Certified Tokubetsu Kicho by the N.B.T.H.K.
ONE OF THE MOST SELDOM ENCOUNTERED WORKS IN THE REALM OF JAPANESE SWORD COLLECTING, IS THE EXACTINGLY MADE, FAITHFUL RE-CREATION OF THE WORK OF A “GREAT KOTO MASTER”. THE COMPLEXITIES SURROUNDING SUCH A WORK OF ART ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO SURMOUNT, TO SAY THE LEAST. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, A MASTER SWORD MAKER, OF OUTSTANDING ABILITY MUST BE LOCATED. TO ACCURATELY REPRODUCE THE WORKMANSHIP IN A MASTERPIECE BY ANOTHER, HE MUST FIRST MASTER MANY OF THE TECHNIQUES, AND STYLES USED IN THE ORIGINAL. FEW SWORD SMITHS ARE CAPABLE OF ACCOMPLISHING THIS. IN JAPAN, A RE-CREATION MUST BE, NOT ONLY SUPERFICIALLY ACCURATE, BUT THE CONSTRUCTION METHODS, MATERIALS, AND RITUALS ARE AS ACCURATELY ADHERED TO AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE. AN EXAMPLE OF THIS IS WELL NOTED IN OUR SEVEN VOLUME SET OF REFERENCE BOOKS, THE “HONCHO KAJIKO” (PRINTED IN 1795 AD), THE SWORDS IN THE COLLECTION OF THE EMPEROR. WHEN COMMENTING ABOUT THE “MASAMUNE” RE-CREATION DONE BY “SABURO KANEUJI”, THE IMPERIAL SWORD POLISHER STATES, “POLISHING THIS BLADE, FEELS THE SAME AS POLISHING THE ORIGINAL MASAMUNE”. VIEWING, AND STUDYING A “MASTERPIECE RE-CREATION” IS AS CLOSE TO STUDYING THE ORIGINAL WORK OF THE GREAT MASTER, THAT CAN BE IMAGINED. THIS MASTERPIECE BY “SADAHIRO”, IS SUCH A BLADE!
WE CONDUCTED A BIT OF RESEARCH, REGARDING THE COST, AND FEASIBILITY OF PURCHASING A SIMILAR WORK OF ART, ON TODAY’S MARKET. FIRSTLY, THERE ARE VERY FEW CURRENTLY WORKING, GENDAITO MASTERS THAT WOULD BE CAPABLE OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENT, AND COULD TAKE 2 YEARS COMPLETE. SECONDLY, THE COST WOULD IN ALL PROBABILITY BE IN THE $60,000.00 PLUS PRICE RANGE (THIS IS CONSERVATIVE). THIS FIGURE IS PROHIBITIVE, TO MANY COLLECTORS.
“THE MASTER MAKER”“KITA SADAHIRO”, WAS BORN IN: TAISHO 2 nd YEAR, THE 2 nd. MONTH, THE 9 th. DAY, IN “YAMATO” PROVINCE, HE WAS DEDICATED TO THE “HOU-RYUII” TEMPLE. IN SHOWA THE 14 th. YEAR (1939), HE WAS ACCEPTED IN OSAKA CITY, AS A STUDENT, AND APPRENTICE OF THE “WORLD FAMOUS” GASSAN SADAKATSU. “SADAKATSU”, AND HIS FATHER “SADAKAZU” PRODUCED A GREATER NUMBER OF PRESENT ION SWORDS FOR THE IMPERIAL HOUSEHOLD, AND FOREIGN DIGNITARIES THAN ANY SWORD MAKERS IN THE 20 th. CENTURY. “SADAHIRO” UNDOUBTEDLY PARTICIPATED IN THE PRODUCTION OF MANY OF THE IMPORTANT SWORDS. SADAKATSU LEARNED THE ART OF ACCURATELY REPRODUCING THE WORKS OF THE GREAT KOTO MASTERS FROM HIS FATHER “GASSAN SADAKAZU”. DURING THE MEIJI SWORD PRODUCTION BAN “SADAKAZU” AS WELL AS OTHERS, RESTRICTED THERE EFFORTS TO PRODUCING BLADES THAT WERE AMAZING REPRODUCTIONS OF THE WORKS OF THE “GREAT MASTERS”. LATER DURING THE BAN “SADAKAZU” WAS LICENSED TO PRODUCE BLADES UNDER HIS OWN NAME, TO PRESERVE THE ART OF SWORD MAKING FOR POSTERITY. THESE SKILLS WERE PASSED ON TO “SADAKATSU”, AND IN TURN TO “SADAHIRO”, MAKING THE CREATION OF THIS “BUNGO YUKIHIRA” RE-CREATION A REALITY.
IN SHOWA THE 18 th. YEAR SADAHIRO WAS INVITED TO SEEK ACCEPTANCE IN THE “IMPERIAL NAVY’S” CUSTOM SWORD DIVISION. HE SUBMITTED EXAMPLES OF HIS BEST EFFORT BLADES TO “NAVY SWORD EXHIBITION” CONTEST, AND WAS ACCEPTED. HE PRODUCED CUSTOM BLADES FOR MANY HIGH RANKING NAVEL OFFICERS DURING THESE YEARS. AFTER THE WAR, IN SHOWA 22 nd. YEAR HE WAS ONE OF THE FEW SWORD MAKERS THAT WAS GRANTED A GOVERNMENT LICENSE ( UNDER THE OCCUPATION FORCES ), TO PRODUCE BLADE FOR THE SAKE OF THE PRESERVATION OF THE “ART OF SWORD MAKING”. HIS LICENSED PREMISES WAS IN “NARA CITY”.
SADAHIRO WAS A MEMBER OF THE “NIHON TO` TOSHOKAI”, THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF JAPANESE SWORD MAKERS. HE WON THE “KAICHOSHO”, THE PRESIDENTS AWARD ( THE HIGHEST HONOR ) FROM THE “MAINICHI NEWS PAPER” FOUNDATION FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE SWORD MAKING ART. HE ALSO WON THE NATIONAL “SHOREI” AWARD ON 6 OCCASIONS, THE “DORYOKU” AWARD 10 TIMES, AND THE “NEWSEN” AWARD.
HIS NORMAL METHOD OF BLADE CONSTRUCTION ( KITEI ), WAS TO COMBINE THREE SEPARATE SECTIONS OF STEEL, A METHOD KNOWN FOR STRENGTH, AND DURABILITY. THE STEEL WAS PRODUCED OF THE PUREST “ROUND IRON SAND”, AND COMBINED WITH “OLD IRON”. THE BLADE WAS CREATED IN A FIRE OF THE FINEST HAND SELECTED “PINE CHARCOAL”. MANY OF HIS BLADES WERE TESTED FOR THERE CUTTING ABILITY BY “TAMESHIGIRI” ( CUTTING TEST ), AND FOUND TO BE OF SUPREME SHARPNESS.
SADAHIRO WAS EXTREMELY ACCOMPLISHED, AND WAS CAPABLE OF WORKING IN MANY STYLES. HIS PERSONAL FAVORITES WERE THOSE OF “MASAMUNE”, KOTO “KANENAGA”, AND THE FAMOUS “TAIKEI NAOTANE”.
THIS BLADE IS A FAITHFUL RE-CREATION OF THE WORK OF THE “NATIONAL TREASURE” MAKER, “BUNGO YUKIHIRA” WHO’S AVERAGE WORKING DATE IS “1200 AD.” ITS “KOSHIZORI” ( CURVE STARTING NEAR THE NAKAGO, AND STRAIGHT IN THE UPPER 1/3 ) SHAPE. THE FINE PAINSTAKINGLY REPRODUCED “HADA” ( GRAIN STRUCTURE ), AND “HAMON” ( TEMPERING ) ARE SO FASTIDIOUSLY REPRODUCED ( PLEASE SEE PHOTO’S ) THAT IT IS COMPARABLE TO HOLDING, AND STUDYING AN “ORIGINAL YUKIHIRA”, A PRIVILEGE THAT I HAVE HAD ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. PLEASE SEE THE ATTACHED PHOTO OF “ONE OF FIVE” MISSING “CULTURAL OBJECT” SWORDS ( BELIEVED TO BE SOMEWHERE IN THE USA! ), COPIES OF THERE PHOTOGRAPH’S WILL BE PROVIDED WITH THIS BLADE. IT IS QUIT EASY TO SEE HOW CLOSELY “SADAHIRO” EMULATED THE SKILL, AND STYLE OF THIS “GREAT MASTER”.
THIS IS ONE OF, IF NOT THE “FINEST MASTERPIECE” EVER PRODUCED BY “KITA SADAHIRO”. THIS WORK HAS THE UNIQUE DISTINCTION OF HAVING BEEN GRANTED ” TOKUBETSU KICHO” ( ONE GRADE UNDER “JUYO” ) CERTIFICATION FROM THE “N.B.T.H.K.” ! THIS IS SELDOM SEEN IN GENDAITO BLADES. IT WOULD BE THE CENTER PIECE OF MOST COLLECTIONS, AND IS TRULY AN HONOR, AND PRIVILEGE TO OWN.
Article By: the late David E. J. Pepin, 2013
Copyright Samuraisword.com
Return to Articles
This Sword is not available for purchase.
If you wish to purchase a Japanese Sword please view our Nihonto for sale page or contact us directly via email or contact us @ 1(608) 315-0083 any time , please include specifics of what you seek, i.e.: Katana, maker, era, price range etc.
