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Very excited to have acquired my first Variation#1 Type 95. Serial number 3125 with matching scabbard number. @Bruce Pennington with remnants of thick gold paint on the scabbard. Im surprised to have found one of these so quickly. Fun stuff -Sam

Offering this fuchi/kashira set depicting a kawasemi (kingfisher) perched on a branch, holding a fish in its beak. The patina on this set is particularly attractive (imo), and the pair would be excellent mounted. Size Kashira : 3.4cm * 1.9cm * 9mm Size Fuchi : 3.75 cm * 2.1cm * 1.3cm Size ana : 2.8 cm * 9.5mm 225 euros Shipping worldwide (excluding US as Japan Post do not ship there ) and kiri box included

As a disclaimer I must say I am not a martial artist even though I dabbled few years in Japanese sword arts when I was teenager. As a ōdachi fan I will vouch many of them were indeed used in battles. So far I have seen 30 historical ōdachi in various places in Japan and I am hoping to still see many more in the future. There are however some limitations by size and by age that are my own personal feelings, I will expand more on them later on the post. Most of the ōdachi I have seen are preserved in various shrines in Japan and photography in shrine treasure rooms is forbidden. So I don't have pictures taken at the shrines apart from few where the museum staff wanted me to take a picture of the item. However in books I do have lots and lots of pictures and information. I don't know my martial arts history that well but I know in Japan there are some arts that are seen as koryū (古流) and they have strong historical standing. I believe the martial art shown in above video is Enshin-ryū (円心流), which is to my understanding classified as koryū, old historical martial art. To my limited understanding the meaning and specifics of kata in koryū is not really given outside the school. So even if you see that ōdachi is drawn from the hip in videos it could possibly be just a form of training. I believe I have seen other videos of this same person using the same sword over the years. I believe it is ōdachi with a blade length of 三尺六寸 3 shaku 6 sun which in centimeters is 109 cm. He does have impressive drawing and sheating technique and I believe he would be very seasoned martial artist. This brings me to the koshirae and how they were worn. I have recorded currently 151 ōdachi in Japan. Extremely few of them are in katana koshirae, as wearing them thrusted through the belt was not really that good option in my personal opinion, and as they were intended for battlefield use I don't see wearing them thrusted through the belt, they were already out when going to live battle or in many cases high ranking samurai had sword bearers who carried the ōdachi and allowed their master to draw it. There are however few very large Edo period swords that I classify as an ōdachi that are in katana koshirae, I can remember few from memory. - Itsukushima Jinja has 99,8 cm blade dated 1867, it was commissioned by a sumo wrestler at that time. (I have seen this sword at the shrine) - Matsubara Hachimangu had 101,3 cm blade (if I understand correctly it is dated 1644 and dedicated to the shrine when made). - Unfortunately there is only small picture but I believe the Takaoka Jinja sword 106,1 cm and 1641 dated blade that was in previous Okayama Branch restoration project might have katana koshirae, the pic I have seen is very small. However mostly the old historical ōdachi had various types of ōdachi koshirae. Many of the Edo period ōdachi that still have koshirae have an ōdachi koshirae too. Also the dating on the blades for Edo period can show how it will fit historically into timeline of Japan, as battles ceased after the early 1600's. I watched some Japanese youtube videos and in one of them it was mentioned that actually commissioning an ōdachi cost several times the normal amount of money, which is easy to understand, as the project of making a giant sword is lot more complicated than a normal sized one. This usually would mean that the person commissioning the sword must be wealthy and/or possibly a high ranking samurai. Finally comes the size of the ōdachi. These are just my personal opinions after seeing many of them live at shrines and lots and lots in books. Of course unfortunately currently handling experience is limited to modern swords. I am talking about blade lengths here, I see the length range of 3 to 4 shaku (90-120 cm) as perfectly reasonable range, there shouldn't be any issues with these. blade lengths of 4 to 5 shaku (120-150 cm) is where I see the upper end of actually usable ōdachi. When you go to blade lengths of over 5 shaku (150+ cm) I just don't see them all that reasonable for usability. As you have to calculate the tsuka in, these weapons are over 200 cm in total length and the majority of it is in blade. For usability I would rather exchange some of that blade length to handle/shaft length, arriving towards large bladed nagamaki and naginata. I think the longest ōdachi that I know has historical record of it being used in battle is the gigantic Tarōtachi (太郎太刀) of Atsuta Jingū it has blade length of 221,5 cm. There is a historical legend and provenance to back that up and there is a story for it. In my understanding the short version would be that two relatives wielding two giant ōdachi Tarōtachi and Jirōtachi, were stalling the enemy troops while wielding these on horseback. The enemy finally killed both of them but they gave time for others to get to safety. I believe they were dedicated to Atsuta Jingū in 1576. Atsuta Jingū has three ōdachi in similar koshirae Tarōtachi, Jirōtachi and Kanetake ōdachi made in 1620. As there is historical story and provenance I cannot discard the fact that the giant sword could indeed have been used in battle. In my brain I just can't figure out what would be the benefit in having these extremely long blades compared to very long blade with slightly longer handle. The post came quite a bit longer than I originally intended and had to do some fact checking as I hate making errors.

Hi, This might be a metaphor for the games of love?（two-timing in love？） I might be cautioned by experts if I write something speculative about the content. (↓This is a very rough interpretation—just my own image. the first poem→"A horse that has run free will not accept the stirrup again." the later poem→"It was good the first time I rode it. 　　　　A young horse, once in the stirrup, cannot step back."） ( Please let me know if anything is incorrect.） 三都之内 江戸武蔵鐙 Santo no uchi Edo musashi abumi （三都=Edo,Kyoto,Osaka） 武蔵野に　 かけて遊へと 名にしおふ あふみをはまた 掛ぬ春こま　 佐倉壽美麿 musashino ni kakete asoheto nanishiohu afumi（鐙）wohamata kakenu harukoma （春駒） (NAME:Sakura Sumimaro） 大江戸に のり初よしや 武蔵あふみ かけては跡へ 引かぬ若駒　 宝館福住 ooedo ni norihatsu yoshiya musashi afumi（鐙） kaketeha atohe hikanu wakagoma (NAME:Houkan Fukuju?） The sign on the right　北渓（Totoya Hokkei 魚屋北渓 1780–1850) The mark on the left　芝山堂 Shibayama dou（publisher） （I’m an amateur, so I stay quiet when the text is difficult…!） Hiro

Wow, thanks a lot! I might have photographed this one... The archive is getting messy I am afriad.

My first guess would be 国助 Kunisuke.

With the falling population, and villages and shrines suffering, many formerly dedicated swords are rusting away for lack of attention. So far the local chapter has negotiated with many shrine authorities and been able to restore nine swords to their former glory, most of them now housed in Okayama Prefectural Museum. Some of these have even achieved official cultural designations. Each time though,we have had to come up with novel ways to fund these restorations, and it is not a cheap venture. Two swords were housed in the Imamura Hachiman Gu, but the previous priests were unwilling to get involved in any project. The new priest however has been more cooperative, and in our third grand project, two swords are now set for polishing, preservation and display. Osafune Sword Museum has agreed to house them and care for them. There will be an official opening ceremony for the project at the shrine on the 4th of April, 2026. The swords will be funded by various means, lectures, etc., and the target is JPY 3 million. The first is a long Odachi by a relatively unknown smith named Inoue Kyubei Masatoshi, dated 1665. 2 m 63 cm overall, the blade length is 1 m 77.3 cm, and it weighs 4.5 kg. The Inoue Kyubei line of smiths lived under the walls of Okayama Castle, Masashige, Masatoshi, Masakiyo, but very few of their works survive, making this a rare artefact. The total estimate for restoration, including a magnolia wood box for example, is 2.5 million. The second is a 1574 katana by Genbei no Jo Sukesada, with a blade length of 68.2 cm, dedicated by a retainer of the Ikeda Daimyo family to the shrine in 1738. This will add a further 500,000 to the bill making a total of 3 million yen. With this latest project they are not planning to ask for donations from overseas. Both blades will be on and off display over the coming year, and from the April 2027 shrine presentation ceremony onwards, they will be housed at Osafune Sword Museum.

Odachi are indeed a fascinating subject. I was just doing my daily trawl of all things interesting when unexpectedly this Facebook reel popped into my orbit: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1526780725833444 @Jussi Ekholm may have a thing or two to say about this practitioner of the art of drawing an Odachi?? Regards, BaZZa.

Are those nie crystals in the Hi or an artifact of the scanning. If the former thats impressive. Peak Soshu?

I think that I could like it if it is Tanto size and I think as a Tanto it would make sense. Really shows some ingenuity, maybe out of necessity or just using what you have available at the time. I think sometimes it is nice to have a conversation piece like this amongst your collection and sometimes the funny thing is it will sometimes bring more interest than your best blade. Of course it would have to be priced very reasonable for just a conversation piece. MikeR

Tsuba Kanshô Jiten 鐔鑑賞事典 - 上巻 (jôkan)・下巻 (gekan) Wakayama Takeshi 若山猛 Yûzankaku 雄山閣 1977 Owari.pdf

Hi, I confirm a happy 'customer' here, with successful delivery to USA (even with all the BAN from Mr. Trump). Please browse catalog, these Tsuba are really nice and prices are also fair. Cheers!

Encountered something similar at the local internet auction. Was curious about it, yet my curiosity ran away as soon as a picture of nakago was posted....

Some info and swords at site needs to be updated. Please wait with offers until owner get in touch himself.

Needed a vertical pin. Notice the ‘Western’ style key in the above padlock. The one below had just the right vertical pin length.

Another type 95, a copper,owned by Sam, @Scogg, and posted here:

That’s great, Sam!

It's hard to tell from photos, but this could be a good sword in somewhat rough condition. Best to take good care of it until it can be evaluated in hand by a Japanese-trained polisher or someone comparable.

If it is an engraving, then the patina in the mon engraving looks similar to the surrounding area In addition, I would assume that the original location was in the habaki area

The sides each have different information and are not read sequentially. Hizen (no) kuni junin Yoshitada saku kore The other side converts to a date of May, 1942 (the fifth month of the 2,602nd year of the founding of the empire)

sold pending payment

Hi there, I bought a yari with with original koshirae in an auction, without further description. The menuki pin was missing but the tang was badly stuck in the wood. After many attempts I managed to get the blade out without damaging the wood. The blade is about one shaku. And I think it might be before 1600. Unfortunately the mei is not easy to read. Maybe someone has an idea. I am happy and thankful for any assistance. Greetings Marc

As mentioned above, it could go as a long SASHIMI HÔCHÔ.

First glance it’s not a million miles from shobu-zukuri (iris leaf) and it is rather elegant. As a stabbing weapon it looks extremely efficient and having watched several Samurai films etc recently there seems to be a fair bit of stabbing involved when there is no room for swinging a longer blade or as coup de grace after battles. Creative way to aesthetically save a (probably) ugly damaged blade. Maybe not one for purists.

Have to wonder though. If the kissaki takes damage, and you lose the boshi, it's considered a fatal flaw. The sword cannot perform as designed, right? But Katana and tachi are cutting weapons. How often where they used to stab? Surely most of the work is done in the monouchi area? Which may well be completely intact. 98% of what the sword would required to do, can still be done. Even if a katana is shortened from the front to wakizashi size, you wouldn't use the kissaki in most cases. Cutting edge remains. I think this is more about the art aspect and completeness than actual functionality.

It'd pair nicely with a Hocho Masamune for all your kitchen needs

I can appreciate it, looks like something perfectly fit for a fish market, taking down tuna and other large fish.

Looks a bit too much like a kitchen knife for my taste.

Not sure about the China angle John, but I think most of the old locks with a sprung prong key that we find were common throughout Asia. As to my made-up word ‘drum’, perhaps ‘cylindrical’ padlock might have been a better expression.(?) Such external locks and keys are of course another collecting field about which I know close to nothing. The funa-dansu safe was missing all four of the keys including the internal ones so I was happy when a locksmith agreed to make me a set. You have done a really neat job on your suzuribako, John, something to be proud of.

Suriage and osuriage has never really bothered me. I'm sure my collecting budget has something to do with that. Of course, I wish all swords were ubu. I also wish that I was taller I think it's interesting for what it is. That said, I'm not sure I would ever shop for, or buy something like this. -Sam

Personally, I think shortening a broken blade to allow its continued use as a weapon is both warranted and necessary. Aesthetically, I like the shape for its new intended purpose - slashing or stabbing. Within the context of battle, needs must. John C.

Thanks a lot Hiro and Piers. I forwarded it to the owner!

（ I asked because it is a bit long.） Right（meaning) 「The Kagura of our shrine has been performed since ancient times, 　and it is even mentioned in an old poetry anthology, 拾遺和歌集the Shūi Wakashū. The waka poem composed by藤原忠房 Fujiwara noTadafusa when 宇多上皇Emperor Uda (during his time as a retired emperor)visited Kasuga Taisha in Nara.　（In 920. 延喜engi20年）」 Left（Only the first half of the waka poem is written.） （meaning) 「Today, Yaotome (shrine maidens who perform Kagura) at Kasuga Taisha are so wonderfully rare and beautiful that even the gods themselves cannot help but rejoice and praise them.」 「めつらしき けふの春日の やをとめを かみもうれしと しのはさらめや」 　me tu ra si ki ke fu no ka su ga no ya wo to me wo ka mi mo u re shi to shi no ha sa ra me ya 　（珍しき　　 今日の春日の　　 八乙女を　　　 神も嬉しと　　　 忍ばざらめや ） （mezurasiki kyou no kasuga no yawotome wo 　 kami mo ureshi to sinoba zarameya）　 The photo shows the text up to “yawotome wo.” （Emperor Uda is famous for having written in his diary that “my black cat is so cute.”） Hiro

Sold at a french auction march 11.

I was just given a samurai sword that my friend found in her grandfather‘s basement. It was sent to her grandfather by her dad in World War II. I have the original box that it was sent in and a letter that is in poor shape, but clearly states that this was mailed to the United States in 1945. I would like to get some information on the swords history.

Doc, It would be cool to see shots of the box and letter, too! Waiting to see the nakago (tang), with everyone else. Here's some good care tips in the meantime: Japanese Sword Care - Japaneseswordindex.com

About “advancement of knowledge” in the field: People like Mitsuru Ito and Eckhard Kremers who have published books on specific collections of tsuba from particular smiths in a more analytical manner rather than just producing a picture book of accumulated tsuba from a particular school with no real analysis included. Markus Sesko of course needs to be mentioned because of his relentless efforts in translating Japanese texts, and the many years of him posting his blogs that frequently revolved around comparative analysis of small groups of similarly themed tsuba, sometimes by the same smith, and sometimes by different smiths. I always learned something whenever I read his posts. And then there's Steve Waszak with his years of dedication to Yamakichibei and Hoan tsuba... with a definitive book on the subject sure to come sometime in the future, which I hope to play some part in as I have also been diving deep into Yamakichibei, and separating out types of acid etched tsuba that often get mislabeled as Hoan. I have also been diving deep into all things “Owari-related”, trying to sort out the mess that is Kanayama, Ohno, Owari, and Ko-Akasaka (since they clearly had Owari roots), and trying to associate these with approximate time periods, trying to tie it all to cultural and artistic trends at various points in time. I apologize if I have left out any other publishers and bloggers from the list (like the “Zenzai blog” by Keisuke Nakamura, now that I think about it… he does this too, and I’m a big fan of what he puts together) Then there’s also some thoughtful insights and sharing of information on sites like this of course! At least this forum allows for the potential for some kind of proper, positive discussion. And just as an example, I realized I had two tsuba of clear Owari lineage, but that were also obviously divergent from the typical Owari tsuba. In comparing them, I realized they were made by the same smith who has yet to be described or named in some way. After posting the pair and pointing it out online, it tuned out that Eckhard Kremers had realized the same thing about this smith when looking at specific tsuba published by Sasano. Then he and I spurred each other on to do a deep dive into other publications and accumulated image banks, and we found a bunch more by the same smith. He has produced some extraordinary, unique designs that show a lot more "movement" compared to other Owari tsuba. His tsuba have gotten a variety of attributions from different sources, but as soon as you line them up, they are clearly all done by one smith. It's the "gut feeling" mislabeling under the current system that I think (hope?) can and should be course corrected over time, by doing comparative analysis in exactly this way…. I have also identified several other groupings of tsuba that I think point to the work of individuals smiths, rather than a broad label like "Owari" or one of the other Owari-linked groupings I mentioned above. Owari was after all, a significantly large geographic area with so many smiths with different styles over the course of the 1500s and 1600s. Anyway, It’s doable, but more people need to have these thoughts in mind when they are looking at examples and gathering up images of tsuba that allow for comparison (hopefully including some oblique and side views, and not just straight on black and white images!) Blah blah blah… when will this guy shut up… sheesh? I apologize for blathering, I will stop now Oh and no, I am not just presuming to throw my name in with all those that I mentioned above, out of some sort of inflated self-worth. But I'm putting in the effort to gather evidence, and trying to make sense of it all with an open mind and a critical view... which is what I share in common with all those I mentioned above. I hope to put together some kind of publication one day, but for now, I'm still gathering information and examples, and enjoying the obsession.

I still would go for civilian sword repurposed for military service. Leather cover over normal wooden saya and typical hanger added. Identical as example at ohmura.

My observation is that you are not wearing socks. Otherwise we can see your apartment, but no photos of the blade or the NAKAGO (= tang) of it. It could be a civilian sword, not a military one, but that can only be determined with better photos. More comment is difficult at this time. When making new photos, please use a plain dark background, a dark room and spotlights. There is a bamboo peg up in the handle which could be pushed out from the smaller side. Then the blade will come loose. Please DO NOT TOUCH THE BLADE WITH YOUR BARE FINGERS as the high-carbon steel can corrode easily! The blade might also be sharp, so be very careful! Use a clean cotton rag if the blade has to be held. In case you are not used to handling genuine Japanese swords, please ask all questions you might have.

Many visitors and members of NMB have questions but are not aware of the substantial amount of information provided by members in the DOWNLOADS (link is in bar at top of main page). To assist awareness here is a list of papers I have submitted. MEC sword papers NMB.pdf

Yesterday the blades (and the assembled guests) were blessed at Imamura Gu shrine by the Priestess, before they started their new journey to the Osafuné Sword Museum where they are on temporary display. The TV crew were there to cover it. And

Perhaps it might be a generalization but I think tanto sized tsuba are underrated - they require as much [or even more] work to construct, but most collectors tend to concentrate on larger guards. Bigger is not necessarily better. Maybe we need a magnifying lens mounted over these little fellows to give them the credit they deserve?

Thanks for the replies. I bought the Katana from Alex, fortunately we live fairly near to each other and he agreed to bring it over so I could have a look . Very knowledgeable and helpful and the sword was well described and lived up to my expectations so no buyers remorse ha ha. The saya has some old repairs (that I knew about in advance) which I think could be improved, so I will post about that at a later date to get opinions on the best way forward cheers

The UK market seems to be pretty difficult at the moment. The various government bans have made selling and importing difficult. I notice Aoi Art no longer ship to the UK. Many of the general militaria dealers aren’t very knowledgeable and there are very few specialists. It can definitely be a case of take what you can find. The To-Ken Society are definitely the best people to talk to. You occasionally see something turn up on sites like Sally Antiques or the militaria dealers but that can be a mine field, caveat emptor definitely applies. If you dip a toe in that water you need a high level of risk tolerance and/or a great deal of knowledge.

One rule for me with Japan auctions if it’s not papered and it’s in Japan its probably not getting papered

Either a giant has got a sukashi tsuba for sale or that tsuba came off a tiny sword! https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/406839530729

The best comment I saw on that video was "Blink twice if you're being held hostage." The presenters had not expression what-so-ever, but certainly managed to mix in a reasonable proportion of misinformation, just to keep "up" standards.