When I started out in sword collecting, I visited the San Francisco sword show a few times. Like everyone else, eagerly looking over the tables for interesting items.
At this point I was just beginning to be able to read some Japanese, and I saw a sword with a sayagaki to Rai Kunitoshi. This was ranked Tokubetsu Hozon. Like most beginners as soon as I figured out what Juyo was, I wanted to find them myself, submit and get a sword to win in the competition.
Introduced first in 1927, by the German physicist Werner Heisenberg, it states that the more precisely the position of some particle is determined, the less precisely its momentum can be known, and vice versa — Wikipedia, The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle
This little bit of physics is I think the most important fact on the planet, and it has wide ranging applications.
Out of every ten swords signed “Kotetsu,” eleven will be fake. — Ancient American Proverb
Gimei swords are those that bear a fake signature. These signatures were added either recently or some time in the past for a handful of reasons… all involving deception. The original degree of malevolence involved in this deception can vary. Even now they can be innocently bought and sold, but at some point gimei blades can be weaponized and used to defraud someone.
Currently there is only one good reason to consider a gimei sword for purchase. And a lot of bad ones.
The NBTHK in Tokyo is the main organization for authenticating Japanese swords. They currently issue papers at four levels, from lowest to highest level, these are: Hozon, Tokubetsu Hozon, Juyo, and Tokubetsu Juyo.
There is not much difference between the first and second papers, but there is a big leap to the third and fourth level papers.
Q: What is the difference between an inferior work of Norishige and a masterpiece of the Uda school?
A: Norishige has a reputation as a great master, one of the best. Uda has a reputation as a second or third tier school. Even the best work of a third tier school will not compare to the worst work of a grand master. And even if it does, the top makers will gain attributions of master works and the lesser works will be attributed to lesser makers. Quality is the first step of attribution.
Continue reading Attribution is Everything, and when it’s not it almost is