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

Dai - signed Harima Daijo Tadakuni - ubu 75 cm with koshirae Test cut - yamano Nagahisa cut 2 bodies in half dated Sho - signed Harima Daijo Tadakuni - ubu with Koshirae 43.2 cm Test cut - Yamano Nagahisa cut 2 bodies in half same date as the Katana Nagahisa was the most famous test cutter of the Edo period . Rare to find daisho with test cut on the same day

Hello, May I have your opinion on this kozuka ? It has a cloisonné enamel butterfly which leads me to believe that it is from the Hirata school. Could it be another school ? if so, which one ? Thanks

.....That is my kind of tsuba, old and rusted!.... Maybe you really don't understand? Rust is the enemy of iron. It is not a decorative feature on TSUBA, it even does not necessarily have to do with age. It is not a layer on top of the surface, it is the material itself, turned into oxide. Rust is eating up a TSUBA and should be removed or at least reduced/inactivated. If one can understand this process and has a minimal feeling of respect and responsibility towards an antique, handmade object of art/craft, they would want to preserve it in an appropriate way. This is not done fast with chemicals, it is a labour of love and care - and time. It also requires a basic knowledge of how an iron TSUBA is made, and how they are traditionally preserved and stored. Being a caretaker of an antique object has nothing to do with personal taste, it is first and foremost an obligation to learn, the more if the object is belonging to another culture with possibly different value perception and appreciation. In case you care to read about the WABI-SABI concept, you will find that Japanese appreciate objects (often of simple character like traditional household items) that show respectful, long-term use. Not neglected, not just "old". There is a form of love behind that, of deep understanding and respect. And also - perhaps - a feeling of thankfulness towards the ancestors who preserved the item so carefully. Did you know that in SHINTOISM, it is believed that handmade objects ( as well as old solitary trees, rocks, waterfalls a.s.o.) used by many hands (e.g. a good DEBA knife for the kitchen) over many years, can carry a KAMI, a good spririt who is nourished by the good intentions, respect and care of the people. When, after generations, the knife-blade is used up so that it cannot be sharpened any more, they carry the knife to a priest in the SHINTO shrine and have him release the KAMI from the knife in a ceremony. Only then the remains of the knife can be recycled. I am sorry for going off the path, but I wanted to underline that we have to accept that in another culture things may be seen differently in comparison with what we are used to. We are requested to learn and respect that. We do not need to become Japanese citizens to be good TSUBA collectors, just showing a minimal respect and awareness for what we hold in our hands.

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

Yesterday, my Christmas gift to myself finally came. It took almost five weeks from AOI Arts to me, though the shipping time was less than two weeks. It was accompanied by a better quality KIRIBAKO which did not fit the rather smallish MEKUGI-ANA (!). I am quite happy with it. It is a typical TEIMEI/SADANAGA TSUBA (unfortunately MUMEI) in acceptable condition, featuring two carpenter's squares as motif. These TEIMEI TSUBA are often very simple in design, showing sometimes unusual motifs, but are very well made and were reliable accessories for SAMURAI.

To lighten the mood a bit, I'll tell you a story. In 1990, Dr. Sempé passed away, and his widow, fearing theft, hid his Andean archaeology collection, along with 70 tsuba and kozuka, behind a platform in their country house. Thirty-five years later, their daughter-in-law undertook renovations and rediscovered these completely forgotten collections. Naturally, all the tsuba and kozuka were corroded with numerous spots of red rust. Last Friday, I bought three of these tsuba at an auction. Here are photos of one of them before and after the cleaning I performed (washing with soapy water, scraping off the rust with bone, then lightly oiling). No corrosive products were used, of course

Tsuba are art objects and old artifact that deserve to be treated accordingly. Restoration shall be done properly with proper techniques and tools. Dealing with hundreds of years old artifacts put us in the position not of owner but of keeper. We have the responsibility of taking care of objects that will outlive us to pass them down to future generation. This sentence of yours, Dan, shows that you have completely misunderstood the heart of this hobby! I suggest you to read this thread: What it is said in this post for swords also applies to tosogu. You can call me a snob now, frankly speaking I do not care! Luca

Seems to be Benkei on the kashira reading the fake subscription list at the Ataka barrier. The hat on the fuchi could hint to Yoshitsune in disguise. The other detail seems to be a barrow used for traveling. (print copied from Fujiarts.com)

I thought this might be of interest: The Kasuga Taisha Museum in Nara currently has a special exhibition titled "Appreciating Beauty of Swords", where they've got all six of their National Treasure sword fittings (along with a number of other impressive items, including several Heian-era blades and a massive ōdachi) on display. The exhibition will run until the 19th of April, and is well worth a visit if you happen to be in the area. Unfortunately photography was not allowed, but they do have pictures and descriptions of at least some of the items on their website, so here's a little preview: https://kokuhouden.kasugataisha.or.jp/en/e9/ https://kokuhouden.kasugataisha.or.jp/en/e19/ https://kokuhouden.kasugataisha.or.jp/en/e16/ https://kokuhouden.kasugataisha.or.jp/en/e14/

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

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.

Yes, 4-artist collaboration. Flying magpie = Tsutsui Resting magpie = Ezoe Bamboo = Baba Plum = Matsumoto (Sugimoto?) Can't quite figure out if its "auspicious day" or "spring".

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

Hi Dan, It’s already implied that uncited conversational comments are your opinions. Calling someone a “snob” is name-calling, and accusing others of being part of a conspiracy to benefit restoration businesses, something you’ve entirely fabricated, can be viewed as slander. In the opinion of others, you are sharing bad advice and therefore receiving pushback for it. If that makes you feel intimidated, ridiculed, berated, or belittled, that is your perception, but it does not justify personal attacks or spreading false claims. This forum is explicitly for the study and preservation of genuine Japanese swords and fittings. I sincerely hope that means we’re all “snobs” when it comes to this stuff. -Sam

The statement of using gun bore cleaner and mineral spirits to clean Tsuba seems completely at odds with the below advice: https://japaneseswordindex.com/tsuba/tsubacln.htm

Steve, I know it seems like I'm always busting your balls but you really should try to use the resources on this forum before asking for help. If you go to the bottom of the index page there is a section called "Translating Mei" with all the Chinese characters you needed to decipher this name and date. I've taken screenshots and ringed everything for you to show you how it works. I know the dates can be very confusing but that two character name was really easy if you'd bothered to look. Best, Hector (No idea why this lettering all appears so big!)

“…the shingane appearing is a distinctive feature throughout all of middle Aoe as the sumi hada of Aoe.” From Fujishiro Koto hen A couple of pictures from my mu-mei blade attributed to Chu Aoe Yoshitsugu by NTHK-NPO

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

As for Togintei Sato Yoshiteru, Ive found a Juyo set of daisho tsuba, a few more Tokubetsu Hozon tsuba and one more tsuba on the Japanese cultural heritage website. I've also found other fuchi, menuki, and various fittings with his signature on it as well as a few metal storage boxes bearing his signature. The Boston MFA has a few kozuka but their images don't show the signatures and just show the front panel only. The only history I can find on him is from old auctions saying he studied under Araki Tomei from the Goto Ichijo school and Sato Toho later taking the Sato name after marrying into the family. From Jussi's juyo index I can see the following Juyo items: Juyo 34 - Daisho Tsuba Juyo 35 - Daisho Tsuba Juyo 44 - Chiisagatana Koshirae - Fuchi signed (Yoshiteru – 義照彫之) Juyo 47 - Daisho Koshirae (I believe this may be the daisho koshirae in the above photos) Juyo 58 - Daisho Tsuba Below are the zufu for Juyo 34 and 35 Daisho Tsuba

I have had this one for over 30 years. Way back when I started collecting and knew nothing. Now I have many books and tsuba and still know nothing.

If it is not 忠 (Tada), it could be 徳 (Toku).

I absolutely agree with Colin. I should also add that the Ford Hallam videos helped me a lot. This allowed us to understand how these things were made and what the difference is between them. Everything is always learned by comparison. For this money, I think it's a good tsuba.

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.

This "mei zukushi" manuscript is a bit of a mistery to me. The first sheet is dealing with household economics of temples in Hizen and Chikuzen. Kasei in Japanese and of little interest to us. It is clearly structured and written with a subtle and well controlled brush. The second sheet however is a rather chaotic collection of "knowledge" about swordsmithing and was definitely written by another hand. It starts on the right with "Munechika Sanjo Kokaji" and ends on the left with a lineage of Awataguchi smiths. Inbetween the exact turns of the Go-Ban Kaji and another Sagami-lineage. However: It's just another collection of hearsay, no matter how old. For those of you interested in translation of old manuscripts I give you a version of sheet 2 with a few hints. reinhard

My wife and I just successfully exported a Edo-era Katana and a Muromachi-era Wakizashi - both bought in Japan - via a checked suitcase on a United Airlines flight from Sapporo to the United States (via Tokyo). We were extremely nervous, did a lot of research in advance, and wanted to share our experience. Sharing in case this helps others. First off, we purchased a padded gun case with heavy duty TSA pad locks to transport the two swords. This ¥24,000 that we spent on the hard case was a wonderful investment. I highly recommend Lykus brand suitcases for this purpose. Secondly, we live in Japan and processed the entire Export Certification process ourselves. If you don’t speak Japanese, or don’t live in Japan, I would highly recommend using a private service in Japan for obtaining the export certificate (most Japanese sellers seem to include this in the price of the sword). Other private companies offer export certification services (even if you don’t buy the blades from them). Doing it ourselves took six weeks from submission to receiving the certification. Written Japanese language proficiency was necessary. Other lessons learned: (1) Departing from a city other than Tokyo or Osaka made things a bit more difficult. The Sapporo check-in agents were unfamiliar with nihonto export procedures and required that we have our suitcase reexamined in Tokyo. (2) The export process in Tokyo involved two customs agents and a police officer inspecting the blades and export certification. My personal details, including residence card and passport, were copied. They applied a magnet to the blades to confirm that they were made of iron. The whole process took about 45 minutes. Bottom line: Budget extra time if traveling with nihonto. (3) Customs in Tokyo kept the original export certificate. Make a copy. (4) I was also traveling with some expensive tsuba and spare antique sword parts. We did not obtain export certificates for the tsuba. Customs did not think twice about tsuba or any of the other sword parts we traveled with. It remains unclear to me if tsuba require export certification procedures. (5) Fearing theft, I packed both wrapped blades with discreetly hidden Apple AirTags. These gave me peace of mind, but may have not been necessary. Good luck to those traveling from Japan with Nihonto!

I think it says it’s a joint work between the four people named, dated an auspicious day of Showa 7. (Rich colours. Interesting thing! ) PS I am sure there are no cracks in your walls!

Last night I was bidding on this tsuba but lost my nerve in the end. It was going steadily up in price and, even if it did prove to be the genuine article (which was almost impossible to tell from the bad photos), it was in such a rusty condition I didn't have faith in myself that I could restore it - no matter how much bone or Ivory I used.

Hello Steve, there is scant information on Tsugunobu available and you have most of it already. He originally signed Kaneharu and studied under Ryunsai Kanetomo, along with Tsugumasa and other Gunma province smiths. After that he became the 16th student of Kasama Ikkansai Shigetsugu and changed his Mei to Tsugunobu. He was ranked East Block Komusubi in the 1943 Gendai Tosho Banzuke list. His work (published online) isn't seen very often, if you have photos of a sword and Mei I would be interested to see them. The below is from Malcolm Cox: The following article has a good deal of information, although the lineage incorrectly placed Tsugamasa under Kaneharu: https://www.nihontocraft.com/Kanetomo.html George Trotter and Mal Cox provided the following entries from Japanese sources, included is a nice example in my collection that has a special order Mei:

Hi Guys We will be holding a small private exhibition next Saturday the 7th in Adelaide if anyone would like to attend please contact me for details. I've just returned from Japan and have acquired several excellent cutting test swords of your in the market for one please get in touch with me. Regards John 0417642921

I wanted to share with the group this interesting (Echizen Kinai) piece in my collection (with a lovely nautical theme) which has multi-tiered sekigane instead of a single piece (perhaps more distinguishable on ura). I can't say that I've seen sekigane stacked like this before, but definitely looks like this wakizashi-sized tsuba could have been mounted on a tanto given the resulting size. Damon

Sorry, but it's a Chinese Fake.

And for the tsuba Issando Joi: 一賛堂乗意 https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/25731

Not dissimilar to the first tsuba I bought. Fortuitously fits my small Senjuin katana perfectly with zero movement.

Yes. We've been using "Kao" as the generic term for a smith's personal "trademark." There are two kinds, the inscribed kind, like this one, called kakihan; and the hot-stamped kind called kokuin.

I love this sentiment. I collect because I love the aesthetics of the tsuba, and I pick pieces that I want to look at every day. I never get tired of them, and I aspire to have so many that I too will be able to rediscover them when I go digging into my cabinets.

伊賀守源包道 = Iga no Kami Minamoto Kanemichi

Ishido Teruhide

In the first place, preservation has nothing to do with the value of an object. Any antique iron TSUBA will turn into oxide earlier or later, but with a proper protection treatment (which can mean rust-removal and new patination) and good care (e.g. not hanging it on a nail wall...), it can survive more centuries. But that has to do with some understanding of the processes and the necessary responsibility.

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

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

An update on progress. Habachi has been restored and a shirasaya is being made by the sayashi now that the togishi has removed the surface corrosion on the blade. I hope this will be completed in the next 1-2 months and given back to the togishi so he can begin the polishing. I have to admit I've become a little obsessed by Mei and the stylistic forms of kanji adopted by smiths in the Kamakura period, especially. It seems to be quite quirky to alter the regular form of kanji and it got me wondering why Shintogo adopted the unique strokes that are peculiar to him. I doubt it was something done in isolation. Likewise Norishige also carried on this practise, probably influenced by his Sensei, in the characteristic style he adopted when carving Nori and Shige. Many theories circulate around Shintogo's origins and his teacher(s). The Soshuden Museum offers some interesting theories. https://www.nihonto-museum.com/blog/shintogo-kunimitsu I'm reading the catalog @MassiveMoonHeh made available from the Art of the Samurai exhibition at The Met in 2009/10. In there a National Treasure tachi by Awataguchi Norikuni caught my eye. The character for Kuni has that distinctive central vertical strike. Could this smith have been the inspiration for Shintogo's Mei? One theory is that Shintogo's father was Awataguchi Kunitsuna, who was uncle to Norikuni, making Norikuni and Shintogo cousins. Both Norikuni and his father Kunitomo were two of the Gobankaji from the Awataguchi school. A young Shintogo might have held these guys in very high esteem and adopted some stylistic designs for his Mei in recognition and respect, as well as adding his own flourish in the form of the mirrored 'S' element. Norikuni also worked in narrow suguha. Awataguchi Kunitsuna mei Extant works by Kunitomo are extremely rare (less than 5 known per Markus) and I've been unable to find a really clear example of his Mei. The is the best I could get. Slanted vertical. Did anyone attend the exhibition? What a unique experience that would have been. If only I had been actively involved in nihonto at that time. It would have been unmissable.

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 These pages are from Dawson's book. {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}

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.

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

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.

And not far from the Samurai Museum Nagoya Touken World. Well worth a detour.