Geraint

And just to pour oil on troubled waters or fat on the fire, Red Cross Catalogue, number 884. "Sano. The founder, Naoyoshi, was a Yanagawa pupil, the following pieces however have been selected to show the style of sumizogan on gold under nanako which originated with that school. (884 being illustrated).......the nanako being punched all over the surface after inlaying the gold." That nanako is capable of being carried out over an inlayed surface is not a problem, the key or undercutting of the inlay being deeper than the nanako. Weather this is the technique applied to the kodzuka that started the discussion is a moot point. Some years ago Ford showed me a small piece of nunome zogan that was so fine it resembled morning mist so I suppose the idea of punching foil over a shakudo base is possible but certainly the hard way to do the job. I really must get a hobby, no, wait this is a hobby!

For what it's worth, "Among the many Yanagawa offshoots the most famous are the Sano (inlay covered with nanako giving the effect of brocade." Robinson.

Franco, Lee. Try the link I gave, go to full screen on the kodzuka and zoom in. I think you will see the irregularity you are looking for. Given fine nanako you would achieve the same effect as a low resolution digital image. I have seen it referred to as an attempt to create the impression of brocade as Ian says. Logical way to do it would be inlay first, honzogan I suspect and then nanako. The tsuba I was thinking of is in Robinson, "Arts of the Japanese Sword", plate 4. A tsuba with an inlaid butterfly given this treatment, signed, Wada Isshin Masatatsu according to the caption.

And without you guys and the NMB how many of us would have made the same mistake, only to discover much later that we had been fooled. Discovery learning is a powerful tool, but for those of us who have learned from this thread, a big Thank You! That goes for those who answered the questions and those who asked.

Hi Ron. Nice kodzuka and a technique that does crop up from time to time. Have a look at the ground on the kodzuka on this one; http://www.garthvincent.com/antique/837 ... ed+tanto+/ I have a feeling that I have seen a tsuba with a similar technique in the collection of the V and A museum, I'll see if I can find it.

Great results Matt, I would never have thought it possible. Just an idea, rather than emery paper have you tried a fibreglass pen? Roy swears by it. Principle being that it gets at the rust but not the base metal.

Hi Sam. Would love to see some pictures of the sword, always interested in Inshu Kanesaki swords. All the best.

Hi Joe. Interesting question. At the simplest level it depends if you own Kanabo sword or not. Non owners will subscribe to the accepted judgement which is that they were made in a period when there was a sense of urgency about making swords and are therefore not the finest; comments about coarse hada and the sugata evidence this. Owners will more likely describe them as undervalued and point out the virtues of a sword appreciated by the Samurai for their cutting ability and battle worthiness. You will have done the search and found out the history of the school and you will probably have noticed that there are a number for sale, some at quite steep prices. The bigger question is how you want to collect. As a practitioner of sword arts you might well feel that swords valued by Samurai as good weapons have an interest for you, in which case swords which are described as functional rather than artistic will appeal; Kanabo and Takada blades for example. There will be those who will advise against this because there is another view which is that you should aspire to the best and these schools are not it. There are several articles about how people collect relevant section of the board, However I have to admit that I have seen several Kanabo blades that I would be very happy to have owned, if you like one then buy it. Have fun!

Here you go. Mine has quite an active hamon underneath the hadori, midare based on suguha might describe it. Hope this is of interest.

Hi Brian. For what it's worth I like the sword, probably because I have one like it. Hawley only lists one smith signing this way and gives a typical date of 1503 while this link, http://www.sho-shin.com/sanyo19.htm should take you to a lineage which has him working typically around 1501. I don't think it matters who owned the sword rather what matters is the smith who forged it and the sword itself. If I get a chance I will do some images of mine and the NTHK paper with it for comparison for you. Enjoy.

Hi Grev. I see no one has embarked on a reply so from my limited knowledge here goes. First, none of the tsuba are anything other than what they seem, Japanese and none as far as I can see are cast so you have genuine tsuba. There are quite a lot of tsuba around which are fine for mounting on a sword, which after all is what they were intended for, but perhaps not collectable in their own right. The condition is far from perfect, some better than others. For what it's worth here are my thoughts; 1 Wakizashi size? The horse looks rather nice and although we only have one face to go on this would look good with a little care and time. 2 Not a great deal to say here, is this the more interesting face? Again it's had a hard life and may look bettre after some TLC. 3 The carving of the tree is nice, not sure what the floral bit in soft metal is. 4 A pleasant tsuba of a fairly common theme, the work seems quite good. 5 I am assuming that this is a copper alloy and from the colour perhaps nigurome or yamagane. This appears to be quite early, ko kinko. Try exposing this to sunlight for a bit and see if the patina comes back. Whatever you do resist the urge to clean it. 6 Nice tsuba, a little TLC needed her too. 7 Another interesting tsuba, I don't think it is high quality but it suggests Higo influence to me. 8 Mountains and stream, not sure what school if any but of a type commonly found, great for mounting. (Which, by the way is collector speak for genuine but of little interest) 9 I don't know, it's Japanese but what it is escapes me. 10 Kinko and tired. A gentle clean with warm water and soap may get what looks like Brasso out of the engraved leaves and then expose to sunlight which may repatinate the shakudo bull. 11Your favorite and why not? Unusual design and signed. If nothing else these thoughts may give the far more knowledgeable collectors on the board something to shot at so in the midst of that you may get some information. Bit like your last question really. All the best.

Hi Timothy. Two hours, six swords? Are you nearly there yet? Cheers.

Hi Steve and welcome. Your tsuba is almost certainly a cast iron one, probably late 19th early 20th century. I say this because it is remarkably like one I had on a sword and because the roundness around the piercings plus the slightly fudged detail makes it a pretty safe bet. Cast iron tsuba are not intended for use, as you probably know it's usually a brittle material, not good for a sword guard. This is therefore a late reproduction used to dress a blade up. Would love to see photos of the rest of the sword, just because this piece is not good it doesn't mean the rest is not.

Well that's about as wide a range as you can get, isn't it. (Koto - gendaito) From what the images show: The nakago looks ubu and the machi are clearly defined. You don't mention the nagasa but it looks to be a good length, not too much sori and an extended kissaki. The condition of the nakago is very hard to tell from these images but if ubu with a single mekugi ana then this implies not too much age. Standard thinking would suggest the large kissaki leads us to Shinshinto in combination with the other features. Other far more knowledgeable may see different indicators and arrive at different conclusions and don't forget that the later Gassan smiths are noted for their ability to work in many traditions so some of the normal pointers may not apply. Enjoy!

Hi Justin. This link references what I thought to be the case which is that only the later, Shinshimto and Showa Gassan smiths are known by name and that a large number of Gassan blades are essentially anonymous in the sense that we know almost nothing about individual smiths within the school. http://www.nihonto.ca/ko-gassan/ What does the shape of the blade suggest as to period? Whatever the outcome you must be pleased with the sword!

Compare with this one? http://www.owazamono.com/TB-026.html#grid

Hi Max. Can't add to the debate on the signature but I can say that the mounts are better than average and it's a nice looking thing. Curious about the shape of the nakago/tang. Cheers

Hi Peter. Nice find. I recalled seeing something about Kaifu smiths signing on the blade in this way and a search brought up this one, http://www.aoi-art.com/sword/tanto/11179.html You will see in the accompanying description by Tsuruta San that two smiths at least signed on the blade. Hope this helps. All the best

Hi Jag, welcome. In addition to your research may I suggest that you consider joining the Token Society of Great Britain, perhaps even more useful for you the Northern Token Society. http://www.northerntokensociety.org.uk/NTKS/News.html Great bunch of guys who will be more than welcoming and give you a chance to get to see swords in the company of knowledgeable and welcoming collectors. Many of them will have dealt with Tsuruta san and will tell you that he is good news. They will also be able to advise you about the pitfalls of importing swords. There are some recent changes to the law but having membership of either or both of these two societies will ensure that you have proof of an academic interest and hence are allowed to import. Antique items are allowed a reduced duty, all you have to do is prove it. Again, members of the society will be able to give you great advice on this. Enjoy!

Hi Bob. I think that is a really nice find! Matt has said pretty much all you asked. The condition of the blade is all important and from the section that you show it looks fairly good, just a little light oil will preserve it, don't try anything else please. Would it be possible to show images of the whole blade, out of the mounts? And if you can get a picture of the hamon in the tip (boshi) that would be great. For a first sword this is a great start, you may now be at the beginning of a truly exciting journey if you have been bitten by the bug. Welcome. All the best.

And then when you have put your eyeballs back in their sockets remember that this is for a blade in Japanese polish and with authentication papers. However you will have judged that we are quite excited about this sword so please handle with extreme care. There is a lot of expertise here who can advise you on the appropriate craftsmen to carry out any work you plan to have done on the sword and if it comes to it the business of getting it authenticated in Japan. Think of it as having found a Canalettto oil painting in your Dad's den, this too is a work of art and if genuine is an important thing. (And this comment may spark off a whole debate about the relative merits of Canaletto and the smith who made your blade.) Enjoy the learning curve! Cheers

Hi Pat. Franco has pretty much covered everything. All I can add is that the style of fittings are usually associated with Higo province, the two piece habaki is a very good fit and so is unlikely to have had a silver or gold foil jacket; I would expect some looseness between the pieces if it had one. Having said that I have one sword where a two piece habaki has been given a single, all over silver foil jacket but this is most unusual. I should also say that I think this is a nice sword, albeit rather worn and in need of some TLC. Your plan to stabilize it for now is a good one and while it might never repay the cost of restoration financially it would be nice to see it in its full glory. An amazing amount to learn so don't rush into anything but welcome to the board. All the best.

Hello Derek and welcome. Your sword is signed Echigo no kami Kanesada. Echigo is a place, (no) kami is a title and the name of the smith is Kanesada. There are at least three generations using this name between 1643 and 1680 so the sword is Shinto or New sword period. You do not give the dimensions of the sword or its condition. A full length picture of the blade, close up of the tip section and the part just above the habaki would be useful. If you do decide to restore it is quite usual for blades to be mounted in a plain wooden set of mounts called shirasaya after polishing. I know everyone here will advise you to save up and have the work done by a trained professional in order to preserve this sword. It is sometimes the case that Japanese military officers would carry an older blade such as this to war in military mounts but if the scabbard was wooden and lacquered then it is more likely a civilian sword with a leather combat cover if it came form the battle field. Hope this is some help. Others, more expert than I may be able to confirm the signature or the generation. All the best.

Hi Tian yi. Hope I have that right. I agree with both comments, Stephen reckons that the sword is Buke, that is civil mounted but with a combat cover for use in WWII. Interesting sword which we will all look forward to seeing more of in better pictures. Whatever you do, don't try any cleaning other than to apply a little light oil to the blades. It is terrifyingly easy to wreck a sword, Get stuck into some reading on the board, you are in for one heck of a ride here. Even from these images I would say that you got a very good deal. Take it slow and learn a lot. All the best

Hi Cameron. The silver badge is a mon, the heraldic badge of a samurai family. They crop up on gunto mounts from time to time, often located where yours is, sometimes on the menuki. Quite often they have been defaced so that the mon is illegible, supposedly to avoid disgracing the family name through surrender. Yours is not a chrysanthemum, it is a mon usually associated with the Sakai family. Always makes the sword more interesting. Regards.