Some smiths routinely dated their work and it would be odd to come across an undated example. Others never, or very rarely, dated. I have seen many fakes with a date, so not so sure a faker would avoid adding a date if it was normal in the real smith's work....

 

Generally speaking, the later a blade, the more they were dated. One sees most shinshinto dated, and all better gendai. In fact, when it comes to gendai, I would not in most cases own one that was not dated....

 

Myths and legends,many thanks

Roy

[cabowen]

 

Myths and legends,many thanks

Roy

 

Many of those around....

 

You are welcome....

 

Thanks for sharing these interesting blades.

[Jacques D.]

Hi,

 

maybe i'm wrong but i'm uncomfortable with the Sadakazu tanto's Yasurime, ordinary they are more slanted (nearly O-Sujikai). I don't like the kao too.

[Lindus]

Hi,

 

maybe i'm wrong but i'm uncomfortable with the Sadakazu tanto's Yasurime, ordinary they are more slanted (nearly O-Sujikai). I don't like the kao too.

 

 

Hi

 

Not worried about the tanto as it was given the OK by a top Japanese polisher when he lived and worked in the uk.

 

Roy