Kantei
Beginner Kantei · 入門鑑定
Three blades. All the time in the world.
Kantei is the old connoisseur's art of naming a sword's smith from the blade alone. Begin here: three blades a day, no clock, and every name offered with its school and tradition (or era), so you can reason your way to the answer.
Free. On the boards you appear under an alias unless you choose otherwise.
Look at the blade
A careful rubbing of the blade, its signature covered.
Read the description
The published appraisal description, to read at your own pace.
Choose the smith
Five names, each with its school and tradition (or era). Near answers still score.
Nagamitsu (Osafune) (Bizen-den)
- Smith
- Nagamitsu
- School
- Osafune
- Tradition
- Bizen-den
The smith himself scores 100; the smith's close kin 75; the right school 25; the right tradition 10. Three blades, 300 points at most.