Geraint

Dear Tobias and Hoanh. Good place to start. The shape of the blade is a really important indicator but there is not one Koto shape, there are several and assuming that Koto hada is always coarse is risky to say the least. Great place to start is this article, http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/sugata/shape.htm After that it's time to hit the books. One of the most useful, to me at least, is an article written by Dr Compton and published in "100 Masterpieces From the Compton Collection." This would be a great book to buy as it also has very good illustrations of swords with detailed explanations which will help you put into your mind's eye what you are reading about. Almost all the basic texts have something similar. Have fun guys, the fun has just started! Cheers

Hi Grev. Late to the party and you may already have had enough but can I ask, has anyone asked about the other side of the tsuba? A picture might add something to the discussion. Cheers

Interesting question, Tobias. If you can get hold of a copy of a catalogue called, "The Beauty of Shinsakuto" you will see several swords whiuch are direst copies of famous swords where the smith has added multiple mukegi ana and horimono that run into the nakago because that is how the subject of their study exists today. Ken's response links directly to that. Kunihira Kawachi, in a joyous little book called "The Art of the Japanese Sword" says, "There are still extant Masamune blades. There are still extant Ichimonji blades. I must strive harder!" This neatly sums up why a modern tosho might attempt this as a means of refining his skills rather than any endeavor to deceive. But you narrow down your question to discount original horimono. Nagayama in "The Connoisseurs Book of Japanese Swords" has a section on attribution of the blade according to horimono while Nakahara is much moire circumspect commenting that all horimono are ato bori as all are done after the blade is completed. He relates a story about a friend who submitted a mumei katana for Juyo ranking several times with no success until he had a wide kaki nagashi bo hi cut into the blade wherupon it was awarded Juyo and attributed to Miike. Worrying on so many levels! Personal thoughts? Hi serve functional purposes but are also decorative, not to mention having religious significance that I think we take rather for granted. I could never forgive myself for adding any horimono just to make the blade look prettier, rather agreeing with Adam. On the other hand I have a koto naginata noashi which is marred by a pretty ugly kizu. I have to admit that I am tempted to have a horimono, just a very simple one you understand, cut to take care of the kizu. Perhaps I should have the carver add the information to the nakago to avoid all the future debate about whether the blade belongs to this or that school. You and I are probably going to get toasted for this, Tobias.

First off, swords worn in regain only when the prospect of action is not imminent, hence no need of the quick draw. We are talking of army and police units modeled on western counterparts which means that they would expect to be in uniform a lot of the time but only in combat rarely. Second, the practice of wearing a sword slung from the waist, again patterned after western models, means that the sword is swinging about and getting in the way for most of the time. Viz: "The novice always seems to hang the sword from the hook on the belt, but hangs it the same way it hangs from the straps - guard forward and drag to the rear. This gets in the way while walking, interferes with ladies dresses or other persons walking close by, hits the ground, is inconvenient when sitting down, and can bang on the steps or trip the wearer while going up or down ladders or stairs. The hook hanging from the left side of the belt at the top of the front sword strap is to carry the sword while not drawn from the scabbard (all branches). There is not a reference in the Naval Regulations or in Hardee's concerning carrying or hanging officers' swords. However, period naval and marine pictures show the accepted manner. The proper way to hang the sword when not in use is to seize the upper ring between the thumb and the fore finger of the left hand, back of the hand up, raising the scabbard, whilst turning the hilt toward the body, until it points to the rear; passing the ring over the hook attached to the waist-belt. It is obvious that elevating the sword and hanging it with the drag (point) forward was the desired result more than the guard to the rear. The left elbow can be slightly pressed against the body and forward of the properly hung sword guard while walking. This keeps the drag forward and resting slightly across the left leg and out of the way of feet and people in the rear. The left hand falls naturally on the scabbard to rotate the drag of the sword further up and forward out of the way when sitting down and going up and down stairs. See figures 1 through 3. This manner may be observed in period photos in The Image of War, Vols. I and III." From: http://www.navyandmarine.org/ondeck/1862swordmanual.htm Hope this makes sense,

Hi Tobias. I think its a matter of convenience. Many swords are provided with a regain hook, something to allow the wearer to carry the sword higher against the waist and often arranged as you describe. Certainly in Meiji and later uniform the sword would often be worn for general duties and not intended for ready use. A sword swinging from hangers is a bloomin' nuisance and it is much easier to go about daily life with it clipped higher and pointed saya forward. Hope this helps.

Jean. Kindle is an e book reader, nothing more.

Dear Henry. Hoanh is right, we need some pictures. In the mean time here are some thoughts. Fuller and Gregory (1996) describe machine made blades, "Generally mounted as 'issue' swords such as cavalry sabres and NCOs shin-gunto. Thinner flexible chromium plated versions are used for parade sabres which may also have a false, acid etched, yakiba, apparently offered as an extra cost option." I suspect that the answer to your original question as to why this was done is simply that the sword did not look right to Japanese eyes without a hamon. If your swords are gunto then it would suggest that they are machine made, or perhaps they are not acid etched hamon? It is a possibility that the treatment the swords have received since the war has created the impression that acid has been used, or indeed someone may have resorted to an etchant to bring life to an otherwise dull looking blade. Looking forward to some images. All the best.

Hi Peter. Had a thought that these might be scholar's paperweights and did a quick search to find this one. http://www.trocadero.com/stores/bamboo/ ... 44305.html Still not sure as they seem in contradiction to taste but who knows? All the best.

Wee can all dream, Henk Jan

Hi Scott. Congratulations on your first sword. It looks really nice. Have a look at the links section and get hold of the necessary materials to look after it. Look at it lots, in different lights and from different angles, learn to see all you can and start saving. This is a fascinating hobby and one that will keep you studying for a lifetime. The advice about not going to town on fittings is good. Later on find a sword with really nice koshirae and enjoy this one as it is. All the best.

Hi Tobias. As no one else has had a go I'll stick my head over the top. Judging by the size of the fuchi, 39mms, it is suitable for a katana but without the sleeves these are a quite slim set and might have looked a little out of place on a long tsuka. Summary; for aesthetic reasons. What do you think?

Dear Jean. For what it is worth here is an image of inlayed clouds on a teppo barrel which looks like one of the sukashi on your third tsuba. All the best

Hi Alex. Looks like a talented guy from the work I have seen. It will be interesting to see what the fittings look like after the passage of time. If the patination holds up well then work of this quality is going to cause us all problems a year or two down the line. Another phase in tosogu history? "In the late 20th and early 21st centuries demand for fittings by western sword collectors was such that Chinese craftsman began to produce the group of fittings that we now know as Neo Namban. For the contemporary collector stylistic differences are the only clue to the origin of these pieces and it is supposed that many pieces in collections around the world are wrongly attributed to Japanese craftsmen whereas in fact they should be ascribed to this school." Cheers

Hi Joe. I see the auction has ended so you have not bought it? From the images it looks to be a civilian mounted wakizashi, why it is called an officers sword I have no idea. Nothing exciting about the mounts but the fuchi looks odd to me. Moreover the lack of detailed images of the blade would bother me. I worry about the patch of staining just at the end of the grooves and the curvature looks a little strange at about the same point. If you have bought it then I would love to see some detailed images of the blade. All the best.

Hi Ray. Always been interested in this school. Here is one, http://www.silk-road.us/kazumits1.html And if I can find the catalogue one came up for sale a while ago. I agree with you it's really nice. All the best.

Hi Kelly. May be too late but here is some information. Fuller and Gregory 1996 describe the sword as a scarce 1875 pattern Army Field Officers grade, (Major, Lt-Colonel, Colonel) identified by the fully decorated backstrap. They go on to say," Quality varies according to owners' financial means and choice. The most common option was the addition of the owners' personal mon, (family badge) which is normally in the form of a small silver disc fixed to the backstrap. Alternatively one may be engraved directly on the backstrap or pommel top." Cheers

Hi, Here are a couple from "Art and the Sword", Vol VII, well worth getting hold off if you do not have them. All the best.

Hi Kelly. Given the length of the blade it is a wakizashi a suggested. Three holes in the tang usually indicates at least three mounts in it's life so implies some age. It is possible that the sword was originally quite a bit longer and has been shortened. It has a niju habaki, two pieces, which is interesting. If it were mine I would certainly speak to some knowledgeable collectors who could advise on the condition of the blade but it looks to be worth a polish. This MUST be something you approach carefully and be prepared to spend some money on it. Cheap polishes ruin good blades. Its a nice thing. Cheers

Mind you, at 80 cms that would have to be quite a sword!

If I am seeing things aright the latest tsuba posted has pins/rivets through the plates at thee seppadai to secure them. \Someone asked about the reason for sanmai construction and seeing this reminds me of some tachi tsuba that I have seen. I am wondering if the sanmai construction perhaps came about as tsuba craftsman produced early uchigatana stuba in the way in which they were used to creating tachi tsuba, ie a main plate and two o-seppa. Any thought on that anyone.............anyone?

Ahh, well at least I don't feel like a complete idiot, parts of me are missing. I must have had a senior moment, saw the black saya and same and went for it. Roy is of course right the hilt mounts and the ashi are shingunto. I must apologise to Jim who by now may be more confused than he was when he started. At least we all agree on rustless steel for the blade. Sorry for the confusion, I will just go and regrind my contact lenses..............

Sorry Martin, our posts are crossing. A fukurin is a separate metal rim cover in this context. It would overlap the edges of the three plates, concealing the fact that it was constructed from a number of pieces and also securing the pieces for use.

Can you see if the tsuba in the photgraph on the paper is the same as the one on the sword now? Probably is in which case I guess that the paper refers to the whole koshirae as being of merit whereas, as Ford says, the tsuba may have little merit on it's own. However the article I refereed to does say that sanmai tsuba have papered so perhaps this is a case of the paper confirming the age of a piece but not making the same sort of aesthetic judgement that Ford is making. More pictures of the koshirae please!

Welcome Jim. (Please always sign your posts with your name as per board rules.) What you have is a Japanese naval sword of a type known as a kai gunto. The blade is probably made from rustless steel judging by the almost pristine nature of the nakago, (Tang). The painted signature looks like a mark to do with assembly of the completed dsword, quite common on swords that are signed as well but in this case I think not a signature. This sword would not have had precious stones associated with it's mount in any way. Perhaps they were in a bag along with the sword? From the point of view of most collectors this would not be regarded as a true Japanese sword though it would have some interest to military sword collectors. As this is a naval sword and apparently different to the other one that you mention I am sure we would all like to see pictures of that one as well? Cheers

Martin. You have of course looked at the article on sanmai tsuba on Richard Stein's site? Judging by the mimi of yours I would say it fits this category, perhaps originally having a fukurin. Cheers