Geraint

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

Don't give up on it yet. Have a look at this. http://www.michaeldlong.com/Catalogue/S ... anese.aspx

Hi Brian. You have found your man. The sword will likely have a hamon, though not a good one, but it doesn't show due to the condition of the blade, it may be that someone has polished the surface, a different sort of polishing than the type you will hear about hear and one that masks all detail in the metal. I am guessing that you are in the US. You have found Richard Stein's site, have a look here http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/sites2.htm for relaible restoration services but be aware that to properly restore the sword will cost a lot of money and the sword will not repay that investment. However anyone offering cheap restoration will probably do more harm than good. It might be possible to have the hilt restored and leave the blade alone, in which case simply wipe the blade with a light oil to preserve it. In any event you have not paid too much for the sword and it might be the start of a fascinating hobby if you are interested enough to pursue it. I would reccomend lots of eye candy by looking at the swords for sale on the websites in the link above, you are in for a treat! All the best.

Hi Mark. Possibly "Yamashiro no kuni Nobusada" Heianjo 1532 Hawleys NOB 440? There is a shinto smith signing in a similar way, what is your judgement on the age of the blade? Cheers

Hi Allan and welcome! Regardless of the p[rospect of the little tanto being gimei or not it is still a nice little sword in what would usually be described as Higo style mounts. I would suggest that you carefully remove the sticky tape and the label from the saya, sometimes tape adhesive can leave a mark. I'm sure we would all enjoy seeing pictures of your other family treasures. Cheers

Hi Bruno. Funbari is a widening of the blade just above the machi. The result is not an even taper over the whole length of a blade but rather like the way that a tree widens towards the roots. In the same way it imparts a sense of strength to the blade. Any help? Cheers

Thank you both, Grey, that is pretty much the conclusion I came to as well, just wondering if I was missing some information. What a memory Peter, really useful though I'd rather not have seen it resting on bare stone. Thanks for that though I have to say the workmanship is clearly nothing other than Japanese so some of the more far fetched response are a bit off beam. . Thanks all.

Well, that's the question. From time to time work comes to light that is signed by a smith who has escaped the records, that is one possibility. I don't have very good resources for Shinshinto smiths and I believe this to be shinshinto; if that is the case then I was hoping someone could throw some light on it. Or, of course it might just be gimei, by which I mean a forged mei rather than an unknown one. If it is just gimei then it is the most casual fake; nothing about the blade suggest the age it would have to have. Perhaps just signed to make it more appealing to foreign buyers? I don't know, hence the request. The blade is in quite good polish though with some scuffs here and there so at the moment I can see no hada. The hamon is midare or notare, the habuchi is suite tight but has fine activity running through it, fine nie and some small sunagashi. It really doesn't matter what the outcome is but I am curious. To support my dodgy photographs I have done a rough oshigata, Nagasa 175mms, kasane 6.5mms, haba, 26ms. It has lost nothing to polishing at the machi and is ubu. What do you think?

Dear Ian, As someone who has benefited from your very generous hospitality on a visit to the Royal Armouries may I say that your approach was a breath of fresh air. I am sure that it in part has to do with your career as an educator. Following a tip from Roy I too attempted on several occasions to find a way to view the collection of Japanese items at Truro and was fobbed off until the day when I contacted a recently appointed curator who shared your approach Ian. I must say that she was interested and more than willing to encourage visits. Over the course of some years I managed two visits to study the items hands on and eventually the curator, Hazel Berryman, invited Roy and I to review the pieces and select some items for display. Sadly she moved to a different museum shortly afterward and the shutters came down at Truro. It was quite a shock to read a catalogue entry and then find that the corresponding item was a very cheap alternative to the one described, something which happened on several occasions. And just to drive home the point, the photograph of the backs of several kozuka include a purchase price written in ink. For the benefit of our younger members, 3/6 is three shillings and sixpence which equates to roughly 27cents US. Read 'em and weep guys! Geraint