Geraint

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.

Hi Bill. Perhaps relevant to this thread? viewtopic.php?f=50&t=13216 Regards

Welcome Stan. Looks nice from what we can see but I am sure that everyone will want at least photographs of the entire blade, both sides, not to mention close ups of the nakago and the boshi if you can get it. Looking forward to them. Regards

But there is always the chance that the seller can't tell brass from copper, you might be amazed to find out how many people don't even know there is a difference. You will never know without pictures. Have fun!

I love the idea of a Jumanji yari, that film could do with something interesting like that. Joking aside any chance of some pictures?

Yeah. Got it in one Roy. Remember that Hizen sword with the mei over the filled mekugi ana?

Last thought and then I will shut up. That mark on the tang, any sign of anything on the other side in the same place?

Hi Steve and welcome. Nice sword to start with. Whatever the age it is worth re wrapping the handle. Sounds like you have some practical expertise so worth having a go yourself but probably worth getting this book, http://www.tsukamaki.net/book_order.htm Doing the wrap is not difficult, doing it really well is and it will sit there staring you down if you get it wrong. Have fun, this is the start of a lifetimes fascination, you do realise that , don't you? Oh, and bye the bye don't be tempted to do anything to the blade or the tang, anything! Easy to wreck without knowing that you have done it. A little light oil is all that you need to do.

Hi Mark. Really nice piece for the money, well done. I agree that it is suriage but not just the squared off jiri. Number and position of mekugi ana. If you have got it go back to Nakahara and look at the section on suriage.

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.