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There is a misunderstanding regarding the difference in quality between Koto-period swords (particularly those from the Kamakura and Nanbokucho periods) and swords from other eras. Practicality is not the issue; a sword is a lethal weapon, and a kazu-uchi mono gets the job done. The difference lies in the artistic qualities of these swords.

Dear all This little hamidashi tsuba just landed on my desk as an aside in a deal with a fellow collector. Dimensions 55.9 mm x 41.4 mm, thickness at seppa-dai 4.5 mm, at mimi 6.1 mm. It is made of concentric layer of copper and shakudo. Unfortunately there is significant delamination between the layers and the center of it is a little loose. It is decorated with a design of waves with very small gold drops, the ten zogan is very well executed. Without this defect it would have been a very nice piece. I have as few questions: The it can be classified as mokume-gane even though it just a made of concentric stripes of alternating metals? A tsuba with a similar layer arrangement in the collection of the Ashmolean collection is classified as mokumegane (https://jameelcentre.ashmolean.org/object/EAX.11192). Based on the design, workmanship and the use of mokumegane to which school it can be attributed? From a cursory research mokumegane was used by the Akita Shoami artist Shoami Dembei or by the Takahashi school (高橋派) a branch of the Edo Akao School. Any information is welcome, thank you in advance. Best Regards Luca

Here’s the other thread:

Example with "emergency" stamp

The blade at Aoi used to have just Hokke attribution at Hozon, so they specified it a bit more at Tokubetsu Hozon shinsa. I admit if I would look at that blade from pictures without attributions I would not pin that to Nanbokuchō nor early Muromachi.

After checking it out, there doesn't appear to be a full download, and you can only preview a very limited number of pages. So I expect that one is ok and legit. I know there are full pdf's of the book floating around, I'd be more concerned about sharing those. This one should be fine

Experimenting with the quenching/hardening process has limits. Steel made from TAMAHANE is quite pure in regards to alloying elements, containing only carbon as desired component. These steels need a rapid cooling to achieve a satisfying hardness. This is why traditional YAKI IRE (quenching) has to be done with (warm) water. Caused by the blast-furnace method at much higher temperatures, modern industrial steel inevitably contains elements like manganese and silica plus smaller amounts of chrome, nickel, and many others. This leads to a different "behaviour" of the steel in the quenching process as the temperature drop in the steel is increased, there are more carbides built up, and the hardening also goes deeper into the steel (pure carbon steels have an in-hardening depth of about 4 mm from each side). These processes are described simplified here; in reality, there is much more to say about it. Experimenting in this field is difficult because modern steel will suffer from a drastically increased risk of failure when quenched in water. On the other hand, traditionally made carbon steel will not harden properly when quenched in oil. Interestingly, warm oil will yield a FASTER cooling rate in quenching than cold oil. This effect can be explained by the lower viscosity of warm oil, compared with cold oil.

Agreed! It’s a wonderful old house. Looking out across the fields of young barley towards Osafuné and the hills beyond. Saw this from the car window as I was about to drive home!

Dispalys are very nice, Piers. But I really love the setting. The building is gorgeous and sets the mood. John C.

And D E F

Some general shots of the place. A B C

What a shame, hope it shows up. Just another example of the decay our country is experiencing. There is an ongoing case where the USPS has lost a legally registered Uzi submachine gun. It was sent from Ohio to Florida via Registered Mail, supposedly the most secure method the USPS offers, insured for $20,000. Tracking showed it made it to Detroit, where it disappeared. The response and efforts of the USPS and the Bureau Of Alcohol, Tobacco, And Firearms which regulates machine guns, has been almost nonexistent. In fact the USPS denied the insurance claim three times before relenting and paying up. Pathetic. Steve

As part of the Golden Week display of Sanchōmō they were running a shuttle bus today to the old Nakazaki-Tei in Fukuoka Village next to Osafuné. Spread over three rooms were a display of Koshiraé (no blades), a display of Tsuba, a case full of Tōsōgu, and a display of Bizen guns and accessories, etc. The latter was my alotted corner. Not expecting anyone to visit our humble exhibition, I was surprised to see more than fifty people come through during the day, from all over Japan. What pleased me particularly (apart from the obvious interest shown by the visitors) was that I was asked to provide some Koshiraé, and everything I had brought with me got added to the display. Seven Koshiraé! This is the very first time that my pieces have been considered worthy of their displays. No negative comments, all silently accepted. Made me all warm and fuzzy inside, it did.

The dark side of the moon.

Actually I particularly like Yoshifusa too. Today sadly I was with people and did not take many photos, *although I do have some Yoshifusa pics somewhere from earlier exhibitions there.

Here’s a pic or two I took about 7 years ago, before the owner sold it. The nick

One of our NBTHK members is a Bizen potter and after much effort he eventually succeeded in making a full-sized version in fired clay. Another member creates detailed exact-scale copies in wood, down to the nick in the blade edge. These are not cheap but there is a waiting list for his work, the Sanchōmō and other famous blades. Even the Mei are faithfully chiselled in.

Well… Mona Lisa has a kind of …. Shall we say… interesting smile. And the colours are a bit faded. Ah, also there are a few other images underneath the top layer. But… It is Mona Lisa.

Lots and lots of photos of the Yamatorige starting to appear across the interwebs. Actually a lot of fun reading the comments and seeing the excitement in the people posting and responding to the pictures.

Your opinion on this example please. Could this be done by machine? Saku is chiseled like in 2 attempts and these horizontal strikes feels like divided. https://www.ebay.com/itm/286431426499?_skw=emura+sword&itmmeta=01KQJSZVZFB208962YJWR42QG8&hash=item42b0a4b7c3:g:NEwAAOSwhrtn4AIV&itmprp=enc%3AAQALAAAA8GfYFPkwiKCW4ZNSs2u11xAJT7GSl7Y%2FWQycmbJMLcoGoiJlfSmcoBCICIr%2Fk2x%2F2WoneoocjlsjHZo%2BEp104qwPvaYtoVC3GkYhqeJpORYxj4zZIe0aWPcxtJFCeWbfOhD18N1LpiT%2B2T%2BWheBGzZk1DMNr%2BvH3KzSntWVhtoV5jku1rgSIceKjh%2Fs1cscqwqBSf631bAL7el2MW2rKSoiAv7hOB0SRFfu0MpUCf%2FqUB0rf7zuo%2BYRg9T1gbEXnrJKWCGYa2tB2zQ%2F6jAOHBsIYofeZ3mvtzm7ufb6qSauoUpMb2F1zlXs3G5FhUvdB5w%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR_S__9m8Zw

Marcin: If you are asking if the mei was made with a rotary machine (e.g., Dremel), no it was chiseled. But for 12 grand it should be inlaid with 18k gold, studded with diamonds, and hand delivered on a silk pillow. John C.

It might not be real - BUT I WANT IT! Dalek tsuba- WHO could resist!