Geraint

Hi Jan. Nice blade! From limited experience these, when signed, usually have the mei quite far up the nakago so would not be lost unless considerably shortened for us in a wakizashi mount for example. The sugata looks good as do the hi which leads me to think that it is much better than most naginata. If you have either of Knutsen's books they might help but for a similar one have a look at this. http://collectorsloot.homestead.com/polearms.html Leads me to a late koto conclusion but I am sure others will jump in. Cheers

Hi Janusz, I must say I really like the look of the whole koshirae for the first sword, any chance of some more pictures? All the best

And nothing to connect it with Shibayama, strange choice of description.

Ah well, if you ever make it over here come and have a chat, with a Cornish father we are practically related.

Hi Dimitri. I think I see the sekigane across the bottom of the nakago ana, correct? (And perhaps also at the very top?) Don't be discouraged, you bought a kinko tsuba to mount on your sword and from the images it certainly looks good on it. The fact that it is perhaps not a masterpiece means that you can afford to buy it and mount it without fear of damaging it, if I had seen it I would have been tempted too. Don't even think of it as a mistake, everyone here will always suggest learning before you buy anything but most of us are giving that advice somewhat ruefully as we wish we had heard it. For myself my interest started, and first purchases were all made, well before I had a chance to study anything. Hard to believe but pre internet even meeting someone who knew anything about Japanese swords was hard and there were only two books that I could find, Sword and Same and The Arts of The Japanese Sword by Robinson. Both books show the signs of hard use but there was a limit to what I could learn from them and so I learned a lot more by buying the odd piece when I could and studying it. From the looks of it you have done well from the images you have posted here. Have a good look at the surface of the tsuba with a hand lens, it should be clear whether any marks are worked rather than casting flaws. Above all else enjoy. Cheers.

And everyone is going to want pictures of the blade in more detail......... Cheers

Hi Dimitri. Can I suggest that whatever you do you hang on to the tsuba that came with your sword when you bought it. (I haven't checked back to see what it looked like). I appreciate your desire to find a "matching" tsuba and the one you have found does look good. However after a little more time you may come to prefer the one that came with the sword. Sometimes tsuba have been swopped before we ever get to see a sword and sometimes the tsuba is the choice of the person who owned or mounted the sword. My advice for what it is worth is to keep your options open with both tsuba at lest for a time. By the by, koshirae with fittings that are all of the same material are sometimes called issaku koshirae. Have fun.

Hi Brian. The signature appears to be Kunihiro, I seem to remember another one with the same signature recently on the board so have a look around. Usually the face with the signature is towards the hilt, (tsuka) and the kogai hitsu, is to the left as in your image. Your other thread asking about menuki, may I suggest that before you do anything you post some pictures here. It would be a shame in my opinion to strip off the ito from your sword just to clean up the menuki unless it was really necessary. I have a sword with damaged ito and nice menuki which I have resisted the urge to tamper with. Your sword might be better served by leaving it as is but many knowledgeable friends here can advise you on that once they see images. All the best.

Hi Jasper, Great find, I envy you. On the subject of the kabuto, from the pictures the plates appear to have some thickness, though this could be built up with lacquer. A similar helmet that I have has some weight to it and I wonder if perhaps this is a nerikawa kabuto? The magnet test might be in order. Enjoy.

Hi Luis. Well already you have narrowed the dates down quite significantly, only first generation Shigetaka and second generation signed with the Harima daijo title, hence the comment from John. I am particularly interested as I have looked at their work and would love to see pictures of your blade. Especially as there seems to be a narrow shinogi running very close to the ha on the signed side of the nakago. Is the blade an unusual shape? Worth getting a copy of "Cutting Edge: Japanese Swords in the British Museum" By Victor Harris as there are three blades by Shigetaka illustrated well. For what it is worth, which is not a great deal, the signature seems to have a characteristic upward flick on the left hand side of horizontal strokes, something which I have noted in second generation signatures. Once again pictures of the blade may help more knowledgeable viewers assign a period and hence a generation. Good hunting and please share what you find.

Oh, and by the way the link you provide should help you with the translation of the other side.......

Hi Jussi and (No name). Pictures of the whole sword would help but just because it is in army koshirae it does not follow that the blade cannot be older. I am puzzled that finding an identical signature on an NBTHK origami would lead you to think the sword is gimei, for most of us that would lead to the opposite conclusion; a genuine signature on a blade which was later mounted for military wear. The condition of the nakago would support this though, as I say, more pictures would help. Well done for the translation, it is a nice feeling when you get one right.

Dear Ed, I am sure you have already checked this one out but just to say that it conforms exactly to the description and illustration of the senior officials dirk in Fuller and Gregory, "Japanese Military and Civil Swords and Dirks". The only slight difference is that they describe is as having a gilt hilt fitting decorated with a phoenix and raised cross. They report that only a few examples have been encountered so rate it as rare. Introduction dates are given as either 1886 or 1902. Like Ian I came across a dagger once that had a tortoiseshell grip with three flowers on a brass plate, the type identified by Fuller and Gregory in their earlier work as a Chinese nationalist dirk. Nearly bought it, something about the quality put me off even then. Nice find>

A long time ago I said I would add images of the koshirae, sorry for the delay. Fuchi, kashira and menuki are a set, shakudo nanako with armoured samurai in boats on water, gold foiled tachi habaki, gold foiled seppa and a single shakudo o-seppa. Simple ishime black roiro says and a rather nice wiasted tsuka. All on a shinshinto blade papered to Inshu Kanesaki. Sorry about the photographs.

Check out this site. http://www.guntoartswords.com/ And before anyone else gets around to it, protocol is to sign your posts............... Cheers

Hi Kim, Just to clear this bit up;"there are 4 smiths or more showing up with the name Hizen Kuni Tadahiro, cant find any with Hizen no Kuni Tadahiro

Lovely sword Laurent, enjoy it! Thank you for sharing the pictures with us.

Hi, It seems so far that what you have found is a Showato, ie a Japanese sword made during the Showa period so probably for WWII. Someone has remounted it to make it look more like a "Samurai sword", one clue being that the handle wrap all goes from right to left in the picture whereas a Japanese wrap would alternate, left-right, right-left. First sword? Start of something big? Many collectors have started with a chance encounter and gone on to be dedicated enthusiasts. All the best

Hi Mark. Second attempt at a reply, not sure what I did to the first one. You are certainly diving into this hobby/study, good for you. I suspect that the reason you have had few replies is that you have posed too many questions and without pictures there is a problem finding where to start. Hope some of this helps. There are some sixty odd smiths listed in Hawley who signed Munetsugu so pinning yours down may take a bit of effort. Koyama Munetsugu is as you say a big name, one of the biggest in the shinshinto era. Search the forum and I am sure you will come across him, especially the story about the naginata by him discovered in a Cornish barn not far from here...... (Can you hear the slight tone of envy?) This Munetsugu is usually associated with the Bizen tradition, not the Hizen which is very different, though like many smiths he was able to work in a variety of styles. There are several Hizen Munetsugu smiths, some working into the shinshinto. My library is far from complete but there is a smith listed in Hawley, MUN34 who signed Mikasa sanroku ju Sanjo Kokaji Munechika. Food for thought, not a million miles away from the auction house translation. Whatever the outcome when you get the sword some photos would be great and might well help other members give you the information you are looking for. Of course the date you give might only refer to the sayagaki....? In which case once again pictures will tell much. Looking forward to seeing the sword. All the best

Love it! Thanks for the pictures Peter, enjoy.

Dear Peter, Any chance of some pictures of the blade, the sugata looks very elegant and I love naginata. Cheers

Hi C Lewis. The hallmarks were introduced during the Meiji period but apparently from 1928 a mark indicating content was required so I suppose your piece is pre 1928. I don't think your Google and Yahoo searches contradict each other, the mark is an indicator of "pure"silver in that it specifies a minimum silver content, usually .925. Sterling silver is an English hallmark ranking for at least .925 silver with other metals allowed to add hardness to the silver, Britannia silver has .950 silver and is more rarely used. The marks from 1928 seem to refer to .950 as the Japanese standard. Hope this helps.

Thank you Curtis, A great little video and a new site for me too. In my opinion anyone who does not want to see their pupils surpass them shouldn't be in teaching. But I don't want to hijack the thread. Thanks again.

Glad you like it, if I get a chance I will do my best to photograph the complete koshirae. Geraint

Hi Ford, Great to hear from you. Can't believe that Kyle is 19 though Miriam is a Mum herself now. Anyway, back to tsuba... Thanks for your wisdom, if it is a Bakumatsu piece that would account for me not having come across it's like all these years and would also fit well with the rest of the koshirae which would seem to date from the blade's production date; 1864 according to the papers. You might even remember the sword, strong koshzsori and o kissaki with a waisted tsuka. Yes, I still look longingly at the Tomotsune tsuba from time to time, fancy you remembering that. Always thrilled to see your work, you remind me of a poem which I will try to track down for you. All the best.