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Just finished watching the four part series called The Samurai by Tom Holland & Dominic Sandbrook part of their podcast The Rest is History. For those who don't know Tom Holland, he is a brilliant British historian who eloquently breaks down world history. This series appears to have been influenced by the current Samurai Exhibition at the British Museum. It gives a wonderful account of the early history and rise of the Samurai in Japan. A must watch for anyone interested in Japanese Swords, Early Japanese Military History & Japanese Legends. I will leave a link to the episodes here: The Samurai - Episode 1 Samurai Japan was Brutal - Episode 2 Samurai Battles Were Worse Than You Think - Episode 3 The Samurai Civil War: Japan's Greatest Epic - Episode 4 Enjoy!

A little birdie told me yesterday that they now have only ¥100,000 to go before reaching the 3 million yen target. Congratulations! As part of their activities drive, there was a special panel discussion with invited swordsmiths and Togishi. A film crew from NHK turned up to cover the event. Sukesada blades from over the ages were laid out for viewing.

Hi George, Having koshirae made for a blade in shirasaya is a common desire of beginning collectors and it is almost always a bad idea. Let's say you spend $2,000 for the blade in shirasaya and another $4,000 for the kodogu and labor necessary to make the koshirae. When you are done, if the blade is nice and the koshirae is well done, you should have no trouble selling the set for $3,000 or so. When a collector wants a blade and koshirae, he wants period koshirae, not something put together yesterday by a western collector. If the aim is to have a nice blade in or with koshirae, that is what you should buy to begin with. If you want koshirae to go with your blade in shirasaya, consider buying an existing koshirae mounted on tsunagi (wood blade) to display next to your blade in shirasaya. The blade won't fit in the koshirae but it is best kept in its shirasaya anyway. This will cost much less than having koshirae made. My 2 cents, Grey

Today there was the ceremony for the NBSK contest, unfortunately I couldn't attend but a friend was so kind to send me some pictures. The exhibition will go on until August 30th.

Last year at the Las Vegas Japanese Sword Show, Brian Tschernega did a presentation on tsukamaki and discussed tsuka. He brought several old tsuka from the Muromachi period onward, and talked about them. He emphasized that old tsuka were "teachers", and that they inform and inspire modern crafstmen to better emulate how tsuka were made in the past. Preserved old tsuka can help keep those tradition alive. Obviously not all tsuka are old, but just another scenario tsuka may be traded around. It's important to keep them in the hands of people who care about their preservation and appreciate that history and craftsmanship.

Hi George, I appreciate kind words regarding and restraint in not posting my work. I will add the the pics of the tsuba in question myself for you all One of the most beautiful things inherent in Japanese art is the act of allusion and the culturally shared stories told in this manner. As for the eye, it is indeed inlaid with mother of pearl, but the iris is not black bronze. The method I was taught, have seen on antique pieces, and repeated myself in this case , was different. I carved thin the iris area on the back of the polished MOP to make it more transparent , and then blacken it with sumi 墨 before setting it into place. Please let me know if you have any other question as I would be happy to oblige. I hope this info is helpful!! Best regards, Marcus

7. Rai Kunihide Katana in shirasaya with Horimoro Type: Katana Nakago: O-suriage Mumei Period: Late Kamakura-Nanbokucho period (ca. 1300-1350 AD). Papers: NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Horimono: Yes, dragon chasing fireball (both sides of the sword) Habaki: Silver Koshirae: Shirasaya Specifications: Nagasa (Cutting-edge length): 63.3 CM (2 Shaku 9 bu) Sori (Curvature): approx 1.2 cm Motohaba: To be measured Sakihaba: To be measured Kasane: To be measured (Motokasane), To be measured (Sakikasane) Weight (bare): To be measured Shinogi-zukuri Description: Attributed to den Rai Kunihide by NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers in 2023. Rai Kunihide is allegedly the son of Rai Kunitsugu, the master swordsmith who is also thought of as one of Masamune's students. Rai Kunitsugu implemented some Soshu elements into the Rai school, which traditionally is a Yamashiro-den school. Rai Kunihide has only a few signed works recorded, which consist of two tachi and three yari. Works made by Rai Kunihide show similarity to his master, Rai Kunitsugu. The NBTHK rarely attributes a mumei sword directly to Rai Kunihide; there are, in total, very few mumei swords that have been attributed to (den) Rai Kunihide, which causes Rai Kunihide swords to rarely come to the market. Most likely because there is not a lot known about Rai Kunihide, and direct attribution is only made in cases where a sword exhibits a certain mix of Soshu-den and Yamashiro-den, with, of course, the typical Rai hada. Rai Kunihide allegedly had a son Rai Hidetsugu, who only has a few existing works, which has led some speculation that Rai Kunihide and Hidetsugu were the same person. This Katana has a mostly suguha hamon, with some stunning layered hataraki, especially going towards the kissaki, with the typical Rai school itame hada, which is nicely visible, but without any shingane that is commonly seen on Rai school swords. And stunning nie that really reminds me personally of some Naoe Shizu work I have seen. The sword also has a Horimono of a dragon chasing a fireball on the ji, this is on both the omote and ura of the sword. Important to note is that they are not precisely mirrored; one goes slightly below the habaki, while the other stays well above the habaki. It is, in my opinion, very well executed and overall a good addition to the sword. What needs to be added is that this horimono was not present on the sword when it was forged; it was later applied. Seeing as it is not worn, it is likely not very old. The overall condition of the sword is quite good, with a few small kitae-ware that overall do not distract from the quality of the sword. Overall, a stunning Rai school katana in shirasaya. Price: 5900 EURO <!>ALL SWORDS ABOVE THIS TEXT ARE NOW AVAILABLE TO VIEW IN THE NETHERLANDS. IMAGES WILL BE UPLOADED WITHIN A FEW DAYS AND POSTED IN THE FOR SALE SECTION<!>

Another possible coating is a mixture of boiled linseed oil mixed with a little white spirit. Used to protect russet iron Kabuto, Menpo etc. It dries to a slightly shiny finish.

In the same way that you would not give someone a paragraph to read by providing separate images showing one letter at a time, it is much better for individuals trying to provide you with a translation to see the entire and full inscription clearly. From what I can see this may be: - Kanemoto godai (fifth generation Kanemoto) - Kanenao saku However I would much prefer to see the entire inscription of these two swords, with clear vertical images of the entire mei for each.

Hi! I think the official stroke counts of a character are calculated in their 楷書体 (Kaishotai/regular script, most of the fonts use this as their baseline, and this is the first and usually only script style taught to Chinese and Japanese children when in school). Stroke counts are used in many ways, even for fortunetelling (姓名判断/Seimeihandan/onomancy) in Japan, I think. This would be counted as one single stroke (a "hook" as we say), too. Even though it took two strokes of a chisel. Stroke counts of a Sosho/grass script character can vary vastly, as shown below. (That trippy and seemingly deformed two-stroke 兼 at the bottom-right corner is written by one of the greatest modern artists, Yu Youren, too.) The word for tiger (虎, as in Kotetsu's 虎彻, he uses this Sosho version in some of his work) in Sosho is usually written in one stroke, too. There is even a specific genre because of this called one-stroke tiger ("一笔虎"), where the one character is the only content of a whole artwork. ...wait, what was I talking about again? Anyway, I'm afraid stroke counts are very much subject to change in any style other than regular script, therefore not applicable as a tool for deciphering a Mei : (

What makes this fascinating little blade so important is its date. It appears at least a full decade earlier than what has traditionally been considered Chōgi's established working period, making it a significant piece for students of Sōden-Bizen and the development of the Chōgi school. Unfortunately, the blade is showing its age. Condition issues including ware in the ha likely explain why it has remained at the Tokubetsu Hozon level despite its rarity and research value. Could it make Jūyō someday? Anything is possible, but I would not consider it likely. That said, it is probably the most reasonably priced zaimei Chōgi to appear on the market in quite some time. The blade was previously offered by Aoi Art roughly four years ago, though I do not know the asking price at the time. @Jussi Ekholm may have that information recorded. I am also curious why the current owner is parting with it after such a relatively short period, something some collectors may understandably view as a cautionary sign. The hitatsura is another point of interest. It is an outlier within Chōgi's body of work, recalling the work of Hiromitsu and, further back, the full-temper explorations seen in some works of Yukimitsu. Yet despite the treatment, Chōgi's hand still comes through clearly. The blade retains the dynamic,Sōshū-influenced Bizen character that makes his work so distinctive. Signed and dated Nanbokuchō-period works by Chōgi and his immediate circle rarely appear on the market. Even mumei examples are encountered infrequently. By comparison, the blade pictured below was offered by Aoi Art last year and received 2025 Tokubetsu Hozon papers to Kenchō—not Den Kenchō, but Kenchō himself, generally regarded as Chōgi's foremost student. Tanobe-sensei, however, attributed the blade to Chōgi in his sayagaki. Both opinions are entirely reasonable. The condition of that blade is exceptional. The zaimei example being offered here, however, provides something the Kenchō attribution debate cannot: a firmly signed and dated reference point from the formative years of the school. For collectors of top Nanbokucho Soshu works, that carries considerable importance. The asking price is not unreasonable for what is being offered, and I would not be surprised to see it rise before the auction closes, much as the zaimei Kanemitsu did last week. If I had an extra $40,000 available in these uncertain times, I would be very tempted. For collectors of Sōshū-influenced work, Sōden-Bizen, Nanbokuchō tantō, or blades exhibiting strong Masamune-style jihada, this is certainly worthy of serious consideration. As for me, I will remain content with my little mumei example.

I expect 99% of this sort of damage is neglect and messing around, and done in modern times. Blade to blade contact is rare and unlikely from those pics. We tend to romanticize these things, but it's important to realize that it isn't a desired thing in most cases and unless can be proven 100%, it's best to not see them as a feature.

Many of the swords people describe as "a good starter blade" or "an interesting study piece" are mediocre, in poor health and polish, and generally don't really offer anything to be learned from by examining them other than the experience of holding a Japanese sword. This, on the other hand, is the kind of blade I would have loved to start with; a maker of high skill and renown (considered the intermediate quality step between Tametsugu and Norishige, and with many blades that have earned Juyo), in good polish and health, and with plenty of activities in the hamon and ji. A blade like this will continue to reveal its secrets as you get better at viewing it and understanding what you're looking at, and in turn will continue to entice you to develop your skill and broaden your knowledge. Good luck with your sale!

@Marcin These are all images made by me personally; I do not use other people's photographs. The sword is not perfectly mirrored, as I have not figured this out completely yet, and this causes the ura and omoto side to not completely align perfectly, as you point out. The background was removed, which can cause some artefacting around the cutting edge, as I stated. The shift in the horimono is actually there on the sword, as I stated in my description. There are no alterations made to the image, except for removing the background. This can also make the hamachi area slightly vague. Greetings, Lex

Dear fellow sword enthusiasts, We would like to let you know that the Dutch Token Society will be present at the Japan Art Fair in Utrecht this weekend. If you are visiting the fair, please feel free to stop by our stand, have a chat, and share our passion for Japanese swords. We look forward to meeting you there! Kind regards, On behalf of the Dutch Token Society, Leen van Ochten Chairman

A couple of pictures of the Futasuji-hi Sadamune on display at the 29th Tokubetsu Juyo Exhibition. Special thanks to 刀剣訪問ブログ. For more info on the exhibition click here.

Constructive criticism or comments are always welcome, no offense it taken. Just to address a few points above. Way back when we moved to this hosting, we already had well over 250K attachments. Now that number is likely far more than double. No mean feat to try and move hosting. It's not something you can quickly FTP across. I also want to host here in South Africa, so when I have an issue I can pick up a phone and actually call someone. Don't want to be tens of thousands of miles away speaking to a bot. Also, the cost of hosting overseas is more than we can bear, given the funds that come in. This attach has been inconvenient, but we will get through it, and things will get back to normal. If they don't, I'll look at other options. But again, everything comes down to money. The site is well known. Everywhere. Just type into any AI chat "What is the largest Japanese sword forum in the world" The problem is that many collectors are not young anymore. They prefer to collect in person, and many are old school. Even in Japan, it is hard to change that mindset. We would love more interaction, but people prefer what they know. The younger generation prefers Facebook...instant gratification even if the data is disposable and far less reliable. We have a good membership here, that ebbs and flows, but there is still more info stored here than anywhere else. I prefer to keep this mostly on topic. I don't want to cross over to the martial arts much. There are places for that, and they deal with it better than we can. We are about the study and preservation, not so much the use. Image uploading is more than sufficient. Really it is. We can't be expected to accommodate everyone who wants to take a 50MP photo on their phone and upload it directly. We don't need billboard size photos and people need to learn to crop and edit before they upload. Currently regular members can upload 3 megs per post. Since pics can easily be brought down to under 500kb, you are able to upload enough provided you aren't trying to upload pics that are several megs each. PLUS you can then reply and do more pics, with the same limit in that thread, adding more pics. If people want more per post then they can upgrade to Gold membership. There you are allowed 7.5MB per post. More than enough. Pic max sizing is ample to view only. We don't need to scroll several pages across to see everything. I think the post limits are more than enough if people learn free image resizing and learn a little about DPI and what is sufficient. As for the customizable feed, see my post above. This is easy and worth playing with. We will be going to new software by the end of the year and there will be many more features and changes, and I think everyone will benefit.

I visited the exhibition second time this morning, as I will head out to other parts of Japan. Some additional thoughts. Unfortunately that is wrong Norishige Lewis. That is displayed as it has been donated by Nara Iwao to the museum recently. It is Jūyō Bijutsuhin and nice sword. However in my personal opinion the one passing Tokubetsu Jūyō is far better tantō, just a personal judgement. Nara Iwao donated spectacular items to NBTHK. In my personal opinion the hira-zukuri wakizashi by Yosōzaemon Sukesada he donated was every bit as good as TJ swords on display. Also I really liked the Fujiwara Nagasada katana that was dated 1868 that he donated. In my eyes it was very good sword, now it would never be "high ranked" but I dont care about that at all. *edit* forgot to add that the Tsunahiro wakizashi he donated was amazing. The Yasumitsu is one of my favorite items on the display. Even though it is slim and slender in form while I usually prefer the big monster swords. I am not sure if there will be photos of it as photography isnt allowed for TJ items. It is very recent Jūyō, passing in 71, so when they release the book there will be bit more info on the sword. I really don't like the extreme closeups as to me they are not something I personally see when looking at item, and I am not one seeking extremely fine details. Of course I understand that some people love these extreme details. I saw few Japanese with big cameras shooting closeup shots of the few reference items that were allowed to photography. When I am at home next month I should be able to match the majority of the swords to Jūyō level sessions. For the few mumei items I might need to wait until TJ book is released so I can match the item side by side. *edit* While I understand the multiple tier process I am not a fan of it. All of the items that passed the TJ shinsa are incredible items and display characteristic traits and experts would most likely identify them easily. If you would see any of these items with Hozon papers for example you wouldn't think about the paper level but how incredible the actual item is. I think it can be sometimes bit misleading as we talk a lot about these tier levels while I think the actual item would be more important focus point.

I can see why so many were impressed by the Norishige tanto. Thanks once again to Mr Shiotsuna

Buying a blade is completely a personal thing. I like the idea that the blade chooses the owner rather than the other way round. As such one blade that tickles the fancy of one person may not tickle the fancy of others. I for example am a Soshu fan (probably the most popular category of sword collector) and others think Soshu is nice but prefer the more obscure smiths like @Jussi Ekholm. Some love blades according to their rating preferring the higher grade blades, whilst other prefer the provenance or the story behind the blade and still others (probably most again) just fall in love with the look of the blade or the smith. I can completely understand that when you start looking your list can contain blades that stretch from 1-35 million Yen. This is where the study and research into each smith starts and as such it is the start of a wonderful journey. If you do have big money available to spend then it is certainly worth being patient - there are a lot of good blades out there and the best are listed for only a short time or through friends of friends. Don't let that money burn a hole in your pocket. Find out what/who you like. Keep your ear to the ground (ask those more connected to do the same.) Follow the great apps like NihontoWatch by @Hoshi. Please do continue to share and ask questions. DM those in the community members who show the most knowledge around what you are looking at... Getting an opinion like @Andrew Ickeringill is also really worth it if you are keen on a blade. His keen eye after years of polishing great blades will give you an honest review. I can promise you most in this community are willing to share their knowledge and will help point you in the right direction. There is a blade waiting for you and I can promise you when you see it you will know. Your journey will lead you there. Excited for you bud.

Hi Calabrese, what can be seen on that single photo does look a bit suspicious indeed. I don't get the impression of a cast TSUBA, but I would not completely exclude it. There seems to be 'something' on the surface, but the gloss could also be the result of an intense but soft brushing with something like polishing compound. The usual solvents like alcohol are on the 'soft' side, so I would try acetone (don't inhale it!) to see if something like clear paint or wax will come off. Old clear URUSHI would indeed be quite unruly.....

Hi Joeloe, welcome to the forum. Let me start by saying that you are awfully lucky. And there is no need to take this apart; it’s best to keep this type of sword assembled. What you have is a “Type 95 Gunto”. Yours was made in 1938 by Suya Shoten Co, inspected by Tokyo first army arsenal inspectors, and under kokura arsenal supervision. Yours is the first variation, often referred to as a “copper hilt”. They only made about 6750 swords of this variation before switching to an aluminum hilt. The copper hilt variation#1 Type 95 gunto is exceptionally collectible, and I have recently seen examples sell for between 3k and 6k. It’s real in my opinion. Does the scabbard have numbers at the opening that match the blade? Would you mind sharing an image of the tip/end of the scabbard also? Thanks for sharing, -Sam

You could choose any kanji with a reading close enough to your name. That's what the student helped me with when I joined a calligraphy club, and I had to carve my own signature stamp. For many non-Asians, it can mean quite a few kanji (mine was 4 for the family name, and 3 for the first name).

One for the ladies - Obi. https://www.jauce.com/auction/e1217356383 an expensive but attractive Obi!

Great summary Rob. My beliefs reflect your own. I am sure that I have shared my example below maybe in the leather covered thread; but here it is to add to the string discussion. I have an early Aluminum Type 95 (Variation#2, SUYA, serial number 7249), that has a string wrapped scabbard. It was applied with an incredible amount of care and precision. Note how the string is not tied at any place, but is rather tucked neatly into itself (see last image). It appears to be coated with some kind of glue or "hardener", I am not sure, but it feels like it's had something applied over the top. Its very cleanly done, and VERY tight. I have always assumed it was wartime, or immediately post-war. I rather like it, and think it adds some character. I do not know if it holds any relevance to the string discussion, but the scabbard on my sword is a unit armorer replacement and is unserialized. All the best, -Sam

I agree with "候". 出来宜敷候 * Deki yoroshiku soro.

Hi again! I'm sorry if my first reply seemed impolite. I only compared your sword to other more easily accessible online sources, like Osaka Shinto Zufu, then came to my initial response. I should have explained my guess with more concrete evidence. Here are some examples from my copy of Shinkai Daikan. I'm not sure if this is against NMB's policy on intellectual property, and I would remove these if so : ( Notice that none of these signatures has this kind of chisel strokes sticking out on the top of the 井 character, a Tekuse (手癖, an act of habit, in this case, when chiseling signatures), no doubt, by the counterfeiter. It's always just two lines from top to bottom in the 井 character with genuine Shinkai's work. So yes, I would agree this is not a Gimei (fake signature) of maximum effort, unfortunately. (The wavy shinogi line and off-looking patina are also telltale signs, as said above.) Edits: Anyway, let's not get hung up on this Mei (signature). This still could be a nice sword in many other aspects. To tell the quality of the work, however, requires much better photos of the sword. I think there are many guidelines on how to take pictures of a Japanese sword on this forum, it's just I can't find any now orz

I don't want to be that guy, and please correct me if I'm wrong but the wavy shinogi line in the nakago makes me a tad suspicious of this blades origin. There's also something off about the patina on the nakago, looks a little like it's been artificially aged. I hope I'm wrong and will defer to more experienced people but I can't shake the gut feeling that this is a modern reproduction.

I'll admit that I was confused by your original post and reply too, as so much ground was covered historically and geographically that it was not easy for me to formulate any kind of consistent reply. At the propect of all or nothing, I kind of gave up. By the same token, this was a subject that I had not really thought about. Some self-defense requires use of the pommel, and it was also pushed with the left (armo(u)red) hand on occasion. It makes sense that the kashira pommel in particular would have taken repeated knocks when either worn, in action or in transit, and anything truly artistic could have been spoiled or ruined. Horn and iron would show less damage at first glance than soft, delicate (precious) metals, and scratched or chipped horn could be rounded off and buffed out.

At the end of the day, the only thing that really matters is if you personally like the sword. As long as you are not going through this process expecting financial gain or a certain level of NBTHK papers, then you won't be disappointed.

Greetings everyone! Please see the attachments for a sword I have that was made in 1993 by sword smith Yamamura Takeshi (Soushu Tsunahiro: 24th generation Masamune). Sadly, Yamamura Tsunahiro passed away on Dec. 9 in 2023 at the age of 80. Best Regards, Robert

Without seeing the blade, there is at least one sign that "points" to it being fake. Look closely at the mei. You'll notice all of the characters have rounded ends on the strokes. This is clearly made by a rotary tool. If you see that, you know immediately it is fake. John C.

To have a koshirae made you need to have all the hardware sorted first to ensure the woodwork is made to the correct dimensions and in the correct style. Plus you need to ensure the hardware fits the blade. Also it would be a waste of money to go to all that trouble and then use cheap modern fittings. Overall you are taking on an expensive task and meticulous planning and communication is needed. Is it really worth it? There is considerable scope for disappointment

It could be clear lacquer. I once had an iron tsuba in my early, more Western ignorant days, that had been coated with 'something'. A slightly less than ignorant friend of the time suggested xylene as a solvent that would shift whatever it was. Well, that didn't work, so I had no idea what it was apart from what I read about lacquer being insoluble in most anything. So it stayed as it was and didn't deteriorate from my 'cleaning up' penchant. BaZZa.

You're in good company; it is indeed the general consensus among connoisseurs and scholars that Sadamune is superior in jigane and sugata, while Masamune reigns in hamon, hataraki and application of nie in general. In fact, Sadamune is often described as having "the finest jigane in all of Japanese swordsmithing", outshining even Rai and Awataguchi.

Musashi Masamune oshigata from Markus Sesko article on the blade

It looks like it was dropped on the tip of the kissaki. My understanding is that if the metal is still there, a qualified togishi can move the metal back into place. One of mine had a similar issue—the tip of the kissaki was bent to one side—and Woody Hall straightened it. I think it is best to have a togishi look at it before it leaves Japan.

Seems to be ONLY causing trouble with international traffic. I have no problems this side, so I'm guessing the ISP's have to reduce/monitor/slow down incoming traffic. I heard the other day that some are experiencing several GIGS of data per SECOND in these attacks. Almost impossible to stop. I am looking into available options. I had hoped it would slow down soon. Whatever happens, it is temporary, we will get back to normal soon. Thank you for your patience.

I went to see the 29th TJ exhibition today. All items were of course really high quality and I cannot judge their difference in level. What surprised me I didnt like all that much few of the items I was really looking forward seeing, and vice versa liked few others much more I thought I would before the exhibition. This is just my personal like list of 5 preferred items and no way judging the items by level. Hōjōji naoshi Kaneuji wakizashi Kanenaga katana (the longer) Yasumitsu tachi Norishige tantō I was really looking forward seeing the Futasuji-bi Sadamune Jūyō Bunkazai but to my surprise I didn't like that or the TJ 29 Sadamune as much as I thought I would. Of course both are incredible swords. Similarily I was really looking forward seeing the signed and dated Chōgi tachi but while very high quality sword it didn't really make an impact on me. Then on the opposite side I was very impressed by the Echizen Yasutugu wakizashi.

I ve sent all my blades to Woody Hall in Hawaii for Shiage togi. His work is exceptional and he has won NBTHK awards for his Polishing. He was trained by Robert Benson who was trained by Koke Ono , a living national treasure. I also know for a fact Mike Yamazaki uses him and speaks highly of him

Never forget that polishing a sword is never harmless, it accelerates wear and tear and can reveal a flaw that might reduce its value. From what I can see, this sword has already been polished many times. It is therefore worth considering whether it needs to be polished again.

Paul Martin or Robert Hughes would be the better contacts to pursue, they won't give you cryptic responses.

If you are near Southern California, I would recommend taking it to Mike Yamasaki, who can give you good advice on the blade and the polishing process. What I can tell you today is that the blade comes with an appraisal paper (origami) from Hon'ami Kō'on, dated 1662. Kō'on says the blade comes from the Sa lineage (he doesn't specify the exact smith). The blade was already shortened and had lost its signature by this time. Then, in 1953 (maybe January, can't quite tell), Japanese sword scholar Kashima Tsutomu reaffirmed the sword was of the Sa lineage via his own appraisal. Then, in June of that same year, the NBTHK also appraised the sword as coming from the Sa lineage, and gave it a "Precious" designation (one of the designations that predates the Tokubetsu Hozon designation). The current "Sa Hiroyuki" appraisal comes from the latest NBTHK appraisal, dated 2021, in which it received the Tokubetsu Hozon designation. So, no doubt the sword is of the Sa school, but there may not be absolute consensus among the Japanese sword world as to the Hiroyuki appraisal. This may be one reason the sword currently does not have a Jūyō designation. My gut feeling is that if the sword were a super strong candidate for Jūyō, the sword dealer Seiyūdō would have submitted it themselves in order to take advantage of the potential profit that they could have received by selling it as a Jūyō blade. But I am not an expert, and that "gut feeling" is sort of a lazy person's conclusion.

Kanenori November, 1943.

Thanks Mauro. One I have that I would class as Awa.

I'm just a newb, but that polish seems solid as it is.

I have seen retrofit old tsuka where the mekugiana was moved. you can tell if you see a same' patch where the original hole was. If the Cheness tsuka is too tight, then various files could be used to remove material. This is a 3D problem that takes some thought about which way you want the tsuka to move. Do you take wood off the ha side or the mune side? It is also important to make sure that fuchi tenjogane is parallel to the tsuba seppadai, so may need to remove or add wood in stategic spots to "rotate" the tsuka into proper alignment. Also need to check the interior length against the nakago length with the habaki, tsuba and seppa in place. If used for martial arts, then the tsuka needs to seat tightly. If too much wood is removed then this can be replaced with thin shims, basswood sheet from the hobby shop works. I have an old wakizashi koshirae where the tsuka is a period refit. I can tell because the inside was crudely recut. Also, the style of the tsuka does not ideally match the Owari/Yagyu saya. The original mekugiana was used, but this resulted in a big gap where the tsuba goes. Their solution was to make an extra long habaki to fit the tsuba and seppa correctly. Apparently that was preferable to making a new tsuka for it.

Thank you guys for all info.' Here some pictures of the tsuka from the same koshirae as the tsuba.

On the English-speaking side, Andrew Ickeringill is a polisher who has won awards in Japan and polished many Juyo and TokuJu-level blades, including some by Go Yoshihiro. You can view examples of his work and find his contact details at his website: https://touken-togishi.com/ Unless you are a purist who only likes one specific polishing style, it's generally best to let the polisher decide, or at least suggest, what kind of polish would suit the blade's style and activities best; sometimes they may leave the decision to you when it could go either way (e.g. if both the jigane and hamon are excellent, you might need to choose between highlighting one or the other, or somewhere in between).

Often I have been surprised to find that these two 左右 look very similar in grass writing, almost indistinguishable to my eye. In this case however, the mouth part does look relatively clearer. The records often confuse the two, (gun registration cards are particularly bad), so I would not be unduly worried if they don’t match up. One suggestion might be to contact the Kunitomo Gun Museum directly for any stockmaker records. The Director there is quite friendly and willing to help. The material I use is a private research paper sold by the author only over the phone, but please see the entries for Kunitomo stock and lock makers. Note the suggested dates shown on the right. He collected municipal gun registration records directly from all over Japan, and lists his sources over several pages at the end. These are his sources for Shiga Prefecture where Kunitomo is located.