Tag: sugata

 

 

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3．Musashi ( 武蔵 ) in Edo ( 江戸 )

The katana and wakizashi made in the Musashi area have a shallow sori (curvature).  Often, the width of the blade’s upper part is narrow.  Usually, the hamon begins with a slight irregular pattern, then gradually shifts to a larger irregular pattern, and a few inches below the yokote line, it becomes a small irregular pattern again.  The boshi is usually a komaru-boshi.  The ji-hada may be rough.  Masame-hada shows on shinogi-ji.

Well-known swordsmiths in Musashi ———————————-Noda Hannkei (野田繁慶)                                                      Nagasone Okisato Nyudo Kotetsu (長曽根興里入道虎徹)

Nagasone Okisato Nyudo Kotetsu                        Noda Hankei (野田繫慶)                                   (長曽根興里入道虎徹)                                   from Compton’s collection “Nippon-to”    Once, my family sword                                                                                                               

4. Echizen ( 越前 ) and 5. Kaga (加賀 )

Many swordsmiths from the Mino (美濃) area moved to the Echizen and Kaga areas (#4  & #5 on the map above).  Therefore, swords made in these areas are called Echizen-seki and Kaga-seki.  Refer to Chapter 23 Sengoku Period (戦国) Sword for Mino-den.             The style of Echizen Yasutsugu (越前康継) is similar to that of Mino-den.

Well-known swordsmith in Echizen ————————-—Echizen Yasutsugu (越前康継 )

6. Hizen (肥前)

Both the katana and wakizashi from Hizen have well-balanced shapes.  The Hizen region tends to produce swords with a chu-suguha-hotsure (a medium-width straight hamon resembling frayed fabric) with fine nie (沸).  The boshi has a clean, regular line with a uniform width tempered line, as shown in the illustration below.  If you see a shin-to sword that has a chu-suguha hamon and a boshi that looks like the one below, it is often made by Hizen Tadayoshi (肥前忠吉).  Very fine Ji-hada (surface), sometimes called nukame-hada.

Well-known swordsmith in Hizen ——————————— Hizen Tadayoshi ( 肥前忠吉)

7. Satsuma (薩摩 )

The swords made in Satsuma appear solid for both katana and wakizashi.  The kissaki (the top pointed area) is slightly stretched.  Yakidashi (a few inches above the machi ) shows a small, irregular hamon.  The hamon is o-midare with coarse nie called ara-nie. The ara-nie forms togari-ba (a pointed pattern; see the drawing below).  One of the characteristics of this region.

The region is well known for its Satsuma-nie.  That is, the ara-nie around the hamon continues and blends into the ji-hada area.  Therefore, the border between ha-nie and ji-nie is unclear.  Inside the hamon, it sometimes shows a thick line shaped like lightning.  This line is called Satsuma-no-imozuru (sweet potato vine), and is less desirable than inazume and kinsiji.  This is the most prominent feature of the Satsuma sword.  Boshi has a narrow-tempered line with a small irregular pattern.  This is called satsuma-boshi.  On the ji-hada surface, chikei (a long, dark line) appears.  This is called Satsuma-gane (薩摩金).

Well-known swordsmiths in Satsuma ——————  Izunokami Masafusa (伊豆守正房)                                                                                                 Ichinohira Yasuyo (一平安代)                                                                                       Mondonosho Masakiyo (主水正正清)