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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

Hi Everyone, I was pleasantly surprised 30 minutes ago by a ring on my doorbell from the USPS, with what looked to be a very long box. Lo and behold, my shingunto surprisingly made it to my doorstep, despite the USPS tracking data showing no updates. Inside, there was "US Fish and Wildlife" tape all over the contents, and for some reason, it seems like the fish and wildlife department had my sword for 2 weeks. Not sure why that was so, and I'm just glad that the sword made it to me in one piece.

A big topic. There is not much in the way of definitive documentation on koshirae. There are a few books in Japanese on regional styles such as Satsuma. In contrast, there are many books about regional sword fittings makers that show metal parts and occasionally koshirae. Part of the problem is that relatively few koshirae were preserved or documented as koshirae fashions changed. Since there are a lot of gaps in the material record, it is difficult to describe trends or specific styles from the remaining intact examples. Over the history of the blade, the saya and tsuka were periodically discarded due to damage and wear, and the blade refitted with a new koshirae according to the taste of the then present owner. There is an article I wrote titled A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF Japanese SWORD MOUNTS OF THE LATE MUROMACHI THROUGH EDO PERIODS in the Downloads section under Member Articles. This gets into questions about koshirae differences by time period, class status, and level of formality. There is a bibliography with references for further reading. In other types of sword collecting, European and American swords for example, preservation of the mounts is considered as important as preservation of the blade, so more historical context is known, and can be correlated to time and place and class of user. A nihonto in new shirasaya on the other hand, tells us nothing about who used it or how it was mounted, unless that was separately documented. Part of the problem is the formation of specialist collectors for nihonto, tsuba and other fittings which has led to koshirae being taken apart to get at the metal bits. The downside is a loss of context and in some cases the destruction of a historic object. As a group dedicated to the preservation of the Japanese sword I think we nihonto collectors should consider choosing the western conservation approach in some cases, by keeping and stabilizing that old koshirae and sword blade together as a complete object.

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

And sure, I designed a simple 3D printed stand. The general idea was to make thing that holds the tsuba firmly but not draw attention away from the object.

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)

Been a bit busy lately so just reading this for the first time. Japanese without question (all parts), as others have said above, but using Classical Chinese, just as Europeans might once have quoted ancient Latin or Greek.

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 .

Not long ago, a number of tsuba popped up on the local internet auction. Time to time I like to go through topics here or in the corresponding sales section, but I couldn't say that I am a tsuba man. Yet one particular tsuba from that batch caught my eye by its simple elegance. So I bid on it and won. It arrived, but for some time I had no time to take photos. Tsuba seems to be slightly damaged in one place, yet I like it like it is. So I decided to share it here. Also, if someone could tell me more about it it would be great. The diameter of this tsuba is 65mm.

SOLD! With donation made to the board. Will archive in a day or two. Thanks to the buyer, and to those who showed interest, All the best, -Sam

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.

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.

Good taste - one I would go for as well. - - what Mauro said! not a gazillion miles from this?

It’s always worth remembering that a huge slice of Japanese art and imagery (of any variety from all periods) has been borrowed from or loosely based on earlier Chinese art/history. That includes religious figures, legends, general art styles and subjects etc That can be very confusing at times but the usual giveaway is the unique aesthetic that the Japanese bring to art. It is different to Chinese but takes a while to recognise. Also the Japanese pay meticulous attention to detail. A good example is to compare Japanese netsuke with the modern Chinese stuff. Same applies with tsuba. Even very well carved Chinese pieces are artistically totally different. it is difficult toexplain but Japanese often has a “softness” to it.

Something I can add. I'm currently in the process of looking to see if I can start sending some of the items in an extensive knife collection, to the USA. Far higher prices. I have someone who does international shipping, and she specializes in sending knives overseas. Joyce is the main person here who everyone uses, and has shipped hundreds of parcels. I have been chatting to her the past few days. The process is fairly straight forward. But she cautioned me on one thing. Apparently fairly randomly (and she says in the majority...but not all cases...if they go through the Atlanta hub) the item will be selected for a CITES inspection. This is where they will check if there are any parts at all made from any endangered wildlife parts. Not just ivory, but certain woods, skins etc etc. Even in cases where these parts aren't present, she says in those cases, the item is delayed every time by between 14 and 21 days before being released. Even if they have the correct docs, once it is pulled aside for SITES inspection, you can add 21 days or so before it's released. Sounds to me like you fell foul of one of these inspections, before they decided none of the parts were a problem. But congrats, that is great news, really happy for you.

Hi! This reads 遠州横須賀住一帯子國安 文政五年月日 抜則砕敵蔵則安国. 抜(to draw)則(then)砕(to crush)敵(enemy), 蔵(to conceal, in the context to sheath?)則(then)安(peace, or to make peace)国(nation, country) means "crushing the enemy when drawn out, secure/protect the country when sheathed/kept away". It's written in Chinese, kind of like Latin to Edo Japan. Not a known proverb, and structured and worded in a way that a Japanese reader can read this after a minimum shuffling of the wording to 抜則敵砕 蔵則国安.

@Markus has a later version: Koshirae Taikan. I have the ebook version, and it is an extensive resource that I recommend as a complete koshirae novice.

George, perhaps the first thing to learn is what we would call a "matching" KOSHIRAE might not be the same in a Japanese view. In fact, there are (often valuable) KOSHIRAE with TOSOGU en suite coming out of the hands of a renowned craftsman, but this is far from being common with all SAMURAI. As I have read, with "average" class SAMURAI, KOSHIRAE were put together following individual taste and available money, and easy-to-change parts like TSUBA, TSUKA, or SAYA were probably exchanged a few times in the life of a good sword. So, not even looking at the historical changes in general styles and use of a sword, there were many factors in the choice and combination of sword parts that we are not always aware of. In many cases, we have to learn about Japanese taste, about their mythology, religion, nature, tales and legends, folklore and customs, a.s.o. Just to give an example: in the West, we would consider martial symbols fitting a weapon, but in Japan, you may find a FUCHI with playing puppies, or a (matching !) FUCHI-GASHIRA set with a peaceful farm scene with hens, chicks, and a cock. So, studying and understanding Japanese beliefs, feelings, and taste in the historical and cultural context will certainly help. Reading books by Lafcadio Hearn might also help. I don't think there is a fast and easy way.

Hmm... The first one is 若无(無 in cursive)清風吹，香氣为(為 in cursive)誰發, part of the poem 古風·孤蘭生幽園 by 李白 Li Bai of the Tang dynasty. Gemini suggested "If no gentle breeze blows, for whom would the fragrance spread?", feels close enough I guess! (Edited again: This is quite a poem upon a second read! One of the most classic themes recurring throughout Chinese poetry history, that is not being appreciated in one's own time for their talent. This poem was written in the autumn of the second year that Li Bai (arguably THE greatest Chinese poet ever) was called to the capital by the emperor himself, one of the greatest honors and dream of every ambitious person in ancient China, slandered by the emperor's favorite eunuch because Li would not kiss up to him, now growing apart from the emperor. The poem pictures a lonely orchid (considered the gentleman's flower, signifying pure of heart and high moral standards) overrun by weeds (the evil people in the court), once blessed with the sun's warmth (the emperor's favor), now loomed by the autumn moon(absent of sun and gleam future), experiencing frost and rain, and finally, "If no gentle breeze blows, for whom would the fragrance spread?" (one's talent is meaningless without the emperor's appreciation) (孤蘭生幽園，衆草共蕪沒。雖照陽春暉，復悲高秋月。飛霜早淅瀝，綠豔恐休歇。若無清風吹，香氣爲誰發。) ↑ AI could probably translate this well, not me orz) The signature on the bottom left is a little hard, I read 化 something 主人, so master of 化 something, a typical pseudonym of an old-timey Chinese or Japanese literatus. Edited: Forgot to add! Many well-educated Edo-period people read and write Chinese poems, there are even quite a few examples where swordsmiths chisel Chinese poems onto swords (Nakago and/or sword itself). But the bowl(?) in the first pic looks a little Chinesey to me. A good magnifier may tell if it's machine-made with a mini hand drill or laser-engraved. The middle one might not have anything actually intelligible on it. The third one is too blurry to make out for me, perhaps someone trained in Chinese cursive could tell, but I'm in my third weekly class in total and from which I haven't been for three weeks......

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!

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.

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”……🙂

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.

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.

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 😉)

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!

I think that your reading is correct. The nuance of "... saku ka" is conjecture rather than doubt.

The Suikōsha was established in 1876. 水交社

Hi Dan, I think you mean 'mitsu'

大谷家之紋透鐔 (Ohtani-ke no mon sukashi tsuba) – Sukashi tsuba of Ohtani family’s mon IMO, the hanging wisteria crest on the tsuba looks a little different from the Ohtani’s Sgari Fuji.

Nice looking sword, my immediate thought was also Sue Bizen from the Sugata and Nakago-jiri. It seems these short Gunto were not always for pilots, tank crews, submarines, hot air balloonists etc etc, and were simply made to the whims of the officer. In the thread below you can see many period photos showing full size swords being used by pilots and tank crews.

Nice tsuba. The kawari-ishime-ji gives it an unusual look; otherwise, it’s quite an obvious Heianjō-zōgan piece.

1 old Japanese tachi available. This fine tachi would make an important addition to any collection. This 17th Century tachi is adorned with extraordinary kinzogan (gold inlay) fittings. The tsuka has a fine leather wrap instead of silk. The large iron tsuba has stamped designs. The blade is papered by the NBTHK. This suriage tachi is attributed to Echizen Kanenori. The paper was issued Oct. 14, 2022. There are 4 mekugi-ana in the nakago. The blade nagasa is 26.7 inches (67.8 cm). Additional photos available. CONDITION: This old Japanese tachi sword is in perfect polish. Included in this package is the original tachi koshirae with wood tsunagi, and shirasaya. $7500 obo (plus shipping). shipping available to anywhere in the world --Matthew Brice https://stcroixblades.com/product/old-Japanese-tachi-sword-antique-samurai-nihonto-nbthk-paper/

As another complete novice, I second that recommendation.