Birdman

No opinions as to age or school?

Is it my imagination, or is that guy tight-rope walking on a telegraph wire? It certainly looks like it - you can even see the insulators at the ends of the pole cross-piece.

Just won this tsuba on Ebay. I thought it would go nicely with the "plum and plover" fuchi-kashira I bought from Ted Tenold, since the birds are of similar style: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... MEWNX%3AIT Any thoughts as to age and school?

Very interesting and informative article. Thanks! Also interesting that the tangs of the kogatana blades were bent slightly to make a "spring fit", rather than mostly being glued in with pitch (though someone mentioned to me that he had one that was glued).

I am curious about something: when these were made, were the 3-D elements (like the cormorants on mine) usually applied seperately, after the handle pieces were shaped and assembled, or were they carved out of the handle material itself? The handle on mine was apparently made in at least 3 pieces: the front piece with the decorations, with a "lip" bent down to form the mune edge of the kozuka; a piece for the back side, which is not perfectly flat but rather slightly convex towards the ha edge; and a "plug" for the closed end. The open end is shaped like the nakago-ana on a tsuba, just smaller.

Yes, I've seen the pictures. There are some superlative ones out there, but all of them, just like "investment quality" nihonto, are all way outside my means. I bought this one because I liked the design.

"Toys", like the copies of older tsuba that were made for the export market in the late 19th/early 20th century? Is there any practical way to distinguish one of the "export" kozuka from one that was perhaps lesser quality, but made for actual use as a sword accessory?

Well, like I said, I'm new to collecting. I bought it because I liked the cormorant design. Were there "schools" of kozuka makers, like there were of tsuba and sword makers? If so, can this one likely be attributed to one? Is the "Edo, 19th century" description likely accurate for this piece?

Well, the kozuka I bought on Ebay arrived today. I love it! I don't know if I overpaid for it or not ($160 + $15 shipping from the UK), but I really like bird themes (hence, the screen name, "Birdman"), especially hawks/eagles/falcons, and sea-birds. I believe these are cormorants. The kozuka seems to be a copper alloy with gilding applied. It was sold as 19th century Edo, though being new to collecting I don't know if there are any characteristics that would specifically identify it as such. Any opinions? Now, if I could only find a fuchi/kashira and tsuba to go with it...

Some Native American tribes, too, though I don't remember for certain which ones. Somewhere in the Southwest, is all I can remember.

Okay, I admit I bought my first nihonto on impulse, and neat as it is, it unfortunately turned out to be a dud . I suppose I should have expected as much for what I paid for it. Might have been OK, were it not for the tempering crack in the edge (which, I have read, are very common in Koto blades). So I'll just hang it on the wall and chalk it up to a lesson learned. I like wakizashi. Plain and simple. Tanto and katana are OK, but they are not where my interest lies. I also, unfortunately, have champagne taste and a beer (or maybe soda-pop) budget. I honestly can't afford a super high-end, museum-quality blade. However, I would like to own a genuine, fully functional (i.e. sharp) nihonto. When I say "fully functional", I don't mean that I plan to use an antique blade for tamegeshiri or iato, but I would like one that would be CAPABLE of being used for its indended original purpose. I do not (at least intentionally... ) buy non-functional wallhanger weapons, any more than I'd buy a full-scale (but non-functional) model of a Dodge Viper - what would be the point? So... I guess what I'm asking is, what can I reasonably expect to pay for a wakizashi, either in polish, or worthy of restoration? What should I look for? What should I LOOK OUT for? I really don't care if it's mumei, though it would be nice to at least know what school and time-period it came from. I'd prefer koto, but I guess it really doesn't matter as long as it's an honest-to-goodness, nihonto wakizashi of Edo period or earlier.

Ok, guys - I'm afraid I've got egg on my face (or maybe just seagull crap). I was looking at my sword today, and found something I had not noticed before: a very fine crack, hard to see unless the light hits it right, running deep into the yakiba. Not all the way to the edge, but deep enough that most of the hamon would be gone if the crack was removed. You're right, it isn't worth having a professional polisher put his time, and my money into it. However, I still think it's a neat old sword, and would like to make it at least presentable for display. Any suggestions on how to achieve this? And please, no snide comments about belt sanders. I at least want to put my own best effort into it. I'll chalk it up to a lesson learned.

Pun intended? :D

Yes, I noticed it has a good amount of "heft" to it. It feels very "solid", as it were. I've seen lots of original nihonto on the web that also had the hamachi moved up, but not the munemachi. Was this common, then? Why not move the munemachi as well? What was the general reasoning behind this? Or were there lots of different reasons? I know on my blade it was likely, as was mentioned, a result of either a repair or of lots of polishing.

To be honest, while well-made and polished nihonto are truly things of beauty, and wonderful works of art, and while I would like mine polished not only to restore its appearance, but also its functionality, I am far more interested in it as an artifact, rather than art. That is why I am trying to discover its age and origins: as in, "if this blade could talk, what stories could it tell? What was happening when it was newly forged?", that sort of thing. I collect antique guns for the same reason. As an example, I own a Smith & Wesson #2 .32 rimfire revolver. It's been refinished at some point, and the serial number on the cylinder does not match the rest of the gun, so much of its "collector value" is gone; however, it is mechanically functional and has a good bore, and the serial number places its manufacture in late 1864: near the end of the Civil War. Despite its lower value to a connoiseur, I value it as an artifact of a time of historic events. One day I will spend $50 and find out from S&W who it was originally sold to, and when, even if it was just to some New York hardware store. But that is primarily where my interest in old weapons of any sort comes from. By the way, the hada is visible, in part, especially right above the hamon. From what I can see (and obviously, it will show better with polishing), it appears to be masame, and the hamon appears to be notare.

Could this possibly be a lesser piece by Minamoto Kiyomara, or one of his students? It would be about the right period, and according to The Connoiseur's Book of Japanese Swords, he was partly known for shobu-zukuri ko-wakizashi. Might a lesser quality piece, even by a well-known smith, possibly be left unsigned when it was made and be put on the market? This ko-wakizashi, from about the same period, seems to be similar to mine (albeit in much better shape): http://www.aoi-art.com/sword/wakizashi/09214.html

I have already shown photos to Dave Hofhine, and he says it still has a chance. if the edge defects do not go past the hamon. I am on his waiting list for a foundation polish (about 23 months), and I'm pretty sure he will open a window to see if further polishing is warranted.

By "late Mino", does that also indicate "late Edo"? 1700's? 1800's? Can any useful clues as to age and origin be gained from looking at the nakago?

The website seems to be up again. I e-mailed him from the website a couple days ago but haven't gotten a reply yet.

Well, I've pretty much decided to have my blade polished and put in shirasaya, and worry about koshirae later. However, I still like the tsuba I bought and would like to find out more about it, in and of itself.

Hmmm... interesting article. So, probably depending on koshirae, my sword could be either a ko-wakizashi, or a sun-nobi tanto? I'm leaning towards wakizashi, based on the saya - it resembles more wakizashi saya that I have seen, rather than a tanto saya. As to the other part of my question: was there a particular period of time when shobu-zukuri wakizashi, with high shinogi and narrow mune, were particularly in vogue? Is it likely that it's Edo period, as it was sold as, or is it more likely earlier? BTW, though it will be easier to tell once it's polished, the hamon appears to be notare.

Well, I removed some of the rust where the habaki goes. The temper line ends about 1/2" from the hamachi. So I'm guessing it's probably not a nagamaki-naoshi, but probably made as a ko-wakizashi. Was there a time period during which wakizashi blades of this style (and size?) were "in vogue"? Or was this style in use over a rather long period of time?

Well, it arrived toay. It is quite small, so it's either for a tanto or a ko-wakizashi. I'm reading the mei as Masashige. Were there many tsuba makers by that name? Also, I'm reading the mei from the mune side of the nakago ana, to the ha side. I'm afraid I'm not having much luck getting good photos that show the mei (the ones on Ebay turned out better...)

Yes, the e-mail he sent me said that it may not have been very hard to begin with, or it might have lost some of its temper in a fire. Were all of them generally glass-hard, then? Or were there a few that weren't tempered that hard? For that matter, wouldn't the temper line be gone if it had been burned? It's still visible on my sword.

Tenold's email address is dead, and much of his website is down. There is a note on his site saying he is not taking any more polishing commissions. I'm going to hazard a guess that he's not taking more commissions at all at this time.