Edo Period Kogatana/Kozuka

[History Brick]

I don’t often see pre Meiji items posted on this forum so I decided I’d show one of my recent items. I generally don’t collect pre Meiji Japanese things but I thought this was especially interesting so I bought it. This is a Kogatana utility knife used by samurai. I believe this one is from the edo period but if anyone else knows something about these knives I’d love to learn more about it.

[ghp95134]

志津三郎兼氏
Shidzu Saburō Kaneuji

From Markus Sesko's book:

KANEUJI (兼氏), Genroku (元禄, 1688-1704), Mino – “Shizu Saburō Kaneuji” (志津三郎兼氏), “Nōshū Ōgaki-jū Shizu Saburō Kaneuji” (濃州大垣住志津三郎兼氏), real name Tōyama Tō´emon (遠山藤右衛門), he lived in Ōgaki (大垣).

KANEUJI (兼氏), Kyōhō (享保, 1716-1736), Mino – “Nōshū Ōgaki-jū Shizu Saburō Kaneuji” (濃州大垣住 志津三郎兼氏), real name Tōyama Matazaemon (遠山又左衛門), he counted himself as 23rd gen. Kaneuji but this has to be taken with a grain of salt because an even later Kaneuji from the Kōka era (弘化, 1844-1848) signed with the supplement “19th gen. Kaneuji,” however, the later Kaneuji smiths from the Ōgaki line had specialized in the production of kogatana.

KANEUJI (兼氏), Tenmei (天明, 1781-1789), Mino – “Nōshū-jū Kaneuji” (濃州住兼氏), he lived in Seki.

KANEUJI (兼氏), Kōka (弘化, 1844-1848), Mino – “Nōshū Shizu Saburō jūkyū-daison Shizu Saburō Kaneuji, Yahagigawa-be ni oite kore o saku” (濃州志津三郎十九代孫志津三郎兼氏� ��矢作川辺作之, “made by Shizu Saburō Kaneuji on the shore of Yahagi river, 19th generation Shizu Saburō”), he lived in Seki, chū-saku.

-- Guy

[History Brick]

Thanks for the response, guy, do you think that this signature is authentic? Because I have had some people tell me that it was not, and others have said the opposite. Let me know what you think, and thanks for the help!

[Nick Komiya]

But the way it is engraved seems to vary from known examples. Here's more on him in English SHIZU SABURO KANEUJI 志津三郎兼氏 | NIHONTO

[History Brick]

Thanks nick, I saw the same site. So do you think that the signature is not authenitic? If so would you say it’s a modern reproduction or possibly one of the original faked signatures?

[ghp95134]

Love that 大切先 Okissaki shown in that link!