Oshigata book japanese swordsmiths wwii samurai sword

This book was first published in 2001 by john scott slough in paperback. Can somebody advise me were i could purchase a one. What makes the katana distinct than other swords is its curved and single edged blade. Ww2 japanese army samurai sword wwii ija gendai gendaito. It has both a circular or square guard and long grip. The sword is missing the guard and shows signs indicative of age, but is otherwise a rare piece.

An oshigata book of modern japanese swordsmiths 18681945 on. With the handle removed, the makers marks can be seen as well. Modern japanese swordsmiths by john slough this is a very good reference book researching signatures of swordsmiths from 1868 to 1945. There seem to be a couple hundred or so smiths registered in the all japan swordsmith association. This is an area of japanese sword study that is still very much ongoing with new information surfacing frequently. An oshigata book of modern japanese swordsmiths 18681945 samurai tsuba katana. It contains oshigata and translations of many of the modern wwii gendaito swordsmiths. Get free shipping on modern japanese swordsmiths, 18681945. Wikimedia commons has media related to swordsmiths from japan pages in category japanese swordsmiths the following 17 pages are in this category, out of 17 total. Wakizashi and tanto were not simply scaleddown katana.

The connoisseurs book of japanese swords by nakayama kokan. Japanese swordsmiths commemorative edition, 2 volumes hard bound, 1998 gbp400. Large, beautiful pictures, with english text explanations, and some basic info in japanese. This book was first published in 2001 by john scott slough om. I remember still vividly that when i woke up that morning of february 8 1972, i knew it was the day of the auction, but was torn between going to amsterdam to get the sword. The handle has not been removed so it is unkown if the tang is signed. One of the greatest swordsmiths in japan is masamune okazaki. Click download or read online button to get modern japanese swordsmiths 1868 1945 book now. Scabbard and handle have originalleather wrapping from combat field use.

Get the best deals on antique japanese swords when you shop the largest online selection at. The bronze mum can be seen under the wrap of the handle. As one of the foremost nonjapanese specialists on nihonto japanese swords, he has played a pivotal role in opening up the world of japanese swords to international audiences through his social media efforts, tv appearances. The signature has been translated and the sword assessed by uk japanese sword expert bill tagg. Brandywine militaria oshigata book modern japanese swordsmiths 18681945 an oshigata book of modern japanese swordsmiths 18681945.

His most famous works are the tachi swords and tanto daggers. If you have one and willing to let it go, please let me know. These are replacement scabbards made for japanese ww2 military issue swords. The tang is signed on one side with crisp smiths name in japanese script characters and arsenal mark. Japanese wwii samurai sword replacement scabbard grade 2. Books on japanese swords, sword fittings and armouri hold the largest stock of japanese sword books outside japan and also sell related items. Oshigata is the traditional means, used by japanese appraisers since before the japanese middle ages, to record all the metallurgical activities in the steel of a. Modern japanese swordsmiths 1868 1945 download ebook pdf.

An oshigata book of modern japanese swordsmiths 1868 1945 samurai tsuba katana. John is a family friend, and i know firsthand the effort and care he put into this project. An oshigata book of modern japanese swordsmiths 18681945 posted in wanted to buy. Japanese swordsmithing news newspapers books scholar jstor march 2011 learn how and when to remove this template message. In 1942, kurihara hikosaburo, the man who revived the japanese sword, classified ono kuniyoshi as chujo saku, the 4th of 7 ranks of wartime swordsmiths. Samurai swords and the swordsmiths authentic japanese. As these oshigata were gathered from a variety of sources, the. Now that we have established the setting, lets get to your actual question. Two tier japanese katana samurai sword stand display dual purpose. Vintage post ww2 craftsman usa made fixed blade knife with sheath. In modern times the most commonly known type of japanese sword is the shinogizukuri katana, which is a singleedged and usually curved longsword traditionally worn by samurai from the 15th century onwards.

The samurai sword by john yumoto classic starter book this is the book that started most of us on our journey studying japanese swords. Blade measures approximately 22 long, overall with tang and scabbard 32. The samurai sword by john yumoto classic starter book. This is truly a great book and should be the first purchase of any nihonto enthusiast. The type 98 was a development of the imperial japanese army officers type 94 model 1934 kyuyonshiki gunto which was itself styled to resemble the tachi sword type of the classic samurai kamakura period 118532. There have been various swordsmiths named nagamitsu who worked from the mid 1200s through the 1940s. The sword shows a wooden handle wrapped in ray skin and a forged steel blade. The nihon to koza was first published in japan in the midthirties as a series of 20 plus volumes, then reedited and reissued in the late sixties in the form this ten volume hardbound set with dust jackets. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. For this installment of the series we turn to nihontojapanese swords. All famous swords inside, both pictures as well as oshigata showing the activity for one to. Many thanks to all those individuals who have contributed information on gendai swordsmiths. One placed on the handle of the sword and one on the scabbard. Historically, katana were one of the traditionally made japanese swords or nihonto.

An oshigata book of modern japanese swordsmiths 18681945 ww2 japanese collector. Sword scholars collect and study oshigata, or paper tangrubbings, taken from a blade. Catalog of the collection of japanese swords and fittings of the british museum, the finest collection of japanese swords in europe, including examples by many of the major schools, dating from the 12th or early th century to the meiji era 18681912. Many sword smiths made both traditional and nontraditional blades. Ww2 japanese samurai sword gendaito signed hitachi ju masatada saku may 1945. Vintage japanese silk kimono formal wedding robe samurai pre1945.

It is a must have book for collectors of ww2 japanese swords. Sword scholars collect and study oshigata, or paper tang rubbings, taken. It is a comprehensive listing of oshigata, information and ratings in english of japanese sword smiths up till the end of wwii. It is a very good reference for military collection of japanese wwii swords. The new generation of japanese swordsmiths tamio tsuchiko kodansha international, 2002 though the works are by different authors, this is a wonderfully laid out book that can be seen as a complement to modern japanese swords and swordmiths. Some of the more commonly known types of japanese swords are the katana, tsurugi, wakizashi. This is a collection of oshigata of japanese swordsmiths of the showa ww ii era. This is a brand new copy of john sloughs book on modern sword from shinshinto to showa. Japanese last samurai hand forged katana 1060 carbon. Most japanese and historians may agree that masamune has lived in the sagami province. As these oshigata were gathered from a variety of sources, the quality varies considerably. Well, it seems the process of japanese samurai swords making was an highly advanced artform. Samurai sword history is roughly divided into four main time periods koto the old sword period, pre 1596, shintoshinshinto 1597 to 1876 gendai 1877 to the end of world war ii and shinsaku modern. Ww2 japanese officers showa era type 98 shin gunto katana.

A surrender tag was issued to the sword when the japanese soldier surrendered the weapon. One hundred masterpieces from the collection of dr. Manufactured in the 1980s, a single crate has been found in the back of our warehouse. Japanese samuari sword books and videos nihonto taikan. Examples of such are shown in the book the japanese sword by kanzan sato. We have the best deals on japanese samurai so stop by and check us out first. This is a wwii to prewwii japanese high ranking officers samurai sword. Japanese military antiques and collectibles identification and price guide welcome to the japanese wwii military identification and pricing reference guide. An oshigata book of modern japanese swordsmiths 18681945 this is a brand new copy of john sloughs book on modern sword from shinshinto to showa. This page is sponsored by in an effort to provide the current and future militaria collector with free information. Wwii famous swordsmith ichihara nagamitsu the story.

It wasnt as simple as casting a sword shape with molten steel and. Skilled swordsmiths had trouble making a living during this period as japan. Hawley a compilation of over 30,000 japanese swordsmiths names where and when they worked and how they signed, kanji and romanization of names and signatures, with a. Signed swords of this smith are so rare that fujishiro yoshio sensei did not include an oshigata in his book. Japanese samurai swords for sale vintage antiques for sale. Nagamitsu is one of the most famous names in the history of japanese swords. Find more information about the index, its description and methods of use here.

Some of the more commonly known types of japanese swords are the katana, tsurugi. Japanese samurai for sale vintage antiques for sale. The title of this book is modern japanese swords and swordsmiths and it was written by leon kapp, hiroko kapp, yoshindo yoshihara. An oshigata book of modern japanese swordsmiths 18681945. Rikugun jumei tosho are those swordsmiths approved by the japanese army to produce swords for military officers. The main text therefore follows the sword through the meiji era, during and after wwii, at the. Note the oxidation on the nakago matching the oxidation on the oshigata.

Before we take a look at all the replicas of authentic japanese swords currently available these days, you might want to brush up on the history of samurai swords or spend a little time trying to wrap your head around the basic samurai sword terminology. But the earliest origins of this fascinating weapons can be traced back some 0 years. These oshigata have been collected over the years from a variety of sources. A japanese sword is one of several types of traditionally made swords from japan. Wwii japanese katana samurai sword liveauctioneers. Includes many photos and topquality oshigata of both the ningen kokuho living national. Japanese swordsmithing is the labour intensive bladesmithing process developed in japan for. This is a complete reference set covering japanese sword history and construction, swordsmiths, differences between sword schools, and. Reseach of swords sukashi tsuba samurai sword nihonto reference book. A katana is a japanese sword characterized by a curved, singleedged blade with a circular or. This title focuses on upandcoming smiths who may have won some of the annual nbthk contest awards, but. These were used by the samurai warrior of both ancient and feudal japan.

Each scabbard is constructed of steel with decorated brass mounts, throat, toe, a lower decorated brass scabbard band and a second double band near the throat which supports the sword hanging ring. Blade is in worn condition with nicks and expected wear. Offered together are new introduction to the kantei of japanese swords and its. Celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of its first exhibition to follow world war ii, the. Watanabe art museum samurai armour collection volume 1. Origami are issued for specific blades not to the sword smith. Japanese sword oshigata tang translations of the showa era ww ii period. Most of his work was done during the th and 14th century. However, it is likely the case that only a minority of those are making a living as fulltime swordsmiths. During the preworld war ii military buildup, and throughout the war, all japanese officers were. Swordsmith index is intended to be a noncommercial resource to support nihonto studies and raise awareness of history and appreciation of genuine japanese swords. An american perspective gary murtha 1980 murthas hardtofind, and much sought after, first book combines a wide range of material on the japanese sword. Oshigata book japanese swordsmiths wwii samurai sword. An oshigata book of modern japanese swordsmiths 18681945 by john scott slough.