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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.

Brian Tchernega did a wonderful presentation on tsukamaki. He brought tsuka dating from the muromachi period onward, and did a demonstration of a couple different wrapping styles. Some pretty incredible and old tsuka that he allowed us to admire. It was really cool to watch and be able to ask questions.

Good timing reviving this thread as I actually just purchased another fuchigashira set with (I think) this same theme. Again in the Hamano style, signed Hamano Naoyuki (Kao) Not sure if it is authentic or gimei as it has never been submitted to shinsa but I think the quality is there... I'll have a better idea once it arrives (currently still in Japan) but it was part of a wider collection from a seller I consider reliable. Picked up a couple other nice pieces from said collection that I'll probably make a separate thread for in a couple weeks time.

Many of us would appreciate some photos of the tables and show if possible.

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 {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}

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

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

Nice looking sword, it's an early Type 94 pattern of good quality (note separate Sarute and Mon on Fuchi). The Mon is a variation of Daki Myoga (embracing ginger leaves) rather than Paulownia, unfortunately you won't have much luck narrowing down officers based on the Mon. You may find the officers surname on the fittings or under the Fuchi if you're lucky. The blade appears to be a 1930's Showato, I once had a very similar sword likely from the same shop. As the battle of Iwo Jima is relatively well documented you may be able to find detailed Japanese unit documents or staff photos from the 109th Division: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/109th_Division_(Imperial_Japanese_Army)

濱野矩随　Hamano Noriyuki

Hello! I have a collection of several traditionally and non traditionally made blades, but this one is absolutely my favorite. I acquired this sword this weekend after a couple years of chasing it. The provenance is rock solid for it, and I won’t go into much detail here because this post is specifically about the sword itself. In summary, this sword was captured the night of March the 25th or early morning of the 26th, 1945, by 1SG Ezzie Bacle of B Company, 5th Pioneer Battalion. Famously, around 300 Japanese Soldiers and Officers launched the last organized Banzai charge of the Second World War. All Japanese participants were killed, and US casualties were high. This sword was among approximately 30 picked up by Marines in the aftermath. The sword has a Kamon which I believe is Paulownia, but I’m not sure which specific type. Perhaps someone here knows. The sword also had a field grade tassel attached and is in excellent condition due to being stored separately from the sword for 80 years, avoiding handling. The fittings appear high quality and the blade also appears traditionally made, but looking for clarification and opinion. No signature on the Nakago. I am exploring the possibility of narrowing down the potential Japanese Officer who carried this due to the Kamon, field grade tassel, and knowing where and when it was captured. It’s a long shot, but perhaps it can be done. Please give as much input as you would like on the sword!

Fukurokuju is often depicted with a scroll, and the pyramid shaped item on the fuchi is his backpack? Anyway, check him out and see what you think. All the best.

Original boxed tassels that have come and gone over the years: Company & Field grade General grade Field grade Kyu Gunto

I don't know enough about Soten school works to add too much to the discussion beyond what has already been said... What I will say is that I think there is a consensus amongst most if not everyone here that the tsuba is authentic in the sense that it is antique, not modern and is "Soten style" making the description of the auction house mostly accurate. Anyone who disagrees with this, feel free to reply and correct me but this seems to be a point of agreement amongst everyone. The disagreement seemingly comes from whether we view this as low or medium quality work and by extension its price point or value. Unfortunately I can't view the original listing as it is no longer available now that the auction is done, but I'd say if you haven't paid a lot you probably got a good deal. Going off the screenshots you and Colin uploaded I can see some of the mild gilding flaws Colin has pointed to, but I can also see some fine details such as the fine lines in the armor / pauldrons, etc. All in all it doesn't seem like a bad pickup to me. I think Colin has high standards (which is a good thing in this hobby!) Of course, it also depends how much you paid. As I can't see the full tsuba I'm not even going to try to give a value estimation.

I'd say the quality is definitely there.

Shozui, founder of the Hamano school. FK signed Otsuryuken Shozui , Mandarin duck and reed . Hakogaki by Torigoye Sensei , published "Toso Soran"

Thank you all very much for your insights. In conclusion I can assume this is a traditionally made antique Tsuba made from Shakudo? In your opinion, what would be an acceptable price range for this piece?

Plenty of guys have used leather to make seppa.

Yes shakudo does contain gold in varying proportions. ….and therein lies the crux of the matter. lower quality compared to what? Compared to other similar tsuba (Soten or otherwise….iron or otherwise)? Compared to other Shakudo tsuba? Compared to Nagoya mono? (search on this forum for this topic……you will find it enlightening and a great place to start) How long is the proverbial piece of string? …..and it also depends on your own “taste”

The tsuba looks to be a different maker and has a paulowina crest theme with dragons on the rim. The habaki also has a paulowina crest engraved on it.

As a Field grade officer, the owner would have been in service for the whole war. The tassel may appear new because he had recently been promoted. Also, at ranks of Major through Colonel, an officer would have been spending much of his time in offices and/or HQ. Adding to John's comment, family mon originally were tied to specific families/clans, but long before WWII, all families were allowed to have one, and you'll find that multiple families used the same mon.

I think you're missing the point. Collectors of top makers from this period expect perfection. Anything less gets a huge ding valuewise.

Not an uncommon sentiment around here. Its a really knotty field to collect and we all make mistakes, especially early on. I say this a lot but seriously consider joining the NBTHK-EB. We meet in Solingen and Manching and this is one of the best and one of the few opportunities we Europeans have to study top level Nihonto and Tosogu (incl Juyo and TJ level pieces). Next meeting is 31/1/26 in Solingen (PM me if you would like to attend this event for details or one later in the year). Eckhard Kremers, The President of the European Branch, is one of the foremost experts for fittings, especially tsuba and has written books on the subject. This is where you get your education.

I think its safe to say the previous owners 'modification' has significantly impacted the value, especially as it cuts into the Mei.

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

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

@chgruener I will relocate this to the Military Swords of Japan section, as it better fits that category. I think you'll get some additional input there. Best of luck, -Sam

That’s a very nice field grade example John. I’ve been looking for one of those for my field grade E&F Horster/SUYA Kyu Gunto. A couple company grade kyu gunto tassels that I recently picked up. One is a bit worn and dirty, the other looks nearly new and in a box.

I'm also in the "average Soten school tsuba" camp. Nothing top, but not just. As for value...I guess you would pay $400 or so for one in a shop or a dealer? That is a wild guess though, I may easily stand corrected

Hi Jake, the armours are definitely non-Japanese, so possibly some story from the "Annals of the Three Kingdoms".

thankyou Geraint, most helpful. I should have probably explained more about the sword in my opening post. It belongs to a work client of mine, who has sent me the pics and asked my opinion of it. The photos he sent weren't great. I promised that I'd ask folks with far more knowledge than me (and who can read Japanese). I hope to be able to see the blade myself in a few days, and if so, I'll post better pics of the whole blade. It's currently in gunto mounts. Thank you once more.

Seki stamp? Dunno how help here.

Piers, I can see Tada and there are a few listed in Hawley's for that time period - Thank you for your insight! Chris

Max, traditionally, a raw blank was cast and hammered to the desired size. Then the design was cut/sawed (= later technique) and chiseled and filed and polished - quite some work! But you cannot detect if a soft-metal TSUBA was pre-cast in a mold and then worked on and finished. This was done in an extent with later TSUBA when Western technology was known in Japan.

I know this is an old thread but i want to share this with everyone I have a sword with a wobbly Tsuba Im guessing Parts were Not original I tried adding more seppas but that didn’t work My wife mentioned go to Hobby lobby Smart lady Anyway i found foam rubber sheets that were sticky on one side They come in different colors I picked brown I made a template using a pen seppa xacto knife and scissors I stuck the sticky side on one side of a seppa I needed 4 since it was really wobbly I made a thicker menuki and walla very little wobble Not pretty but it works Steve

When someone has a chance, let’s hear some thoughts on the show. I was close to coming this year, but some things came up and I had to defer.

Hello: I've been doing a series of crossword puzzles for entertainment with a slant toward learining and research. And I didn't want to leave out the tosogu folks. Please find attached a puzzle of easy to medium difficulty (mostly easy) just to exercise the brain pan for a few minutes. Other puzzles can be found in General Nihonto and Izakaya if you are interested. I found this topic to be the most difficult because of the number of alternate meanings and descriptions, so there may be more than one answer - just use the one that fits the puzzle. The puzzle can be downloaded or just viewed in the screenshots. Enjoy! John C. Crossword Puzzle_4_a Tosogu.docx

Time for another sword crossword! Thanks to those who did the easier one posted on Izakaya. This one focuses on Nihonto and is a bit more challenging. Indeed, I suspect no one can complete the whole puzzle without looking up at least one of the answers (the gauntlet has been thrown). I'm also including a screenshot version for those who are leary of downloading stuff. Enjoy!!! John C. Sword Crossword_3_A.docx

If this is somehow not sold in a few weeks I'm going to need to fight the urge not to splurge GLWTS!!!

Shozui - signature and quality

Simply looking at the quality, imo this is not made by any “master” let alone a highly rated one. The workmanship is very basic…..and that’s being kind.

Posting this as I think there are guys who will appreciate the info. From the Sacramento Newsletter: "Hello members and friends, Happy New Year all, we hope your 2026 has started off well!! Stay healthy and safe this year!!! Leon Kapp has completed the latest chapter update on the Albert Yamanaka Nihonto Newsletter Series Volume 4 Newsletter 06. Here is the link to this update: Link to Article attached below Leon says this issue has a lot about important Shinto smiths and a year of the Tokugawa Jikki with lots of swords being exchanged. Please enjoy the read!! YAMANAKA V4 NL06.docx.pdf

Actually as it's unsigned I think the 'Soten-style' wording is better than outright 'Soten school'. Strictly speaking these were made within the *Hikone Han, the Soten being a line of smiths within that area, the earliest ones signing their work. Becoming popular, later they were apparently emulated elsewhere in Japan. I have a similar one, papered by the NBTHK as 'Hikone'. *Think of Hikone Castle, home of the Ii Daimyo family.

And here is another example of the hidden nuances and politics of attributions and setsumei. During Tanobe-sensei's time at the NBTHK he (and other sources) was adamant that any attribution to Shizu means specifically Shizu Saburo Kaneuji; however reading between the lines (and here, explicitly stated) it's acknowledged that this does encompass a line of smiths distinct from Naoe Shizu who could theoretically be referred to as the Shizu-den, all considered more or less equivalent for the purposes of attribution. This is why, in most cases, a setsumei for a mumei Shizu blade will say that a sword "exhibits all the qualities of Shizu" but occasionally you'll see "exhibits clearly the workmanship of Shizu Saburo Kaneuji". This may be something that's always been the case, or it may be something that shifts depending on who is in charge of the Juyo panel; perhaps during Tanobe-sensei's tenure, he really did allow attributions to Shizu only for Shizu Saburo Kaneuji and lumped all others of that line in with Naoe Shizu.

Tametsugu and upper grade Naoe Shizu are somewhat equivalent - someone who learned from one of Masamune's students, with some Yamato influence. Tametsugu for a wilder hamon or features that lean more to the Uda side of Yamato; Naoe Shizu for a more controlled hamon or features that lean towards Tegai. Neither has achieved TokuJu to my knowledge (without having the attribution changed to a better smith), though Darcy wrote that there is a signed Naoe Shizu blade in a private collection that is likely to become the first TokuJu if it ever gets submitted to shinsa. Personally I would prefer Tametsugu because of the stylistic connection to both Go and Norishige, but that's more a matter of taste.

@CarstairsCowboy Please see no malice in my previous comments. I only shared references to help you evaluate your blade. As others have already mentioned, I think there are two important points to keep in mind: - A gimei sword can still be a piece of very fine craftsmanship. - More importantly, this is your family treasure, and it was likely the treasured possession of a Japanese family decades ago as well. Depending on the time, energy, and money you are willing to invest, you could certainly have the sword polished and have a new habaki and shirasaya made. Personally, I would not worry too much about the fittings, but again, this is entirely a personal decision. In the end, it is completely up to you.

The mei is 義重 not 嘉重. AI search is not a good tool for researching Japanese swordsmiths. These tools will hallucinate and give you the information that they think you want (correct or not). I would recommend Markus Sesko's swordsmith compendium for researching swordsmith bios. https://www.lulu.com/shop/markus-sesko/e-swordsmiths-of-Japan/ebook/product-1zk9mrzq.html?page=1&pageSize=4

Thanks Steve. I didn't see this post until now. I had my head turned by a Hoan the other day. We'll see if I end up on target in April, or coming back with something else. I have to halt this listing, as the -sho just papered in Japan. Got to get the -sho back, and consider listing as a Dai-sho set. The Dai- came from Ito-san. The Sho- came from a pre WW2 collection in Massachussets. How do we know they were a Dai-sho.... well, not 100% confirmed, but looks like they are recorded back in the 1800s Kamiyoshi Ehon records of Hayashi tsuba. Off to post the Mega-sized Tokugawa Ono next.