A Bit On Swords and Other Things Historical

The 2 photos below, (the resolution is as fuzzy as my head after a few chu hais) is of a swordsmith called Asano Kanezane. He lived and worked in Gifu area and he is the man who forged my sword. We are not too sure which bloke is actually him but his name is actually written on the board behind them. You can read more about him in the Japanesesword.homestead page in my links page.

This is a 3rd generation Tamba no kami Yoshimichi, with a kiku mark and a sail style `Tam` kanji. This blade is a beautiful piece that is used by a senpai for Iaido. As you can see the boshi and hamon on this sword is absolutely beautiful. The fuji san gunome hamon is inherent of the 3rd generation Yoshimichi. Found as a rusty old blade in an antique shop 6 years ago and bought for a bloody steal!! This is one of my favourite swords viewed this year..................

One of the final stages in the polish of a blade, burnishing the shinogi. This is metal to metal polish and it is lubricated with various ingredients such as powdered deer horn as well as extract from a cicada. This blade is from the Kamakura period and is quite a lovely blade. Osuriage mono. It is not anything fascinating but still a very nice example of a koto blade.
The polisher is a very experienced associate who works in the Kyoto-Nara area.

Critical to the apprasail of any sword is the boshi or point. The boshi is given extra care and done with the sword tip resting on a springy piece of specially fashioned timber.

The piece of wood used for polishing is also fashioned by the polisher himself, different strokes for different polishers. This stage of the polish actually reveals the `turn back` of the point.

This part is the initial part of the boshi polish. The blade is actually wrapped in a cloth and grasped by the polisher.

Any polisher will tell you that this is the most painstaking bit of the polish. Takes hours and a lot of patience.

This is something I have to brag about!! This is a Masamune blade I handled over the Golden Week holidays this year. I had to win the trust of the collector before getting to view this blade. It took me long enough!! This blade is an average Masamune whih had once belonged to a local Daimyo and finally landed in the lap of this collector, and for a price too!! It is for sale, for those interested, it is being sold for 6500 man yen.

The habaki bears the kamon of the Tokugawa clan and I would not be surprised that it belonged to one of the clan in the past. The mei on this particular blade is an atomei, an added signature after a signiicant session of kantei. The kanteishou bears the seal and signature of one of the Honnami family of the Tokugawa period, about 250 years ago.

The hamon is typical Sagami style and the hada on this blade is something a photo cannot describe. The photo does no justice to the blade unfortunately. The hataraki on the blade is superb, typical sagami with a dash of yubashiri on the monouchi area and a bit of kinsen towards the kissaki. Beautiful.

This is the kanteishou for a recent purchase I made, a really lovely koto piece attributed to the Mino Senjuin school. The Senjuin school is originally a Yamato Den school, based in Nara in the early Murmomachi, late Kamaukura period. This arm of the school, moved and relocated to the Mino or morden day Gifu area and changed identities from Akasaka Senjuin to Mino Senjuin. Some will argue that this is a Yamato den School but some collectors say, Mino Den...........A really interesting blade, the hamon and boshi shape is vividly Mino Den but the hada and the sugata is quite Yamato Den, while the hamon in the boshi is very very Yamamto den with a distinct hakikake and ko maru kaeri. Very happy to have it.

This is the katana attached to the kanteishou above.

Not very commonly seen in exhibits. This one is as well found in Himeji castle. It is in pristine condition. The stirrups or abumi, are made of wood (if not mistaken) and laquered.

These are a few graves found at Yagyu mura grounds. They belong to the Yaygyu lords and probably were all warriors. The whole place has a very calm feel about it probably because the `residents` are all so quiet??