Geraint

Blurred edges to the seppa dai suggest cast surely.

Just to add fuel to the fire. According to the thread title a real Nihonto collector is someone who collects real Nihonto. If we are talking about real collector as opposed to some other form of mythic collector the the answer is that a real collector is someone who collects in the way that I like. Unless of course you are talking to a less than honourable dealer in which case a "real collector" is the kind of person who would buy this sword that I'm trying to sell you, as in, "This is the kind of sword that a real collector would snap up." Running for cover now.....

Dear Chris, I can't quite see from your photos but if the yari is lozenge in section then it would be a ryo shinogi yari, amongst other descriptions. Looks pretty. All the best.

Naginata rasp!

Hi Uwe, Yes Norimune. Not in sufficiently good condition to see anything much in the way of hada or hamon. All the best.

Dear John. This has all the hallmarks of a recent fake/reproduction. It's always about quality and this doesn't have it. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. If you are planning to use this for Iaido then I would recommend you rebuild the tsuka core and start from there, no knowing what's underneath that wrap. All the best.

I see you are well ahead of me Johnny. All the best

Dear Johnny. The shape and alignment of the hitsu ana are worth following up on. They suggest an early tsuba. All the best

Hi Dale. (Please put your name on you posts as we all do here) To amplify a little, compare your sword with the one here, http://yakiba.com/Kat_Mantetsu.htm You will need to scroll down a little to get to the mountings. Look at the shape and quality of the fittings, the shape of the habaki, the shape and finish of the tang, the material used to bind the hilt. That and the stamp on the blade all add up. Not to suggest that your grandfather thought anything other than that it was genuine, if you had seen them in combat this would certainly seem to match, it's just that after a while you get to recognise the signs. Keep it for what it is, a gift that connects you to your grandfather and his service. All the best.

Hi Ben, The sword in question was a very fine example though sadly neglected. In particular the engraving on the fittings was very fine in comparison to most of the rather mundane scrolling foliage that crops up all too often on late "flashy tachi" as I have heard them called. The auction house pictures do not do the mounts justice. The blade was in a poor state and while most of the rust would probably be dealt with by a polish there were some deep pits which might have been problematic. Most of the koshirae was intact with a few minor parts missing, some careful restoration and cleaning would have made it very nice, good lacquer work. As you can probably tell I looked at the sword and even went to the auction. One bid won it, probably a good buy at that though of course auction fees would have pushed it up a bit. All the best

Sometimes sellers who do not have detailed knowledge ask a friend who speaks Japanese. As the kanji are sometimes not in everyday use they might or might not come up with the correct reading so a picture would really help here. All the best.

Hi Chris, Apart from the nice bark texture what do you think of the cherry tree design? All the best.

Dear Rohan, "Where have all the herons gone, long time passing...." (Sorry, couldn't resist.) That's quite a collection. For what it's worth here are some thoughts. Sell the whole collection: Quick but a fairly narrow market apart from a dealer who might want to go for the whole lot in one go. Ebay: Not a seller myself but talking to contacts can be a bit of a minefield especially if you are not used to it. World wide market though. You have to take the photographs as for NMB Auction: Most auction houses here charge both a buyers and a sellers fee, 15% to 20% either side. Result, you end up with 30% - 40% less. Consignment: Obviously there will be charges but you would at least be in the hands of someone who knows what they are doing. NMB: Direct contact with collectors, slightly more limited market, no fees though of course you mention a donation. I have noticed that sometimes people offer something here and if it doesn't find a new home then send it to Ebay. If you are in a hurry and don't mind the money then stick them all in an auction, you can always put a link here for us to have a look at. If you are not in too much hurry then put them up here and see what happens. Not sure if that isn't all stating the blindingly obvious or if it's any help. All the best.

Hi John, You are not thinking of sanmai awase tsuba are you? http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/tsuba/sanmai.htm All the best.

Hi Grant, Not so much kogarasumaru more kanmuri otoshi I think. Very pretty whatever you call it. All the best.

Lukas, Do some searching around wakidate, or side mounts on kabuto. While these do seem a little hit and miss for large horns they appear to serve the purpose and I suppose if struck or grabbed would not cause the wearer too much discomfort. Not sure if these would serve for very large horns. All the best.

Dear Joe, Welcome! (Please add your name to your posts, one of the rules that helps us all get along.) I wouldn't want to be the bearer of bad news but these are all pretty far gone and were never great to start with. Hope this is not bad news for you financially. The tsuba you have numbered as 7, can you tell if the foliage is the same material as the plate? If so then that suggests an etched design. The holes to either side of the nakago ana are filled with something, not sure what but overall these have had a hard life. You might have a look at Grey's site to compare, http://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/Tsuba-&-Kodogu Take a careful look at the quality and condition of what you see. Don't give up, this is a fascinating and if you are not careful an all consuming interest. (Edit) Ah well, at least we are all on the same page. All the best.

Hi Chris, Have a look at this one, looks close to me. http://www.shibuiswords.com/sadayuki.htm What is the blade like? All the best

I had not met Thierry but I will miss his voice here. My condolences to all who new him.

Well this is going to sound a bit weird but..........I have a respectable wakizashi in koshirae which I like but the previous owner used machine oil and every time a take it out of the saya that's what I smell. On the other hand the fragrance of choji oil on a blade adds something to the experience for me. As it's not going to make much difference the extra expense is surely worth it. No? All you need from Kevin here, http://www.ryujinswords.com/care.htm if Don can't help you. All the best.

Dear Jason. I'm not too sure from your photos but the effect you are seeing might be the result of hadori polish. All the best.

Hi Jeremy. If as Denis suggests you have the paper wedged in very tightly then you might have to resort to a sharp point or edge, if it was me I would be using what I call a paring chisel. Very little pressure and some care, what you are trying to do is break up the paper and scrape it away from the wood. You might be able to feel where the paper is and gently ease it away. If you need to see what you are doing then you can get miniature bore light these days. Go gently! All the best

Ben, If you have time the British Museum might also be worth a look and if your taste run to arms and armour in more general terms then the Wallace Collection, just a bit north of Oxford Street, has a fabulous display. You might also call in at Grays Antique Market and have a chat with Don Bayney. (Worth contacting him beforehand to see if he will be there.) Enjoy! All the best.

Dear Mike, Thank you for the photos. Personally I can't see the theory you were given having much traction. No one makes a niju habaki as a temporary measure and finding one off the shelf to fit is most unlikely. The condition of the nakago looks right for a blade that has come straight from the maker without seeing any use. Polishing does not touch the nakago unless absolutely necessary so I can't imagine why this theory has come about. Nice habaki and nice blade. All the best.

Dear Denis, Don't go to the darkened room just yet. Ed has produced an ingenious solution except that the inner part of a niju habaki is essentially a slimmed down version of any other habaki. In other words it is too rigid to flex by the ammount required as it has edges as well as faces and they are of the same length at the front of the habaki. True the insert on the ha side stops short of the front edge where it meets the ha machi but in a habaki in good condition there should not be a split. So very little flex. I have spent some time looking at habaki and here are some thoughts. As I already suggested the significant fit is the point where the habaki meets the machi and is effectively pushed against them by the action of the tapered mekugi. If a sword is Shinshinto or newer one would expect the blade to be in near original shape and the habaki to fit all round quite nicely. One might expect the same in an osuriage sword, depending on the amount of polishing that it has undergone since suriage was done. When a sword has undergone a lot of polishing then the kasane of the blade becomes thinner than the kasane of the nakago. In the cases I have to hand and can find illustrated, sources are not very good at showing this point, the habaki fits beautifully at the machi but it does not fit the faces of the blade at all well. For an excellent illustration have a look at the sword that Nick has recently posted, look at the shot of the blade in koshirae looking toward the tsuka from the blade. http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/21996-late-nanbokucho-signed-ubu-tachi-for-sale/ The blade I referred to in an earlier part of the thread has a stunning silver niju habaki which passes over the nakago and seats firmly but there are quite visible gaps between the leaves of the habaki and the faces of the blade. Once the tsuka is attached and the mekugi inserted the fit in the saya is amazing and there is no wobble. I have not had the opportunity of seeing Brian Tschernega's work in hand but I suspect that a view down the blade toward the habaki will confirm that he has very skillfully made the habaki a tiny bit more generous as it fits the nakago and relying on an excellent fit at the machi. We would all agree with Franco's point: This confirms that we don't need to start inventing theories about hidden craft skills and the magic niju habaki, they are amazing pieces of craftsmanship, usually under rated and often overlooked. Perhaps all such craftsmanship should be regarded as a little magical. All the best.