JamesH

Thank you very much for your help. I can see now, I had absolutely no chance getting this on my own. Morita san, John, thank you so much to both of you for help. I am indebted for your assistance. Morita san, your knowledge and expertise are invaluable to us all. :bowdown: Thank you again. Brian, the world would be a lesser place without this forum. Kind regards James

Really any assistance as to where I would even start would be great. I am completely stumped by this one, I managed to match up 3 or 4 individual kanji but I am not even sure if thats right. As it stands I cannot even tell which side is the smiths name. Please help. Regards James

Sorry forgot to attach

Hi everyone, I was hoping someone could assist me with this mei. So far I have nothing. Your assistance is greatly appreciated, James

Hi everyone, Unless my old age is finally setting in, and playing mischief with my memory, I am 99.9% sure a similar sword to this one was discussed recently. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-samura ... 1038882408 If anyone remembers the thread, could you please link it. I just spent 20mins searching with no avail. It was also an eBay listing, I think it ended around 2 months ago. Basically, and again only to the best of my memory, it was also a long unokubi katana with bohi, also with an unwrapped tsuka and red lacquered saya... My mind could be playing tricks but it was a very unusual sword, which caught my eye, and now I'm wondering how is it possible to see another such unusual sword with almost identical fittings but much less rust and chips. Surely someone spending money on a restoration would not leave the blade in the old saya ? Brian, I'm you think my post is inappropriate while the auction is running, please freeze or remove it. Regards James

Hi everyone, I am only a newb so please forgive my overenthusiasm for this piece. I was really taken back by this tsuka, as I have not see tsukamaki stylised in metal before seeing this. I have seen other tsukas where tsukamaki was replaced by metal framing, but never like this To my untrained eyes this tsuka was just eye candy, though I kinda wish the fuchi kashira were a little nicer. I am sure many of you have seen the auction for this tsuka, but I thought I might post the photos here, so they remain for reference after the auction page is deleted in 3 months time. If this is in breach of any forum rules, or the seller objects Admins please delete my post. I dont have any affiliation to the seller, and have never dealt with him, so please do not take this as any kind of recommendation. I am also inclunding the sellers description less the 'selling' "Wakizashi tsuka with tsukamaki simulated in iron. It is precisely carved to look like silk wrap. The fuchi kashira have a winter landscape scene carved in iron copper inlay and silver nunome depicting snow covered mountains. Copper rope rim finishes the border of the fuchi and kashira." James

Hi Mark, Thanks very much for your help. I have not come across the kanji for Ka shu, so I will remember for next time. I am soo excited the hours I put into into trying to translate did not go to waste :D I thought I would never improve. Thank you again. James

Hi everyone, I was hoping someone could assist me with this mei. This is what I have managed so far, but I still have doubts my newbie reading abilities : ECHIZEN JU FUJI WARA NOBU YOSHI Your assistance is greatly appreciated, James

Hi all, I saw these two pieces on eBay from our friends Japanese-antiques-trading-and-shopping-center (who have been discussed here before): http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Japanese-SAM ... 7675.l2557 http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Japanese-SAM ... 2ecacfabaa How would I go about finding the original Japanese auction for these? Also, just thinking out loud... Wouldn't a papered Muramasa be worth much more than what these guys are asking? I assume the price on the Japanese auction will be around half this, so is there something I am not seeing on these pieces? If this is something not to be discussed, while auctions are active, please PM me. With thanks, James

Hi Matt Thanks for your fast response. I have not see this combination of kanji before, thank you I will know "MI WA" next time. Cheers James

Hi there, I was hoping someone could assist me with this mei. I apologise for the quality of the photos but thats the best I got. Though my kanji reading is improving (well so I think ), I am absolutely stuck here What I have so far is : "NO SHU SEKI JU (SAN?) __?__ UJI NAGA KITAU KORE" Thanks in advance for your assistance. Cheers James

Hi everyone, Thank you very much for your fast replies. I guess the concensus is shinshinto. I was leaning this way as well, but the nakago quite threw me. I did not think it was artificially aged because I thought I didn't see any signs of this. Can someone please point it out for me so I see what everyone else sees What threw me more was the small cavity where the nakago has worn away where the suba would sit - at least I think thats what it is ... Photos are quite crappy I have only seen this on fairly old swords, but perhaps more experienced members can correct me if they have come across this on shinshinto blades. This and the lines that kind of look like faded kiri yasurime threw me completely off track. No takers on the School ? Regards James

Hi everyone I was hoping I could hear some opinions on School / Age of this sword: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/SHINTO-O-WAK ... d=ViewItem Cheers James

I reported it to eBay when I saw the first lot. Then the next time I looked the ones I reported were taken down by ebay, but 2 lots of the same listings from 2 new sellers appeared. These thieves seemed pretty persistant so I thought I would write it up here, in case more keep coming up. It looks like eBay has taken down the ones above, so hopefully they will stay on top of these guys. I personally dont have anything against the Chinese, its just all these guys were all listing from Tibet, China hence why I thought I would include the location. What I cant stand is the blatant con, no matter where it comes from. Regards, James

Buyer beware, some guy in China is ripping off images from http://www.h4.dion.ne.jp/~t-ohmura/gunto_024.htm and other pages of this website and making ebay listings off them. So far there are 2 ebay accounts with about 4 listings each (below are links to 1 item for each but if you go to 'other items' you will see the rest): http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/COLLECTABLE- ... 232b1d0aa5 http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/COLLECTABLE- ... 33823e0504 Regards, James

Very interesting read! I actually read somewhere that animal/dragon heads should be facing the bearer of the sword, to show him this respect rather than the person the sword s directed towards. Perhaps some of the more knowledgeable members could offer their insight on this. James

Hi everyone, I just wanted to get your opinions on this one : http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Japanese-Swo ... 4ac0b2dd2f I have never seen a Seki-stamped sword with kanteisho.... Regards, James P.S. Bryan if it goes against policy to discuss while auction is running, please lock thread until its over.

Ah yes... I was blind but now I see. At least I managed to translate some correctly, so at least there is some improvement. The older you get the harder learning comes. Thank you very much Moriyama san I greatly appreciate your assitance. And a special thank you to you Morita san, "which Kanetoshi" would have been my next question :D James

Hello, I have been trying to improve my kanji skills, but I think I still have a very long way to go. A friend asked me to have a go at this mei. I apologise for the picture quality, unfortunately he is without a camera so its only iphone photos. Could someone please verify my translation: "no shu ju Kane Tomo" I just couldnt be sure as it bears a star stamp, but does not quite resemble the oshigata examples I managed to find of Kiribuchi Kanetomo or of Miwa Kanetomo. Thanks in advance for your assistance, James

Hi all, I do not believe that this sword is fake, but I would vote late war piece. I have seen many late war seki swords with similar shape nakago, showing virtually no yasuri. The fittings - I have definetly seen worse between late war and last ditch swords. I think these were made using similar or the same cast as normal shin gunto fittings, but from the look of them I would say less/poorer quality brass used and no red lacquer to go over them. Oak handle - honoki becoming scarce, lower quiality menuki, whatever rayskin was available (off a very young stingray in this case). As for the actual shape of the blade, many of this seller's swords have been tempered with sandpaper or otherwise - some looking far beyond salvation. I cannot be sure but I do see a little of a turnback in the now absent boshi, but its hard to judge for sure. Just my two cents James

Thanks to all who contributed to this discussion, once again I have learned something very valuable on this forum. After some serious contemplation, at the last minute I decided to let this one go. Perhaps if it had some personal meaning to me, I would reconsider, but otherwise I felt I should save my money. With thanks, James

Congratulations Ed! The blade is stunning! ... but at the risk of getting told off, I must ask ... does the Kiku-sui mon seem a little crude to anyone? I don't mean to offend in any way, but as a newbe I must ask or I will never know. With regards, James

Thank you cabowen, with the translation of the signture now it makes sense why the hot stamp is present . I guess it is not a gendaito after all - so the hot stamp rule still applies Would yasuki steel still have active ji-hada? I guess I am leading up to the question: would such a piece be worthy of restoring in money terms? Thanks again for your input, I greatly appreciate it. Regards, James

Hi everyone, I was hoping to get some opinions on this blade: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Old-Japanese ... 415a9d3675 Although it has a part of a hot stamp showing, it has a long mei and , what seems to me, a very interesting hamon. I have asked the seller for some close-up photos of ji, but still waiting for a response. Admin, if we are not to discuss this while auction is running, please lock thread until is ok to do so. With thanks, James

Thank you for all your replies. Perhaps you are right and it may be the obscure pics of the nakago, or just that time of year. Unfortunately, I am in Oztralia, and a long way from inspecting the blade in person, but still it does take my fancy. May be in a month or so, I might have to skip a mortgage payment, and hide from the wife for a week or two ... the things we do for these treasures of old :lol: James