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Hi everyone... haven't been on in a loooong time...life gets in the way sometimes Here's my contribution: a whole botanical garden in this kamakura-bori tsuba...

Tempted to add some more… Chrysanthemum flowers and leaves. Water plant from Chōshū Bit of everything, another botanical garden?

And I have always had a soft spot for this Sado island mokume tsuba, with high relief flowers that were shielded from the acid etching.

Late to the party, but here are a couple of pines.

ok... hope to fan the flames a little with this finely acid etched one... but I need to do some work to derust this one and get it looking the way it should

After a short time thinking which tsuba with plants theme I like the best, I resolved to propose some with akikusa - 秋草 - autumn flowers. All are simple, natural sketches from Aizu-Shōami school (just my opinion, none of them has a kanteisho). No masterworks here, but I appreciate the fine work of multicolor inlays. Please have a look at the updated version of Flora Hoplologica Japonica at: https://www.dropbox....0hr&st=n6fo0z5l&dl=0

Yamakichibei (Nidai), Sakura and Ume - late Momoyama/earliest Edo.

So many to choose from!

The Vegas show is on the horizon. Now is the time to make plans to attend Show information https://www.vegasswordshow.com/ Facebook -- https://www.facebook...p?id=100083606551269 Set up times (table holder, helpers, guest passes) WEDNESDAY 1/22/25 Set up 5:00PM - 9:00PM THURSDAY 1/23/25 Set up 9:00AM - 5:00PM Public hours FRIDAY 1/24/25 9:00AM - 5:00PM SATURDAY 1/25/25 9:00AM - 5:00PM I attached the flyer the Antique Arms Show Organizers (Morphy's Auctions) is using to promote the Sword Show Section Please post any questions or comments. You can message me or email me at vegasswordshow@gmail.com

Hi All, I believe the translation is Minamoto Sadashige saku kore. But can’t seem to figure out the upper part and also the date. Is there any other information on this smith? Any help is greatly appreciated.

A great deal of information about the production of machine made blades can be accessed via Nick's WRF thread below. System Kaizen behind the Type 32 Gunto production of the 1930s

濃州関住服部正廣作 - Noshu Seki ju Hattori Masahiro saku

@Bruce Pennington he is IMAI HISATSUGU (今井 久次) Ehime. Example mei: “Hisatsugu” (久次). “Yoshu Seiunshi Hisatsugu saku” (豫洲青雲子久次作). Well covered in this "excellent" paper.............

Ref. Iyo Province - Wikipedia

Yo Shu 豫州 is the old kanji for 予州, Iyo 伊予 in Shikoku.

大阪陸軍造兵廠 源貞重作之 – Osaka army arsenal, Minamoto Sadashige made this. 昭和十九年八月吉日 – Showa 19th year, 8th month, an auspicious day

This looks like a very nice Osaka Gassan katana by the Sadakatsu student Kawano Sadashige. Dated a lucky day in August 1944.

Before we go any further into this, I would still like to see a photograph of the mounting so that we know if we are dealing with a type 3 koshirae.

maybe Yoshimitsu (義光), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – „Yoshimitsu“ (義光), civilian name „Yabushita Fujio“ (藪下不二夫) but just my guess.

Some of mine

Please keep your eyes out on government auction sites as often the stolen swords will end up here. A trick that seems to be employed by criminal postal workers and their contractors is that the delivery label is intentionally destroyed and then the package is placed in a bin ready to go to auction. In reality, a package with a damaged label is supposed to go to a special office where it should be inspected to find information about the shipper and/or the recipient so the package can get back on its way. The USPS has 90-days to do this. After that period of time, the package is considered "lost" and becomes the property of the Post Office and can be auctioned. But what we are finding is that the packages end up in bins that are heading for auction in less than 30 days and are picked up by assumed accomplices for a song. You will find police and agencies like the FBI will not touch these cases because the only U.S. law enforcement agency with jurisdiction is the U.S. Postal Inspectors, and from my experience, I have found them to be absolutely not interested in these cases, especially if there is insurance coverage. The other place to keep an eye out for stolen swords is on the Reddit Katana pages as I have discovered that on several occasions the purchaser of the sword from the USPS auction will post stolen blades here, asking for information about the value of the swords for resale. From what I hear from custom brokers and Japanese dealers, these crimes are on the rise and as I said there is zero interest in combating them. When it comes to very very rare and valuable pieces, I urge you to ask the dealers to ship your swords from Japan by UPS. It is more expensive and will almost always involve extra charges for inspections by CBP and Fish and Wildlife inspectors, but in terms of peace of mind, it is money well spent. Hope this helps.

There are over 350 types of clematis flowers globally. There are dozens of types of flowers that are possible, and adding in "artistic license" the design may just be generic - also were these made in Japan, China, Vietnam or somewhere else? I think we are getting dangerously close to

I did all of this when I had a sword shipped via EMS/DHL to Germany from Japan 2 weeks ago. No issues taking delivery but the German Zoll (Customs & Excise) changed the HS Code from 9706.10 to 9307.00, which does not take into account the antique status of the blade. All the supporting documentation and declarations from the NBTHK, Nihonto dealer, with translations were ignored. So instead of being charged the correct 7% tax rate they slapped on 19%. I have 30 days to contest the change and am currently doing that. The difference is only about 650 Euros but there is a principle involved. Hopefully your shipment is handled correctly and without these headaches.

I would guess lotus if those are the only choices. They don't look like Clematis to me. ??

Thank you for the insight. Just to be completely transparent I did not purchase this blade. It was offered to me and I accepted the kind gesture as an opportunity to learn more about the blade and some of its history, be it good or bad. The Gimei inscription is not a great start but I want to study the blade on its merits and if it turns out to be Chinese copy aimed to deceive or an older sword that was embellished with the inscription, its all good. The registration card dated back to the early 70's, so unless that was also fraudulent, then we can at least assume its more likely to be the latter.

Photos before drilling the bolt out

Ok. I saw the Sesko listing but was confused because the JSI RJT listing has both Imai and Seiunshi as if they were 2 different people. Now, what do I do with "Iyo" vs "Ihime"?

listing in Sesko: HISATSUGU (久次), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Ehime – “Hisatsugu” (久次), family name Imai (今井), born 1892, rikugun-jumei-tōshō, he studied under Takahashi Yoshimune (高橋義宗), jōko no jōi (Akihide)

Yes I think so too - but I like to show some other examples so people can work it out themselves

Alex , the usual BS write up from the Lanes and of course with the usual fantastic prices

That's what i was thinking.

Yoshimitsu?

Hello! Tsuba - bamboo tree. 1000 euros. Material is iron Mei/signature: 東都住貞恒 Toto Ju Sadatsune, Period/era: Edo, Certificate: None, Measures: 7.8 cm x 7.3 cm x 0.40 cm. Location: Germany, Berlin. Payment via PayPal or in person in Berlin. Alexander

Here's one of my favorite tsuba. I love the irregular shape and the texture of the iron.

Agree, labeling incorrectly is the LAST thing I would consider. "Legal and verified antique Japanese sword, exempt from legislation, documents inside" or something similar.

Kiri depiction signed Choshu Kiyoshige

Not sure if you mean flowers & plants or flowers or plants (or both ) but let's start with these 2 pieces from Suzuki Yoshihiko & Kano Natsuo

So, what is there not to like about a Kai Gunto? And what is there not to like if it has a MINATAGOWA JINJA blade? Here is a January, 1943, MASANAO. A colleague recently commented that war time blades normally have a badly cut nakago, this one proves that some are cut pretty nicely.

This is one thread that should be kept alive! Some one mentioned minutia. I really love the finer touches on GUNTO mounts. Attached some photos of TSUBA/SEPPA that are totally original to the outfits, assembled in the correct order, are beautifully detailed, and have only been disturbed a few times in their life. These blades are great too, but it is the original detail that I love. These were made relatively early in WW2, when I guess they had the time and materials to create good workmanship.

Yamato Tegai School in D guard mounts. Last battle for a 800 year old soldier

Example on ohmura with similar blackened fittings with very high quality mounts and blade: http://ohmura-study.net/714.html

I like a GUNTO with the uncommon "blackened" fittings. This one is on an equally uncommon shark-skin saya. The black is not a paint, but appears to be an oxidized silver plating. Even the Menuki are blackened. High class? Don't know, rare, YEP.

Greetings, I would like to share with you my humble gunto (not high-class, but very presentable) by Akihisa. Warmest Regards, Hoanh

@Ray: great piece, I concur on the fact that the mounting was a special high-end order (same-covered saya is a good clue). As previously said, almost certainly pre-war. Upon examining the saya, do you notice faint traces of a second ashi, that would make it a Type 94? @Reeder: nice kyu-gunto, quite similar to mine, but with a better blade. @Hamish: I will receive the cavalry sword in a few days, as it was sent today from Japan. When I receive it, I will make and post pictures of my three Meiji era officer swords: Type 19 Army kyu-gunto, Type 1883 Navy kyu-gunto, Type 19 Cavalry officer sword. The main three variants of the "kyu-gunto family".

Julien, very gorgeous Kai-gunto! The picture of the date is a little too dark to make it all out, but what I can see says 1942 (Showa 10 7). Can't quite see the month fully, and don't see a day at all. I can't decipher swordsmith names, but there are other guys here who can very well! The stamps on your seppa are the Toyokawa Naval Arsenal (http://ohmura-study.net/212.html) and the private contractor stamp of Suya Shoten Co, Ltd (http://ohmura-study.net/794.html). Quite unusual to see both of those on the seppa! The number is simply an assembly number stamped on parts to keep them together, since each sword is usually slightly different than the next in size, shape and thickness.

I can't say where the ashi are now or then whenever they were removed. It is possible the saya had a cover of some sort. I can't see removing the ashi for any other reason. And who could make a set for this sword? Ed