Hello fellow sword enthusiasts!

Wow, lots of excitement in the air. Here in England, World Cup fever has gripped the nation. Passion for the game reminds me of how Montrealers are with Les Canadiens during a Stanley Cup hockey playoff. I’m glad that Japan and England won their first matches. My mother is from Chile — that was the country I was cheering for four years ago. I miss them this year!

Thank you for downloading Catalogue 29. Many late nights (not always quiet with Admiral Nelson) were spent in its creation. I’m proud of all the pieces. So, without further ado, let’s get to the swords!

We begin with a beautiful 600-year-old katana by the highly respected Ko-Gassan school. This blade was forged in their iconic ayasugi-hada that resembles a rhythmic sound wave. A brilliant handachi koshirae with a mother-of-pearl bamboo flute pattern continues this musical journey in fine harmony.

A wakizashi by Ise Daijô Tsunahiro is the next piece. Tsunahiro is recognised as the finest smith to have signed the Tsunahiro name in the Shintô period. He faithfully carried the torch of the Sôshû tradition with tremendous skill. I love the elegant koshirae that comes with this piece — it’s very samurai.

The following sword is a classic Edo-period katana by Hizen Nidai Masahiro that is stunning in every way. It has a long curvy shape, splendid gunome midare hamon and a first-class koshirae with a powerful message of strategic perseverance.

Our cover sword is a gorgeous NBTHK Jûyô Tôken katana by Kaneuji’s Yamato Shizu school from the late Kamakura period, circa early 1300s. This is one seriously impressive sword that oozes self-confidence — a strong, healthy shape with plenty of hataraki (activity) in the steel to admire and enjoy. This piece sums up why the Kamakura period is known as the golden age of Japanese swords.

The next three lots are with me here in the UK. The first is a rare Toppei-koshirae daishô from the late Edo period, when Japanese uniforms were adapted from the French forces. For any militaria buff, this is certainly a gem. Some clients might recognise the 1937 award-winning gendaitô katana by master smith Izumi Tomoyoshi that commemorates the 2,600th anniversary of the Japanese empire — it now comes with a magnificent tombo (dragonfly) custom koshirae.

A very sharp katana by jô-saku and ryô-wazamono smith Kazusa Kaneshige with a brilliant Tokugawa-themed koshirae is the third UK offering. I created a video presenting this sword which can be viewed on our YouTube channel.

Returning to the kotô period, we have a terrific wakizashi attributed to Uda school Hirakuni. If you want to get your feet wet with Japanese swords, study this little number — it has great character!

We complete the catalogue with an incredible katana by the shinshintô super-artist Sa Yukihide. This solidly built creation was originally a kinnotô, or royalist sword, then carefully modified for battle in WWII by way of orikaeshi-mei. Its fantastic dragon-themed koshirae is very inspirational.

Thank you as always for your genuine support and passion for life. It means everything to me. My team and I look forward to serving you. Let’s have a great summer!

Warm regards,