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Dear fellowship, First of all - best wishes for the New Year. Secondly - my latest and newest acquisition that found its way into my modest collection through an item exchange between a collector friend and my self. Iron Tsuba, 8,5 cm x 8 cm x 0,5 cm, intricately carved, open work and with different inlays of metal spanning gold, silver and copper. Mei: “Kosyu Hikone Jyu Mogarashi Nyudo Soten Sei” (earlier translation by: Kazushige Tsuruta - who believed the signature genuine in 2015 - judged from photographs by previous owner). My photographs are NOT in any way professional sorry… Any comments are as always welcome. /Soeren

Konichi Wa. Sundays are for sword cleaning 🫧🧽. Many North American antique collections are found in poor condition due to the lack of awareness on what it takes to keep steel pristine - following the ritualistic cleaning of swords by our predecessors. Pro tip: use a mineral oil specific for carbon steel, like for example Yoshishiro brand oil; it protects the blade and other parts of the steel from rust. Mineral oil is colorless, odourless, and you should regularly clean your blades depending on how often you are studying/exhibiting them. As a rule of thumb I will maintain mine every two to three months, as that is how often our Toronto Token Kai (Sword Club) meets, where I serve as director. I begin by wiping the old oil with a microfibre cloth, and then use rice paper to apply a thin, fresh layer of oil on each sword. This method ensures that the artifacts in our care are preserved for future generations. I also commit to this process out of respect for Japanese history and as a meditative practice. These swords left the battles long behind, and the onus is on us to preserve them for their eventual return to the shrines of glorious Japan. 🇯🇵

Should be this item https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/24617

Quite entertaining, especially for novices who don't know much about Nihonto.

Hi everyone! I’m new to the forum and wanted to briefly introduce myself by sharing a recent acquisition - my first in this space. I’ve been studying nihontō for some time, with a particular focus on late Muromachi work that prioritizes functional integrity, honest construction, and historically grounded workmanship over overtly decorative tendencies. I’m not obsessed with excessively showy hamon, but I do value how all aspects of the blade appear and balance. You will understand what I mean when you really zoom in on the image of the blade. The katana I'd like to share is a signed and dated Bishū Osafune Sukesada katana, saku, forged in Tenshō 3 (1576) and certified NBTHK Hozon Tōken. It is a late Muromachi uchigatana-form blade and represents the Sue-Bizen tradition at a moment when Osafune production was operating under sustained wartime demand. This one is ranked Jō Saku. I was specifically looking for a blade that met several criteria including: A clearly documented Sengoku-era date. A form appropriate to infantry combat rather than earlier tachi conventions. Workmanship that remained firmly within classical Bizen-den practice rather than later Shintō reinterpretation. The blade measures 67.4 cm nagasa, with a wide motohaba, firm kasane, and moderate sori, proportions that read immediately as purposeful rather than exaggerated. The jihada is itame mixed with mokume, with visible utsuri that is consistent and legible under angled light, something I consider essential in pre-flood Bizen work of this period. The hamon is a gunome-midare in nie-deki, active but controlled, favoring durability and coherence over flamboyance. The bōshi enters the kissaki in a continuous midare-komi that holds together well at the point. The nakago is ubu, with two mekugi-ana reflecting long-term use and remounting rather than shortening, and carries the full inscription 備州長船祐定作, paired with a clear Tenshō 3, 8th month date. Both the mei and nengō were accepted without reservation by the NBTHK. I was particularly interested in a dated Bishū signature, as I regard dated Sue-Bizen work as occupying a materially different category from undated mass-output blades, both in intent and quality. Historically, the blade sits in a narrow window that I find especially compelling. August 1576 places its forging immediately after Ukita Naoie’s consolidation of Bizen and only weeks after the First Battle of Kizugawaguchi. This was not a transitional or speculative period, but a moment of active mobilization, when swords were commissioned with the expectation of use. The blade’s geometry, heat treatment, and overall character align with that context in a way that feels honest. – I’m an obsessive history geek if you can’t tell lol. The koshirae itself represents a coherent mid-Edo period remounting, with the tsuka, tsuba, and primary fittings conceived as a unified aesthetic program rather than an assemblage of unrelated parts. The handle fittings are signed by Maruyama Sōzan, an Edo-period metalworker, and display a consistent visual language across the fuchi, kashira, and menuki. The rabbit (hare) menuki are rendered in a restrained, naturalistic style with selective gilt highlights, emphasizing quiet alertness rather than overt martial aggression, a sensibility characteristic of refined Edo tastes. This motif is deliberately complemented by the iron sukashi tsuba, whose rotating tomoe-derived design expresses cyclical motion and natural force in abstract form. Together, the animal imagery of the tsuka and the dynamic, elemental symbolism of the tsuba form a balanced thematic whole, power expressed through harmony rather than excess. The matching materials, colors, gilt, patina, fit, and composition strongly indicate that these components were produced within the same artistic style and likely by the same hand or workshop, assembled intentionally as a complete Edo-period mounting rather than through later mixing. - All this was another big selling point, personally. This coherence underscores a later owner’s discernment, preserving the Sengoku-era blade within a thoughtful and unified Edo presentation. I’ll be adding an appropriate silk sageo, which is missing. Attached are some of the only photos I have so far, as it's currently pending the export permit. I’ll be absolutely stoked beyond belief when it arrives! The forum size limits are far too restrictive for high-resolution images, especially of the blade, so I'll link them from my OneDrive: 25445paper-1.jpg 25445-2.jpg 25445-4.jpg image 001.png image 002.png image 005.png image 006.png image 007.png image 008.png image 010.png image 011.png Anyway, it’s great to meet everyone and join the forum, and I look forward to learning and sharing! I'm not a collector per se, more of an admirer of the art, skill, and a history buff. I don't see myself buying another one as this ticks all my boxes already. I'm going to have it on display in my living room and I'm writing a full-color coffee table book on the sword to print. It will be an absolute honor and privilege being the caretaker for this nihontō and Japanese history. - Alex

前田泰宏 - Maeda Yasuhiro

Happy New Year all. Reviving this topic from mid last year as I wanted to share another piece I acquired and how the information provided in this thread helped me make an informed decision. The Nebikimatsu theme was completely new to me and members of this wonderful forum helped crack it. So when I came across this piece described as "feathers," I immediately recognized what it actually was...and was quite thrilled as it appears to be very rare motif in Echizen tsuba. It's fitting that the theme is associated to the new year, and if you are ever in Japan over the new year period, you will definitely see the pine decorations on display around shop entrances all around...like this massive one I found outside a Seibu in Fukui City on my most recent trip. Wishing everyone a great 2026. All the best. Damon

Revisiting this thread as I just discovered Washida may be the source of my Tsuba.

Yes, that is one of the crude theories, but it is ridiculously unlikely when you think about it. I am working scientifically on this TEKKOTSU subject and hope to be able to present results in the near future.

It seems to be a nice sword with very strong masame. If trying for Tokubetsu Hozon, I would submit without the old paper from blank beginning. As the NBTHK has attributed it to Sue-Hoshō they see it as a Muromachi era sword. By default it would be that mumei Sue-Hoshō can only achieve Hozon level. There might always be an exception but so far all 17 NBTHK attributed mumei Sue-Hoshō that I have data on are all Hozon, even though some of would be good quality. Please send us pictures after Woody has worked on it.

yes Woody Hall will do an amazing job with it. He has a very beautiful and unique style thats far better than anything that comes from the dealers in my opinion. It looks like you might only need a shiage togi . You might want to consider a slight kissaki shaping as it looks slightly mishapened but there s really nothing wrong leaving it the way it is. He s the only togishi I ll send my blades to and he has done a number of shiage togi for me. Each blade came back looking like a juyo sword lol

Pointless giving it to any museum. They are not scarce enough to be unavailable if they want one, and most museums let items rot in the store room. That's the best way to make sure an item isn't appreciated. You'd be better off keeping it, or selling to a collector where it would be appreciated and preserved.

If I had to take a slightly wild but slightly educated guess, I would say it's an official order to a retainer/ally, notifying that ally of his new posting. The first letter is 就 which indicates its an order. The far left is the addressee, and I'm not sure but I think its 大嶋囗囗どのへ　(To the Honorable Mr. Oshima), and if I jump to conclusions I can imagine it is a letter to Oshima Mitsuyoshi, a longstanding ally of Tokugawa, who was a really, really old man by the time Tokugawa was Shogun, and Tokugawa I think awarded Oshima some cushy posting where he could live out his days in comfort.

Tsuba signed « Ichiryu Tomoyoshi » – 一柳友善 Late Edo Ichiryû – Mito school Kinko Meikan rank : Ryoko / Joko This beautiful katana-sized tsuba is made of shakudo embellished with gold and silver accents, on the theme of the unryu dragon. The work is very fine and of high quality, with a beautiful relief and many details. 7,9 x 7,4 cm 2500 €

I will in fact *NOT* be using Brasso or Brillo pads. I'll leave it to Woody to give it the correction/care it deserves

There is a timeline problem with the attribution of item number 4. Kozori is actually quite specific attribution time wise and it is for late Nanbokuchō to early Muromachi. So if the sword would be late Muromachi as it would maybe seem to be, then it couldn't be considered as Kozori work. For mumei unremarkable Bizen stuff from late Muromachi I would feel Sue-Bizen would be the grouping I would be most comfortable with.

Yves, this is called TEKKOTSU (= "iron bones"). It is a special feature of some TSUBA makers or schools. There is some discussion about what it is and how it is done. Unfortunately, most writers have no metallurgic background and try to approach the subject from the aesthetic side which does not lead far. Your TSUBA would be classified as HEIANJO style, in this case an earlier one with HIRA ZOGAN technique (flat inlay), most of which is still present. There are information that some TSUBASHI working in that style did not make the TSUBA plate themselves but bought them from more specialized smiths to decorate them afterwards. This may be the case here. Attached is an image of a HEIANJO TSUBA with another decoration style.

江府住 - Efu ju 正之 - Masayuki 正義 - Masayoshi

The oshigata system was used until photographs became standard. They switched to photographed nakago in the late 90s.

Just want to share.. I took a gamble and picked up this sword a few months ago from the son of a WW2 veteran practically sight unseen. The vets son told me the sword has sat in the closet since he could remember. The sword is signed 士魂明督之作 Shigon Akisuke No Saku and dated 1945. A smith I’ve never heard of before nor have I seen another sword made by this smith. The polish and fittings are in excellent condition. The hamon is flamboyant the jigane is tight. any comments are welcome.

I was reading the way it was written on the tang. Here's some info from Sesko: AKISUKE (明督), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Tottori – “Shikon Akisuke” (士魂明督), real name Yata Monji (矢田門二), born August 26th 1899, he was working as a swordsmith from about 1942 onwards, the prefix shikon (士魂) means “Samurai spirit” (see picture right) John C.

Congratulations on the acquisition! You can look at it for a long time, like a painting. I really like that works of the Soten school look great as standalone pieces.

That picture of yours is stunning Kirill. When you combine high quality sword and high quality photography the result is amazing. I've been on a good roll on NBTHK monthly kantei but I must admit my real kantei skills suck. As I've been doing it for several years it is easy to catch some pointers that they sometimes use, had to check that I got that one correct. For example "The hada is visible and is a unique hada" in their English description points to zanguri. Usually that is pushing it to Horikawa and for 2 character signature I think Kunihiro is the logical answer. For me this is book knowledge that I have, in real life I could not say what is zanguri hada, as I don't have too high real life kantei skills. I saw this ōdachi at Nagoya Tōken World last summer, and it is my favorite Owari sword: https://www.touken-world.jp/search/127485/ maybe massive kissaki and strong width might hint that sword in OP could have been originally a big one like this one. Of course as I like ōdachi that would be my wishful thinking. I have seen the even larger 1620 dated Kanetake ōdachi at Atsuta Jingū few times but I don't like that much maybe as much. So far I have not yet seen the shorter Kanetake ōdachi of Atsuta Jingū, maybe some day I will. Of course NBTHK might have more than likely the most probable outcome. I just personally would wish they might have had more general attribution, like mumei Owari - Keichō-Shintō etc. Of course that is their style to go for direct attributions for specific smiths, I don't personally like that but I understand how that is what people actually want. Most would be probably very disappointed in just general attributions that would state roughly province and time period. Big thanks of all the comments and discussion, it is really much more fun to have discussion than just think about all the things alone.

清松 製 Kiyomatsu Made

YASUHIRO, HIZEN GENDAITO SUGATA: SZ MEI: HIZEN NO KUNI JU YASUHIRO SAKU (TACHI MEI) DATE: NONE c. 1930’S NAGASA: (26.125") OVERALL: (34.125") MIHABA: (1.1875") KASANE: (0.25") SORI: 0.5 NAKAGO: UBU MEKUGI ANA: ONE YASURIME: SUJIKAI MUNE: IORI HADA: MIXED HAMON: NOTARE IN NIE DEKI BOSHI: KOMARU HORIMONO OMOTE: NONE HORIMONO URA: NONE HABAKI: 1 PC. SOLID SILVER SHIRASAYA Flawless Gendaito by the sword smith Hizen Yasuhiro. Yasuhiro was born in 1910, he worked under Akihide as a Rikugun Jumei Tosho and won 2nd seat in 1941 (see details below). His lineage can be traced back to the 8th generation Hizen Tadayoshi and was the brother of Motomura Kanemoto. His work was first exhibited in 1936 from which point he won many awards until 1944. Post war he submitted blades to the Shinsakuto-Ten. Yasuhiro worked in the Hizen style with a prominent hada showing the Hizen konuka mixed with ko-itame and masame. Hamon begins as a gentle Notare transistioning to suguha. Within the hamon are clouds of Ara-Nie. The nakago is ubu with one mekugi ana. It is signed tachi-mei in the Hizen style. This sword comes in Shirasaya with a solid silver Shonai Habaki References: Hawley’s Pg 926 (YAS 680) Gendaito Meikan Pg 173 Hizen Handbook Pg 283 Sesko’s, Swordsmiths A-Z pg 1264 Courtesy of Sesko’s, Swordsmiths A-Z: YASUHIRO (保広), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Saga –“Hizen no Kuni-jū Yasuhiro” (肥前国住保広), “Yasuhiro” (保広), real name Motomura Tamotsu (元村保), born 1910, he studied under Hisahiro (久広) and worked as rikugun-jumei-tōshō, jōkō no retsu (Akihide), Second Seat at the 6th Shinsaku Nihontō Denrankai (新作日本刀展覧会, 1941)

Here are some bit lesser known and smaller groups that could maybe added, although some might be too insignificant, and some of these might already featured under some other classification. For me it is bit difficult to draw lines, and lineages can vary. File was view only for me. School - Province Daruma - Yamashiro Heianjō - Yamashiro Kanabō - Yamato Shiga-Seki - Owari Inuyama - Owari Odawara-Sōshū - Sagami Fuyuhiro - Wakasa Asago-Taima - Echizen Yamamura - Echigo Iruka - Kii Kaifu - Awa Tosa Yoshimitsu - Tosa Wake - Bizen Ishidō - Ōmi (later spread) Zenjō - Mino San'ami - Mino Mizuta - Bitchū Tatsubō - Bingo Kai-Mihara - Bingo Goami - Bingo Dōtanuki - Higo

Another video about Johan:

From M Sesko Nihonto meikan translation Aritsugu (有続), Genbun (元文, 1736-1741), Settsu – „Sesshū-jū Jinrikumaru Aritsugu“ (摂州住神力丸有続), „Jinrikimaru Aritsugu“ (神力丸有続), civilian name „Takayanagi Shōzaemon“ (高柳庄左衛門), son of Kaga no Kami Sadahiro (加賀守貞広), Settsu-Shimosaka group, he signed firstwith „Kunitsugu“ (国継), there exists a joint work under the name of „Kunitsugu“ with his father Sadahiro which is dated with the first year of Shōtoku (正徳, 1711) and gives the age of 27 years, notare-midare or an Ishidō-like midareba, wazamono

For your work. No markings on the guard or anywhere else I can see. Scabbard drag matches

Hi, I am considering this katana tsuba (around 8 cm in diameter). I like the simple tsukashi, surface steel structure and even color but have no idea what the actual design symbolises. So all thoughts are most welcome! Best, Hector

Due to the great age of the engraving, many of the characters are no longer very clear. I can only make out some of the Kanji, and even those may not be entirely accurate. 勝字八 萬曆癸未八月日 1583年8月 勝字小（藤）？五（斤/近）士 匠山守 （藤）？五錢 丸五 About 石火矢 Ishibiya According to 武用辨略 Buyō Benryaku, in 1551 (or 1576 according to 豐薩軍記 Hōsa Gunki), 南蠻人 Nanban foreigners presented ishibiya to the 大友家 Ōtomo clan, and 大友宗麟 Ōtomo Sōrin named them 國崩 Kunikuzushi. Regarding this event, 武用辨略 Buyō Benryaku gives the following account: In 天文Tenbun 20 (1551), a Portuguese ship anchored in Bungo fired ceremonial salutes toward a church. The tremendous explosions could be heard at Funai Castle. Alarmed, Sōrin and his retainers went to investigate. Thus, eight years after small firearms had been introduced in天文Tenbun 12, cannon arrived in the 大友 Ōtomo domain. Overjoyed, 宗麟 Sōrinnamed them 國崩 Kunikuzushi. Because these guns fired stone projectiles, they were also called 石火矢 Ishibiya, a term that continued to be used into the Edo period. In Sengoku-period records, the term ishibiya is almost always used. For example, descriptions of the ironclad ships built by 織田信長 Oda Nobunaga mention 石火矢三挺 “three ishibiya.” Judging from surviving materials concerning 國崩 Kunikuzushi, the石火矢 Ishibiya introduced by the 大友家 Ōtomo clan were in fact a type of frankish gun, also called 仏狼機砲 futsurōki-hō in Japanese. This has already been explained in detail in my article “Ancient Japanese Long-Range Weapons” and will not be repeated here. As for the 石火矢 Ishibiya imported by the 織田家 Oda clan, historical sources do not clearly record their country of origin. However, during the 安土桃山時期 Azuchi–Momoyama period, Portugal was Japan’s principal trading partner, and 織田信長 Oda Nobunaga himself maintained close relations with Portuguese missionaries such as Luís Fróis. It is therefore likely that most of these weapons were imported from Portugal.

The 4th character is not Seki.It is Ko. The characters read Mote yasugi ko. meaning made with Yasugi steel. Enjoy your Kanezane.

For NBTHK I think they are doing great job and it does support the organization financially. My only worry is the large amount of items that they do process through every year. I think the organization realized the problem and they did put a item number limit to Hozon & Tokubetsu Hozon shinsa quite recently, and it is now limited to 1,600 swords per session. Now as they do 4 sessions per year that would be 6,400 swords, then you add the Jūyō submitted swords and it would be 7,000+ swords. Here are NBTHK numbers I digged from magazines 5+ years ago (I had actually forgotten I did this ): NTHK (including both branches) is much smaller organization, however I do know for their international shinsa they have the minimum item requirements for shinsa team to attend. I know NTHK is not preferred by market but I still value their opinion highly too. As the item submission numbers are quite large for shinsa sessions I am left wondering how many minutes each blade gets? Now the time invested will of course vary from item to item. I do understand that experts can see fine details in swords very fast and in few minutes can tell interesting things about the item, I have seen this in European NBTHK meetings for example.

Nick if you just want to buy one or two genuine 94's or 98's but are not interested in progressing the whole nihonto thing, thats ok but I encourage you to use the resources available on NMB by posting good pics/description of what u are looking at and I'm sure you will get useful feedback and hopefully avoid some grief. We all like looking at swords and, believe or not, many of us like to offer opinions Rob

@Conway S Showa 19 (1944) my mistake

You can usually tell a sword has been shortened without removing the tsuka and inspecting the nakago, the geometries/measurements/overall sugata will be strange compared to what is expected for a given school or line of smiths IMO

Useful article here from Markus Sesko on Tensho vs Keicho suriage: https://markussesko.com/2018/04/25/tensho-suriage-and-keicho-suriage/

Imagine the amount of work that went into creating that!

Kosyu Hikone Jyu Mogarashi Nyudo SOTEN Sei Goshu/Kosyu Hikone Ju (江州彦根住): "Resident of Hikone, Omi Province (Goshu)". Mogarashi Nyudo Soten Sei (藻柄子入道宗典製): "Made by Mogarashi Nyudo Soten".

Greetings to All, Recently, I acquired a rather rusty tsuba as part of a deal for a Washida tsuba with another collector. This piece was thrown into the arrangement by the seller to meet the requested price range. Despite its condition, it showed some promise. The tsuba is signed Kyozan Mitsunaka + (Kao) ({嚮山 光中(花押)}) in kin-zogan. Based on the pictures, it appeared to feature brass hira-zogan of peonies and arabesques. Despite the rust, none of the inlays seemed to be missing - testament to the craftsmanship. The subject and execution also align well with works by Washida Mitsunaka or the Washida school. Seeing its potential, I decided to accept the deal, and both tsuba landed on my desk. Believing the piece was worth restoring, I sent it to Manuel @C0D for restoration, and I wasn't disappointed. Manuel did an outstanding job removing the rust and re-patinating the brass. If Manuel would like to elaborate on the restoration process, I would welcome it. The gamble paid off, as the final result is quite pleasing. As you can see, the tsuba has been brought back to life: I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Regards, Luca P.S. I have to thank Manuel for allowing me to use the pictures he made.

@Bruce Pennington Bruce, did you see this stamp on Facebook? On leather covered saya.

Dale, this TSUBA seems to have a "true" ORIKAESHI folding rim. The description of the SUKASHI as KATABAM/wood sorrel is correct. Apple blossoms have five petals like most ROSACEAE.

We always remember our first. I was fortunate to be invited to visit the home of a German collector in May 2024, where I was given the opportunity to study 3 Juyo blades in hand. I held the nakago of the first blade so tightly and so intensely, the owner even commented on the heat transfer. He was probably hoping I wasn't related to Uri Geller.

Unfortunately dodgy polishers aren't just something you find outside Japan; I've been watching some blades on auction sites in Japan in which a "polisher" has absolutely butchered the blade by 'painting' on a hamon/jigane matching the kantei points for famous smiths which the blade is then attributed to.

It is a great pleasure to meet you all here. I am an independent amateur netsuke collector from China. Inspired by the insightful contributions from the members of this community, I would like to share some observations regarding the netsuke market in China. Due to complex historical and cultural factors, there are virtually no large-scale forums or dedicated platforms for netsuke collectors in China, leading to a significant lack of information sharing. However, because of our linguistic and cultural affinities with Japan, the Chinese market sees a large volume of netsuke "re-imported" from Japan. Unfortunately, about 95% of these are fakes. The notorious "Shozan" and "Gyokuseki" signatures frequently discussed here are, in fact, ubiquitous on the Chinese secondhand market. Setting those aside, there are occasionally hidden gems to be found. (It should be noted that China maintains very strict regulations on ivory; therefore, I personally only collect boxwood netsuke). I have acquired a few representative pieces that I would like to share with you. The first is a Japanese Hyottoko mask netsuke, and the second is an Okame mask netsuke. While the craftsmanship of these two pieces may not be considered exquisite, they both possess a distinct patina that suggests a clear sense of history. The Hyottoko mask is signed "Suizan" (水山). I am quite unfamiliar with this name and am certain it does not belong to a famous master. The other piece is unsigned. Regarding their age, I personally date them between 1850 and 1920. While this period may not be the most "ideal" for some collectors, it is quite acceptable given their acquisition price. Regarding the mass-produced forgeries, I have learned that they largely originate from provinces in Southern China. There are specialized sellers in our secondhand markets dealing specifically in these items, priced anywhere from a few dollars to tens of dollars. Many people fall victim to these scams, and it is a great pity that we lack a platform like this one to help collectors identify and correct such errors. Thank you once again for your sharing. Greetings from China.

Fittings possibly Satsuma Rebellion?

The length of swords has always followed the evolution of combat techniques (tachi versus katana) and the regulations issued by the shoguns. The vast majority of tachi were suriage so that they could be used as katana. Indeed, given the price of these weapons, it was better to shorten them than to make new ones.

Yes, typo on my part. Thanks Uwe for catching that. The mei reads "Bifu Ju Nin Norisuke Saku".

The tsuka and saya are carved from poplar due to ready availability and low cost. Honoki is traditional, but can only be sourced from Japan at a high cost (~$100+ for a katana saya). Future efforts will use alder. Over the weekend, I planed two pieces of poplar with a traditional Japanese flat plane ($25 Amazon.com, below left) to allow the two halves to be eventually glued together without any gaps. Then I traced the outline of the blade and then 1/4" around the blade that will form the outer dimensions of the 32" saya. An oil collection slot is carved at the tip. Again, I've had to scrap the result of my first attempt at carving with a specialized saya-nomi ($169, square-tipped bent chisel made by Walter Sorrell) because it takes practice to achieve control of the depth and extent of carving of the walls for each half of the saya. The bent configuration is crucial for this undertaking. The challenge is that since the sword blade is "triangular" in configuration and must be seated perfectly between two halves, the depth has to be adjusted along the entire length. This can be readily seen in the pic of the habaki seated at the opening. A piece of wood was inadvertently carved off, which ruined the work. However, the learning curve is extraordinarily steep and rewarding. The whole experience of carving is meditative. I don't feel the pain from chronic neuropathy of my left neck and arm that is otherwise my constant companion during every waking moment. I've saved this failed saya carving attempt so that I can glue the two halves together and practice shaping the outer surfaces of the saya before I tackle a successful carving attempt. A small radius plane ($100 Amazon.com, below right) is used to shape the convex side of the saya. The initial investment for good tools cost about the same as for the bare blade.

Superb job, Manuel. This piece has come back to life straight from the junk box. Washida Mitsunaka has produced several tsuba of this kind like https://www.metmuseu...lection/search/23060