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Joseph, I understand the mixed signals you are getting on this one, as many things about it seem legit, yet just as many are off. Maybe you can describe the different colors of the tsuka (handle) from one side to the other? Can you post a shot of the back edge of the tsuka showing the transition of the two colors? The side showing the stamps seems to be realistic copper color, where the other side appears brass. Here are some observations of the things that are off: 1. The dimples in the diamond areas should be distinct, whereas those on your sword are almost not visible. 2. The center inspector stamp on yours seems to be a "Na" of Nagoya, where it should be a "To" of Tokyo. Plus the left stamp, Suya, is close but not accurate. 3. Copper handles had the imitation wrap on the stamped side, but not of the other side, where yours shows the wrap going all the way around the base of the handle. The drag 1. It is a fine distinction, but the curvature of your drag is a bit flat for a Tokyo drag 2. The end of the scabbard is rough, and too curved for a Tokyo 3. The dip in the long edge of the drag is almost not there, compared to a Tokyo edge. The bohi (fuller groove) Hard to see in your photos, but it appears the end of the groove is rounded/tapered. Tokyo bohi end in a point that mirrors the shape of the actual blade tip. All said, I thing this is likely a really well done reproduction. But still curious about the two colors of the handle and how they transition on the edges.

Relief!!!! All is ok, I have confirmation it is a case of severe technical issues!! @Spartancrest will be back in due course!! My mind is at ease, really been missing Dale!!

Paul was incredibly generous, and would often invite friends to examine his treasures in hand. He was also generous about loaning pieces for sword study events. With a collection like his, it was a considerable effort to pull out all his amazing pieces to share. I was fortunate to be invited to his home, and to bring a Japanese American engineer friend. On that occasion also present was the late Professor Arnold F, among the kindest and most sophisticated men in this field, who with Paul's permission brought another friend. Paul had prepared for this visit by having all his best pieces laid out, including his impressive matchlock collection. He and his wife hosted us all for dinner. They went to a great deal of effort to create this opportunity for us. Paul spent a lifetime carefully studying nihonto, honestly and generously sharing what he knew and what he found. Hearing Paul describe the process of purchasing the Norishige tanto, with other interested parties trying to convince him it was a gimei piece he was crazy to throw his money at, was by itself a fascinating treat. He trusted his own judgment, while at the same time realizing his judgment was fallible. Also memorable was how Paul would happily admit to being much impressed with some swords that Tanobe Michihiro would dismiss as completely unworthy of a man with Paul's exceptional collection. Paul never lost his enthusiasm for nihonto, or his generous spirit towards others who shared his interest. Paul's loss is a great loss for all who were fortunate to know him, and to our field of interest. He was an amazing and modest man, who patiently built a truly incredible collection. We can only hope that some of his treasures are acquired by people who possess Paul's generous spirit of sharing this art.

The catalog is now available online, many interesting pieces. https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2025/important-Japanese-swords-and-armour-from-the-paul-l-davidson-collection?lotFilter=AllLots

Nothing special, I just wanted to show everyone what my first nihonto was and talk about how your first nihonto purchase was like. My first nihonto was this 60.4cm Shinto katana by Fujiwara Tsunayuki, made in Genroku period(1688 ~ 1704). Sori is only 0.9cm, so it's quite shallow. I've bought it at about 1300$ in Yahoo Auction. That time I was really happy to buy a katana thinking that this was a bargain, but now I think the price wasn't that cheap compared to the state of the blade. As you can see it is not in a good shape - old polish, can't see boshi, so many flaws at kissaki, quite weird length for a katana, rust here and there. I'm not really sure about the tiredness; the boshi problem always ticks in my mind when I see it. At least I'm sure I won't buy blades that are in worse shape than this later. Still, it's my first nihonto! I know it's not the best blade you can get- or to be honest, even a good one- but I still want to show and talk about it with everyone. I've started to make some hobbies from it. Soon as I've got my blade, I've been searching about the smith. Searching was quite fun- one of his work had a lotus leaf horimono that really caught my eyes. Cleaning and oiling blade once a month have been my new relaxing time too! So, I think this was what my "first experience" was like. How was yours, and what nihonto did you buy?

Just noticed this: The brown paint/coating had come off in two places, so it's not copper but a paint. I contemplated that it was a Nagoya sword, but with all the other issues, not to mention that I'm pretty sure Suya Shoten never made blades for Nagoya, I don't think it was a Nagoya.

Hi Blake, I have this on my site: https://japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/swords/q795-ensuite-katana-koshirae-possibly-higo-sweet/ Cheers, Grey

Note that some of the initial estimates have sensibly been revised lower for the formal auction. Still some pieces are rather highly estimated (and it is up to the buyer to figure out why etc) but others seem attractively priced…. Just a word of caution to potential buyers: obviously, with Paul’s connections and friendships with the NBTHK, what could have been papered probably got papered… Sometimes, people believe they find gems in auctions etc that are undiscovered and hold a potential for this or that…. So, buyers need to factor in papers, provenance, sayagaki, estimates, hammer taxes, value added taxes, insurance and shipping etc etc Good luck to everyone (sellers and buyers)!

In the article, I noticed that Lieutenant General was used but then the Japanese pronunciation was given as shosa [Shōsa 少佐 Major]. Secondly, it seems he was a 軍属 gunzoku.

Yoon: My first nihonto was a papered 2nd gen (~ 1723) Nobuyoshi Katana I bought from Grey Doffin. John C.

Yes, one of the qualities that I appreciate about the Shakoh I posted is that with a medium-sized tsuba, it is 6.5-6.75 mm thick and weighs 133 gm--a very substantial guard. Perfect for shifting the balance point of a sword towards the tsuka. I have mounted a similarly monstrous Ohno chock full of globular tekkotsu on my practice iaito to inspire my practice and to achieve the desired balance.

One could say Gene Hackman might be alive today if someone in his life was similarly concerned and motivated, now that the cause of his death and that of his wife have been released. Tragic chain of events. This was the right call fortunately with a happy ending.

You did the right thing, and I'm sure he'll appreciate that we were all concerned for him. This is exactly what welfare checks are for, and I'm seriously glad he's ok. Well done!

https://club.menomeonline.com/products/book-yamatoden-en They have an order form for overseas customers. I paid 11,000¥ shipped to the US for my copy (5,500¥ for the book and 5,500¥ for shipping). I've seen 2 of these books sell for something like 25,000¥ on Aoi recently when you can just order it right from the publisher in Japan for less than half that. Only the Yamato den book has been translated to English so far. I believe Markus is working on the Bizen den book as we speak and I've heard it might be available sometime later this year.

I think that is a setting that I have had to disable for a while, as I go through things that will and won't work on new software. Will check it out over the next few days. Edit to add: I have re-enabled that feature, but note it is an external purchased plugin, which most likely won't work in a few months when we upgrade. But hopefully by then, there are replacement aftermarket plugins.

Hey all, sorry for the horrendously late response time. Thanks for all of the feedback, I appreciate all the input. As for observations, yes, the saya is made from aluminum. I've also read up on how to clean it, though already the sword looks like it was well-kept and cared for. As for the pictures I said I'd take, I did disassemble the sword to get a few good shots of it, though only this one's really post-able with the whole file size limit on this board. It's all put back together now, but I do have a few other pictures on hand. Note- While the sword looks like it has no hamon, at certain angles it's pretty clear, the blade's just polished fully. Also, picture quality I know isn't the best- Just working off an Iphone SE camera. I'll definitely stick around on the forum, though. Seems like a cool place to learn about the history of these blades, and learning these kinds of things is definitely a hobby I enjoy. Thanks again, folks. - Joey S.

Hi Joseph, I am the person who commented on your facebook post asking about the tsuka. And I am sorry for implying the sale might be a scam in the other thread that is linked above! I see now that you are an inquisitive owner of the item looking for information - and not trying to do anything nefarious. I'll edit my post on that other thread with a strikethrough to reflect my misunderstanding. Bruce makes really good observations that also gave me pause. I think a new set of photographs, including what Bruce requested, and of the tip of the blade, will help determine what we are seeing. Can we also see the spine of the sword, and the entrance to the scabbard? Anywhere there is wear-and-tear on the handle, does the metal look "silver/grey" or does it look "Brassy"? Cheers, -Sam

Japanese enamel Ox.

While I have no experience with him, I have often looked at the goods offered by @Artur DrogaMiecza here through his Flickr page: Some lovely koshirae seems to be available on occasion (including a wakizashi one I'm now sad I didn't pick up!)

Hello For me it is a genuine edo period tsuba

Lewis, Great activity I see in that sword! Those pictures are so awesome... I'll try more. John, Oh, a fellow Shinto starter! The smith is quite known isn't he? I remember Nobuyoshi mei having kiku stamp on top of it, although I'm not sure what generation is. Sam, Those shows are something I always only dream of... since I can't go. Please show us some pictures of your blade after polishing is over, if you don't mind. I think we all will be thrilled to see it! Jarrow, I think swords in a good polish are the best ones to start- like yours! Good to hear you've bought this blade at the good deal.

That would explain the tassel not being described with yellow fringe. John C.

Quite possibly, John. It's pointy and stabby, however if it hit another sword or stick or something, I'm sure it would bend. On the other hand, it probably wouldn't break. So as a police weapon that doesn't require actual combat, it would work fine. John C.

It sounds like it may have indeed been an un-tempered blade, which was apparently common with the police & shore patrol sabres.

In his book “Japanese Generals 1926 - 1945”, Richard Fuller lists two Lieutenant Generals and four Major Generals with the name OKADA. None of the biographies match the General we are looking for. Bruce, the Lieutenant General you found is Okada Tasuku (Tasuke). He was executed on September 24, 1949. (Richard Fuller) But: The Shin Gunto of Major General OKADA Umekichi is in the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, UK. I photographed it in 2012, and if anyone is interested, I can upload a few pictures.

its a now wakizashi, inscribed on the tang is kunihira maruasa "國平丸淺" the chiseling is rather poor, I and the dealers treat it like a mumei, it was most likely applied by the shortener though I can't be certain. I bought from the Kashima sisters back when the yen was really low for a price one can't say no to. I was expecting worse flaws, it has only a single noticable ware on the shinogi below the boshi on the reverse side and its polish is quite decent (as far as my experience as Utrecht has told me at least) for the price I got it at it has been no mistake at all. My own photos did not surpass its previous dealer. Though it is a shame that the apparentness of the nie can't be captured well by both.

My first Nihonto is one I inherited very young. The first Nihonto I purchased for myself was one I found at a gun show. Ended up being a good sword. Now it’s going through the long process of getting a new habaki, shirasaya, and hopefully polish and papers. Here are a couple of the photos I took when I first found it. I’ve learned a lot since then! Cheers, -Sam

As Jean says getting good pics of a blade is down to lighting and camera angle. I'm a complete novice but after some experimentation I can get some nice images even with an iPhone 12 mini . Here are a few examples of one of my blades taken with an iPhone (1) and a Fujifilm XT-2 with a macro lens and halogen (2) and a super cheap IKEA LED light (3). Keep practicing, it will be well worth the effort.

Yoon, good images are not so much a thing of talent or camera equipment. Any mobile phone can make good enough photos! You see your photos yourself when you post them. If they are foggy, blurry or out of focus, they will simply not show the features you want us to see! I am sure your blade once was a KATANA. The TOROKUSHO measurements are not relevant, it is not at all the same as a HOZON ORIGAMI! The problem in a possible resale would be that it is seen now as WAKIZASHI by the NBTHK, and might be less desirable for some potential buyers.

Wonderful, Simon. There is no better way except by working through the process of handcrafting an object, in order to gain a very concrete understanding of how a traditional process was developed. I have been thinking of trying my hand at making a new saya for one of my practice iaito because after many years of use the fit has become a bit loose. Can you provide a description of how you made the saya starting from hinoki boards?

What surprised me was how easily it moved. Both the blade and the brass seemed really malleable. I made sure I used very little pressure in short bursts, to ensure I didn't work-harden the blade, and it straightened up easily...maybe a little too easily. This blade would not have survived any form of combat without deforming or bending, I feel. But at least it looks 100 times better than before. p.s. There were a lot of "assembly" numbers on the parts - 6 tick marks on the nakago and the number 8 (hachi) marked over the ticks; a number 8 (again, hachi) marked on the tsuba; something in pencil scratched out on the tsuka and the number 7 (shishi) marked on the opposite side; and a few other non-numerical marks on the nakago. It's been around. John C.

Lieutenant General Okada's first name was not mentioned in the article. He graduated from Osaka University in 1934 with a degree in chemical engineering. He worked for Mantetsu after graduation in a research center. In 1944, he was commissioned in the army. Captured by the Russians and did not return to Japan until 1966. When interviewed, he was 82 years old.

Here's something more definitive. The copper tsuka pattern 1 Type95s had alternating ito knots at the fuchi like a traditional wrap; wheras this version has mirrored ito at the fuchi. The mirrored ito at the fuchi was later adopted for the aluminum pattern 2 tsuka. So this Tsuka certainly never belonged to an earlier blade, and I suspect a scam or a fake. I struggled to articulate this. Hope it makes sense. -Sam First two photos from facebook listing. Last photo with red circles around the fuchi and ito knot transition.

Thank you so much Stephen!

Thank goodness! I was fearing the worst. Hopefully he sees the visit from the police as confirmation that he’s got friends who care about him. Much appreciated for the update. -Sam

Yes, it was. I was in more than two minds to initiate it to be honest... I didn't want to find out any bad news, I also did not want to intrude on Dale's privacy, and I was also concious of using police resources. I was properly concerned though, so I made the call. The services acted very quickly, I hope Dale didn't feel intruded upon.

Well said

Great to hear Stephen!

Sorry for confusing You. Of course a maru-mimi is a typical trait of Akasaka smiths. I was talking about the ring-shape of the rim, the technical term is torus. The generations from the fourth onwards used this shape frequently, but I’m not sure about Ko-Akasaka and first generation particularly.

I think that the definitions of 茎先 (nakagosaki) and 茎尻 (nakagojiri) are wrong. Again, Kokan Nagayama says that nakagosaki and nakagojiri mean the same position. The attached image shows the explanation, though this part is not faithfully translated in the English version.

The one from the Varshavsky collection on the lower right is in a later style in which the motif is being softened and disguised to avoid persecution. It is quite typical of the mid-late Edo period. These 1st style Early Edo Shakoh don’t look like clock gears. And both are proto-Akasaka, as I have argued from their features and historical context.

Omura Sumitada of Hizen was the first Christian Daimyo, baptized as Bartholomew. He opened the port of what became Nagasaki to foreign trade. Interestingly, a kamon of the Omura clan looks a lot like these tsuba. Oda Nobunaga was tolerant of the new religion and allowed the Jesuits and Franciscans to build churches and baptize converts, so the faith was practiced openly. I suspect these tsuba were worn by Omura Samurai.

Sorry I made a mystake. This shop is at Matsumoto, not at Kumamoto... Confused, Eric

Yes, there are 2 shops in kumamoto, first is a little tourist like shop in the old town near the Black crow castle, just after the bridge. A little messy, a lot of misselanuous antiques but some good swords. The other one is far away, at the outside of the city. I took à train and walk 20 mn to go there but they have fantastic swords and armours... Maybe I can put a picture.

Beautiful Michael. Here is my type 98 with a blade by the Shodai Nobuyoshi. Cheers, Bryce

I am sure the friend already knows the answer