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My humble setup.

It is a good thing Walt Disney didn't see those rabbits - or we would have had 'Usagi' the flying rabbit, Dumbo could never have competed. https://www.jauce.com/auction/533149538

Greetings from Montreal Canada, most of you know me here from posting over the years and for those of you who don't here it goes; Welcome to Nihonto Art. Although we live for all aspects of the art of the Samurai, the word Nihonto itself means "Japanese sword" (as you all know by now), which is our specialty. Founder Nick Ricupero has fostered this lifelong passion as both a collector and dealer. His high regard for such a timeless art means that each piece is hand picked and carefully selected. We make an effort to search out the most interesting and unique items we can find and as a result have a very diverse inventory spanning the past eight centuries. He uses his personal taste as a means to choose items and all of our artifacts are directly sourced from Japan. Come and check in with us from time to time to see what antique Japanese swords for sale have been recently added, if there is a particular item that you would like to acquire and does not appear on Nihonto Art please let us know and we will seek it out for you. "I truly believe I have the best job in the world, connecting collectors with these pieces brings me great joy and to be a part of finding a caring home for each item we sell is extremely fulfilling." Thank you in advance to all who take the time to check me out. Warmest regards, Nick Ricupero www.nihontoart.com www.nihontoart.ca www.facebook.com/nihonto.art/.

like the last display.

I dont see modern. I know forced aged and this isn't. Nakago is nothing like fake chinese from that era. Shots of kissaki please. Also any activity in the blade.

Adding new photography of a Shikkake Norinaga.

Just One More!!!

I have this sword given to me from my dad/uncle that was my grandpa's from the war. I basically was wondering if any one had more information about the sword. I want to leave it to my son.

Hey everyone, I have a friend whom owns an antique shop and is selling the following kyu-gunto to a "museum" collector- aka a person who has a large collection with the intention to make a personal museum. Regardless of how I feel about that and how it may be displayed. It caught my attention due to the very nice mounts and tassel. Its a Navy kyu-gunto and appears to have a high-end tassle on it. He is selling it to that person but since he hadn't taken it apart yet I volunteered to do so and found a two-kanji mei. The blade is about 25" nagasa and unfortunately has its kissaki clipped a little (over 1/8" an inch or so) and I am unsure if it goes through the hamon or not. The mounts have a mon on the backstrap and the scabbard is that very nice ray/sharkskin I've seen on nice ones. Makes me sad I could not obtain it, but with the tip damage I was unsure if it was too bad to save. My asks are: Translation of the mei What grade of kyu is this? I tried to buy it from him for double he paid, but he said he was committed to selling to this guy. Hopefully it is taken better care of. At least I gave it the old college try.

Well, I passed along the information to my friend and requested he share my contact info with this museum guy. We shall see if anything comes of it!

What is the backing material? Looks organic rather than metal? Is it pine pitch mixed with something or....?

Here is a suggestion. It is suggestion because I am not sure. If the shakudo is thin, the tsukaito could crush it. This would spread the force out as there would be more surface area and so less force per unit area. I have had iron menuki that had a similar filling. There would be no chance to crush iron menuki.

Better than what i came up with. Malaysian Sun

I agree, not much detail there. Mine shown below was acquired frm Andy at Nihonto.US. I found it severely underpriced at $75(after discount for bulk purchase) due to a small crack at 4 o-clock. Im lucky enough to live only a few minutes away so I can typically check his inventory out before it posts. Like this piece, many of my tsubas are from him and a very large collection that he sold(still some left) for a widow. http://www.nihonto.us/

Welcome and thank you for sharing MikeR

My friendNick has the gift to offer excellent affordable mounted swords (blade and koshirae) and other stunning Japanese artefacts. Undoubtedly one of the best in this category. It is always an immense pleasure to visit his website🤩

Time to buddy up with the collector! Would be interesting to see what he has in his private museum.

Bit busy for my eyes but an interesting display.

I replaced the red fabric with the kimonos and I think it looks better, what do you guys think?

Thanks Chris, always a great pleasure to cross paths. Take care and Happy 2021!

Thanks for sharing... I see that the rabbits multiplied - they are good at that... may they continue!

Time to resurrect this theme! Some additions over the years:

The tassle was gold with orange thread, wooden piece inside to keep its shape. So I think that means something akin to general grade? And it had a folding clamshell guard which dual-purposed as its locking mechanism.

No, every sword is at best what you get in the market if you have to sell it again! @Kirill: a sword that originally cost 70K, and later increased in sales value, must have had a certain quality and level. People who spend that money on a blade like this should know what they are doing. Collectors who are currently bidding up for the Muramasa from 1.45 million yen to 2.0 million yen at Aoi must also know what they are doing. Even if I cannot understand that, because a name and not quality is offered here. But if someone pays 15K for an unsigned, suriage Shinto Takada, I'm convinced they don't know what they did. And that's what this scene suffers from. How many times have I seen someone proudly present a sword for which they paid insane money. And then you don't know how to gently teach him that he was basically betrayed. That the sword is nowhere near the market value. And then there is bad blood, hardened fronts and certain people to be avoided ...

Last Samurai , Avatar - all Dances with wolves rip offs. Kicking-Bird looked good in her wedding outfit you would have to agree? George, glad you didn't mention 'Wind in his trousers' a real stinker.

George! Thank you for help this curiosity stricken collector. I got "Wise-Bear" and thought there was no way I had that correct. Good to know he, Kicking-Bird, and Wind-in-His-Hair weren't sitting around the camp fire making tsuba while laughing about John Dumb-Bear (Dunbar).

Hi again Mark, Patina is natural and is mostly affected by the hand of the owner. It is customary to hold the sword unprotected by the nakago when you clean the sword. Sweat and any humidity from the hand will naturally add patina to the nakago although, yes, external factors also play a role (climate, etc). So patina is a very important asset when judging the age of a blade. It isn’t always accurate of course, but on an ubu sword like yours, it’s a good indicator of age. moreover, don’t forget that the only part being polished from time to time is the blade, not the nakago. You should never temper with the patina of a nakago or the sword will lose a lot of value. So judging by the patina, this isn’t a very old sword (note: not being very old doesn’t mean bad. There are excellent Shinshinto swords). The signature doesn’t look too good, honestly. It lacks precision and consistency I think. The file Mark being very visible is another clue to a rather recent sword. Finally, the katana is an evolution of the tachi. I don’t think I’m making a mistake by saying they appeared after that particular swordsmith lived. So if I am correct, Shigeuji would have made a tachi, not a Katana. Besides, most of the swords from that age have been shortened, yours haven’t. So the conclusion is probably Gimei. Which, again, doesn’t necessarily mean a bad sword, just a false signature.

I think I have found the origin of the ategane plugs - Japanese 1950s Amita jewelry, common just after the second world war. That would make the piece at least that recent.

Yes, since Nara jidai, it's called keshikomi zōgan, imported from China that was even centuries older.

Hi Mark, and welcome. What you have isn’t a tachi but a Katana in Handachi koshirae (mountings that are half Katana, half tachi). The shape and temper line look shinto (maybe Kanbun ~1670s era though the patina doesn’t look that old). Much is obscured by the condition. There seems to be a bad ware (opening) in the nakago that is ubu (unshortened). Others will comment on the validity of the mei (signature) but the mei looks crisp, thus quite recent. Shigeuji lived in the 14th century, so what you have is almost certainly a Gimei (fake) signature, unless some Shinto smith signed that way too. Actually looking at it again, with a rather deep sori ( curve), I’d lean towards Genroku Shinto shape, so basically 18th century. I would suggest reading a few books now that you have swords.

I think that maybe it's time to slow down....

Zaimei Koto Mino katana.

And here we have the Playboy bunny of tsuba:

Never noticed it before now

A late Christmas gift from a dear friend (like a brother to me really) but clearly he was listening when I talked about Japanese arts and rabbit motifs. A wood rabbit netsuke, it's an unexpected and loved gift:

Good morning Everybody. This subject become active !! My sword : Katana is made in 2002 by Kunimasa Matsuba. It is made from 100% Tamahagane. He use tamahagane mixed with his own made steel or old iron for Art or contest sword to make beautiful old looking Jitetsu. but, for using, It better to use 100% tamahagane, so, Jitetsu become kind of boring Itame-nashiji hada, but, quality is stable, the blade will stay strong for longer time. (and it is not art sword polish, only Shita-ji togi + a bit, so you can not really see the hada anyway) The blade is Shinogi-zukuri (ofcause), Ko-fuse Kitae and carefully hummered Shinogi (shinogi-ji is Itame-hada if you give art polish ), because, i think it is stronger than Masame-hada-shinogi like Mino-den or Shinto. Nagasa : 72cm, Sori : 2.0cm, Motohaba : 3.2cm, Moto-Kasane : 0.8cm, Sakihaba : 2.0cm, Saki-Kasane : 0.45cm. Sugata is basicly Koshi-zori with a bit Saki-zori (for quick draw). so, it became looks like "Oei-Bizen" style. I am mostly cutting bamboo or harder target. and for practice, made it very thick Ha-niku, almost "Hamaguri-ba". so Hira-ji shape is like Kamakura period tachi shape. the blade is stronger and i can have High wide Gunome-midare hamon. it makes the blade last longer as well...i think. as you see the size of the blade, my sword is wide thick Moto, and slim and thin Saki. so, the center of weight is very close to tsuka(hand), it makes draw, swing easier and faster for me. and create very sharp strong Tsuki. The Edge, About 10cm from Hamachi is Ubu-ba (un-sharpened) and cutting edge is not really sharp. I can put my finger on cutting edge and slice from mid till monouchi, my finger doesn't cut. if you push hard. ofcause, it cut, but, not sharp as normal art sword polish or kitchen knife. Nakago is regular, maybe a bit shorter. When i hold Tsuka, my both hands are touching each other, so, i don't need long Tsuka. from this reason, mine is Higo Koshirae style. Position of Mekugi-Ana is perfectly center of my right hand palm. and have Steel Mekugi. Cutting with thick hamaguri-ba blade need accurate swing. needs perfect ha-suji, meaning is Te no Uchi is important. if you swing perfect Ha-Suji, you can feel very special cutting though. That is THE Japanese SWORD CUTTING ! it is completely different cutting from the cutting with thinner flat surfaced sharp knife. I used my sword for Tameshigiri seminar for a few years, cut more than 5000 Bamboo, used loughly by more than 300 different level of people. but, it is still fine, it will be ok for next 10-20 years. Priolity of Functional Japanese sword is Hamon and Haniku (or Niku-oki). It makes Japanese sword very unique and special. That is why Japanese sword polisher is different from Kitchen knife polisher. as everybody knows that Polishing stone for Sword is rounded surface, for Kitchen knife must have Flat surface, Because, Hira-ji of Japanese sword is not flat. The skill of the polisher is how to preserve that Hira-niku. Tired blade is meaning that Less-Ha-niku which is less functional. is meaning less value.... I think that good tool is important for leaning. if you know you have a right tool, and you cut well, you have right skill. it is very important that you trust your weapon. Ha-biki (less sharp) is not for safety for users, is for more functional reason and for less risk of damaging the blade. i hope you understand my immature Japanese English explanation. _(..)_ What do you think ? Best regards,

In the future swords that are made now will be antique(if they aren't ruined). I can appreciate that in Japan that other swords are illegal so they use modern Nihonto but most of us aren't in Japan and to me it just doesnt feel appropriate. The idea of using Nihonto is fun to think of but it just doesnt sit right that we can decide to destroy something thats part of Japans culture for our own pleasure. When I train with my Japanese sensei this weekend I will ask his opinion on this out of curiosity. Greg