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Just wanted to share some images for study that Keisuke over at https://www.katana-case-shi.com shared with me today during a chat. In the order from the title.

Over the last week I have been attempting to recatalog my small assortment of kozuka, menuki, and tsuba on this side of the planet. It's confusing because I have a different set of numbers at either end, and when I carry some backwards or forwards the numbers can clash, needing renumbering. There were a couple of tsuba I do not remember buying, and for some reason left no record of how much I paid. Aaarrrgghhh... While doing so though, I rediscovered several that I had forgotten, or was thinking that I had swapped out or sold. It was a joy to see them again, and to consider that years ago I had appreciated them enough to have chosen them back then. Some of them I would never sell, I realized, as they speak to me personally and it is not a question of market value. It was a delight to hold them in hand and to find new aspects or details to appreciate. Why collect these things, people ask? Well, one answer could be that as my Alzheimer symptoms progress, I will soon be able to experience the joys of rediscovery as often as there are weeks in the year or days in the week! "A thing of beauty is a joy forever." Endymion, John Keats.

Two generations Moto Oki with cutting tests Wakizashi Top one - 2nd generation dated 1839 with body tested at the Senju execution grounds. One body cut in half by a listed test cutter. Sword made in soshu style. Bottom one - 1st generation dated with one body cut in half by a listed tester. Sword Test done at the Senju execution grounds.

It’s a 偽軍刀 (a sword for the puppet army) that was made in China during World War II.

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

I'd go with Kirill and Trystan on this. Among many things, the tsuba is all wrong. It should be shaped like this: Not Japanese made. However if the guy is certain on the history, it was likely made, like Trystan said.

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.

Yes Derek, I will have to agree with you on that one. But if I could afford to spend $5,000 to $10,000 U.S. on a tsuba and then another maybe $500 to have it repaired and papered, I wouldn't be able to enjoy it! After spending that much money on a tsuba I would have to place it in my bank safety deposit box! There are those that collect tsuba for enjoyment (like me - and I don't usually spend over $150 U.S. for a tsuba) and then their are those that collect tsuba to sell them and make a profit. Oh well, to each their own.

A great recipe for destroying a 400-year-old precious object. Hope it ended up in the hands of a serious collector who will respect it, have it professionally cleaned and repatinated in the traditional way, and allow it to survive another hundred years.

I’ve already thought about this more than once. I agree that at the present time we have very favorable conditions for purchasing tosogu. https://nihonto.com/nakai-koshirae/ I’ve already cited this article as an example before - it shows very clearly that for each option, such as nanako, inlay with specific metals, additional carving - there was a substantial surcharge for every request. Now, however, the work can cost less than the price of the metal itself, simply because demand for these items is low. But if we ask someone to recreate something comparable to the work of a great master, as Ford Hallam did, the price would really surprise us and would most likely be higher than that of an Edo-period piece.

John, that is absolutely true. And if we talk about gold content and today's price of it, we should also look at the making of TSUBA. Assuming you could find TSUBASHI capable of producing TSUBA in the work-quality range of your above pictured nice TSUBA, what would they charge you? In this context, gold remains a small factor, I think.

If you can confirm it was brought back from WWII then it may have been made in a Japanese occupied territory.

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.

You are doing it wrong, Jacques. You are supposed to say "I am but an eternal student of the sword, humble in knowledge". You friend is then supposed to chime in with "Jacques is a Scholarly Scholar! Celestial star, who shines over the True Path", etc. etc..

John & Trystan are correct. Take a look at the plum blossoms on the crossguard. It is World War II Chinese collaboration sword. Many thanks for sharing the pictures of a really interesting sword variant.

I have often thought that tsuba represented a cheap art form compared to many other collectables. Looking at those shakudo tsuba in my collection with good blue black patina I assume that these were made of shakudo with about 5% gold. Poor quality shakudo, with little or no gold in the mix (nigurome), tends to show a lot of brown in the patina. Comparing the price I paid for these tsuba with the current cost of gold (£122 per g) I find that, overall, the gold content is worth about 60% more. Probably dissolving the copper in nitric acid would allow recovery of the gold, but it is not something that I am considering. Pics of a couple of nice examples are attached. Just a thought, John

One of the better replicas, Polish?, posted on this Gunboards thread. Attempting to be a Gifu stamped Nagoya blade. Unusual to see one in the 70000 number range. These are usually seen in 30000-50000.

I think everyone here knows you VERY well too Jacques. Personally I'm veering more towards provocative at this point. I meant it in exactly the way Bobby says. No one said the traits are unique to Shintogo but the similarities in forging style of that Awataguchi Nobukuni tanto and an archetypical Shintogo produced tanto suggest that there had been some influence in swordmaking technology, through contact with Nobukuni or any of his close associates. Historical references put them in the same region of Japan at the same time. So you're discounting any influence by the Awataguchi school? And why is it pointless to attempt to understand and test hypotheses on the origins and influences on Shintogo's swordmaking. No one will truly know of course since there are no contemporary historical documents to consult, but that still shouldn't prevent discussion on the subject.

Jacques, where did you see a claim that these traits were exclusive to Shinto Kunimitsu? He said "commonly found," which is correct. Is this a language issue. or are you just being provocative? It's guess you are right: it's pointless to fight human stupidity...

3 gorgeous examples in perfect polish, each exemplifying the deki characteristic of the makers style and their School. I especially love the Yukimitsu with its fine chikei and kinsuji and that midare-utsuri on the Sanenaga is exactly what you hope to see on a koto Bizen Osafune blade. I would be proud to have any of these in my collection.

Hmmm… let’s see what we’ve got here… Nope, I reckon you could win this, Dale!

I’ve got several teeth I could pull out and buy a food processor instead.

Perfectly captured utsuri

This thread, and the other one linked, has opened my eyes to Teimei tsuba. Many thanks. I had one a couple of years ago without knowing what it was, but I think I must have given it away as part of a deal. The shape of your new tsuba reminded me of square iron hooks hammered into old Japanese building walls and pillars, or those adorning the uprights of shokudai candle holders, but I am more than happy to go with sashigane!

The extra material around the Sarute looks to be based off a particular style of mounts often found on Koa Isshin Mantetsu swords: https://www.artswords.com/Mint_Imperial_Japanese_Generals_Gunto_Mounted_Katana_020308.htm

The dimensions of the tsuba look funky to me; the circumference seems small. The drilled mekugi ana seems unusually placed. The kobutogane has some extra material around the ana for the sarute that I’m not familiar with seeing. All that being said, I’d still like to see more photos… You do see some weird stuff sometimes with WW2 swords. I’ll relocate the thread to the military section for some more eyes. We can always move it again if needed. Sincerely, -Sam

Shotoku Taishi holding a sashigane. https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&hs=jbFp&sca_esv=24bda720f578b1cc&hl=en-gb&udm=2&fbs=ADc_l-aN0CWEZBOHjofHoaMMDiKp9lEhFAN_4ain3HSNQWw-mMGVXS0bCMe2eDZOQ2MOTwnRdx8cTjotWVyC2QMTVww_YBFX02fOeR-h4YTkfXLtUjsbkEQ71TRGYdTT7QocLO7g195D6ib_0dpEb3QJhPc8RuH5fi-Zj0WZCt67f8e5UnyfeSxo0pAD9Pd3ZdooYNG4m6TtZkeX60E_yiJ6whrL47XaLA&q=差金骨董&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi86_Tgx6-SAxX8slYBHdUTMLEQtKgLegQIFBAB&biw=390&bih=699&dpr=3&aic=0#sv=CAMShgUa5gQKkAIKuQEStgEKd0FNbjMteVRsdWdUcE1xMUJpWUxLRW1hRnFqbC0taEE0NzluekFPbHpHRi1ySHgwOUstLVVZeWNDRHJRVUdrNEh4WHlkZmthSkMwMlpoUzVYT2J5dVdPajJuLXBqaTZ5VlVwbEFvOUlhMC1tZkF3NkNPOEFJQ1hvEhc5cko2YWM3WklMeUEycm9QdU8yQm9RURoiQUpLTEZtS0ZrZGp3OWlQQm1sQTU0NEFFWkFpdWd5RkZ6dxIDODQ5GgEzIhEKAXESDOW3rumHkemqqOiRoyIHCgN0YnMSACIuCgRlcWxkEiZDZ0lJQUJBQUtBRTZCQWdCRUFGQUFVZ0JWVjJYWVQ5dFZ1b2ZQdxK-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

I too thought it was not legit on first instinct. The kissaki looks like the wrong shape and the tsuba, while fat, looks too fat and does not have the right shape. There should be more of an angle from the flat center of the mimi to the edge. But never say never with military swords..... John C.

And there is the difference between collectors! That is my kind of tsuba, old and rusted! If I could have purchased it for under $150 U.S. all I would have done is clean it with gun bore cleaner, dipped it in mineral spirits, dryed it off, put a nail in the wall, hung it up and called it good to add to my collection and enjoy! But that is just me!

G'day Guys, That does not look legit to me. Cheers, Bryce

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.

And finally the kashira and better photos of the tsuba

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.

I got an unused field grade tassel from John, still in the box. Upgraded my dad's Mantetsu!

I would think both of the blades are by the same smith, 高橋長信 Takahashi Naganobu. The tachi blade is signed and dated 長信造 / 弘化三年八月吉日, Naganobu tsukuru, 1846 Wakizashi is signed 於東都雲州住長信造, Tōto ni oite Unshū jū Naganobu tsukuru I haven't used Hawley in very long time so I am not sure what is written there. However I would think never signed same way twice is just an absurd exaggeration. There are plenty of his known signature variants. Nihontō Meikan seems to have 17 various signatures listed, so he did a lot of variations but it is obvious that he did use the same signature variation multiple times. Here you can see the same signature variation on a katana that is on your wakizashi: https://iidakoendo.com/1572/ Unfortunately Shinshintō swords are not really on my scope of interest so I can't offer much help, other than saying that both of your blades look nice based on the last picture.

We must distinguish between the oldest physical manuscript copy and the oldest content. The oldest manuscript copy of the Ki'ami Bon Mei Zukushi is from the early Muromachi period.

Hello, I would like to share, new acquisition.

My Kishu Teimei Tsuba (Japanese books) regards,

My Kishu Teimei received today. Strong feeling....

I recently purchased this sukashi tsuba as Kishu Ju Sadanaga or Teimei. Owal shape , 74 mm x 72mm x 5 mm Comments are welcome Mikolaj

Since the question about kantei points came up, I wanted to post another Kishu Teimei tsuba with a sashigane design. I believe it was made by the first Teimei master because of the following reasons: - the rim of the tsuba is still rather small and strongly reminds me of older Ko-Kyo sukashi tsuba - there is plenty of granular tekkotsu on the rim and even some areas where I believe to see a technique called yakite (which is quite common on older tsuba from the Owari province but very rarely seen on later Kishu Teimei tsuba) - the iron surface shows some - what I can only describe as - ko-nie particles; in general the iron quality is much better than on the other tsuba I posted (from my collection) - the form of the hitsu ana (especially the kogai hitsu ana) reminds me of older sukashi tsuba I am looking forward to your comments! Chris

Thank you for your encouraging words, gentlemen! I have attached pictures of one of my own Kishu tsuba (picture number 4 is very close to the real colour). It has the typical Kishu Teimei measurements of 8.2 cm diameter, a thickness of 0.5 cm and is signed Kishu Ju Teimei (紀州住貞命). The design is called wachigai; it seems to be rather popular with Kishu Teimei masters (or at least one of them). As you can see, my tsuba resembles the one shown in the book in the very first picture. If somebody could assist with the translation, this may bring in some more light. Chris

Part 2 of the scans. Best, Chris

Yes, my point was simply that if someone is lucky enough to acquire a piece like this for under USD 150, then investing another USD 400–500 in proper repairs and papers makes good sense. If I had spent USD 10,000 on it, I’d probably be sleeping with it under my pillow.

Sounds like a wonderful set of books to keep you busy on all things Bizen-den! It only gets worse from here btw

Thank goodness they don't make gold lips or you wouldn't be able to use a straw!

But UGLY goes clear to the bone! - Dorothy Parker

With the price of gold now - I am considering melting down my wedding ring! [Heck, she won't notice!]

Rawa, re “paper”. (if it has papers, it’s papered.) Etymology: papyrus