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I should post most of my collection, but i selected a few pieces: Ko-tosho, big, early and unaltered Onin, big and unaltered without much loss of zogan And my pride, tensho koshirae from late Muromachi with its original blade still inside. All lacquered black, simple iron tsuba with most of urushi still in place

For those of you who don't use facebook, this is something I posted there recently, thought it was worth sharing with the board... "Here we Go again… So I don’t really know what to say, to have polished one Go Yoshihiro was an amazing experience, and I thought it was a once in a lifetime deal… turns out, it wasn’t. This is a polish I’ve recently completed on a katana papered tokubetsu-hozon to ‘Den Go’. Having studied Go for many years, handled several of his blades in Japan, and now completing my second polish on his work, I feel I’m developing a good sense of his style. There is a paradox in his blades, they're both controlled to the highest degree, and yet completely wild, vivid, and natural. This is a very interesting example of his work, in some ways it’s quite different to the previous one I worked on, but they both share unmistakable similarities, particularly within the nioi-guchi and the finer areas of grain structure. There’s an incredible amount of depth to the hamon, with layers of contrasting nie blanketed across the entire yakiba. Along the boundary of the hamon the nie is larger and has a mottled appearance, almost like lava flow, but on the inside of the yakiba there is fine ko-nie and nioi hataraki, which floats its way along the blade like cloud formations. This isn’t the kind of hamon that jumps up and slaps you in the face, there’s a subtlety to the nie which takes some time to absorb, but once it sets in, it reveals a vast array of delicate hataraki. The jigane is quite diverse, with a variety of different textures and shades. Some areas show a uniform nashiji-like hada with evenly dispersed ji-nie and fine chikei, while other areas have a larger grain structure mixed with dark patches of steel containing more clustered ji-nie. There are many yubashiri, which appear in all different shapes and sizes, some emanating from the hamon like nebula, and others appearing from nowhere like floating orbs. The boshi isn’t ichimai (which isn't unusual), it’s more like a kaen-style, with streaks of hakikake running from the yokote through to a short kaeri. I wasn’t able to capture everything I wanted to in these pics, I tried my best, but in most places the nie extends from the hasaki all the way to the shinogi in one form or another, and it’s impossible to get it all in. Well anyway, have a look and enjoy!"

After threatening with reporting it to the police yesterday as theft. xxxx me it was magically found. Case closed

Here are some phone pics of my latest work, this is my 4th attempt at making tsuba. The bronze original is in the V&A London online collection. The details are as follows. The project took 7 months to complete including choosing the design to inlay of the mei. The material is iron(not mild steel) I sent some 100 year old relic parker brothers and other Damascus shotgun barrels to a blacksmith who returned them as 1/4" iron plate. I made a pen and ink drawing adding the kogai hitsu ana. The design was xerox copied and transferred to the plate. I then pieced with a jewelry saw and sculpted with hammer and chisel gravers. Polished with files and finishing stones. The color is heat blue patina.

A bit late to the show but these are among my favourites. I didn't what to overload with images so my two Onin tsuba didn't get in! 1 Six Ken Umetada Mumei 1550 Papered 2 Moon amd Pines Owari Nobuie 1600 3 Hanabishi Tosho Mumei 1500 Papered 4 Oxalis Tosho Mumei 1525 5 Pines and Waves Akasaka Mumei 1725 Papered (late but nice) 6 Crossed hats Owari Toda Hikozaemon 1525 7 Rain Katchushi Mumei 1450 8 Plumb and Oxalis Katchushi Mumei 1475

Hello all. I will be continuing to offer items from my collection at the next Birmingham Arms Fair. As I have said before, I am not a dealer and am selling purely to return to collecting Meiji Artworks. This Arms Fair is my sole outlet but I’m always happy to meet up elsewhere if necessary. Obviously more relevant to UK residents. All will be priced to sell and they include a sumptuously mounted Tachi, finely mounted Tanto, Wakizashi and Aikuchi plus many tsuba, menuki and kozuka etc. Most blades are in good original Japanese polish, some with papers. None have been messed around with! I will add more detailed descriptions in a few days but for now…… All the best. Colin

Ono

tsuba has a HIGH EDGE, and the surface appears dark

1. Theme - I will keep my dream theme a secret for now as unfortunately I do not yet own an item that would be of that theme. My next purchase should be of that theme, when that will be I cannot yet say... After 20+ years of collecting I own only 3 swords and each of them are supportive of that theme I have in mind. 2. Aim - It would of course be amazing to have vast collecting of various items of that dream theme. However given the time it takes for me to get an item it won't be happening. Realistic aim would be just getting items that I enjoy. 3. Border - No borders. Only requirement for me would be that I like the item. 4. Behaviour - Just watching while doing my research. I admit this is the most tedious part for me as it would be fun to actually buy something. I keep scouting the items every week and I will try my best resist the urge to do sword dealing or trying flipping items for profit, as I don't want to go down that road. 5. Purpose - Research. I am very happy I enjoy research as I cannot collect at the level or in the style I would like. I feel my purpose is just doing my research and I am enjoying doing that. 6. Stage - Evolving, I've had various ideas for collecting before and they've been evolving into my current vision.

Good question Benjamin. I think the reponses are going to be quite varied and informative. You should perhaps provide your experiences and goals as someone like me, a bit of a novice collector. I'll get the ball rolling. 1 - What is the "theme" of your collection ? (expl : gokaden ? That one smith ? That era ? Horimono-maniac ? etc..). Koto only and styles that appeal to my sense of aesthetics. This leads me to the Soshu, Yamato and Ichimonji Schools from the Kamakura and Nanbokucho eras 2 - What is the "aim" of your collection ? (expl : one of each type ? The one sword ? As much as possible ? etc...). I can't afford the best of the best for each School, so again I buy what appeals, initially the sugata, then the jihada and then the overall condition. The maker/School is secondary but still a consideration. Unfortunately blades from this era are mostly mumei and generally given broad attributions eg Yamato Senjuin, Ko Uda, Ichimonji 3 - What is the "border" of your collection ? (expl : only papered ? Not less than Jumyo ? Only tanto ? Always koshirae ? etc...) Only papered TH or Juyo. I am focusing on Katana and Tachi but will eventually get a tanto or 2. I feel with more knowledge my price threshold will be around 50-60k Euro and with that I hope to acquire an Ichimonji (preferably Fukuoka Ichimonji) or a Norishige. At this moment in time I think 25-30K is my upper limit for a Juyo blade. Very little interest in Koshirae although I'm warming to the Tensho piece that was made for my Y. Shikkake. Give me a shirasaya with sayagaki and I'm happy. 4 - What is your "behaviour" in collecting ? (expl : buying - learning - selling ? Making a museum-room at home ? Stocking until not knowing where to put them ? etc...). I buy for a couple of reasons. Historical significance, technological excellence and appearance. Secondary is investment. Koto blades are not cheap but I feel the monetary investment is justified. Call it portfolio diversification. I would rather put some money in a few blades than keep it in the bank, and actually enjoy the custodianship. My aires will know exactly what I have so that these assets will be handled appropriately for future generations. I also enjoy the learning process. As I've learned attributions are not always clearcut and open for discussion. My 2nd purchase is a good example. Papered for Senjuin but the polish is old resulting with a jihada with far more to offer. I intend to get it polished in Japan and resubmit. As part of this 'hobby' I enjoy the process of learning how to take a representative closeup photographic archive. A good macro lens will see so much more detail than these aging eyes ever will. I find the photos put up by online vendors fail dismally to offer an accurate impression of the blade, notable exceptions being Yuhindo (the late Darcy Brockbank and Ted Tenold) and Unique Japan (Pablo Kuntz and Eric B) 5 - What is your "purpose" in collecting ? (expl : knowledge ? Community membership ? Investment ? Pure appreciation ? etc...) All of the above tbh. I find connecting with like minded collectors to be a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding experience. I especially enjoy the interactions on the forum and the in person connections at the NBTHK-EB meetings. Some people have an incredible knowledge base and understanding of Nihonto. edit : 6 - At what stade are you ? (expl : starting ? Achieved or nearly achieved ? evolving ? etc...) I had been pondering a Nihonto purchase for about 4 years before I took the plunge. Bought a couple of books, studied the internet, asked questions and attended the Japan Art Expo in Utrecht where I ended up purchasing my first sword, a Yamato Shikkake. I felt seeing the blade in person gave me the confidence to make an informed choice. Buying sight unseen on the internet can be a minefield. I also try to see as many Juyo and above blades to have a reference point so I can compare lesser or lower papered blades and make an assessment. Those are just a few quick musings during my lunch break. Look forward to hearing what others say.

Experimenting with different light sources I think I hit the sweet spot. High intensity halogen bulb really brings out the hamon and hataraki. High Rez images https://drive.google...BsZ2JdRviaaxy5A6Pma3

Greetings! I have just received my first katana with koshirae. I had been looking for months, as I want only one, and I figured that eventually one would stand out for me, and that would be it. And that turned out to be the case. The elegant blade is fabulous, but I confess that the tiny homare kizu (on the mune) was what sealed the deal for me, as I also have a bit of an "honor flaw" of sorts (long story). As I purchased this from AOI-art, their photos are better than mine, and here's a link... https://sword-auctio...kubetsu-hozon-token/ I am intrigued by this koshirae, and I haven't ever seen another like it, but I'm not as experienced as everyone here. I love the minimalism of the textured/lacquered nerikawa throughout, even for the tsuba and instead of same for the tsuka. I wonder whether this style of koshirae is familiar to anyone here, and whether anyone could provide information about it, or could show me other examples. I searched the archives and found this apparently-early-Edo nerikawa daisho koshirae in a thread from a few years ago, but I think mine is much younger. https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/6503-literal-meaning-of-handachi-applied-to-sword-koshirae/page/2/#comment-292921 Thank you for your expertise! Paul

Ko-Katchushi

Kofun period Toran Kei

This was my first time at DTI, and it was a whirlwind trip from the US to Tokyo and back to the US in six days due to late planning. But I am so glad I went. Some impressions/advice for newbies: 1) There were something like 68 dealers. If you spend all 13 hours at DTI that it is open, you don’t have a lot of time at each dealer. And there were far more swords on display than I imagined. So I viewed dealer websites in advance, identified items I wanted to see, emailed dealers to confirm the item would be at DTI, and made a list of those items to prioritize seeing them. I had 10 swords on my list. I went to those dealers first and saw those 10 swords along with other swords at those dealers. Only then did I expand my search. I’m glad I had this plan. 2) Despite #1 above, I did not buy a sword from that advance list. I bought a different sword that a dealer did not have on their website yet. And I only bought it on Sunday, after I felt like I had seen everything I needed to see Saturday and Sunday to make a decision. 3) Relationships help a lot. I had met Mike Yamasaki at the San Francisco show. So when I saw him at DTI, I mentioned some things I liked. He took me to the dealer I eventually bought from, and Mike spent over an hour with me looking at a couple of blades he recommended. As the dealer was a longtime friend of Mike’s, Mike negotiated a great deal for me with no compensation for himself. I could not have gotten that deal on my own. It was the difference between buying that sword and not being able to afford it. Mike was super busy with other commitments and paying clients, but he was very generous with his time and knowledge. 4) Study swordsmith kanji. I am super glad I purchased the flashcards @Ray Singer sells and that I studied hard the kanji for smiths and provinces. Some dealers have English signage at the show, but many do not. If you can’t read kanji, you’ll be missing a lot. 5) I was amazed at the quantity, range of prices, and quality. Unlike US shows, there wasn’t much that wasn’t swords, fittings, or armor. Not much associated stuff, like books, videos, or prints. It is very heavy on blades. You want to spend a couple of thousand dollars—no problem. Want to spent a couple of hundred thousand dollars on a TJ Norishige, Yukimitsu, etc.—no problem. 6) Kudos to @Keichodo for organizing social after events while being also busy with the show. As I was traveling alone, being able to socialize with others and discuss similar interests was great. And Robert is such a funny and nice guy. But I agree with @CSM101, some therapy may be needed after what I experienced. I am sure I will think of other things as I decompress. I’ll post more as they come to me. And sorry, I was so busy that I forgot to take pictures.

Don't know how far early one wants to go. I guess Kofun is weird copper-iron alloy, with the usual gilding, gold with a large content of tin and other elements.

Lovely post @Benjamin. You're asking the right questions. It's worth reflecting deeply on this topic. 1 - What is the "theme" of your collection ? (expl : gokaden ? That one smith ? That era ? Horimono-maniac ? etc..) Meito, or famous swords, artifacts with a story to tell. 2 - What is the "aim" of your collection ? (expl : one of each type ? The one sword ? As much as possible ? etc...) To tell a story in seven chapters centered on seven artefacts. The focus is not solely on the object itself, but its cultural and historical context as the soul of the warrior, as an ancient store of value, and as an object of great ritualistic and symbolic significance through a changing society, from the times of emperor Gotoba to the tragedies of WW2. Every artifact should be a time capsule that stirs imagination on its own. Together they should tell a greater story. I think of it as pieces of a puzzle that fit together to reveal the awe-inspiring beauty of one of humanity's greatest artifact. 3 - What is the "border" of your collection ? (expl : only papered ? Not less than Jumyo ? Only tanto ? Always koshirae ? etc...) The border of what constitutes a Meito are blurry on the edges and I am still learning. Quality is necessary but not sufficient, provenance and other types historical context, scholarly value as reference pieces... In due time, each paired with a representative koshirae from the Edo period, by past or present owner, that tells a parallel story on the style of wear across different periods, geographic regions, and social contexts. While there is nothing wrong with unpapered or so-called secret blades that are confirmed privately by expert opinion, I am not a fan of this practice. I feel strongly in favor of creating exhaustive, reliable and openly accessible catalogue raisonné (Zufu volumes, Sayagaki & their registries, reliable publications...) as a critical step to promote, preserve, and highlight this artform to the world and for future generations. 4 - What is your "behaviour" in collecting ? (expl : buying - learning - selling ? Making a museum-room at home ? Stocking until not knowing where to put them ? etc...) All of the above, pursued with patience. Collecting to me is like growing a Bonzai garden. It's a long term pursuit, with a lot of pruning, research, and long periods of waiting. There are failures and successes. I do enjoy and undertake Kantei sessions, oshigata drawings, research seminars, data-driven and qualitative analysis, with the aspiration of being to contribute in some way or form to the scholarship and recognition of the art in a decade or so, once I have more time on my hands. Learning for now. 5 - What is your "purpose" in collecting ? (expl : knowledge ? Community membership ? Investment ? Pure appreciation ? etc...) All of the above, these all go together and feed virtuously into each other. From community comes better knowledge, Better knowledge improves our perception, and thus our ability to appreciate, From our ability to appreciate better comes better judgement, And better judgement leads us to make better investments, Better investment open opportunities to share and elevate the knowledge of our community, ...and the cycle repeats itself. That is at least the theory. There are so many failure modes in this loop. At the end though, its friendships and memories. 6 - At what stade are you ? (expl : starting ? Achieved or nearly achieved ? evolving ? etc...) Evolving, slowly. ETA: a few more decades.

3. Resonating with Richard’s above?

Here's a pre-edo Kamakura tsuba: Best, rkg (Richard George)

Umetada Myoju

Collections..

I sell swords and kodogu online and I suppose I'm offering 3/10 to 6/10 range of quality. You need to consider that 9/10 and 10/10 items can't legally be exported from Japan; no wonder they aren't offered online to westerners. I have had and currently have swords that I consider quite fine and I'm proud to be able to offer them And, I would never try to disguise a defect; my pictures and descriptions always point them out to my customers. And I'm not the only online dealer who tries to warrant trust; there are others. I think, Lukrez, that you are being too harsh in your judgement. Thanks, Grey

There is actually three types Dan, named Wangata (bowl), Goishi-gata (convex both sides), and Hoiteibara (concave both sides). Here are some collages of 4 guards that i have in my collection. (Also on my PD website posted earlier this month, or late last that mentions these names).

Not exactly the subject but I finished my katana hako, I made it in paulownia wood and used that beautiful hardware https://cabinet-hard...q=peony&_ss=e&_v=1.0 Again it's not perfect as I don't have professionnal tool nor technique but making it was very pleasant and cheaper than buying a new one.

Hi, Everyone, I attended DTI and bought one, 長船倫光　（Osafune Tomomitsu, Mumei He was a student of Osafune Kagemitsu. Around Enbun・Jyoji era（1356－1367） This is O-suriage which is fine for me since my arm is short, otherwise I can not open the sword by myself. This was the one displayed inside the glass case of the Sokendo booth. The Kissaki needed a little polish, so I left it for the polish. The person who took this photo stood at the lower end, therefore, the entire shape is distorted. On the Keicho-do thread, I posted the photos of the Yakata-bune party hosted by Mr. Robert Hughes. It was great fun. Thank you, Mr. Robert Hughes. I have more photos, but it does not allow me to attach. The kissaki is between the chu-gissaki and o-gissaki.

I finally put the finishing touches on my display. It serves as both a display and a safe, which is close to air tight; the glass is clamped to the frame via magnets so it is removeable. The inside is lined with Aspen, and the fabric is vintage Japanese silk. I installed the light bar and a hygrometer. I also carved katanakake inserts for storing in shirasaya in the summer months when I'm away.

I re executed the finish over this past week. The first time I used heat blue oxide you heat the metal after cleaning and it forms an oxide which can be stopped at a number of colors from yellow to gray. I decided to change it to a more traditional controlled rust patina. The camera is not picking up the black under tones that make it look like dark mahogany.

Japanese Kanban (signs for storefronts) were an art in their own right.

Hello everyone ! Just bought this tsuba for a reasonable price (100 euros) I'm new in collecting nihonto, and if you could please give me more infos about it, i would be grateful. It was sold for owari as i said. All the best, Arnaud.

My ultimate goal in Nihonto collecting, is to admire and appreciate the workmanship of Japanese swords. Learn the features, and be able to recognize high quality from the rest. Getting better at Kantei is another goal. The theme of my collection (for now), is Yamato-den, and Yamato influenced works. Although, I intend to collect anything that's in my budget that I enjoy / believe I can learn from. I prefer KOTO items, for the romance of "OLD" . My only requirement for now is that it's in decent polish without fatal flaws - ideally but not necessarily has papers. The soul of my collection is the Katana I inherited from my grandfather. Early shinto late Kanemoto school, in full koshirae. It's not high quality or in great condition, but it's very special to me. I really like handmade stuff, and to me, Nihonto is the epitome of excellence in handmade craftsmanship. My "state of collecting" is always evolving, growing, and changing - and I consider myself a beginner collector, especially in Nihonto. Cheers! -Sam

... and my three favorites Ko Katchushi

Saotome

Dai Katchushi

Here what I think is a pre-Edo Kamakura tsuba:

These are the 4 NBTHK papered Yagyu that I have owned. While you might find one or two in the design books, defining a Yagyu tsuba is a more a mixture of the design+materials+execution. Each of these tsuba has a relatively solid meaning behind the design. Each has the sandy grey grit iron that is associated with Yagyu construction. Each has the squared off mimi. Some have the filo dough layers evident on the mimi, but some do not. Just remember that a lot of Yagyu are not in the design books. Don't get fixated on something from the design books. More over, a lot of other schools copied the ones in the design books. You will have a lot of tsuba that are or Yagyu design, but tick none of the other boxes of what is considered Yagyu. Repeating myself from above: Defining "Yagyu" often comes down to the materials+the design+execution (the geometry, etc.)

They are mirror images. 京透 – Kyo sukashi 桐繁透鐔 – Paulownia-rich sukashi tsuba 丸形鉄地透彫 – Marugata, tetsuji, sukashibori 無銘 - Mumei 昭和丗六年夏日 – Showa 36th year (1961), a summer day 寒山誌 – Kanzan wrote

https://www.aoijapan...-blog-november-2024/

入籍番號 – Registration number 氏名 – Name 支給年月 – Date of supply 寸法及製作年度 – Size and manufacturing fiscal year （三）十九年度 – Size 3, FY1944 上海海軍衣糧廠 – Shanghai navy clothing factory

I have a similar one to yours. I posted this on here before and the lovely Ford Hallam commented that he thought it was muromachi and slightly cut down form it’s original size regards

Andrew, can't express how much I admire what you do, and what you are able to do. And what a privilege to have the skill to be chosen for swords like this. Thanks for sharing your journey with us.

Hello. An interesting video worth watching. For those who missed it, I'd like to share it with you. Max.

The door-handle of my forge:

I was surprised that I didn't found an equivalent post in search bar, or didn't have the good key-words... sorry if I missed it. In fact my post was inspired by the gokaden collection of Jean you could easily find. Incoming in the hobbie of collecting nihonto made me wonder : What to buy ? For an an enthusiast all is beautiful : choices are hard to make and sacrifices are needed. Highlighting the necessity to create a coherent collection. So I wanted to make this little survey to implement our comprehension of the way to collect (or just to pick ideas), to understand the soul of your collection : 1 - What is the "theme" of your collection ? (expl : gokaden ? That one smith ? That era ? Horimono-maniac ? etc..) 2 - What is the "aim" of your collection ? (expl : one of each type ? The one sword ? As much as possible ? etc...) 3 - What is the "border" of your collection ? (expl : only papered ? Not less than Jumyo ? Only tanto ? Always koshirae ? etc...) 4 - What is your "behaviour" in collecting ? (expl : buying - learning - selling ? Making a museum-room at home ? Stocking until not knowing where to put them ? etc...) 5 - What is your "purpose" in collecting ? (expl : knowledge ? Community membership ? Investment ? Pure appreciation ? etc...) edit : 6 - At what stade are you ? (expl : starting ? Achieved or nearly achieved ? evolving ? etc...) That's just a canvas. Feel free to respond as you want. Benjamin

Very good question Benjamin, For myself, though it was far too many years ago when I collected Japanese antiques, there were certan things that motivated me........ I had collected edged weapons since I was a very small boy, and was always captivated by all things Japanese, especially the swords, which even though I knew very little about them at first, I knew that they were special. When I eventually started collecting them, they were really an adjunct to my general collection of swords, knives and bayonets, but the bug quickly consumed me! Probably possessed is a better word that consumed!. I quickly became obsessed with all things Japanese and sold my other collections to concentrate of Japan. Though I had several old swords and blades, my main focus was on swords from World War II. of which I had about thirty or so. The thought that a sword, possibly a treasured ancestral blade, still had a place in modern warfare fascinated me, and this was where I devoted most of my efforts to collecting. Of the World War II swords with older blades I had, a nice Osafune Sukesada, a Harima no Daijo Shigetaka, and an o suriage nambokucho tachi , with kiri komi. The thought that these ancient swords were still reverred and thought important on a modern battlefield was fascinating. I was already fascinated by Japanese tradition, culture and history, so learning about the swords and armour was immensely interesting. I was fortunate to know Ron Gregory, Basil Robinson, though only through frequent correspondence undfortunately. Ron I would always send oshigata whenever I acquired a new sword. Fortunately, however,I got to know the late Victor Harris at the british Museum quite well, and John Anderson, whose collection of Japanese armour had to be seen to be believed! So with their help and guidence, study and appreciation of the subject came quite naturally. Regretably, kno longer have that collection, but tmy interest in all things Japanese has never been far away, and hopefully, a sword or two, or three.... will before long once again be in my collection. Apologies for any spelling mistakes, but I have problems with my eyesight at present and cannot read or writ properly! Russ

Oh, and today I found this one. Iron, ribbed. Acorns? The togishi asked if he could polish it, so I said ‘sure’! Came up nicely.

9. Tōsho tsuba, iron sukashi w/Amida yasuri.

Looks good to me Dale, but why are these bones considered 'lucky'?? They look eminently suited to getting stuck in your throat and inviting whacks on your back!!! Here is my Akasaka Tadatoki V, with thanks to Justin O for selling it to me. Here is part of Justin's writeup for general knowledge on the Akasaka group: Hikojuro Tadatoki V was the 8th and last master of the Akasaka school. From the 6th master onwards the guards continue to be influenced by the style of the 4th master period and are in Higo school. This guard in particular is very reminiscent of Higo Nishgaki work. Tadatoki V prepared a genealogy of the entire Akasaka group that is reliable and provides much of the information that we know about this school today. BaZZa.

My Ko Tosho