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Thank you Kunitaro San and Mr.Tait. As usual you guys come through fast and accurate. Thank you again and I will follow up with the reference point for further details. Steve M.

Sorry your quite right it is a little small. I hope this one is a little better, I cant enlarge it much more from the photo I have. the only way I can do it from here is save it to a file and edit the size but it won't save it in that size. Sorry. Steve M.

Hey guys, I am hoping to get this picture soon but I have know clue what the translation says. Any help would be greatly appreciated. You guys really helped out a lot with the lst three. Thanks in advance. Steve M

I agree 100%, thanks again Steve M.

Hello, Thank you very much Morita San and Malcolm, I wans't even close to that translation. All three of them have been taken to a professional for proper framing to make sure they are around for the next owner in the family and so on. Conservation glass and acid free backing with no glue or tape anywhere near them. Thank you very much. Steve M.

Hello folks, can anyone give me the translations on pictures one and three. Morita San was gracious enough to give me the artist of picture number two but I can't get one and three. I have tried to find them but have had no luck. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Steve M.

Thanks Stephen It is printed on a thin silver colored paper, almost cloth like and mounted on a raised backing. If you look at the edge you can just make out the thin gray colored backing. Like you said I don't want to mess it up even if it isnt an original, I like it. Time to take it to a pro I guess. Thanks Steve M.

Hello all, It has been a while since I was last here. I actually forgot my password. The prints are mine, I was having download issues along with password issues. I appreciate my good friend Edward G for passing them along to you. Thank you Morita San for giving me the artist and you, Malcolm for telling me what to look for. Print #2 does not have the circle you mentioned and I received it from family already framed. It may have been trimmed because of lack of knowledge or it may have not been there at all. I dont believe my family has the answers. I have looked at some of Ando Hiroshige and mine appears to be alot lighter in areas than the ones I reviewed. It's possibly a reprint I can't tell. I am not sure who could stateside. Any suggestions would be great. I still have not been able to identify the other two prints by artist and any suggestions with them would greatly appreciated. Thanks Steve

Morning guys, I am trying to identify the entire translation on this tsuba, so far I have Efu ju Masatoshi but I can't find anything on this maker or the Efu to show me I am correct. Any help in the translation correction and location of information would be a great help. Thanks Steve M.

Keith, I'm sorry I wasn't exactly clear in my posting, I purchased it as a study piece as I said, but I also purchased the signed tsuba and menuki. I wouldn't have purchased the blade for its undesired quality and multiple faults if it had been naked. Of the blades I have none have these have examples. I have seen them in books and on the net but hands on is the way I have read and been told is the only way most judge a sword faults or not. I understand the purchase of a bad blade and believe it or not the tsuba and menuki caught my attention the first time I saw it while the blade wasn't an issue because I recognized small faults(warped). The over all price paid was well worth it considering what I got. On the flip side of that I have several friends that are new to Nihonto as well and I am placing the blade on the loaner shelf for them to use as an example of what to look for when purchasing a good quality blade. Hopefully this and the information given from you guys will keep them from making bad decisions (costly$$$$) in the future. I appreciate all the advice you guys give and it helps to keep me looking and learning. Hopefully I can do the same for others in the future.. Steve M.

Hello Matus, I am new to Nihonto as well, I have a small collection of swords and growing collection of books. I have had the pleasure of using this site and the knowledge offered to keep me from waisting my money and time. I just bought a study piece for $200.00 from someone. I had looked at this piece quite a while back but decided to read alot more before buying it.. The blade was shortened, it had been sharpened by someone and part of it had been in a fire causing it to warp slightly to the right with some discoloration. It is a very old blade with a beautiful hamon and a fatal flaw which was the reasoning behind the shortening. My reason for writing this is because I didn't see some of this when I first saw the blade, but after reading and learning and actually putting may hands on varios blades, mainly through collectors with knowledge they jumped out at me. Now to the money I spent for a study piece or should I say pieces, The tsuba is signed Efu Ju Masatoshi and the handle is a tightly wrapped wasp designed with beautiful menuki, appear to be ducks with gold bills and feet, on both sides. The blade has all the desire for study bad faults, bent, resharpened you name it but it was well worth the purchase if you look at the overall picture itself. I was taught to look at each part separate and judge it by that method.. Taking your time was the most important thing taught to me. What I wrote may not help but listening to these guys will make the difference when it really counts, mainly in the pocket book and your collection will be just what you want. Steve M.

Hey guys, Sorry for the late response, been out of town. I spoke with someone about it and the pricing is kind of steep for such a short blade (14.75 in). I know the photos are not that great and the imageshack has been giving me fits as well. Some killer virus has attached itself to it. I had to back my computer up the other day as well. I think Brian finally removed the post because of it. I will try and get some better photos of it and find another site to use. Any suggestions on that would be nice. As far as the blade goes someone has tried a cleaning on it but it doesn't appear to be to bad and can probably be fixed. It does have an active hamon but I don't think I can get a close enough photo of it. I will up date when I can. Thanks again. Steve M.

Hey guys, Just got this one from an uncle earlier this week and am somewhat stumped. I thought it was a naginata that has been cut down at first, but have since been advised differently. It has been shortened several times and is in need of a lot of care, don't hack on me to bad I just got it yesterday. It is unsigned but had a nice tsuba and single menuki with it when I got it. They are posted in the tsuba reference request area. The blade is old but how old and where it came from is any ones guess. I feel it could be brought back to life but it is way beyond my hand to do so. If anyone has any ideas on the time period or any other information please feel free to comment. I added the menuki anyway, its nice..Thanks in advance. Steve M.

Chris, As usual, fast and furious.. Can you point me to a reference so he can pull up some information on it. Many thanks Steve M.

Morning folks, I have a friend that is in need of a translation for a tsuba. He got it a while back and just wants to know what it says. He hasn't been able to get anywhere with it so we forwarded it for review by the experts. Thanks in advance. Steve M.

Mr. Sinclair, I received your book just recently and have to tell you how good it was. I appreciate all the information and thought it was a great addition to my small library along with all the assistance from board members, thanks again. Steve M.

Morning all, Spoke with Mr. Bob Benson yesterday afternoon my time and I am sending him the sword within the next month. It should be in Japan by the December of this year for the January shinsa . I will update everyone when I get the return. I just wanted to thank everyone for their patience and assistance in guiding me on this journey. Steve M.

David, Thank you for the advice, I am doing as you and John advised. If I can maintain it in the condition it is in I feel I will be doing it just right. I have seen the huge collection that Boston has on the web and they have a really big one. They are nice and have been very well maintained. I would like to see photos of the one you have to see if the style is similar. Of course I am not sure if the name Masafusa was used by other makers. It would be nice to think they were one of a kind by name but I located one on Worthpoint.com under Masafusa metal works I believe. Check it out they have others as well. Thanks again for the advice. Steve M.

John, After looking at the photos I have to agree with you. I think the need for glitter is me because I can see what's under the coating. I am going to work on keeping it as rust free as I can and just take care of it in the shape it's in now. Thanks Steve M.

Sorry guys bad photo I know, I got another one that shows some of the underlying good stuff I want to bring out on the tsuba. Steve M

Morning, I have a question for the guys that refurbish and repair. I have a tsuba that has really nice details and is signed "Bushu ju Masafusa". With that being said I have noticed that there is a lot of gold detail hidden by what is probably crud from years of neglect. I dont want to try and scrape it off for fear of losing the gold detail but I can clearly see the film covering it. I have done the warm water and soft detergent but it remains. It appears to have taken over the tsuba and I would like to stop it as soon as I can. This is an older phot and doesnt fully show what has been uncovered just by light cleaning. I really dont want to damage it in the process.. Any help would be greatly appreciated Uploaded with ImageShack.us Steve M.

Evening all, I have read all the post a can say that being new to this is truly being new to something. All of you have been extremely helpful in you returns and I can say I am leaning a huge amount of information. You could say I am learning through the eyes of a child. I have a great mentor in swords and have met some good people and they are teaching me well. Since I have been looking at swords from a different perspective I guess I have learned enjoy the history behind the blades, having seen blisters, cracks, and some really wierd things involving blade care from varnish to grease, nothing suprises me. Keeping all that in mind and getting to the point I hope I never lose the desire to look at an entire sword for what it is, a persons desire to enhance their world through sweat and hard work. Each sword I have seen, especially the older ones have a story to tell, who made them, where they came from and possibly how they made their journey. I can find very few flaws in their work when they did so much with so little to enhance our lives and I believe most of the makers never knew their work would be held in such a high place in our lives. I guess what I am saying is what some consider flaws or faults I consider character and the story of the blade. This is my opinion of course. Thanks for all the information and enthusiasm, the website is the best and keep up the good work....... Steve M.

Brian, I agree with everything said, pics and etc... I have received some good advice from everyone on the board about pics and the direction to take the sword, most appreciated I promise. Hopefully I will see most of these people when the next shinsa is scheduled and posted or a sword show where we can meet and appreciate them in hand... Thanks again Steve M.

I agree 100%, this is an old sword and I have that first hand from a collector in my area that has placed hands on it and many other swords in his life time. This sword may have a couple of polishes left at best and should not be put through the vortex so to speak. I have contacted Mr. Benson and he feels he needs to see it in hand of course before rendering opinions. I will be making a decision soon enough but no more pics on this one, reinhard is having a rough time of it, I do appreciate the information on it for sure.... Steve M.

Morning guys, 100 more pics? It took that many to get four that I thought were good, I have a lot more camera time ahead of me I guess, I know there is no photo shop shinsa at this time, thank goodness but I thought they were good photos anyway... More to come later...... Steve M.