{"product_id":"japanese-gendaito-katana-sword-with-iron-sukashi-tsuba-and-feather-menuki-by-kazunori-dated-1942","title":"Japanese Gendaitō Katana Sword with Iron Sukashi Tsuba and Feather Menuki, by Kazunori, Dated 1942","description":"\u003csection class=\"product\"\u003e\u003cheader\u003e\u003c\/header\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"specs\"\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignature (Mei):\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cspan lang=\"ja\"\u003e一則\u003c\/span\u003e Kazunori (omote); \u003cspan lang=\"ja\"\u003e昭和十七年六月\u003c\/span\u003e - dated June, Shōwa 17 (1942) (ura)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSwordsmith:\u003c\/strong\u003e Kazunori (Shōwa-era smith)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eType \/ Classification:\u003c\/strong\u003e Katana - Gendaitō (modern traditionally-made sword)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePeriod:\u003c\/strong\u003e Shōwa, dated June 1942\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRegistration:\u003c\/strong\u003e Tokyo Tōroku-shō No. 141502 (Japanese sword registration)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMounting:\u003c\/strong\u003e Black lacquer koshirae with iron sukashi tsuba and feather (hane) menuki\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBlade Length (Nagasa):\u003c\/strong\u003e 66.3 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurvature (Sori):\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.4 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMekugi-ana:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1 (ubu)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMotohaba:\u003c\/strong\u003e 31.0 mm | \u003cstrong\u003eSakihaba:\u003c\/strong\u003e 21.0 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMotokasane:\u003c\/strong\u003e 7.0 mm | \u003cstrong\u003eSakikasane:\u003c\/strong\u003e 5.5 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShape:\u003c\/strong\u003e Shinogi-zukuri with iori-mune and chū-kissaki\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eJihada:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bright, tightly forged ko-itame\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHamon:\u003c\/strong\u003e Gunome-notare midare (midareba) in a bright nioiguchi with nie\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBoshi:\u003c\/strong\u003e Midare-komi with ko-maru turnback\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis \u003cstrong\u003eKatana\u003c\/strong\u003e is a \u003cstrong\u003esigned (zaimei)\u003c\/strong\u003e work by \u003cstrong\u003eKazunori\u003c\/strong\u003e (一則), dated on the tang to \u003cstrong\u003eJune 1942 (Shōwa 17)\u003c\/strong\u003e - a \u003cstrong\u003egendaitō\u003c\/strong\u003e, a Japanese sword forged in the traditional manner during the modern era. The tang is \u003cem\u003eubu\u003c\/em\u003e (unaltered), with a single \u003cem\u003emekugi-ana\u003c\/em\u003e and the smith's signature on the omote and the date on the ura.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a robust, healthy blade: a \u003cem\u003eshinogi-zukuri\u003c\/em\u003e with \u003cem\u003eiori-mune\u003c\/em\u003e, a \u003cstrong\u003e66.3 cm\u003c\/strong\u003e nagasa, and a strong build - about \u003cstrong\u003e31 mm\u003c\/strong\u003e at the base tapering to \u003cstrong\u003e21 mm\u003c\/strong\u003e, with a substantial 7 mm \u003cem\u003ekasane\u003c\/em\u003e. The polish is bright and the steel healthy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003ejihada\u003c\/em\u003e is a tightly forged, bright \u003cstrong\u003eko-itame\u003c\/strong\u003e, and the \u003cem\u003ehamon\u003c\/em\u003e is a lively \u003cstrong\u003egunome-notare midare\u003c\/strong\u003e (乱刃) - an undulating, actively worked temper line set in a bright \u003cem\u003enioiguchi\u003c\/em\u003e with \u003cem\u003enie\u003c\/em\u003e, running into a \u003cstrong\u003emidare-komi\u003c\/strong\u003e boshi with a \u003cem\u003eko-maru\u003c\/em\u003e turnback. A visible grain and an active hamon of this kind are exactly the qualities that distinguish a traditionally-made \u003cstrong\u003egendaitō\u003c\/strong\u003e from a non-traditional wartime \u003cem\u003eshōwatō\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe blade carries a valid Japanese sword registration (Tokyo \u003cem\u003etōroku-shō\u003c\/em\u003e) - in Japan, granted only to blades recognized as traditionally made - which supports its standing as a genuine gendaitō rather than an arsenal production piece. It does not carry an NBTHK paper; a buyer wanting formal confirmation of the workmanship can submit it to NBTHK \u003cem\u003eshinsa\u003c\/em\u003e. With its sound, powerful build, it is a katana equally at home in a collection or, for a trained practitioner, in serious iaidō \/ battō and tameshigiri use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"koshirae\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eKoshirae Details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sword is mounted in a functional \u003cstrong\u003eblack koshirae\u003c\/strong\u003e. The \u003cstrong\u003esaya\u003c\/strong\u003e is finished in glossy black \u003cem\u003eurushi\u003c\/em\u003e lacquer with a brown \u003cem\u003esageo\u003c\/em\u003e. The \u003cstrong\u003etsuba\u003c\/strong\u003e is a round iron plate cut in \u003cem\u003eji-sukashi\u003c\/em\u003e (openwork) with cloud-and-foliage motifs, showing an honest dark patina.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost characterful are the \u003cstrong\u003emenuki\u003c\/strong\u003e: finely detailed \u003cstrong\u003efeather (hane) menuki\u003c\/strong\u003e in dark soft metal with gold highlights, set beneath the wrap. The \u003cstrong\u003efuchi\u003c\/strong\u003e is a plain brushed brass fitting. The \u003cstrong\u003etsuka\u003c\/strong\u003e is bound in brown \u003cem\u003eito\u003c\/em\u003e over white \u003cem\u003esame\u003c\/em\u003e (rayskin) in the traditional \u003cem\u003ehineri-maki\u003c\/em\u003e diamond pattern; the wrap shows genuine age and wear consistent with a sword that has been handled and used. Altogether an honest, serviceable mounting around a sound blade.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"smith-background\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout the Smith and the Date\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe blade is signed \u003cstrong\u003eKazunori\u003c\/strong\u003e (一則) and dated \u003cstrong\u003eJune 1942\u003c\/strong\u003e. It belongs to the \u003cem\u003egendaitō\u003c\/em\u003e tradition - swords made by smiths working after the Meiji period using traditional methods, water-quenched and forged rather than machine-made. The wartime years produced a wide spectrum of blades, from fully traditional gendaitō by skilled smiths down to mass-produced non-traditional \u003cem\u003eshōwatō\u003c\/em\u003e; the two are told apart by workmanship - visible \u003cem\u003ehada\u003c\/em\u003e and an active \u003cem\u003ehamon\u003c\/em\u003e - and by whether a blade qualifies as a registrable Japanese art sword in Japan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn both counts this blade presents as a genuine gendaitō: a bright ko-itame grain, an active gunome-notare midare hamon, and a valid Tokyo registration. We describe the smith conservatively from the signature and date on the tang; a formal generational or ranking attribution would require NBTHK shinsa. Sold honestly for what it is - a healthy, signed, traditionally-styled Shōwa katana in honest mounts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e","brand":"Tokyo Nihonto","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56937736012100,"sku":"KATANA84","price":2600.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0753\/4080\/8516\/files\/Katana84_158K_0035_GenerativeFill5.jpg?v=1783516858","url":"https:\/\/tokyo-nihonto.com\/de\/products\/japanese-gendaito-katana-sword-with-iron-sukashi-tsuba-and-feather-menuki-by-kazunori-dated-1942","provider":"Tokyo Nihonto","version":"1.0","type":"link"}