Ian B3HR2UH

Keep doing what you are doing thanks Yas . Ian Brooks

It is signed Yasuhiro . I have a piece with an elaborate dragon lacquered on the saya which also has a snapped off tang . My impression has always been that these were put together for the tourist trade . Ian Brooks

Hi Dale , it is in the catalogue of an exhibition held at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery in 1964 entitled Arms and Armour of Ancient Japan . Robert Haynes was one of those who put the exhibition together. Ian Brooks

Hello Jussi , I can only echo Barry's sentiments . This is a herculean effort which will be of huge benefit to all collectors . Many many thanks . Ian Brooks

Hi Ron, I hope the attached piece will give you cause for optimism . It is described as Shodai and is from Aito Volume 293 . Regards Ian Brooks

No need to post any more photos . It is signed Inoue Shinkai and is dated on the other side . This will almost certainly be gimei . Ian Brooks

David that is really unusual ( and nice ). Could you tell us what the blade is like ? Ian Brooks

Hi Steve , I thought that the writing looked very 'amateurish' and wondered if a non Japanese hand was at work . Any thoughts on this ? Ian Brooks

I think Doug at Gunto Art swords would be horrified to be associated with rubbish like this . The vendor of the other two swords seems to be a dodgy English dealer . Does it not strike anyone as really odd that the same non specialist dealer has turned up two of these monstrosities ! Ian Brooks

Keep persisting Hamish , I agree with all that Jussi has said. It is easy to transact although the postage for books is expensive ( it is expensive from the US too ). I use what they call surface mail which is cheaper but takes about 40 to 60 days to get to Australia. The stuff is always well packed . Ian Brooks

This is great thanks Jussi. It has answered a couple of questions that I had . I have a book Kokuho 8 that was published in 1984 ( my copy is I think a 1990 reprint) . This also lists 122 Kokuho swords . Does this mean that no new Kokuho have been designated since 1990 ? Ian Brooks

Having a piece mounted as you describe Steve ( nanako with mons etc ) I too would love to know when that regulation came into effect . I have the auction catalogue from 1928 when the Shimazu daimyo sold a lot of their swords . Virtually all of the Katana have a kogai . Only one side of the sword is shown so you cannot see if there is a kodzuka as well . I wonder if having a kogai in a katana was a status thing . Ian Brooks

Does anyone have any idea what the bottom right hand mon is ? Clouds passing in front of the sun or the moon ? Ian Brooks

That it a nice looking sword Neil . I have difficulty seeing Kanetsuna there and if I had to guess might say Kaneyoshi . Why don't you put it up on the translation page and see what others think . Ian Brooks

Hi Jussi , i have those magazines and will drop you a PM . A great project . Regards Ian Brooks

It screams wartime blade to me Ian Brooks

I don't think that this has got a hope in hell of being genuine . Years ago I saw a similar piece with a crude horimono , engraved cutting test and Kotetsu mei . I am certain that that piece was a showa fake . I would take yours to someone who knows what they are talking about for an opinion before wasting money on shinsa. Ian Brooks

Hi Leon , I like that your sword comes with the old paperwork . B W Robinson wrote some reminiscences for the JSSUS Newsletter years ago . He told a story about Capt. Reid-Collins going to an American ordinance depot during the occupation . There was a pile of about 1000 swords there , asking if he could have one he was told take fifty if you like . He drove to Tokyo and bought Inami Hakusui ( the author of The Japanese Sword ) back with him . Inami selected the fifty best ones . Reid -Collins bought them back to England and later sold them to Craig and Festing for ten pounds each . Robinson recalls that they included a superb slim Nagamitsu labelled meito by Inami , a splendid Rai Kunitoshi , an early Gassan , a fine Kotetsu, and many others .I wonder if your sword is one of the Reid -Collins pieces? Ian Brooks

The handle ,or parts of it , have almost certainly been added Barry .Perhaps the original tsuka is lurking underneath the crap binding and " kashira " I think someone referred to these as bubba jobs . Ian Brooks

These are fantastic Dick . I particularly like that first kozuka panel, it is outstanding . Do you have other treasures like this to show us ? Ian Brooks

Perhaps you should cut down on your consumption Tom Ian Brooks

Your Tsuba is on upside down ! Ian Brooks

For once I kind of find myself agreeing with Adam . This piece is stuffed as is and the rust is like a cancer that will keep getting worse . I don;t advocate that anyone does home polishes but something has to be done about the active red rust . For me oiling it is only going to delay the problem . Ian Brooks

Further photos attached

Does anyone have a sword with a Buka Island tag on it? Buka Island is at the northern tip of Bouganville . At the end of the war the northern part of Bouganville and Buka island were garrisoned by the 87th Naval Garrison unit commanded by Captain Kato . The 32nd Navy pioneers and the 211 Navy pioneers had been combined into this unit . It was said that it consisted of civilians with Naval regulars as NCO's and officers .The units strength was said to be 1000 Naval troops and 2000 civilians. Following the surrender officers from the Australian 2 Corps HQ visited Buka on an inspection tour.. There is a series of photographs at the Australian War Memorial taken at this time showing surrendered swords arrayed alongside a grass hut with Japanese troops looking for their swords to affix the tags to . The photos were taken on the 19th of September 1945 .The swords were later taken to 2 Corps HQ where they were distributed . The tags are all relatively similar . They are on a piece of wood about 9cm by 2.8 cm. On one side written in Japanese is the officers name branch of service and rank . On the reverse in English is a space for a number to be inserted and an English translation of the information on the other side . The number is filled in in a different pencil and is sometimes absent . The translated names are written western style with the forename and then the surname ,as i have done . Over the years I have made a note of these swords when I have come across them. In numerical order these are No 4 Staff Surgeon Takahashi Shin gunto , showa blade No 3837 Sub officer Takashi Hisamatsu Shingunto showa blade No 83 Surgeon Hideo Okamura . Katana style mounts, blade by Hizen Kanehiro with a huge bullet scar on it No 147 Surgeon ( I didn't note the name ) Tachi mount with shakudo nanako fittings with gold clove ( ? ) design . Mumei grooved suriage blade . A fine piece . No 161 1st Lieutenant Akina Saka . Naval kyugurto with mumei suriage shinto blade . This sword was once owned by Field Marshal Sir Thomas Blamey. No 179 Chief technical warrant officer Kenzo Obe , gunto style mount with mumei old blade No 189 Commander Shiro Suzuki . Shingunto with a gendai blade by Oshu Masatomo. No 227 1st warrant officer ambulance Kichitaro Ogawa. Old blade in saya no other mounts No number Captain Masahira Ikeda . Kaigunto mount . Blade signed Kaneuji and dated 1331 . A showa fake . The mounts all have the name Ikeda scratched on them No number (split tag ) Ist Lieutenant Seiji Okamoto . Kai gunto ,old mumei blade No number equipment 1st warrant officer Matao Amida , Katana style mount with old mumei blade No tag or Number Paymaster Lt Commander Shimao Suzuki ,tanto in shirasaya blade by Hosokawa Masamori .Details written on the Shirasaya . Nice piece It is interesting just how many of what were apparently naval troops were carrying shingunto . Ian Brooks