GOING KOGARASU KRAZY FOR GASSAN SADAKATSU!

Greetings my Gassan-aholics.  Put on your sun glasses and hold on to your seats!  You are about to witness Gassan Nirvana.  As you know Gassan Sadakatsu is Sabaku Samurai's favorite sword smith of all times.  He is considered by most to be the TOP 20th century sword maker.  He was the maker to the Imperial Household in the first part of the 20th century.  He made swords for the Emperor of Japan, high ranking military Officers and dignitaries.  One of his blades is on display in the Tower of London along with the British Crown jewels. The most rare and coveted type of sword Sadakatsu made was the Kogarasu-maru.  The Holy Grail of his Kogarasu blades,  what everybody REALLY wants is a Kogarasu sword done in ayasugi hada. .   Ayasugi is the result of folding and welding the steel so that an even undulating pattern is visible on the surface of the blade when the sword is properly polished.  How to make this pattern was a closely guarded Gassan family secret for centuries.  Sadakatsu made very few kogarasu style swords and even fewer using his distinctive ayasugi family tradition.  Collectors all over the world seek them out and are willing to pay a stupid amount of money for them.  Here, brought to you courtesy of Sabaku Samurai (at no extra charge) is a world class example for you to gawk at . This blade has an impressive 26 7/8 inch cutting edge comes in it's original shirasaya and sports a solid silver habaki made by Sadakatsu himself. It is signed "Osaka ju Gassan Sadakatsu kitau saku" and dated 1940 and has the unusual round shaped mune or spine called maru-mune.

  

Soooooo what's a kogarasu-maru sword you ask (yes you did I heard you) and why is it so special?  The unusual shape of the blade is called kissaki moro ha zukuri and  is thought to be a transition or evolution between the straight double edged Chinese style ken blades used by the Japanese in early times and the curved single edged tachi developed around 1200 years ago.  It is curved like a tachi sword but the sharp double edge goes down the back of the blade from the tip only about a third of the way.  The tip of the blade still has the symmetrical double edged point of a ken

not the chisel shaped kissaki we are more familiar with in Japanese swords.  The most famous sword with this shape is the Kogarasu-maru which translates to "Little Crow" and is owned by the Emperor of Japan.  It is thought to have been made by a legendary sword smith named Amakuni in the early part of the 8th century who is credited with developing curved Japanese blades.  It is generally accepted that the sword was passed down in a convoluted way as a family treasure of the Taira clan although the ties to the Taira by some of the owners were a bit tenuous.  The sword ended up in the Ise family and was purchased by Count So Shigemasa (who also claims a tenuous linkage to the Taira) in the late 1800s and presented to Emperor Meji in 1882.  There are a bunch of stories and legends as to how the sword got the name "Little Crow".  The most down to earth and believable to me is that the original furniture or koshirae of the blade were adorned with crows.  There you have it!  You've just been learned by Sabaku Samurai University (SSU) and by Dr. Sabaku himself who has a P.H.D. in B.S which we all know is a B.F.D so be our B.F.F and tune in again for our next cool post.  A.M.F!  Don't forget to check out our site sabakusamurai.com

AN INTRIGUING TANTO

  Hey!  Wake up!  I have another interesting bit of cutlery to give you a gander at.  For your consideration I put before you a tanto with an apparently interesting pedigree. This ancient bit of iron was made by the famous Nanbokucho period sword maker Tomomitsu .  The kanji character he uses for "Tomo" in his signature also has the (Chinese) pronunciation of "Rin" so he is known as Rin-Tomo by collectors to distinguish him from several other well known Tomomitsu.  He is a son of the REALLY famous Bizen Kanemitsu who was one of Masamune's golden students.  This is another blade with ALL the bells and whistles.  Blade cutting edge length is 10 3/8 inches.  It is ubu which means the nakago (tang) of the blade has not been cut or shortened.  The nakago  is signed and dated on one side (Bishu Osafune Tomomitsu) (Feb 1366)  and on the other side it says "Hachiman Daibosatsu" which is an invocation to the God of armed forces.  The blade is mitsumune, this means the back or spine of the blade is three sided which is unusual as most blades have a two sided spine much like the roof of a house. One side of the blade has a stylized ken sword carved in it for decoration and a bonji (Sanskrit) character on the other.  The temper line is a straight suguha style and the hada (forging pattern) is a strong mokume or wood grain typical of the era.  The workmanship of the blade features such treats a utsuri and chikei (you'll have to look some of this crap up yourself I can't explain everything or this blog would be a mile long).  Tomomitsu rates a wopping 100 points in Hawley's and a sweet jojosaku from Fujishiro. Several of his blades have been designated NATIONAL TREASURES.  This blade received a Tokubetsu Kicho rating (one step below the coveted juyo rating) from the NBTHK in 1972.  As far as I know it was never submitted for Juyo but I strongly suspect it is a good contender.  The polish is old but top quality.  Now for some intrigue (you knew it was coming).  The blade is housed in a plain wooden scabbard and handle called a shirasaya.  There is Japanese writing on the outside of the shirasaya (called sayagaki) that says this blade has a black set of koshirae (fittings) and that the tanto was the possession of the Uesugi which are a famous clan of Samurai.  This is pretty cool by itself but the sayagaki is signed with a kao (sort of a hand written personal symbol) and has the writer's red stamped chop or seal.  I have not been able to figure out who he is.  The chop was a bit faded so I enhanced it with PhotoShop to show you.  There is a well known family of sword appraisers called the Honami who did sayagaki like this but I have not come up with any good matches to the Kao.  I suspect the sayagaki was done during it's appraisal by the NBTHK in 1972 by an expert back then or prior to that but that is just a guess .  If anybody recognizes the chop or Kao and knows who the writer was please drop us a line here at Sabaku Samurai.  A valuable reward of eternal gratitude is offered for any good information (because we're too cheap to offer anything better). The black koshirae were apparently separated from the blade some time ago.  If you have them I want em back.  Check us out at sabakusamurai.com .  Until next time I bid you adieu (or maybe a doodoo) (nah, the world already has enough of that). 

MYSTERY OF THE CLOUD DRAGON

Greetings all you Gassan maniacs!  I have a VERY nice one to show off.  This blade has all the bells and whistles.  It is an impressive, beefy, 27 6/8 inches long.  A sword made for a real man by perhaps the top 20th century Japanese sword smith and Sabaku Samurai's favorite sword maker of all times, Gassan Sadakatsu.  The blade is forged in perfect ayasugi hada which is an even undulating pattern in the steel that is a Gassan family trade mark.  The forging technique used to make ayasugi hada was a closely guarded family secret for hundreds of years and is even rare among Gassan blades.  Gassan Sadakatsu was also a master of the Soshu, Bizen and Yamato tradition of swordmaking and most of his blades are in those styles.  The habaki is solid silver and probably made by Sadakatsu himself.  This sword also features eye watering horimono (decorative carving) of a dramatically rendered ceremonial ken sword on one side and a pair of short hi (grooves) on the other. The nakago (tang) is richly engraved on one side with the makers name (Gassan Sadakatsu), the date of manufacture (Feb 11 1937) and the information that he is the 3rd generation Gassan to work in Naniwa which is the place that became the modern city of Osaka.  The inscription on the other side is a bit more intriguing.  There are several slightly different ways of interpreting it.  Generally it seems to indicate that the sword was made for the head of the main line Kimura family as a family heirloom or treasure for protection.  Then it goes on to say that the sword is named CLOUD DRAGON (pretty cool) and was made from extra or left over steel.  This could also be interpreted that the blade was made of left over steel FROM the Cloud Dragon. Now this interpretation begs the questions who is this Kimura and what was the Cloud Dragon that the sword was made from.  Gassan Sadakatsu was the sword maker to the Imperial Household.  He made swords for the Emperor, dignitaries, and high ranking Military Officers.  He even made one for the King of England which is on display in the Tower of London which is where the Crown Jewels are kept (it's there, I've seen it in person).  Doing a little research I discovered that there were at least three significant Military Officers with the family name of Kimura in service when the sword was produced.  Two were Navy admirals and the other a notorious Army general.  There may have been others that I have not found. It just so happens that one of the Kimura Admirals served on an aircraft carrier produced late in WWII named CLOUD DRAGON.  Could this sword be made from left over steel from that ship?  That all fits together pretty nifty except for one little detail, the keel of the Cloud Dragon wasn't laid until well after the sword was forged.  So although it is an intriguing coincidence I haven't figured out how to tie them together, it seems to be a dead end.  The Kimura General was hanged for war crimes.  I have not been able to associate the sword with him.  This blade was purchased from the Dai Token Ichi  several years ago which is a huge annual sword trade show in Japan and my trail of provenance stops there.  ~~If any of you readers have any information or bright ideas for avenues of research on this wonderful sword please drop me a line.  If you want some more pictures of any part of the blade let me know.  Hasta la Vista Baby! 

GASSAN EYE CANDY!

I have finally awakened from my 7 year bender.  Man!  That was some awsum bourbon!  Several amazing swords have landed in the Sabaku Samurai collection in the last few years.  Soon I will begin showcasing them.  This is a teaser.  We've got new Gassans to show, josaku tantos, mystery blades, Nanbokucho treasures all coming to a blog near you (this one).  Stay tuned for more!

IT'S FINALLY HERE!! (AND IT'S AWSUM!)

 Max Roach's (cool name) tantalizing tome has finally hit the streets and Sabaku Samurai gives it TEN THUMBS WAY UP (yes, we are all thumbs). For the poor uninitiated sots who just don't get it, this book is easy to read and elegantly and systematically answers the question "What is it about those @%#& Japanese swords!?" (ever heard that from a spouse or significant other?) (yeah, me too). For those of us who do get it, this book is pure sword porn, richly illustrated with beautiful glossy pictures of world class blades.

 The book traces the roots of Japanese sword development and explains in understandable terms their impact on Japanese history and culture and why they are a world icon of elegance,refinement, icy functionality and all things Japanese. The book delves into how the swords are made, polished, maintained and used. It covers Japanese sword history, what's happening with them today and what the future of nihonto holds.

It is a BIG book, coffee table size, hard cover and in 176 pages it is amazingly comprehensive. There is even an added bonus! For those who don't like reading (or like me, can barely read at all) and who just want to sit back with a beer (or beverage of your choice, mmmmm Makers Mark!) and have the information shoveled into your brain there is a great DVD included with the book (at no extra charge) that documents sword making, sword swinging (scenes from an actual iaido class) and even takes you into a sword shop in Kyoto for a little hands on discussion of the finer points of quality blades. I think the only thing that Max failed to include in this Katana media bonanza is how to get the money to buy a sword. Maybe he has a follow-on publication, "Sword Shoplifting 101" or, "Hey! is that my wakizashi in your pants or are you just happy to see me?".

The book is available now through Amazon.com; Japanese Swords, Cultural Icons of a Nation, The History, Metallurgy and Iconography of the Samurai Sword (ISBN-13: 978-4-8053-1035-9) (WAY cheap at $39.95). It will be featured as a recommended purchase by Barnes & Noble in their holiday catalog. For more info on the book and about Max Roach (the author) go to http://www.mountainwinddojo.com/ or check the book out on facebook! There are links to video clips, sneak peeks inside the book, etc. Click "like" and recommend it to your friends (if you have any).

MOST IMPORTANTLY, when you get the book immediately go to pages 117 and 118 and marvel at Sabaku Samurai's incredible ken sword that is featured there. I was one page away from being a centerfold! My momma would be so proud.

BOTTOM LINE, it is an OUTSTANDING book, destined to be a standard for martial arts enthusiasts, sword collectors and Asian arts aficionados. When it comes to Japanese swords, if you know someone who doesn't get it, get it! If you get it and want to see some wonderful sword related photography, get it! If you want something real pretty to put on your coffee table to prove what an erudite citizen of the world you are, get it! Get it?

INU IKI'S POLISH REIGNS SUPREME!!

A few months ago the Sabaku Samurai ended up with a rusty P.O.S. tanto that he bought off of Ebay after having ingested copious quantities of fine Kentucky sippin whiskey. The prospect of restoration for this "national treasure" looked pretty dim. We all know the cost of a good polish and the risks involved. If the rust is too deep or the chips too big or there is a flaw just below the

surface you could easily spend more money on the polish than the blade is worth. No one in their right mind would risk a polish on a blade that looked like this. But, of course we are talking about the Sabaku Samurai here who is strangely proud that he does not have a mind at all. After a few cups of liquid inspiration he came up with a cunning plan. He got his favorite polisher (Inu Iki sensei) a bit hammered on liberal servings of bourbon and bet him double or nothing his charge for polish that he could not successfully polish this tanto. For the full story and more "before" pictures of the tanto click "here". Well,

the results are in and Mr Iki has come through. The blade and polish are

flawless! Sabaku Samurai had to fork over. In a little conciliatory ceremony the Sabaku Samurai bowed to Iki Sensei and handed him the cash and in a gracious oriental manner reflecting all that embodies Zen, Iki snatched the money out of his hand and said, "yoo ruze again sucka!". Inu Iki then proceeded to do the happy dance waving the bills around like he just scored a touchdown. He is still our favorite polisher though. Gottta Go! Turn the lights out when you leave.