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Stephen, It looks like a variation of the Turk's Head used in marine rope work. Regards, Hoanh

Dear Kunitaro san, I believe the Hozon attribution is to a particular line of smiths with a few generations and did not specify a particular generation. The attribution does not seem to be a school, as "den" is not part of the attribution. Regards, Hoanh

Hi Bob, The Hozon papers should arrive in a few days. I don't have it in hands at the moment. But, in my communications with Bob Benson regarding the shinsa results, no mention of saiba was ever made. He would have told me if the blade were saiba. The shinsa attribution is pretty interesting. I must say I learned a lot. It forced me to do a whole lot of reading. Regards, Hoanh

Hi, I edited the original post to include more info. If there is anything else you would like to know, please let me know. The replies posted so far are very educational and have given me a little window in each person's thinking. Regards, Hoanh

Andrew, It's a Showato (see the Showa stamp between the mekugi ana and the first kanji). Machine made, but Japanese! Hoanh

Dear Kunitaro san and Mariusz, I will get you the info later today. Thank you for the suggestions!!! Regards, Hoanh

Hi Bob, Yes, it is indeed the blade!!! What is your kantei? I would be interested in hearing your opinion. Regards, Hoanh

more pics Hoanh

I just received my two swords back from NBTHK shinsa, with new polish by Bob Benson. One sword is by Bitchu Yasuhiro with Hozon papers. I'll post pictures in the next couple days for your enjoyment. The other is a mumei daito, which is the subject of the kantei here. This daito also received Hozon papers. I will let this run for one week before posting the shinsa attribution. Any/all ideas are very welcome and much appreciated. Nagasa: 28" Sori: 3/4". EDIT: Additional info Motohaba: 2.8cm Motokasane: 7.5mm Sakihaba: 2cm Sakikasane: 5.3mm Tsukurikomi: Iori mune. Because of the bohi, I can't tell you anything regarding the shinogiji. Hada: prominently and primarily o mokume, with some masame as Kunitaro san noted. No utsuri is seen. No muneyaki. Hamon: Noi deki suguha, with hada pattern clearly seen in the hamon, a lot of long, bright kinsuji and long, sweeping, dramatic sunagashi, especially in the monouchi. The hamon is wide towards the nakago and the kissaki, and thin (~3-4mm) in the 1/4 middle of the blade. Boshi: The boshi is all intact and is hakikake - no kaeri that I can see. If I am missing important pictures, please let me know. Regards, Hoanh

Chris, It's very difficult to see the mei at and angle. A face-on picture would be easier to read. Regards, Hoanh

Ken, The kanji are really obscured, but am I seeing Masamune? Regards, Hoanh

I am curious about the shape of the nakago ana. Any idea, gentlemen? Hoanh

Thank you for the encouragement, Peter. Regards, Hoanh

Chris, For what it's worth, I find your tsuba very, very attractive, even though I don't collect Heianjo tsuba (not yet anyhow). If it were mine, I would keep it, too. You did a tremendous job on this tsuba. Regards, Hoanh

Dear Chris and KM, I salvaged this tsuba because underneath the dirt, grime and rust, I thought it had potential and didn't deserve to be treated like junk. It is probably for the same reason you rescued your tsuba - a really, really nice job on your part. I can't really tell you how my tsuba looks right now because I already sold my tsuba to acquire another piece. Regards, Hoanh

Kurt, It's a tough question. For me personally, it ultimately comes down to "how much am I willing to pay?" Generally, one can look at various dealers' websites on a regular basis (window shopping). They will give you an idea of the average price for a particular type of sword/condition/paper level. As I get more and more involved in my study, I find that I want a sword made in a particular tradition from a particular jidai, and if possible, by a particular smith. When it gets down to this level of detail, the "window shopping" approach won't work too well because the sample size is simply too small. One is lucky to find 1 or 2 swords that fit the requirements at any given time, and the statistical approach is not meaningful. So...back to "how much am I willing to pay?" and "what's available on the free market at the time I want to make my purchase?" I don't think there is a simple easy answer. Regards, Hoanh

This tsuba probably would be a fair value at $300-$400. Please forgive me for saying so, but in my opinion, it seems to lack ...finesse typically seen on Kyo Sukashi tsuba. Probably is a mid to low end Kyo Sukashi tsuba. Please take it with a grain of salt. It's my newbie's personal opinion. Hoanh

Prices seem very reasonable for the tsuba listed on the website. Hoanh

Ben, Some gimei blades can be nice and worth $4k, just not the one for which Mariusz provided the link. It looks very tired with lots of forging flaws. Some segment of the economy must still be doing well...for that kind of money to be thrown away. Hoanh

Ben, When the seller mentions Mitsuyo of Heian period, only one smith comes to mind, http://www.touken.or.jp/english/nihon_koto_shi/(7)%20No.553.htm It's obviously gimei, and the seller knows it. Hoanh

Look at it from the bright side. Your books got a round trip for the price of a one-way ticket. I wish airfare would work the same way. Hoanh

Just pointing out the obvious: shirasaya is only meant for storing a sword, and is not meant for practical use. Hoanh

Kaneyoshi???? Hoanh

Jean, Yes, you are right, but I didn't want Pete to commit harakiri on his 20th post. Hoanh

Pete, It'll be pretty expensive to restore your sword, and in my opinion, it does not warrant the cost of proper restoration. Shirasaya: $400 (for a wakizashi like your sword) Habaki: $450 Polish: about $1400 for a blade with 14" cutting edge Shipping cost: $50 You are looking at $2300 to restore this sword, and even then, with new shirasaya and new polish and new habaki, given the state of the nakago, you can't give it away for more that $700. The membership here can correct my assessment if I am wrong. On the other hand, keeping it as is doesn't do much for your learning because you can't learn much from this blade. So, now, you are in a quandary. If I were you, I would try to sell this blade and use the proceed to buy some basic books and study a bit more before buying. I hope you won't take offense at my sincere recommendation. Regards, Hoanh