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Yesterday, my Christmas gift to myself finally came. It took almost five weeks from AOI Arts to me, though the shipping time was less than two weeks. It was accompanied by a better quality KIRIBAKO which did not fit the rather smallish MEKUGI-ANA (!). I am quite happy with it. It is a typical TEIMEI/SADANAGA TSUBA (unfortunately MUMEI) in acceptable condition, featuring two carpenter's squares as motif. These TEIMEI TSUBA are often very simple in design, showing sometimes unusual motifs, but are very well made and were reliable accessories for SAMURAI.

An update on progress. Habachi has been restored and a shirasaya is being made by the sayashi now that the togishi has removed the surface corrosion on the blade. I hope this will be completed in the next 1-2 months and given back to the togishi so he can begin the polishing. I have to admit I've become a little obsessed by Mei and the stylistic forms of kanji adopted by smiths in the Kamakura period, especially. It seems to be quite quirky to alter the regular form of kanji and it got me wondering why Shintogo adopted the unique strokes that are peculiar to him. I doubt it was something done in isolation. Likewise Norishige also carried on this practise, probably influenced by his Sensei, in the characteristic style he adopted when carving Nori and Shige. Many theories circulate around Shintogo's origins and his teacher(s). The Soshuden Museum offers some interesting theories. https://www.nihonto-museum.com/blog/shintogo-kunimitsu I'm reading the catalog @MassiveMoonHeh made available from the Art of the Samurai exhibition at The Met in 2009/10. In there a National Treasure tachi by Awataguchi Norikuni caught my eye. The character for Kuni has that distinctive central vertical strike. Could this smith have been the inspiration for Shintogo's Mei? One theory is that Shintogo's father was Awataguchi Kunitsuna, who was uncle to Norikuni, making Norikuni and Shintogo cousins. Both Norikuni and his father Kunitomo were two of the Gobankaji from the Awataguchi school. A young Shintogo might have held these guys in very high esteem and adopted some stylistic designs for his Mei in recognition and respect, as well as adding his own flourish in the form of the mirrored 'S' element. Norikuni also worked in narrow suguha. Awataguchi Kunitsuna mei Extant works by Kunitomo are extremely rare (less than 5 known per Markus) and I've been unable to find a really clear example of his Mei. The is the best I could get. Slanted vertical. Did anyone attend the exhibition? What a unique experience that would have been. If only I had been actively involved in nihonto at that time. It would have been unmissable.

I have had this one for over 30 years. Way back when I started collecting and knew nothing. Now I have many books and tsuba and still know nothing.

Last night I was bidding on this tsuba but lost my nerve in the end. It was going steadily up in price and, even if it did prove to be the genuine article (which was almost impossible to tell from the bad photos), it was in such a rusty condition I didn't have faith in myself that I could restore it - no matter how much bone or Ivory I used.

always nice when there's an update in this thread, thank you Lewis for the updates. Patiently waiting to see how this all turns out!

Actually...I do yes. I have a fairly well stocked workshop, very proud of it :-)

Just stumbled across this video by Cross Cultures from the NHK, published on the 12th January: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/shows/2084073/ "The fact that foreign collectors cherish Japanese swords helps to unearth ancient works taken overseas after 1945. It also serves as a force for preserving traditional techniques facing extinction." Nice little time capsule of today's Foreign Japanese Sword Enthusiast.

Working now. And noticed Lex makes a couple of appearances.

Happy Christmas Jean! Nice bold tsuba.

Hector, unfortunately, the photos are really bad, specifically because of the white background which does not allow a good contrast. In additition to all the corrosion, the surface and patiine cannot be seen properly, so it would have been a risk to put much money in it.

The Kusanagi-kan Sword Treasury can rightfully claim to be one of the most architecturally beautiful Sword Treasury/ Sword Museum in the world. Part of the Atsuta Shrine, the Kusanagi-kan Sword Treasury is open to all visitors before or after saying your prayers. They just put out a notice advising that they have just changed their exhibits as part of an exhibition called "Blades of the Hokuriku Region" Starting from today, Wednesday, January 28, 2026 through to Sunday, February 23, 2026. There will be a total of 13 blades in the exhibition including a Tachi, signed by Tomoshige (Kaga) that is designated an Important Art Object by Aichi Prefecture. Please read the notice from the Atsuta Shrine regarding the festival events in February 2026 here. #草薙館 #熱田神宮 #太郎太刀 #次郎太刀 Information provided by: @etudes24 on X.

And not far from the Samurai Museum Nagoya Touken World. Well worth a detour.

NEWSFLASH: Dōjigiri Yasutsuna to be exhibited at the Tokyo National Museum from February 25 to May 17. Starting April 14, a special exhibition called “Million-koku! The Maeda Family of Kaga” will also be held at the the Tokyo National Museum, so from the 14th April you will be able to see both Ōdenta and Dōjigiri Yasutsuna, plus two of the Tenka Goken (Five Heavenly Swords) - four pretty incredible and very special swords in one place. Pretty cool. So if you happen to be in Tokyo perhaps swing on by and enjoy this museum - I guarantee it will be your lucky day. Information shared by: 畳@孖っコぐらし on X.

Haha, thanks @eternal_newbie & @Lewis B - I will forgive you for the confusing the two of us, as we are both Aussie. By the way the exhibition was held at the MET not MOMA (although that would be pretty cool) - both museums are in New York, though, so we are still in the right city! Glad you found the catalogue useful! Thank you both for everything you share - loving the content.

My bad. Edited the post with the correct acknowledgement.

Norikuni

It was my third year attending the Las Vegas show, and I had a great time. There is something for everyone there--items are at all price ranges. I always enjoy seeing friends and meeting other collectors. While it is still a relatively small show, more tables were occupied than last year. And there were some dealers I had not previously seen at this show, such as Ginza Seiyudo with a really nice Ayanokoji tachi and a couple of nice kabuto. As @Scogg mentioned, Brian Tchernega's presentation was very informative. Mike Yamasaki gave a short behind-the-scenes presentation about his work on Pawn Stars, and there was an entertaining iaijutsu demonstration. The large, adjoining antiques arms show is also worth seeing. Several dealers over there had nihonto, menpo, and kabuto, including a nice kawari kabuto.

Hi Jeffree, BONJI can be tough to identify, but I think you're correct with KANMAN FUDŌ. It is definitely a Nihonto; but in very poor condition as you've noted. It is difficult to say whether or not it would be worth restoring, and for that you may need to get it into the hands of a qualified TOGISHI (professionally trained Nihonto polisher). I'm up in the Portland area, but I spend quite a bit of time down in Eugene. If you want someone to take a look in person, and chat about the sword, feel free to reach out. (Edit: I’m a collector and enthusiast, not an expert.) All the best, -Sam

The Italian auction company Czerny's has the Tsuba collection of R. E. Haynes up for an online auction that ends 18th March 2026. Auction catalogue with apparently a total of 267 lots up here: https://www.czernys.com/asta-158/?c=321

As for Togintei Sato Yoshiteru, Ive found a Juyo set of daisho tsuba, a few more Tokubetsu Hozon tsuba and one more tsuba on the Japanese cultural heritage website. I've also found other fuchi, menuki, and various fittings with his signature on it as well as a few metal storage boxes bearing his signature. The Boston MFA has a few kozuka but their images don't show the signatures and just show the front panel only. The only history I can find on him is from old auctions saying he studied under Araki Tomei from the Goto Ichijo school and Sato Toho later taking the Sato name after marrying into the family. From Jussi's juyo index I can see the following Juyo items: Juyo 34 - Daisho Tsuba Juyo 35 - Daisho Tsuba Juyo 44 - Chiisagatana Koshirae - Fuchi signed (Yoshiteru – 義照彫之) Juyo 47 - Daisho Koshirae (I believe this may be the daisho koshirae in the above photos) Juyo 58 - Daisho Tsuba Below are the zufu for Juyo 34 and 35 Daisho Tsuba

It seems the tsuba is its own standalone piece as it doesn't fit the Junishi theme but the rest of the fittings seem to form a 5 piece matching set which according to Touken World is called a itsutokoro-mono. These aren't seen much if this is indeed a 5 piece matching set.

Thanks, Steve. When trying to ID a blade, and weed out fakes, there are a few things we can look at. 1. Do the machi line up? Chinese fakes often have offset machi, like NCO Type 95s, that don't line up. Yours line up. However, some fakes get that right, so it clears the offset machi test, but still not sure. 2. The bohi - Fakes often get the bohi wrong, starting too far down the blade and ending poorly. Yours starts prior to the blade and ends with a clear shape. That's good. 3. Kissaki (blade tip) - Chinese like an anglular tip, Japanese nicely rounded. Yours is rounded, however like the machi line we have seen rounded tips on fakes. So, good, but not definitive 4. Hamon (temper line) - Though hard to see, yours seems to have one. Others might disagree, don't know for sure. 5. Nakago - Shape, yasurime (file marks), shinogi line (ridge that runs along both sides, full length of the blade and through the nakago), mei - Japanese nakago have distinct features. Fakes usually get all of these wrong. Yours has no yasurime and the shinogi is weak. The mei looks poorly struck. Overall - My first thought was that this was a zoheito (a particular style of factory blade made of one piece steel). But they usually are not signed (except by one smith), and the end of the bohi usually has a different shape. However I do have a zoheito on file with a non-standard bohi ending. What I think we have is a late-war blade, possibly a late war zoheito. Sesko lists one wartime Norimitsu and we are aware that there were many unregistered smiths operating during the war. I don't think this was the Nobumitsu listed in Sesko, as he was an RJT qualified smith, but it could have been one of the smiths we see that popped up at the end of the war. All that being said, it could be something made in occupied lands, and it could be a fake. But with the fittings and the points I see, I think the odds are in line with late-war work. Just an opinion.

The previous Yoshimune with Hachiman Daibosatsu inscription did sell offline shortly after I received it, however I just received another interesting Takahashi Yoshimune which appears to have been made as an utushimono of Izumi (no) kami Kanesada. Please message me to discuss further. Best regards, Ray

Here you go:

Mere a hint in which direction to research. The shifty look of the person on the kashira was crucial.

Yes I meant Tsuba, autocorrect got me there! Lol

Ah yes, you may be correct. When I did my initial search I looked only to see if the lines were unique to elephants only, which of course they are not. However, thanks to you and making a deeper dive, looks like you are correct, elephants and mammoth only.

Great explanation. Thank you.

I always thought that Schreger lines occur only in elephant and mammmoth ivory. A quck google search doesn’t provide any evidence of the contrary. https://cites.org/sites/default/files/eng/resources/pub/E-Ivory-guide.pdf

Edit: Updated photos

There have been a few requests for this topic, so let's have a go at it, shall we? Maybe @PNSSHOGUN, John, could create a Primer with the basics? I know this is out of the blue, so no worries if it's not possible at the moment. I will browse previous threads for useful info and link them here, in the meantime. I'll start with this chart created by Ernie @Stegel. Lots of detail, so might need to zoom in for specifics. Tassel Examples - Ohmura Website GENERAL GRADE TASSELS Generals Rank Tassel - Paul G Generals Tassels - David Flynn NAVY Legendary Zig-Zag Stich Kaigunto Tassel - PNSSHOGUN Unique Metal Tassel End; Navy Tassel - PNSSHOGUN "LATE WAR" ALL BROWN TASSELS All Brown Tassel for Gunzoku - Nick Komiya, Warrelics Breaking News on the All Brown Tassel - Bruce Pennington, NMB NORTH CHINA RAILWAY POLICE TASSEL - BROWN/TAN Help With Blade, Tassel, and Fittings - Michaelr NCO LEATHER TASSELS Another Leather Tassel Question [has some manufacturing info] - John C MISCELLANEOUS Cut Tassel Discussion - DWMC KYUGUNTO SWORD KNOTS These pages are from Dawson's book. {Posting for now. Will update as we go. Please feel free to post links or items that would add to the educational value of the thread}

Some documents on the Type 95 Military Sword Leather Tassel. I'm neglecting to offer my google translations because they are not perfectly accurate; and I do not want to mislead in the interpretations. Source: Rules for wearing sword knot of saber Model 95 (remodeled sword guard): https://www.jacar.archives.go.jp/das/image-en/C01005289200 Firearms Section notification: Model 95 saber wearing and carrying guidelines: https://www.jacar.archives.go.jp/das/image-en/C01005222500

Despite the fuzzy shots I get a strong feeling (especially from the classical Chinese clothing) of Chōhi and the oath in the peach garden. Three Kingdoms. https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/桃園の誓い

Hamano works typically feature taka iroe zogan like the example provided by Mikolaj above (beautiful piece btw). This means designs are typically carved notably in three dimensions as well as in multiple colours. Combinations of shibuichi or shakudo as a base contrasted with gold to create striking contrasts are typical of quality Hamano school works. Part of the design is usually raised whilst outlines and fine details are carved to create the three dimensional feeling. Whilst the material used does not in and of itself rule out authenticity, the lack of a three dimensional design means your piece lacks the style that is typical of quality Hamano school work. Moreover the quality of the work does not match up to high or even middle level Hamano school work in my opinion. Shozui's mei was of course reused in many gimei works as he was the founder of the Hamano school. Here are a few decent pieces of Hamano school stuff from my collection, images of which are already floating around on the forum in other threads to give you an idea... First, the item in my profile picture also signed "Shozui", but not papered. I would say it features a typical design for Shozui - Historical or folklore based, taka iroe zogan, etc. The unusual part of the design is the use of mother of pearl in the eye of the tengu which is atypical of Shozui's works: Next, here is a fuchigashira signed "Hamano Noriyuki" depciting the crossing of the Uji River: Lastly, my only papered piece, a fuchigashira featuring a three dimensional wave design that resembles the Omori school. The piece is signed "Seisendo Kashino Naonobu" who was a later student of the Hamano-Oguri school in Echigo province. I would like to submit this one for Tokubetsu Hozon assessment in the future to see if it passes: These pieces should give you an idea of what to look for in authentic Hamano school work. In fact, it is open ended as to whether even my first 2 examples would pass authentication as Shozui and Noriyuki were both elite artists. The mother of pearl eye in particular is something that I don't think exists in any authenticated Shozui piece. I do however still think it is a good example of Hamano school work based on the quality and style, even if it is gimei.

thought I better show a more realistic picture of the front and colour

I've learned something else. Aoi had the sword listed as 1576. But comparing the "Tenshō 3, 8th month" (天正三年八月日) inscription against a modern calendar, and knowing that in this time period the Senmyō-reki lunisolar calendar was used (which was the specific system in use during the Muromachi and Azuchi-Momoyama periods before the Jōkyō calendar reform) - it actually looks like my sword was made in 1575 and probably in September. The 8th lunar month in that year technically was a window between September 5 – October 4. Anyway, I'm sure this is the tip of the iceberg in learning about these swords. I gotta say though, it's pretty fun learning all this stuff.

Rare size--very difficult to find. This o-kozuka measures 4″ (10.1 cm) by 11/16″ (1.7 cm). A regular-sized kozuka measures 3 13/16″ (9.7 cm) by 9/16″ (1.4 cm). This kozuka has high relief shakudo, gold, and silver features. Desirable motif. This kozuka comes boxed. $750 (plus postage) --Matthew Brice http://www.StCroixBlades.com

My friend John C. Making a catalog of our tsuba collection for our heirs is a great thing to do and maybe it will let them realize that we had a great, interesting, and educational hobby. Or maybe they won’t care and just want to sell what we collected! Anyway, it won’t be my problem! But I will say that when I published my small books, Amazon KDP was great! I watched some YouTube videos about it. And even as computer illiterate as I am (with my one brain cell!) I figured it out! Amazon KDP doesn’t cost a thing! You only pay (and it is not very much) when you order your proof copy. I really enjoy that you can always edit and add new things to your book without much of a hassle. Onward my friend, to me taking pictures of my tsuba collection!

Dan: I'm doing basically the same thing with mine. I too have several books published (I use Ingramspark). My method for the book covers, and for one of the interior files that is picture heavy, is done using Adobe Indesign. It has a HUGE learning curve but is by far the easiest way to layout the book. You can "rent" the software for 35 dollars / month and cancel after that. I watched hours of YT videos on it, got a free 7 day trial to practice, then rented it for a month and was able to create, layout, and publish all of my covers at one time. I also bought some "green screen" from Amazon to photograph the items, though you would have to use a photo editing program to get rid of the background before pasting it into the layout. Looks fairly professional. John C.

Thanks my friends for your kind words and support about cataloging my tsuba. So, here is something I was just thinking about (with my one brain cell!). I have self-published two small books using Amazon KDP. Not to sell them or make money, but just to have my research written down in a book type format. Yes, I am old school and prefer reading a book to reading a computer screen. Also, if my computer stops working or I lose my thumb drive, I still have something written down that anyone can access. Now what is cool about Amazon KDP is you can order proof copies to check out your work, and you can always edit or add to your work at any time. Also, Amazon KDP is a print-on-demand system. No minimum number of copies have to be ordered. Once someone orders a book, it is printed at the nearest Amazon KDP facility and sent out. So no major expense has to be invested by me in my catalog of tsuba idea. So, I think I will digitally photograph my collection and describe the tsuba or maybe just show pictures and the price that I think the tsuba are worth, so my heirs will have some clue as to what to sell them for. Then I will send a copy of the book to all my kids (not really kids any more at 43, 49, and 51 - but middle-aged adults!). Then when I pass, they will be coming over to the house with a copy of my book to pick out the tsuba that they want! Maybe they will keep some or sell some (or all!). Hey, but that won’t be up to me anymore!! I think this tsuba catalog book thing is a good idea!

Here's how I organized my collection records (now I need to improve the photographs)

I've always kept a record of my tsuba in a doc format as below I also keep a spreadsheet so I can easily organise them in any order such as schools and dates With the record you can add as much or as little as you like This one of my earlier records from over ten years ago and nothing has really changed but now I remove the tsuba background to white

My good friends, I know that we have been through some major conflicts on some other of my threads on this forum (oh let’s think, like my "Tsuba casting molds?" thread!). But when the end is in sight (come on God give me at least 10 to 15 years!), everything doesn’t matter anymore. Maybe a little too much philosophy! Oh well! This is a great forum. And I will continue to put forward my thoughts on subjects, no matter what kind of backlash I get. Hey, that is just me! Starting tomorrow, I will start taking digital pictures of my collection to start cataloging them! Onward and with respect!

Dear Lewis, This is a research study by Nobuo Ogasawara, conducted for and published in the Tokyo National Museum magazine in 1981. Although I made some small corrections, the translation(AI assisted) still contains some errors, but it should give you the general idea. "" The inscriptions of Shintōgo Kunimitsu, as can be seen from the rubbings presented here, each display individual differences. Broadly speaking, example 1 can be regarded as a representative inscription of the hidari-ji hokan style. Examples 2, 3, and 4 are similar to this, with example 4 bearing the latest date of Gen’ō, and is sometimes regarded as the work of a second generation. What is common among these four pieces is that the forging exhibits a well-developed ko-itame grain pattern, the ji-nie is present, and the blade shows clear ji-kage, resulting in a bright and lively jitetsu. The hamon is a straight temper line (suguha) with well-developed ko-nie, and it features pronounced kin-suji, demonstrating lively activity and excellent workmanship. In contrast, examples 5 and 6, dated to the Kagen and Tokuchi eras, show inscriptions that are finer and weaker in appearance. Despite being early in date, they convey the impression of late-period inscriptions. In terms of inscription style, they are clearly different from examples 1 through 4. Furthermore, the forging shows a pronounced masa-gokoro (straight-grain tendency), and compared to the previous four blades, the nioi-guchi of the hamon is tighter, there is less activity within the ha, and the fukura (blade curvature near the edge) tends to sink. Stylistically, examples 12 and 13 are similar, though their engraving chisels (tagane) are finer and the inscription style differs slightly. Examples 7 and 8, as well as those bearing the Buddhist posthumous name Kōshin, do not use the hidari-ji style, and example 7 also lacks the hokan (north-crown) character. These are considered a different type from examples 1 through 6, though stylistically they resemble 5 and 6. Examples 9 and 10 have overall solid inscriptions, with the third stroke of the ko in Mitsu rendered as a plain “tsu” rather than the variant “フ”. Example 9 features a midareba (irregular hamon) with pronounced kin-suji, and the forging shows a raised texture. Example 10 has an ordinary straight suguha. Example 11 differs greatly in inscription style; although it uses the hidari-ji hokan style, it shows unique characteristics not shared with the others. If anything, opinions have shifted toward a broader view that the pieces in question may date from after the inscription bearing the Buddhist posthumous name Kōshin in Shōwa 4. In that case, the works of Bunpō, Gen’ō, and Genkō would be considered second-generation. However, when it comes to pieces with only the two-character inscription, such as the famous Aizu Shintōgo Kunimitsu, it becomes difficult to determine whether they belong to the first or second generation. A detailed examination of Shintō Gokunikimitsu inscriptions shows that each character varies slightly, making it virtually impossible to estimate the production date based solely on a two-character inscription. Nonetheless, in addition to the common inscription style featuring the “left-character” with a north-crown (hidari-ji hokkan), there are several distinct variants: 1. Those executed with a fine chisel (hoso-zan), where the inscription appears somewhat larger (though in reality almost the same). Examples include works dated to Kagen 4 and Tokuchi 3 (Important Cultural Properties), and, although tachi, the famous Mutsu Shintōgo is included in this group. 2. Those not using the left-character north-crown, such as pieces in the Tokyo National Museum or those bearing the Buddhist posthumous name Kōshin. 3. Those where the “kuni” character is a left-character but the “mitsu” character does not have a north-crown, or where the third stroke of “mitsu” is unusually firm, as seen in the famous Ran Shintōgo. 4. Those with large inscriptions and a firm, rigid style, such as the famous Kojiri Gokunimitsu and the tachi passed down from the Tokugawa family. The four types described above differ from the typical left-character north-crown (hidari-ji hokkan) inscriptions. Based on these differences, it can reasonably be concluded that the inscriptions were not cut by a single hand. Rather than strictly distinguishing first and second generations, it is more plausible to view the head smith Kunimitsu as a single master while Shintō Kunimitsu operated as a collective workshop consisting of multiple smiths. Naturally, certain stages of sword-making required a lead smith, and there may have been several lead smiths working simultaneously, making the finished products the result of collaborative effort. On a larger scale, tasks such as forging, finishing, hardening, and polishing were likely divided among specialists. Although it is difficult to determine the precise scale of the Shintogo Kunimitsu workshop in Kamakura, it is reasonable to assume that multiple smiths inscribed the Kunimitsu signature during the lifetime of the head master. ""

I always figure if people are meant to be here, one way or another they will stay :-) Stephen is that old couch that you keep looking at and thinking "clashes with the other furniture sometimes" but you keep realizing it's comfortable and has shared history with you, and really belong there. Great looking sword. To get a decent sword that is papered, in decent polish with nice hi for that price is a win win. Great deal, and one you'll enjoy. Congrats.