As one of japans last remaining swordsmiths, korehira watanabe has honed his craft for 40 years while attempting to recreate the mythical. There seem to be a couple hundred or so smiths registered in the all japan swordsmith association. As i noted in last weeks a little coldforging metal work, i recently visited a craftsman in the art of traditional japanese swordmaking. An oshigata book of modern japanese swordsmiths 18681945 unknown binding january 1, 2001 5. A to h i to n o to z a few smiths used mei consisting wholly or partly of katakana or hiragana characters. Japanese swordsmithing is the labourintensive bladesmithing process developed in japan for forging traditionally made bladed weapons nihonto including katana, wakizashi, tanto, yari, naginata. Jun 08, 2012 open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. Feb 28, 2018 an oshigata book of modern japanese swordsmiths 18681945 wtb posted in wanted to buy. Modern, authentic nihonto are made by a few hundred swordsmiths. Swordsmiths in japan found the solution by wrapping a softer lowcarbon steel core such as wrought iron, in a jacket of highcarbon steel and then hardening the edge. An oshigata book of modern japanese swordsmiths 18681945 by john scott slough. Japanese swordsmithing is the labourintensive bladesmithing process developed in japan for. If you have one and willing to let it go, please let me know. However, under heavy usage, the edge would be more prone to chipping than its european counterparts, which were typically designed to deal with heavier armor than japanese blades.
If youre interested in learning more about japanese. The book starts with kanji used in signatures, provinces, carvings, and more. Good people, looking to get a copy of john sloughs, an oshigata book of modern japanese swordsmiths 18681945. An oshigata book of modern japanese swordsmiths 18681945. Japanese swordsmith looks to preserve craft youtube. Index of japanese swordsmiths posted on 20403 by markus sesko under uncategorized to make access easier for us customers of my twovolume publication index of japanese swordsmiths, i uploaded them to. One hundred masterpieces from the collection of dr. How to read japanese swordsmiths signatures mei and other inscriptions on the tangs nakago of japanese swords nihonto reading signatures on japanese swords. Hawleys japanese swordsmiths commemorative centenary edition return home page email. First published in 1998 hawleys japanese swordsmiths open library.
Japanese swordsmithing news newspapers books scholar jstor march 2011 learn how and when to remove this template message. According to historical records swordsmiths populated mino province in the hogen era 11561159 during the heian period. I have no interest in swords as weapons, historical items, or even. Large, beautiful pictures, with english text explanations, and some basic info in japanese. An oshigata book of modern japanese swordsmiths 18681945 by. Jan 09, 2010 one of the greatest swordsmiths in japan is masamune okazaki. Nov 10, 2016 an oshigata book of modern japanese swordsmiths 18681945 posted in wanted to buy. Ebook modern japanese swordsmiths 1868 1945 as pdf download. To the collector, the fact that this katana was granted nbthk juyo certification in 1970 is highly significant. His most famous works are the tachi swords and tanto daggers. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. 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. He has spent 40 years honing his craft in an attempt to recreate koto, a type of sword that dates back to the heian and. One of the greatest swordsmiths in japan is masamune okazaki.
Yoshindo yoshihara is considered the foremost presentday swordsmith in terms of both popularity and skill a true genius. To make access easier for us customers of my twovolume publication index of japanese swordsmiths, i uploaded them to. Pages in category japanese swordsmiths the following 17 pages are in this category, out of 17 total. Modern japanese swords and swordsmiths national library of. E genealogies and schools of japanese swordsmiths by markus. Examples of such are shown in the book the japanese sword by kanzan. Kapp, leon, kapp, hiroko, yoshihara, yoshindo, kishida, tom. He has written books on japanese swords, and displayed his works at the metropolitan museum in new. 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.
This is a brand new copy of john sloughs book on modern sword from shinshinto to showa. The sword maker korehira watan, one of japans last remaining. The smelting process used is different from the modern mass production of. Find more information about the index, its description and methods of use here. The sword maker korehira watan, one of japans last remaining swordsmiths 20 very short doc showing a small glimpse into the craft and purpose of japanese swordsmithing. Now that we have established the setting, lets get to your actual question. No copies of this book were found in stock from 833 online book stores and. Modern japanese swordsmiths 1868 1945 top results of your surfing modern japanese swordsmiths 1868 1945 start download portable document format pdf and ebooks electronic books free online rating news 20162017 is books that can provide inspiration, insight, knowledge to the reader. We interviewed yoshihara, said to be the best swordsmith in japan, who, even today, continues to protect the traditions and cultures of sword making. It is not simply a list of names, it also provides biographical information according to the. Modernday swords at unique japan we can happily arrange for customers to purchase a brand new gendaito modern sword made by a living swordsmith.
There is a handling fee of 25,000 jpy per blade for administrative expenses of import and export procedures. Japanese swordsmithing is the labourintensive bladesmithing process developed in japan for forging traditionally made bladed weapons nihonto including katana, wakizashi, tanto, yari, naginata, nagamaki, tachi, uchigatana, nodachi, odachi, kodachi, and ya arrow. In the art of the japanese sword, master swordsmith yoshindo yoshihara offers a. Next are 1,046 pages listings of about 32,000 swordsmiths with typical signatures in english and kanji, provinces, cross references to a few other books, and a relative point value. Juyo blades judged prior to 1971 are considered to be more prestigious because there was. Can somebody advise me were i could purchase a one. Many of todays smiths seek to revive the ancient arts of sword forging, and at the same time create a vital and. Jan 08, 20 korehira watanabe is one of the last remaining japanese swordsmiths. Includes oshigata and photographs along with biographical information written in japanese. Through a detailed chronicle of major events in the modern sword world, the authors illustrate the developments in swordmaking, its movement into artistic spheres, and the challenges swordsmiths have faced over the last century. Modern japanese swords and swordsmiths name author. An oshigata book of modern japanese swordsmiths 18681945 by john scott slough unknown, 272 pages, published 2001.
This is a collection of oshigata of japanese swordsmiths of the showa ww ii era. It is not simply a list of names, it also provides biographical information according to the extent of a smith. However, it is likely the case that only a minority of those are making a living as fulltime swordsmiths. See all formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Most of his work was done during the th and 14th century.
While this is a japanese language text, it is accompanied by a separate english index to identify the swordsmiths work as shown. Modern bladesmiths use a variety of steels to produce their blades, most commonly high carbon steel, such as sae 1075 or sae 1095 the 10 representing the 10series carbon steels, while 75 85 and 95. It is a comprehensive listing of oshigata, information and ratings in english of japanese sword smiths up till the end of wwii. Japanese swordsmiths hikoshiro sadamune hikoshiro sadamune. One aid in determining whether or not a blade is made in traditional manner, i. Japanese swordsmithing is the labour intensive bladesmithing process developed in japan for. A japanese sword is one of several types of traditionally made swords from japan. Buy modern japanese swords and swordsmiths by leon kapp, hiroko kapp isbn. The lower price is because the set is paperback instead of hardcover. There seem to be a couple hundred or so smiths registered in the all japan. From 1868 to the present by yoshihara, yoshindo,kapp, hiroko,kapp, leon and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Media in category swordsmiths from japan the following 7 files are in this category, out of 7 total.
The sword maker korehira watan, one of japans last. Jul 03, 20 buy modern japanese swords and swordsmiths by leon kapp, hiroko kapp isbn. My aim with this publication is to make the major genealogies of japanese swordsmiths and their schools from the koto to the shinto and shinshinto periods easily accessible to the western reader, namely in that they are complete and have been revised for the first time, in a single book. Reading japanese signatures japanese sword nihonto. Good people, looking to get a copy of john sloughs, an oshigata book of modern japanese. Most japanese and historians may agree that masamune has lived in the sagami province. This section is raw manuscript and appears without the japanese kanji, appraisal notes and multiple signatures. However, its only once the very late kamakura period early 0s appeared that works by shizu saburo kaneuji and kinju have been confirmed. As these oshigata were gathered from a variety of sources, the quality varies considerably. Korehira watanabe is one of the last remaining japanese swordsmiths.
Beautiful made and written book with allot of historical and modern sword. Swordsmith index is intended to be a noncommercial resource to support nihonto studies and raise awareness of history and appreciation of genuine japanese swords. E genealogies and schools of japanese swordsmiths by. A list of the kanji used in the given names of swordsmiths is now available in romaji order. Like a textbook, it presents comprehensive information on japanese swords and armor. These oshigata have been collected over the years from a variety of sources. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. An oshigata book of modern japanese swordsmiths 18681945 wtb posted in wanted to buy. As a follow up to onos 1971 text, this book covers modern artists and their craft. Japanese swordsmith looks to preserve craft swords have been a part of japanese culture for thousands of years.
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