Geraint

Dear Jack. I think Marcin is essentially correct. As you observe most menuki have a rectangular post with four supports at each face which is silver soldered into the menuki, as distinct from brazing. I have never noted any signs of brazing but sometimes it is possible to see that the silver solder has spread around the back of the menuki. You will see variations, some round posts and sometimes a star formed support in place of the four rectangles. The back of the menuki should be slightly radiused so that they fit well against the rounded tsuka and often you will find a depression in the same to seat the post which should protrude beyond the radiused back, the post sitting in the depression helps to prevent the menuki moving out of place under the ito and supports the often thin metal of the menuki itself. Quite often you will see menuki which have been filled with a composition to provide additional support. Given the process of forming menuki, uchidashi, then it follows that the supports cannot be fitted until virtually the end of the making process, before patination. Menuki of very thin metal, often poorly trimmed and with one or more very thin posts rather like a pin are later pressings made in large quantities at the end of the Meiji period and into the 20th century. Hope that helps. All the best.

Dear All. Just to add a little to the theme, search for 'Hirata Donin' and more results will emerge which very much affirm the idea that this tsuba is not from that school. In particular there is a reference on an earlier NMB thread by Guido to this link, https://archive.org/details/cu31924023433349/page/n139/mode/2up Turn to page 102 for the school. Still interested to see where we go with any attribution for Jake's tsuba. All the best.

Dear James. You have posted images of two swords, does the signature relate to the one in the metal scabbard/saya? If so then there appears to be a small stamp above the signature which confirms that it is a WWII blade, as Ray has already suggested. The other sword with the leather covered scabbard/saya and the pierced guard/tsuba is perhaps rather different, do you have an image of the tang/nakago for that one? All the best.

Dear Nathaniel. I believe this is Echizen no kami Nobuyoshi,(but I had to turn the picture the right way up to read!) All the best.

Dear Alex. Just to complete the tale Kevin who used to run Ryujin Swords stepped back from the business a year or two back. It was a shame as his website was very useful. All the best.

Dear Alex. There are some few spots near the mimi where losses would indicate nunome zogan, is Kaga not known for honzogan? All the best.

Dear Mark. Good start, 'Bizen Kuni (no)ju Osafune'. That would be followed usually by the smith's name. Without seeing the whole of the nakago we can't add much but the ridge you note is almost certainly paret of the process of adjusting the nakago during the shortening process. The mei is quite distinctively cut so you just might find a match, it will take a bit of looking though. Of course we want to see more of the sword. All the best.

Dear Carlo. I do not think you will find a clearly defined nioi guchi on this blade, on some there is a clearly defined and uniform line which is consistent throughout the length of the blade. Your blade has a great deal of nie and associated activity and so might be described as a nie rich and diffuse habuchi. In other words the limit of the hamon is comprised of nie activities spreading up into the face of the blade so that there is no distinct boundary between the ha and the body of the blade. Hope this helps. All the best.

Dear All. As far as I can tell I have only heard the term naoshi used when the blade in question has had to be reshaped, not the nakago. As yari mounted as tanto do not need the blade to be reshaped then the term would not apply. I am also puzzled by those examples where the kerakubi would need to have been reshaped quite drastically as I have seen numerous examples where the kerakubi is untouched. Always something new! All the best.

Dear Mark. Please forgive me if I'm stating the obvious but all to often a single description is not adequate, especially as you are conflating the shape of the return, the outline of the boshi and a description of the activity within the boshi. Typically Japanese descriptions are more nuanced and one for this might say something like, ' ko nie dominant choji continues beyond the yokote in midare komi where the boshi is o maru and brushed with nie'. You will have to fill in the description of the kaeri. It is sometimes possible to see a particular boshi and use that to move towards an attribution, sansaku boshi springs to mind, but all too often a simple classification just won't do. It's best to describe what you see rather than seek to assign a specific categorisation to it. Hope this helps a little. All the best.

Dear Deanna. Good idea to point this out. Looking forward to seeing the Yoshinao when it arrives. All the best.

Dear Grev. Memory still OK, Ford does have a video about something similar but in that case the nunome zogan iron plates replaced the same beneath the ito. The example that John has seems to have distinct iron strips almost like elongated menuki. It's a first for me but thanks for sharing it John. Ford's video here, All the best.

Dear John. Thank you for sharing some more photographs, really lovely thing. For what it is worth I do not see this as a repurposed yari. It is a relatively simple thing to shorten a yari nakago and mount it as a tanto without reshaping the kerakubi. The way the hamon runs here, the association with a temple, both suggest that this was made as a ken and therefore, I think more desirable. I have seen that form of nakago once before on a ken though I cannot for the moment remember where, I'll keep looking. All the best.

Dear David. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but your sword is a Chinese reproduction. The damascus pattern of the blade, the shape f the habaKI and the incorrect wrapping of the hilt are all indicators If you would like some more information then have a look at this section of the forum. https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/forum/142-fake-Japanese-swords/ All the best.

Dear Chansen. Pace Jean's comments, this koshirae was not designed to have ito and is complete as is. While the mountings are not great it is an acceptable koshirae. All the best. (By the way, have you come across this site? https://bushidojapaneseswords.com/ I see it is on an update but well worth keeping an eye on.}