Japanese sword tang and paperwork help!

[Steve Flanagan]

Had an elderly lady and her grandson bring a nice sword in a very well crafted wooden box with a scroll and paperwork. Sword was in greats shape 25" and signed and dated. Sword was given to her father in 1951 by the Japanese co workers at the aircraft repair facility they worked at, had uchiko ball, the signed scroll with all employees signatures, and what I think may be early registration papers. Its not for sale yet, but best I can do is possibly Busho or Bishu Yasusada but cant get the era kanji right. Only one Bushu Yasusada worked in the 1600's in Hawleys so its possibly him. Very nice signed tsuba...All help appreciated,,,,

[Steve Flanagan]

2

2

[Steve Flanagan]

3

3

[Steve Flanagan]

4

4

[Steve Flanagan]

5

5

[GHP]

武州住安貞
Yasusada resident of Bushu

眞十五枚甲伏作
Made with true 15-times folded kōbuse {technique}



Here's another (mid-Edo era) with the same 15x kobuse inscription; different smith.

And another mid-Edo


--Guy

[GHP]

The paper is a sword registration card. Every sword in Japan has to be registered ... just like we in California have to register pistols.

The card says yours is 2 shaku, 0 sun, 85 bu which equals 86.36127cm // 34.0005 in. Remember, the blade is measured for length from the tip along the back of the blade in a straight line to the mune-machi.

Here's a shaku CONVERTER.





--Guy

[GHP]

Tsuba signed

長州住
Choshu Ju
Resident of Choshu

友之
Tomoyuki

Another:

source


--Guy

[Steve Flanagan]

Sword

Thank you as usual Guy, much appreciated! Would never have guessed on the method of manufacture! I measured blade correctly with cloth tape from tip to notch as usual, must be the overall length on form?

[Beater]

The paper is a sword registration card. Every sword in Japan has to be registered ... just like we in California have to register pistols.

The card says yours is 2 shaku, 0 sun, 85 bu which equals 86.36127cm // 34.0005 in. Remember, the blade is measured for length from the tip along the back of the blade in a straight line to the mune-machi.

Here's a shaku CONVERTER.





--Guy

Guy,
Excuse my ignorance but why do they ignore the sun unit? Surely this equals 2 shaku, 8 sun and 5 bu, vis a viz 10 bu = 1 sun.
Also your conversion to 34" must be the entire length including tang and not just the blade, when normally references to blade lengths are, as you say, from tip to Mune machi notches.
I hadn't seen this conversion tool before but when I see a sword described as 2 shaku and 0 sun (and usually a low number of bu), I'd expect a blade a tad over 24" and indeed the opening part of the thread gave blade length of 25".
Can you clarify for me please as although I use inches or cms., I thought I had an understanding of the Japanese system of measuring - but I'm now confused.
Regards,
Kevin.

[GHP]

Guy,
Excuse my ignorance but why do they ignore the sun unit? Surely this equals 2 shaku, 8 sun and 5 bu, vis a viz 10 bu = 1 sun.
Also your conversion to 34" must be the entire length including tang and not just the blade, when normally references to blade lengths are, as you say, from tip to Mune machi notches.
I hadn't seen this conversion tool before but when I see a sword described as 2 shaku and 0 sun (and usually a low number of bu), I'd expect a blade a tad over 24" and indeed the opening part of the thread gave blade length of 25".
Can you clarify for me please as although I use inches or cms., I thought I had an understanding of the Japanese system of measuring - but I'm now confused.
Regards,
Kevin.

Hmmmmmm ..... The converter has the "sun" cell. The card says 2 shaku, 0 sun, 8 bu, 5 whatever.

AHA!!!!!! I put in 85 bu, -- I should have put in 8.5.

New measurements from the converter:
2 shaku, 0 sun, 8.5 bu = 63.180087 cm // 24.87405 in.

That doggone decimal point DOES make a difference after all! (^__^)

Thanks for pointing this mistake out.

--Guy

Anyway, good question.

--Guy