Japanese Swords

/nihonto87

For the study and appreciation of Japanese swords and fittings.

shukudai.dayo.eth🌹☀️

Sometimes, it takes a keen eye to suss out when a sword might've been made

Other times, you see big, thicc sword with a scary looking tip, and you can tell right away it's from the Nanbokucho period, aka the civil war

As a big fan of the Yamato schools, it's a real pleasure to see a Hosho school sword like this

The surface of most swords has a "wood grain" pattern, but the Yamato schools are known for their masame, or long, continuous lines that flow along the length of the sword.

Probably not great structurally-speaking, since there's a risk of delamination, but definitely a striking appearance!

https://www.aoijapan.com/katanamumei-attributed-to-den-hosho-nbthk-tokubetsu-hozon-token/

should i ape this tachi

Look what I just pulled from the murakami drop..

Japanese sword rare ☺️

@kevinmfer

nosyudo Iaito

The urge to cash it all in for a legendary sword

But the hat stays on 🎩🫡

We eatin good tonight

Big news: Paul Martin, foremost Western expert in Japanese swords, is publishing a new book! Preorders for "Japanese Swords and Armor: Masterpieces from Thirty of Japan's Most Famous Samurai" are open!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T80HW12EoXM

Some excellent photos and write-up of a Tokubetsu Juyo katana by Rai Kunitoshi. At any rating above TokuJu, it becomes illegal to export a sword from Japan!
https://nihonto.com/111223/

Extremely relevant

A Juyo Token tanto by Daido - there are only 4-6 such tanto by Daido known to exist. The wandering yet symmetrical hamon, or blade pattern, is reminiscent of Muramasa.
https://yakiba.com/daido/

Every once in a while, you run across a sword, where the least interesting part is the sword itself! 😳

New to Japanese swords? Start here! 👇

Katana are great, but don't forget about tanto! This one is attributed to Hasebe Kunishige, one of the ten students of the legendary Masamune. This "dagger" is nearly a foot long, characteristic of tanto made during the tumultuous Nanbokucho period.

Fukuoka Ichimonji on auction, starting at 4.35M yen! https://sword-auction.com/en/product/20570/as23813-katana%ef%bc%9amumeiunsigned-fukuoka-ichimonjinbthk-tokubetsu-hozon-token-consignment-sale/

A must-have accessory for any katana is the kogatana, a small utility knife carried through a hole in the sword guard.

https://www.aoijapan.com/kozuka-kogatana-yoshioka-inabasuke/

Even modern swordsmiths will forge and sell kogatana for lower-budget collectors!

Katana changing shape while quenching:

Mumei katana by Yamato Shizu on auction starting at 10k JPY.
https://sword-auction.com/en/product/20458/as23621-katana%ef%bc%9amumei-yamato-shizunbthk-tokubetsu-hozon-token/

/Japanese Swords

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