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The reading of the mei is wrong. After 備前國住長舩 (Bizen no kuni ju Osafune), the chiseled name is 源兵衛祐定 - Genbe'e Sukesada. And if the mei is genuin, chiseled name should be 源兵衛尉祐定 - Genbe'e no jo Sukesada.

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.

Real interesting idea Dan! I found this in an Japanese auction and I'd bet money it's sandcasted (but not the 138 bucks they want!)

compare it to this one from: The Token Society of GB - Scotland Branch.December 3, 2021 Cast one is missing some fine elements and has lots of small bubbles in the metal- pretty poor work. What I find interesting is both these tsuba show the ura view - almost like the owner doesn't know the correct orientation of either?

青龍斎秀壽 - Seiryusai Hidetoshi

It’s a good book! I really like the images and information. I recommend it! But I’m one of those weirdos who doesn’t mind if information is available in more than one place, and likes when it’s neatly collected with amazing images

And these are a pair of male and female dragons on each side a katana I have.

Here's a partially exposed dragon horimono in relief on an osuriage katakuriha wakizashi I have.

Question, if tsuba were made from cast iron in the Edo period, could they be abraded to appear smooth (as if they were hand forged)? I was going to try this with my sand cast bottle opener I bought from Japan. I refer you to page 8 of my “Tsuba casting molds?” thread (that would be November 18th, 2022). But that bottle opener was just too nice to ruin it by sanding it. But I still use it to open bottles of beer (I think I will have one after I post this because my arm is tired from sanding!) So, today’s experiment is to see if a piece of sand cast cast-iron can be abraded to appear smooth. Pictures of the experiment are included below. From the internet- “A proprietary mix of molten pig iron, steel and other ingredients are poured into a mold made of sand. Since sand melts at a higher temperature than iron, the mold holds its shape. Once the cast iron pan or pot has cooled, the sand mold is broken, leaving behind a brand-new piece of cast iron cookware.” So, we know that a cast iron skillet is sand cast. And yes, I looked at videos on You Tube to make sure that is how it is done. I bought a cast iron skillet at Walmart. Only cost $8.00 U.S., so it was a great price! I had some #60 grit sandpaper, and I went to work sanding a small part of the back of the skillet by hand (no power tools used!). It took about an hour and a half, and I concentrated on an area on the back side of the skillet that was about 3 inches by 1 ¾ inches. It smoothed out nicely and the results can be seen below. So, what did this experiment prove? Well, firstly, that I am an old retired guy with nothing better to do but to sand a cast iron skillet! And we all know that rough metal can be abraded to get it smooth. So, I proved nothing! Not really, just kidding! I will use these pictures in the future to compare the surface texture of tsuba that I may purchase to the surface texture of my abraded cast iron skillet. If they appear to be a close match, the odds that the tsuba is made from cast iron are pretty good! Anyway, the good news is that I can still use the skillet to cook with. Even though I tried to use a large sledgehammer (several times!) to break off the handle to show some members what a broken piece of cast iron looks like. Several members have stated in the past that cast iron is very brittle and will break when hit. Not my cast iron skillet! Onward!

Does anyone have a copy of: Joly's List of Names and Kakihan in a PDF format? I've been thing of creating a book just with the 'Kao' and smith in a logical sequence It may never happen but this would be the first step

Hi Dale I have (in fact) two copies but too difficult to scan

I think it's that usual wartime one we see, but polished down a bit.

Not trying to be negative, but horimono has a very rudimentary feel to it. Of course horimono are not my area of study so I will be interested in opinions of those with more experience, especially with later blades.

Maybe that's a way out of the sale as it was described incorrectly. Well spotted Moriyama san!

If I get Moriyama san's inference, the mei has to be gimei since it is not signed as per that smith's conventional signature.

Dear Marcus. Welcome to NMB and to the wonderful world of Japanese swords. Forgive me if anything I say is already well known to you but here goes with a few thoughts. Alex is quite right about auction houses in general, read the conditions of sale and they are very cleverly hedged about with caveats, reasonable from one point of view in that they are generalists and rarely have the detailed expertise that is available to you on this board for example. From the buyers point of view it is really caveat emptor and there is no substitute for seeing the lot in hand. Once you bid then you're in! Personally I would resist the urge to try to negotiate this one back, you may strike lucky but you may not and,'my mate on the internet tells me it's fake' will not cut much ice. Whatever you decide let us know how it goes. From the photographs this one came from Japan and it has become a commonplace that if a sword of any quality comes out of Japan it will have authentication papers from one of the organisations that everybody trusts or it is assumed that it failed to get that authentication. The auction house correctly identified the paperwork as registration documents, nothing more, these are not authentication papers, some of which can be found here, https://shibuiswords.com/papers1.htm Many will advise you to buy only papered swords both for the security of your investment, (if any such can be claimed), and so that you will learn from known examples. In short collecting can be rather like paying your dues to earn the knowledge What you do have is a genuine Japanese sword in koshirae, to start with I am sure you will want to compare the mei with other examples, of which one here, https://www.e-nihont...products/detail/1471 See if you can get a sense of the 'handwriting' of the smiths. What gave it away to Alex so quickly? Following that you will probably dive into the Sukesada lineage and Bizen swords in general and that is before you start to understand what you can see in the sword itself. If you do not yet have some of the basic books then buy a couple and start to understand what the terms mean, it's fascinating. Lastly there is the Token Society, https://to-ken.uk/ Hope some of that helps a bit. All the best.

Shouldn't be buying unpapered mainly for the mei anyways. So many gimei, I don't think the mei would be enough to refuse the win. The sword is real, and in decent polish. Nakago has been altered in not a good way. But the sword is real. Price was...high. But unless they guarantee the mei, I think it was fairly represented. Not a terrible sword. If the nagasa is really 61cm accurately measured, then it's a katana and not a crazy price. If it's a wakizashi then it's a different story.

The only folks people take seriously when it comes to authenticating blades are those like the NBTHK and NTHK. Opinions, but expert opinions. Auctions and even some dealers here talk utter nonsense to sell stuff. You can try talking to them but they might just say something like "our expert verified it and it was open for people to come and inspect before the sale"

You can also make forged metal look like it has a sand casted surface and proves nothing for me. I think this is the main problem here. And your breaking test on a sand casted pan is really not very meaningful because of the fact that modern sand casting is an scientifically advanced process and the alloys and their properties are selected for the area of application and have not much in common with the traditional methods.

yes, our local post office. a change of staff occured only 4 weeks ago. i offically classify all postal workers as theiving scu,m until proven otherwise now. i was lucky, because there was a 2nd gen tosa mychin and a 6th gen akasaka

Again, my friend Zachary. Your knowledge and education shines through! I may not be as educated as you (obviously, because of your brilliant posts!), but I am certain that cast iron tsuba were made in the Edo period. My goal is to one day prove that. It all comes down to non-invasive metallurgical testing. Even Dr. Lissenden, stated that many Namban tsuba may be cast. And he stated that in his thesis for a master’s degree in 2002. Unfortunately, he is now deceased (which is a total bummer!). I will not let this cast iron tsuba made in the Edo period thing go. Although many members may consider me totally wrong! I have battled many negative posts on this thread. But hey, my friend, it is all just part of me being stubborn. I don’t care how many thorns get stuck in people’s backsides! Again, Thank you for your opinions, and keep those posts coming! And with respect, Dan

Good point regarding oral tradition, though the Edo Period was notable for the transition away from oral traditions, with the Tokogawa Shogunate being known for its highly bureaucratic nature and reliance on written rulemaking for purposes of social order, etc. Additionally, adult literacy rates spiked to 40-50% in Japan (with, of course, higher rates being seen in urban areas) during this period, which is a clear indicator pointing to the importance of the written word. I don’t think you should discount what appears to be nearly an absolute absence of literary evidence supporting your thesis. Japan during the Edo Period was significantly more culturally advanced than prior and other societies that relied on highly mailable oral tradition.

Looks like this is your guy: "KUNISHIGE (国茂), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Ōita – “Kunishige” (国茂), family name Takeuchi (竹内), rikugun-jumei-tōshō, ryōkō no retsu (Akihide)" Please remove the metal fittings from the blade and check above the smith name for a star stamp or any other small stamp. I only have one other of his blades on file and it has a Showa stamp. But he's listed as an RJT smith, so there could be a star. No date on the other side? As mentioned above, the fittings are Type 97 Japanese naval officer kaigunto. You can read about them on Ohmura's site and see other examples: http://ohmura-study.net/945.html

Grev, there may be some copyright issues - see here https://catalogue.nl...v.au/catalog/1300738 copyrighted 1963. But such a book would be extremely handy.

Grev, Excellent Idea, fwiw. I've thought a book (or file) with kao and associated names would be extremely handy. Good Luck with your endeavor. Best, rkg (Richard George)

Thanks Alex, There doesn't seem to be any consistency with the "open/closed mouth" and tail type. Cheers, Bryce

The book contains not only swords…. So this derogatory statement is misleading… The book approaches the subject by describing the historical figure (so that is useful background to people who owned the famous item that follows), shows depictions of them in art (scrolls, prints, paintings etc) and then illustrates items owned by these famous people - could be swords but could also include armour.

It's a pity this book isn't available in English, because it's a real treasure. It's a thesis written by Robert Buravoy in which he demonstrates that the genealogy of the Myochin school of armor-making is largely invented, at least for the 15/16th century.This kind of book is a real plus for those who are interested in the world of samurai and their equipment and want to go beyond the commonly published popularization. I do have the original thesis published in 2008 https://www.persee.f...2018_t22_0181_0000_3

Koshiare parts check out for kai gunto. Cannot say much for the blade.

Yes it is Paul Chen/Hanwei and I believe from 1999 - signature would be 中国大連陈朝波己卯年 If your friend has pictures of the fittings it will be very easy to identify the model as Hanwei only makes specific models and not custom pieces.

Looks to be a nice kai- gunto naval sword could use a little oil.The experts should be able to translate the Mei.

Hi Curran, I should be able to help. Please contact me Paul

Hello… I’m way late to this discussion because I’ve been out of the country. I’ve always wondered about this sword… it’s probably the nicest one I own (She’s a beauty… and the heaviest sword as well). I too thought this was just an unknown maker…

Totally agree with bruce's post, nevr say never! Regardin you statment about fakes, I cant agree with this. fakes and copies can in themselves be extremelyinteresting, both to collect and to study, but of coures they must be kept as such and not mixed up with the originals. I have some very interesting bayonets in mycollection, bougt as fakes thankfully, and they are a very interesting adjunct to my main collection. I have also had nazi daggers, both genuine and fakes, again, the fakes are in themselves extremely interesting providing they are bought as such, or at least with that probabilty. BTW. for what it is worth, the saya at least looks genuine to me, so who knows, maybe, just maybe...............................

Dai Token Ichi was wonderful. Mr. Robert Hughes hosted the "Yakatabune party" like any other year. This is a tour boat around Tokyo Bay with Japanese dinner and drinks. I joined the party with my daughter. Here are the photos. Thank you, Mr. Robert Hughes.

I may be wrong but that looks more like a kinpun mei than kinzogan: I can’t see any evidence that the gold was inlaid rather than “painted” on and I think that reduces the likely veracity of the attribution. There have been a lot of these on the Japanese auction sites lately with a fanciful attribution painted on in gold to lend the air of an authoritative judgement - generally without papers of course.

So it's a kinzogan mei, an attribution rather than a signature. And the kakihan likely belongs to whoever did the inlay work, rather than Sa himself. Just my opinion, of course.

I am going to go out on a limb on this comment: the souvenir swords with a sheared off flat cut nakago were likely from Takayama forge and were originally longer training swords for Toyama training camp and were made to takayamas specifications then later cut under the direction of Kazuiichi Hattori.

That will be useful on my trip to Japan next year!

The date on the nakago is 大正乙丑二月九日 – Taisho Kinoto-Ushi (1925), 2nd month, 9th day. Okochi Tsunehira seems to have inscribed the date of his birth on his blade.

Brilliant and interesting. I’d never seen this mark on any of the many Nogawa pieces I’ve handled. Probably very early in their output. They progressed onto making some of the very finest hira zogan mixed metal items, even their “average” was well above most other studios. Nogawa and Inoue developed at roughly the same time and pace but Nogawa always had the edge in quality and artistic terms…..imo.

Hi. Made by Nogawa. 能川製

One potential explanation is that someone who owned the tsuba wanted to convert it into a paperweight (bunchin 文鎮), and added lead to the kogai-ana, and brass to the nakago-ana to make it more functional (for their intended purpose)

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.

Thank you Jean and Ute. I have gotten my Tokosai Toshimitsu ( 東廣斎寿光) Haynes reference H10452. He was a student of Tanaka Kiyotoshi.

Type : 刀 -> Katana Length : 六四.三cm -> 64.3cm Sori : 一.六cm -> 1.6cm Mekugi-ana : 弍 -> 2 Mei : 無名 -> Mumei There's something written under Mumei but I can't really read it.. Omote zaya?

This is a list of possible "name" readings for 任. It lists Ataru, Tae, Taka, Takashi, Tada, Tane, Tamotsu, To, Tō, Nori, Hide, Makashi, Makoto, and Yoshi. I think it notes "Tada" in red because that would be the most common reading for it. https://b-name.jp/赤ちゃん名前辞典/m/moji/任,ただ/

It's not something made by the Japanese. In all the fakes, and all the island swords I've seen, the workmanship on this one is about the worst I've seen. It's most likely a fake, but there is a very small chance it was made in occupied lands. There is a story, I have it on file, of a POW that made swords for the guards. So, not all bad looking swords are fakes. But there is no way to tell the difference most of the time. Price? I wouldn't pay anything for this, but if you want it, that would be up to you. Less than $100. The honest fakes, those who sell them as reproductions, often ask for $150, but they look better than this.