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7/03
9. Yoshihara Kuniie
Type: Tanto
Mei: Kuniie Saku Showa 51 Nen 8 Gatsu Hi
(August, 1977)
Period: Modern
Location: Tokyo
Length: 29.8 cm. Sori: 0.1 cm.
Sugata: hira-zukuri
Hamon: Saka-choji midare with deep ashi and yo
Jihada: well forged, tightly knit itame with chikei,
jinie
In older polish, shirasaya with gold kise niju habaki
Price: $6,000US
This blade is by the Nidai Yoshihara Kuniie, the son of the well-known early Showa smith, and father of the popular Sandai Kuniie and Yoshindo. He studied under his father during the war, and made blades using the mei Akihiro, then later Masazane. He apparently signed a few blades late in life with the Kuniie mei, thus he is considered the Nidai.
This blade is beautiful, with a wild saka-choji. The ha is bright and clear, with a deep, soft, ko-nie habuchi. This is a top quality work which brings to mind the Aoe school.
The blade is in older polish with a few light scratches, with a high quality original shirasaya and gold foil, two piece habaki.
Images:
full length
blade1 blade 2
monouchi mei
nenki
10. Yasuaki
Type: Wakizashi
Mei: Sagami no Kuni ju Yasuaki Saku Showa 55 Nen
6 Gatsu Kichi Jitsu (June, 1981)
Period: Modern
Location: Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture
Length: 55.6 cm. Sori: 1.2 cm.
Sugata: shinogi-zukuri
Hamon:Choji-midare with thick ashi and fine sunagashi
Jihada: tightly knit itame with jinie
In old polish, shirasaya and gold kise niju habaki
Price: $4,500US
This is a very stout wakizashi by the last smith to train at the Yasukuni Tanrenkai, Fukuda Yasuaki. He received his mei from the Minister of the Army, General Sugiyama. He only made a few blades at the Yasukuni Jinja before the war ended, and his work is extremely rare. He continued to work post war, and was a very highly regarded smith. He is the teacher of the current Yamamura Tsunahiro (26 generation Masamune) of Kamakura, and Yasutoshi, a smith popular with the iai crowd. He was born in Taisho 4, and passed away 5 or 6 years ago. He is listed in the Gendai Toko Meikan (Ono), on page 170.
The blade is done in the Bizen style, with tight itame hada. It is an oversized blade-both thicker and wider than the average wakizashi, giving a very imposing sugata. The thick ashi are deep and active.
The blade is in an older polish which unfortunately has been scuffed here and there, mostly on one side, to remove some light surface corrosion. I would recommend a touch-up polish to put it in top condition, but it could be enjoyed as is. The shirasaya and gold habaki are in fine condition.
Images:
full length blade1 full length blade2 chojiba jiba1 jiba2 monouchi scuffs mei nenki
Type: Katana
Mei: Izu ju Sadahito Saku Heisei 14 Nen Aki Kichi
Jitsu (Autumn, 2002)
Period: Modern
Location: Mishima, Shizuoka
Length: 75.9 cm. Sori: 1.9 cm.
Sugata: shinogi-zukuri
Hamon: midare with thick nie, sunagashi, yubashiri
Jihada: itame with chikei, jinie
Horimono: Bo-hi
In polish, with new shirasaya and gold habaki
Price: SOLD
This is a LONG blade by Enomoto Sadahito. Click here for more information about this up and coming smith, who was featured in the book "Swordsmiths of the 21st Century", by Mr. Tsuchiko.
This is a large, wide, and powerful blade, yet quite light and fast. It has great balance and seems to float in the hand. It is done in the Soshu den style of Masamune, with a violent midare hamon in nie. There are thick nie boiling into in the ji, and chikei. There is profuse sunagashi.
The blade is older polish, with nice shirasaya and silver habaki. There are two small specks of rust under the habaki, and a very tight weld seam visible in the groove also under the habaki. See the pictures for a close up. Neither detract from the blade, and look much worse in the photos, which I have taken to accentuate the area. The blade belongs to a relative of the swordsmith who wishes to sell quickly, thus the low price.
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