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Sorry Dale but I have to strongly disagree; donating to a museum, local or otherwise, is a terrible idea. If donated the tsuba might be put on display for a short time but then will be relegated to the basement where they will rot away. If the collection is important and the museum has a serious interest in and knowledge of Nihont, that's another story but common stuff and a common museum is a recipe for ruin. Tsuba and all other Nihonto art are best kept by collectors who appreciate and know how to preserve them. Grey

Please please Santa I would really like this for Christmas! https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/miyao-a-fine-parcel-gilt-bronze-okimono-of-a-tsub-12-c-9dfc5ad8c7

Dear Hokke, The topic is a bit more nuanced that throwing a "yes +xx% price per marks" but much of this is due to the framing. There something better out there that captures the essence of your question in a period-accurate way and reframes it: A recorded kiritsuke mei inscribed on the nakago that allude to battle circumstances and defeating certain prized foes and nemesis. Once such blade, a Tokuju Osafune Motoshige, had the name of the son of a Daimyo it slayed inscribed on the tang along with who performed the deed during the Sengoku Jidai. The blade was retired subsequently and kept as a family treasure celebrating the deed. The inscription is ancient, and the act recorded in the archives of the family. Does this increase its value? Of course, in front of the right buyer. I would go as far as personally to consider chasing only this specific Motoshige if I wanted to make an exception for a mumei motoshige blade (there are enough signed ones - 56 to be precise - to target signed). In the NBHTK setsumei: In addition, this piece preserves a carved inscription (kiritsuke-mei) stating that on the 13th day of the 6th month of Eishō 18 (1521), Hayashi Motokatsu killed Kageharu, the youngest son of Asakura Sadakage of Echizen. However: Would I be interested in generic but verifiable "kill notches" without further context, per se? Not at all, to the contrary. There is little historical and provenance value in my eyes. For the same reason, Edo period cutting tests are also not my cup of tea. Why? Some introspection: perhaps because war is necessary, high-stakes, and epic in the human story arch, but death itself is a tragic byproduct. Remove the battle, the stakes, the heroes and the villains - and leave only death as a memory - well - it does not appeals to my personal sense of life aesthetics. The Motoshige with kiritsuke mei recounts the story of defeating a family nemesis. This fits in the arc of the human epic and adds an enchanting element. More generally, is provenance valuable? It can be everything - take the following provenance extreme case: A gimei Kotetsu blade belonging to one of the famous Shinsengumi with kirikomi with ironclad provenance documentation. This blade is likely to be extremely valuable and command in the mid-to-high six figure results at auction. The price is solely driven by the provenance in this case. Famous historical figures and Daimyo collections, romantic Bakumatsu ronin stories, all of these hold a special place of interest to many collectors and have market effects, and no wonders - these are genuine moments of history that create enchantment in the experience of collecting and studying history. Long live epic stories, Hoshi

Hi! Reading from top to bottom, right to left, this looks like 函冬君子...? 君子(Junzi, a core concept in Confucianism, roughly "gentleman", but really almost like "knight" in the western context, in the sense that 君子 are known for their high moral principles and many virtues, say benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, what they call the five constant virtues, 仁义礼智信, which Japanese people also occasionally say, also the word 君子 sometimes gets swapped with 侍たるもの(he who is worthy to be a true samurai) in a Japanese context) are for sure, corresponding to the orchid theme ( orchid being the gentleman in flowers, 君子花), but I'm not sure what 函冬 is, perhaps 寒冬(harsh winter)? 函 and 寒 have the same pronunciation, and oftentimes homophones are interchangeable in old Chinese, although much, much more in Japanese. And orchids are not really known for winter durability, that's for the three friends of winter, pine trees, bamboo trees and plum trees, so that's a little confusing. I'm going to my weekly cursive one-on-one class in two days.....after avoiding it for a whole month, so maybe I can ask my teacher what this says, she graduated as a cursive major from one of the best art schools here. (I'm still a little shy to ask her over WeChat orz)

Dear Geraint, Rather than asking for an explanation I couldn't find, I went down the rabbit hole, researched and asked around and did a little write up - all comments are welcome! ------------------------------------------------------- Among the many attribution problems in tosōgu, the distinction between (late) Mino work and the Kozenji school is a challenging one. At first glance the two can appear remarkably similar. Both employ scrolling karakusa, shakudō grounds, gold hirazōgan, floral ornament, and richly decorative surfaces. Both participate in the broader aesthetic world that emerged from the enormous influence of Mino metalwork during the late Muromachi and Momoyama periods. It is therefore that collectors frequently encounter guards which appear unmistakably “Mino,” only to discover that the NBTHK has papered them to Kozenji. Conversely, certain highly refined Owari-style works still receive broad Mino attribution. The reason for this confusion is that Kozenji did not arise in opposition to Mino aesthetics. Rather, Kozenji emerged through the absorption and reinterpretation of Mino decorative language within an Owari context. The distinction between the two schools therefore lies not primarily in motif vocabulary or isolated techniques, but in something much deeper: the philosophy of ornament, the treatment of surface, and the emotional structure of the design itself. To understand the difference properly, we must move beyond the question of what is depicted and instead examine how the surface behaves. The Mino tradition developed in Mino Province during the Muromachi and Momoyama periods and became one of the most influential decorative metalworking traditions in Japan. Mino artists cultivated an aesthetic built around vigorous carving, energetic takabori, rich metallic embellishment, and deeply animated surfaces. Their work often possesses tremendous physical vitality. Ornament in Mino work feels carved into existence through the force of the chisel itself. Even highly refined examples retain a sense of movement and tactile energy. The plate feels worked, excavated, and alive. This sculptural vitality became enormously influential. Mino aesthetics affected not only later Mino generations but also Gotō traditions, Owari kinko, and even aspects of Kaga metalwork. By the early Edo period, Mino visual language had spread widely beyond its original provincial boundaries. The Kozenji school emerged later in Owari, likely during the early Edo period, after Mino artistic influence had already spread westward through political and cultural realignment under Oda Nobunaga and his successors. Kozenji artists inherited many elements of Mino decorative vocabulary: scrolling vines, asymmetrical compositions, gold accents, and soft-metal ornamentation. Yet they transformed these inherited forms according to a different sensibility. Where Mino prized carving vitality, Kozenji increasingly emphasized decorative integration. Where Mino celebrated sculptural movement, Kozenji pursued ornamental coherence and surface harmony. This difference may be summarized very simply: In Mino work, the carving creates the ornament. In Kozenji work, the ornament organizes the surface. That distinction explains an extraordinary number of attribution decisions. In Mino work the eye is drawn first to the carving itself. The relief possesses physical authority. Lines vary with the movement of the chisel, shadows accumulate in compressed recesses, and vegetal forms seem to push outward from the plate. Even when gold or silver decoration is present, these additions generally reinforce the sculptural structure rather than flatten it into surface pattern. The ornament feels organic and energetic. One senses not only design, but physical action. This is particularly evident in Mino karakusa. The vines tend to be deeply cut, asymmetrical, and rhythmically compressed. They twist through the surface with muscular energy. Negative space often feels crowded and pressurized. Around the hitsu-ana and seppadai, the ornament seems to gather force inwardly, creating visual tension and density. The resulting atmosphere is one of Momoyama vitality: forceful, tactile, and animated. Kozenji adopts much of this same vocabulary but alters its function. The karakusa remains recognizably Mino-derived, yet its behavior changes fundamentally. The vines become more evenly distributed, smoother in movement, and more consciously decorative. Rather than appearing as sculptural vegetation carved into the iron, they begin to resemble ornamental patterning spread across a unified surface. The rhythm becomes calmer and more controlled. Space is allowed to breathe. This transformation is central to understanding Kozenji attribution. Kozenji surfaces often possess what might be called a textile sensibility. The entire guard behaves as a coordinated decorative field. Individual motifs no longer dominate through sheer carving energy; instead they participate in an integrated ornamental structure. Hirazōgan becomes especially important in this context. In Mino work, gold inlay usually accents relief carving. In Kozenji, however, flat inlay frequently becomes structurally important to the design itself. Gold highlights distribute visual rhythm across the plate, contributing to balance and ornamental unity rather than simply emphasizing sculptural depth. The emotional atmosphere changes accordingly. Where Mino often feels vigorous and physically charged, Kozenji tends toward refinement, restraint, and composure. One might say that Mino preserves something of the energetic instability of the Momoyama period, whereas Kozenji reflects the cultivated decorative balance of the Edo period. These distinctions become especially important in modern attribution practice, particularly within the NBTHK. In practice, the NBTHK tends to separate Kozenji from late Mino not by isolated motifs but by overall artistic behavior. The central question is often whether the piece fundamentally behaves like a Mino carving object or like an Owari decorative object influenced by Mino. If carving dominates the visual experience—if relief retains sculptural authority and the surface feels physically excavated—the attribution tends to move toward Mino. If, however, the ornament behaves as a coordinated surface system, with controlled spacing, decorative integration, and ornamental calm, the attribution tends to move toward Kozenji. This is why collectors are sometimes surprised by papers. Many collectors naturally classify by subject matter: karakusa, shakudō, gold decoration, and scrolling vines immediately suggest “Mino.” Yet the NBTHK often evaluates according to broader aesthetic logic. Two guards may share almost identical motifs while embodying entirely different surface philosophies. The two example guards illustrate this distinction well: The first guard, papered to Mino, retains strong sculptural vitality. The dense karakusa appears deeply worked into the plate, and the ornament generates considerable visual pressure. The gold mon serve primarily as accents within a carving-dominated structure. The eye responds first to the physical movement of the carving itself. The surface feels excavated and tactile. Even within its refinement, the guard preserves a distinctly Momoyama-derived energy. The second guard, papered to Kozenji, employs similar decorative vocabulary yet behaves very differently. The karakusa is more evenly distributed and rhythmically organized. The hō-ō bird participates in the ornamental field rather than emerging as a dramatically sculptural centerpiece. The entire plate possesses greater decorative unity and calm. Here the eye reads not carving force, but ornamental coordination. The surface feels designed rather than excavated. The lesson is that Kozenji did not reject Mino aesthetics; it refined and reorganized them. The two traditions exist along a continuum rather than within rigidly separate categories. Indeed, the problem becomes even more difficult because late Edo Mino work itself increasingly adopted decorative refinement. As a result, there are many guards that legitimately inhabit a grey zone between late Mino, Kozenji, Kaga-influenced Owari work, and broader Owari kinko traditions. Ultimately, the distinction between Mino and Kozenji is not simply technical. It is philosophical. Mino expresses ornament through carving energy and sculptural vitality. Kozenji expresses ornament through surface integration and decorative order. Both traditions share a common visual ancestry, but they embody fundamentally different ideas about how ornament should inhabit the plate. TL;DR Summary: Mino and Kozenji tsuba can look very similar because both use decorative motifs like karakusa vines, gold inlay, and rich surface ornamentation. However, the key difference is not what is depicted, but how the surface is treated. Mino work is driven by carving energy. The design feels physically excavated, dynamic, and sculptural. Ornament emerges from deep, forceful carving, creating a vivid, almost “alive” surface. Kozenji work reinterprets this vocabulary into a more controlled, decorative system. The surface feels calmer, more unified, and patterned—like an integrated design rather than carved action. In short: Mino = ornament created by carving force and tactile energy Kozenji = ornament arranged as a balanced surface design Because Kozenji absorbed Mino aesthetics rather than rejecting them, many pieces sit in a grey zone, which is why attribution (including NBTHK papers) can be difficult and sometimes surprising.

I received my tsuba a few minutes ago as stated: Scheduled delivery date - Wednesday, 13/05/2026. Updated yesterday to 14/05/26 Very well packed with the papers and box The tsuba was wrapped in tissue inside the box with a pillow (normally a no no) but in this case there was no damage 8 pages (what a pain for the auction house) with an interesting comment: This artworks are exempt from Reciprocal Tariffs' under chapter 99 Secondary Classification 9903.01.32, as informational materials. These goods are ART antiques and more than 100 years old. HS code: 9705100090 I was surprised that I didn't have to pay import duty A very nice Kanayama tsuba, good condition with a lovely patina, with papers, just so pleased I wish the best to other buyers from this auction and I hope you are as happy as me with your purchase

Two almost identical other than the nakago-ana: One in the Met. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/35193 what I find odd is the shape of the Met's example nakago-ana, too sharp for its age and little to no wear? https://eirakudo.shop/tosogu/tsuba/detail/324249/ a papered piece as Katchūshi I also see these on some auction sites - makes me think many are Edo revival pieces.

Hi! This is really hard, but I'm on it. This could take a little while though for I'm helping many others doing something else at the same time orz This reads "緑雖千種草 香只一枝蘭 乙巳仲夏" from top to bottom, right to left, ChatGPT's translation seems fine. (though used the wrong quantifier 株 instead of 枝 somehow) 乙巳(1665)仲夏(mid-summer) is just a date in the Chinese sexagenary cycle, incidentally last year 2025 is also the year of 乙巳, the next year of 乙巳 is going to be 2085. This is signed 黄檗木庵山僧戯筆. I might try to understand what the red seals/stamps said under, maybe later orz 黄檗(Ōbaku or Huangbo) is Mu'an's school of Zen(Ch'an), 木庵 is Mu'an, 山僧 means a monk living in the woods, a humble way to refer oneself usually by Zen monks, 戯筆 means "wrote/drawn playfully", one of many ways to sign one's work, and Mu'an used many other, like 題 ("inscripted"), 手題 ("hand inscripted", not that others are not by hand though), 自題 ("self inscripted"), 敬題 ("inscripted respectfully"), 並題("inscripted also", ususally in drawings), 戯墨並題 ("played with ink and also inscripted"), 書 ("wrote"), 敬書 ("wrote respectfully"), 謹書 (literally "wrote carefully", but really it's "wrote respectfully", too) and many, many other...... Not sure what this two words are orz The Chinese poem "緑雖千種草 香只一枝蘭" is perhaps Mu'an's creation because this has 0 hits on the Chinese internet, but Ogata Kenzan, a later-day artist and brother of Ogata Kōrin of Rinpa used it in one of his works. See the Chinese poem "緑雖千種草 香只一枝蘭" written in the red rectangle area on Ogata Kenzan's work. Hope this helps! Baby Joe

Good that you asked before buying . It is a Chinese fake .

Type (Tachi, Katana, Wakizashi, Tanto, Naginata, Other) : Tanto Ubu, Suriage or O-Suriage : Ubu Mei : (Mumei, Signature) : Hisakatsu Saku Kore (久勝作之) Showa Ju Ichi Hinoe Nezumi Doshi Roku Gatsu Hi (昭和十一丙子歳六八月日); Year of the Rat June 1936 Hoju" 宝珠 (wish-fulfilling jewel). A pearl with flames that is supposed to grant the owner his wishes. Papered or not and by whom? : not papered, not necessary Era/Age : Showa 11 -> 1936 Shirasaya, Koshirae or Bare Blade? : Shirasaya Nagasa/Blade Length : 16,2 cm Sori : 0 mm Hamon Type : Suguha Jihada : Ko-Itame Other Hataraki Visible : - Flaws : Little rust spot on Mune Sword Location : Germany Will ship to : EU (Unfortunately no longer in the U.S.) Payment Methods Accepted : Paypal Price and Currency : €1200 + shpping Other Info and Full Description : Takeshima Hisakatsu was born as Takeshima Masao on February 28, 1909. From 1926, he studied the art of sword forging under Horii Toshihide and in 1934 founded his own forging center in Yamaguchi Prefecture. His artistic name was Suiryusai. He was the winner of the Shinsaku Nihonto Daikyoshinkai Yushusho and the 1st Nihonto Denrankai Tokusen, as well as the Honorary President Award in 1935. The following year, in 1936, he won the Minister’s Prize at the 2nd competition. In 1938, he joined the South Manchuria Railway Co., Ltd. (SMR), headquartered in Dalian, China, and together with Wakabayashi Shigetsugu oversaw the production of Koa Isshin blades. In 1958 he resumed the art of sword forging in his hometown. ¥ 1,5 TK-513, Jo Saku by Akihide This is a beautiful Talisman Tanto. It has been polished (the Ubu-ha is gone), but there is a small rust spot on the mune. Since the original wooden box was destroyed, I commissioned a calligrapher in Japan to create a sayagaki. Sayagaki: 御守護刀 Go Shugo Tō - Protective blade; 於石城山道場造之 Oite Iwaki Yama/Zan Dōjō Tsukuru kore - Made at the Iwaki Mountain Dōjō Hisakatsu has made a few of these tanto; I have 7 in my database. In the NMB you'll find more information about other Talisman Tanto made by Hisakatsu. https://www.Japanese-sword-katana.jp/未分類/1410-3043.htm

*NOTE: Information provided on items offered without kanteisho (papers) or with old shinteisho (think green papers) is nothing more than an opinion or translation of what is actually inscribed on the item along with information of the smith smith in question. Nothing more! This opinion/translation and information is provided as a courtesy and is not an indication, opinion, or guarantee that the item is shoshin or gimei. Old shinteisho (white, green, blue, etc.) are no longer recognized by the NBTHK and in the case of a mumei sword, if re-submitted to shinsa, it may or may not receive the same attribution. As well, they may receive an attribution/opinion of gimei (false mei) or horyu (needs more study). Please do your own research, ask questions prior to committing to purchase and commit only when you are confident in your decision and ready to purchase. Do not commit to purchase, then attempt to negotiate a lower price.

Golden rule that applies to all antiques/works of art etc…….of any variety…. No repair is far better than bodged repair🙂 I suspect I am “teaching granny”……🙂

I did spot one cast copy and possibly two guards made for replica tachi mounts. The rest are looking OK and there are one or two I would like myself! Just a suggestion, but as we are really just temporary custodians of these things - any thought of donating them to a local museum? Along with the story of how they were found would add local value to them and keep them together. [Like I say just a suggestion]

Concept. Hydrangea example. Look at the ‘coffee bean’ leaf tip. Oak leaf examples. Row 2 from right,No.4 ’Nakagawa Kashiwa’

Florian, as far as I know, the above described technique has nothing to do with YAKITE KUSARASHI (or KUSARAKASHI) but it is the way to create TSUBA with a shallow design as in KAMAKURA BORI or HOAN style. Removing URUSHI after the etching is no problem as it is an organic substance. Not much heat is necessary to get rid of it. I once discussed YAKITE SHITATE and YAKITE KUSARASHI with Ford, and we shared the opinion that all information available on these techniques lacked metallurgical knowledge and were written/posted as assumptions only. But it is safe to say that YAKITE KUSARASHI is a chemical treatment of iron TSUBA using heat and acidic substances at the same time to speed up artificial corrosion on the surface. Depending on the nature of the used iron, different surface structures can be achieved. It is important to note that these processes do not necessarily need pure or concentrated acids as we know them in the West. If time was not important, natural sources of acids work as well. We know this from other cultures where etching has been a standard technique on weapons for hundreds of years.

Hi! The last two characters are 靖国 (usually read as Yasukuni). 和平以靖国 might read something like 和平を以って国を靖んずる in Japanese (to make the country peaceful/well with peace). Edited: random(?) fact, 靖 and 安 are both Yasu in Japanese with similar meaning and usage, so......

Rieker: Sorry to say both are reproductions. The tells are 1) the numbered habaki - the Japanese didn't do that; 2) the western Damascus style steel - not usually a Japanese technique; 3) the sharp ending to the bohi (groove) stopping in the wrong place; 4) the hamon appears to be acid etched or ground on. Price on each would be 50-100 dollars to someone into cosplay or a wall display. Regards, John C.

Hello Nihonto Fans, Yes, me again 😁 My second purchase this weekend! 117 gram - iron 7,8 x 7,8 x 0,40 cm All info and comments are welcome (as always 😉)

長曽祢興里入道乕徹 - Nagasone Okisato Nyudō Kotetsu

I haven’t found a detailed description of yakite-kusarakashi yet. Even Markus Sesko’s book gives only a vague account. This technique was used by some schools like Hoan. Knowing it is an European invention and together with my own experience with etchings (artistic prints) I guess the vital process as follows: The surface of the plain Tsuba is covered with lacquer to prevent a corrosion by acid. Either the motif is painted on a Tsuba or the piece is completely covered with lacquer and the motif is scratched in (for example an amida yasurime). Then it is put into an acid bath (I suppose it was hanged into a small canister containing the etchant) and the acid affects all uncovered areas of the metal. Note that the corrosion deepens uniformly irrespective of the width of the openings. After a certain time the Tsuba is taken out of the etchant, remnants of acid are washed off and the cavities form now a relief with sharp ridges. Thus at least the yakite process will smooth the surface and incidentally the lacquer is removed by burning (or does it flake off?). This seems logic because recently I read on this board that urushi can’t be dissolved with chemicals. There are also pieces on which acid has been dropped randomly directly onto the surface to get a more weathered look (i.e. more sabi). I hope I understood the procedure correctly but I don’t know neither which acid was used (I used sulphuric acid) nor the time which is necessary to corrode an iron Tsuba in this way (I only etched plates of soft metals like copper and zinc). Maybe someone has more detailed information? Thank You in advance!

Thanks Conway and Bruce. I’ve dug out my copy of Dawsons to refresh my memory on these police sabers. @Ghaad47, according to Dawsons on pages 300-313, your sword with that half-decorated backstrap is a sword for police lieutenants. The police logo on yours looks like what Dawson describes as a 16 ray badge, found on lieutenant and superintendent swords. Whereas a sword with a fully decorated backstrap (similar to the army field grade counterparts), are for police superintendents. These are shown on dawsons page 314-315. *Dawson, Jim. Swords of Imperial Japan, 1868–1945. Cyclopedia ed. Newnan, Ga.: Stenger-Scott Publishing, 2007. All the best, -Sam

Sometimes it is not the importance or rarity of an object that warrants restoration or saving but it most definitely is the pleasure and peace that so doing brings. Reward of a different kind.

The 12th Orlando Japanese Arts, Collectibles & Sword Show (June 26–28, 2026) continues to grow and improve every year, and this year is shaping up to be the biggest and strongest yet. This year’s featured exhibition is “Masterpieces of the Yamato Tradition,” with a special educational display curated by Ray Singer and Joe Forcine highlighting important examples from one of the most influential traditions in Nihonto history. The dealer room is shaping up to be the strongest yet: 41 table holders spread across 60+ tables Dealers and exhibitors traveling from 12 states Seven first-time exhibitors, which means fresh inventory and new material that attendees likely haven’t seen before That combination of established dealers and new faces should make for an especially strong buying, selling, and networking weekend. In addition to swords, there will be: Tsuba roundtables Sword etiquette presentations Toyama-ryu demonstrations Hōzōin-ryū sōjutsu demonstrations Bonsai and ikebana exhibitions And plenty of opportunities to talk swords with fellow collectors from around the country One of the things that makes Orlando particularly easy is logistics: the venue is just minutes from Orlando International Airport, with hotel shuttle service available. Event Details: June 26–28, 2026 DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando Airport Orlando, Florida The hotel room block closes in 11 days, so if you’re thinking about attending, now is the time to lock things in. More details here: Orlando Sword Show If you’ve never attended, this is an excellent year to start. If you’ve been before, expect a bigger room, fresh material, and one of the best educational displays the show has hosted. Hope to see many of you there.

All, this is my sword. Everything stated on all of the 3 forums it has been posted on, including this one several months ago, was true and honest. I am taking this to have Chris look at it in hand tomorrow and hope to find out a little more about it. I do not collect swords but bought this sword from the son of the WWII AAA vet that brought it back. Actually, the sword was sort of a "throw in" and I probably would not have purchased it (I really know NOTHING about swords like this) if it hadn't been for the Type 2 Arasaka para rifle that was with the sword as the bring backs of the vet. I didn't want to see these broken up since they have been together since he returned home after the war. It was a package deal (rifle and sword) and I know much more about the rifle than the sword and what I gave I knew I wasn't losing anything on the deal so I kept both together. Once I had the sword in hand and showed it to another local US military collector he told me that from what he could tell (a novice sword guy) that the blade was very well made, clean with no damage, and could be very old so I decided to try and get a little more information on it. I hope that I can get you a few more pictures after tomorrow and have ChrisW comment his much more informed/experienced thoughts on this sword. I did post it on here but know that sometimes a more well known member of a forum may get more responses than someone who just "pops up" out of no where asking for help. I hope you all now have a clearer picture of my goals, and appreciate Jeff posting it back up on the board for me. I am primarily a US military collector with a focus on WWII, which is how I even came to own these items. Hope to give all more info this weekend after Chris has this in his hands for thoughts and inspection. Brian

This doesn't look right. It is either low end WWII war time or a fake. Grey

Hi! This reads 但(closer to although/albeit than but/however)大磨上無銘(Osuriage Mumei)也(kind of like "this is"). 刃長(hacho)貳(formal "two")尺(shaku)参(formal "three")寸(sun)八(eight)分(bun)半(half, or in this context "and half")有之(formal "this has"). (Characters are overlapping a little so I made this↑) 昭和(Showa)癸丑("Mizunotoushi" in the sexagenary cycle, 1973 in this context)年(year)弥生(Yayoi/March). This was really hard! I'm not sure if this is genuine Kanzan Sensei's sayagaki, but whoever wrote this I guess made a tiny mistake when writing top half of 癸, and they just went with it. The bottom half of 癸 (天) and 丑年 below it are very recognizable, so it's X丑 in the sexagenary cycle, 癸丑 being the most likely option. The rest of the translation is very good. Hope this helps! Baby Joe

I know. Can you take me back to the 20th Century, when I still had belief and faith in institutions of learning and of government?

A little snapshot of my "Fake Archive" around this serial number range. Disclaimer: I record these with much less diligence than genuine examples. I primarily just like to get the serial number and what makes it fake. This faker seems to really like the serial numbers 7, 2, 1, and 0. -Sam (Columns in order left to right: Serial# - Tsuka and pattern - tsuba material - ferrule material - ferrule stamps - Scabbard # and notes - source - Notes.)

Just a guess, 蓋好資料之一也 (Kedashi ko-shiryo no hitotsu nari) – Probably, it is one of good examples. 金象嵌 銘曰 ＊ kin-zogan mei iwaku

Taking / displaying heads is well documented.

I got a surprise, didn't think I'd manage to get this close while I was checking koshirae examples for you. This sword was featured in Tokyo National Museum Uchigatana-goshirae exhibition which I think is the best resource for uchigatana koshirae of this time period. This sword is actually recorded in records of Katakura family (片倉). It seems they became Date retainers in 1532. This particular sword was actually wielded by Katakura Shigetsuna in Osaka summer campaign in 1615. And in the book it is written that this koshirae dates not older than 1615 but the tsuba is actually older piece that was fitted to this sword. However it is mentioned that the koshirae might be made in later years of Shigetsunas life and not in 1615. It is also mentioned that kurikata and kaerizuno are different and probably show local style. One problem with very old complete koshirae is that usually the ones that have been preserved have been owned by high level people and might not be comparable what your average person would wield. Or they might be very plain battlefield koshirae which I personally like.

https://nihonto.com/nakai-koshirae/

The problem with those adhesives is they are most effective bonding two flat surfaces. They hold well when pulling those surfaces apart but they are far less effective when it comes to shearing force.

According to Ford Hallam, the finer AMIDA YASURI was not chiseled, but scraped with a sharp tool. Another YAMAKICHI BEI: A following YAKITE KUSARASHI treatment is very likely.

Some interesting ones. That cloisonné one would do well on an auction, international bidders seem to like them.

I would like to post here some pictures related to shark skin. I hope that someone will find it helpfull.

Dear Rieker. The same answer applies I'm afraid. Not Japanese and not old. Hope this doesn't put you off altogether and that you are not into them for too much. Have a look at the dealer section toward the bottom of the menu and check out some of the swords there. All the best.

I like the Dote-mimi - I think Jean may be right about a revival piece, this one from the Edo era - no Dote-mimi though. Anyone know the plant the leaf represents? We still need a scientific non-invasive method to date iron. - Though even this may not be indicative of when the tsuba was fashioned from the iron - how we get around that would seem difficult. I guess you can test the patina age?? But what then if the piece has been cleaned back to bare metal? These questions keep us interested in the subject of tsuba and not having all the answers keeps our "little grey cells" active!

Interesting story. We had a birthday party at our home this Saturday, and a family member was in my workshop and noticed a sword of mine. As we were talking about it he said he had a collection of tsubas and was wondering what he had and what to do with them. His parents, years ago like in the 50s or 60s bought a home. I know, get's your heart pumping as you know where this is going. They were cleaning out the basement and found a group of swords along with the tsubas. His brother has the swords, and he got the tsubas. He sent me pictures this morning. I'm looking for guidance to pass along to him. You can feel free to message me. I think he wants to sell them because he's had them for a long time and has never known how to approach doing anything with them. Is there anything that jumps out at you as "this could be worth something?" As a group if someone wanted to put a ballpark price on them that would be helpful. Fun story, and looks like some interesting ones for sure. Thanks for your help. And if there's anything in particular you'd like to see better images of let me know and I'll see what I can do. Thanks.

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/an-extraordinary-and-large-lacquer-'sword-fitting-203-c-d594166dbd Got a cool $10,000 to $20,000 USD to spare?

Noted this post from @toushin1 at https://www.nihontou.jp/ on X and thought it worth seeing what others are experiencing in their recent interactions with the Japanese Sword and Tsuba Market. Are you buying? Are you selling? Have you noticed swords are moving or prices are rising?Having you noticed a shift in market sentiment in the west or in Japan? Worth finding out what others think. 美術刀剣 刀心: "Recently, the market price of Japanese swords has been rising again. While inflation and other cost increases are contributing factors, I personally believe that increased overseas demand is a major driving force behind the price increase. Our sword shop is small, so we don't experience this to the same extent, but from what I've heard from various people, larger sword shops seem to be selling a considerable number of swords overseas. The weaker yen has increased the purchasing power of people overseas, leading to a rise in demand and prices. In recent years, it's estimated that several thousand to 10,000 swords leave Japan each year and go to people overseas. I think it's very gratifying that people overseas are showing interest in Japanese swords, which can be considered symbols of Japanese spirit and culture. Furthermore, considering the current situation in Japan where interest in Japanese culture and swords has waned and fewer people own them, I feel it's wonderful that people overseas are purchasing and cherishing them. On the other hand, I worry that if this continues, excellent Japanese swords will become unattainable for Japanese people. Or perhaps, the future where people travel abroad to admire famous Japanese swords... I fear that such a future may be closer than we think. In order to prevent Japanese swords, which can be considered the very soul of Japanese culture, from becoming something distant, I hope that more people will learn about them, actually touch them, and become interested in them. We will do our best, however small our contribution may be, and we would be grateful for your support. #ProtectJapan #MadeInJapan #JapaneseCulture #JapaneseSword #JapaneseSoul"

The days when you could buy something cheaply at a flea market that turned out to be a treasure are, unfortunately, over. Even in Japan.

Reminds me of this Tametsugu that was put on sale last year. I agree I also prefer a historical context to the carnage and annihilation attached to a particular blade. Kiritsuke-mei At the summer battle at Osaka Castle in Sesshu province Mizawa Magozaemon no jo "Took a head in a fierce battle".

I dont have much experience yet, but I agree with Jeff. Over the past year or so I have been searching for a nice piece from the Kamakura era that peaks my interest. Plenty of Items on my wishlist sold out quickly over the past few months, most of them between 7 - 10kEuros. Some were sitting on sites for years making me think I have time to consider carefully which one to get and suddenly a lot of them were gone. Made me impulse buy a cheap Tanto I really really liked.

Many interesting pieces here and none, as far I can see, is rubbish (which is a notable in a collection)...

Another variation in texture, This is one out of the Haynes catalogue described as a Saga tsuba, ito sukashi work.

Will be my first time attending the Orlando show. Very excited to experience it. As a 17 year practitioner of Tai Chi (body too old and painful for my old Shito-ryu karate days ) I appreciate and look forward to the demonstration along with the swords and spears demos. Sounds like a great show.