hddennis

Found this today and wonder if anyone can translate the signatures? Thanks in advance, Howard Dennis

In defense of Robert Benson's skills's I have to add that the white spots are uchiko I failed to notice before taking those pictures. Howard Dennis

Thanks Darkcon, I was going to check with Robert Benson first. He did a beautiful polish on a Muromachi Kunimune hitasura tanto for me a few years ago but I don't know how he feels about doing a yari. Howard Dennis

Thanks Geraint, actually I just happened across this accidently while doing an online search for Japanese antiques. I really would like to see it in polish but have heard so many horror stories about trying to get it done I really don't know what to do next. Howard Dennis

Nobody, Thank You for translating that for me. Howard Dennis

Another yari follwed me home again. I could use help on who made it. Thanks in Advance,] Howard Dennis

I've got to be honest if the amount of dust that might drift off in a bowl of water for 10 seconds is damaging my netsukes maybe I shouldn't even be handling them, just dip them in clear epoxy to preserve them exactly as they are at this very moment never changing to the end of time! Howard Dennis

Sank like a stone, so I tried one of my known Ivory pieces and it did the same thing?? Howard Dennis

Thanks that clears up a lot. That's the information I was looking for. Howard Dennis

Thanks, no idea on the righthand signature? Howard Dennis

I won't get into the politics of ivory it gets kind of silly when the countries claiming to want to stop poaching continue to burn tons of ivory that could go to feed the trade lowering demand and whose profits could fund the efforts to stop poaching. The signatures matter to me because it's a language I can't read, and even though they are not famous or listed it is a sign that the carver was proud enough of his work he chose to put his name on the piece just as did carvers decades and centuries ago. I wanted to prove your statement about the hot pin story and took a MMA mouse replica given to me by a friend and tried a hot needle test on it. The first attempt seemed to resist the needle as you stated. I tried it the second time with a brand new needle making sure it was as hot as I could get it. The needle stuck into the mouse only very slightly but did raise a mark where the point had entered the material. Howard Dennis

As requested here are the netsukes I obtained. I realize they are not old great works but they are hand carved ivory and as such will be added to my collection. Translation assistance greatly appreciated. Howard Dennis

Your example is the same subject matter as mine but has a lot less detail and the bottom is typical resin with no finish just cut off. I'm beginning to think mine might be some type of horn. Can you find me any examples of resin or plastics that resist red hot pins? I'll have to get the netsukes out and photograph them. Howard Dennis

Just picked up two netsukes and an okimono. The netsukes are definitely carved ivory. The Okimono has me stumped. It has some weight, makes a clacking noise when stuck and appears to be hand carved. It looked like it could possibly be resin but a red hot pin has zero effect on it leaving no mark at all but curling the pin tip back on itself. Is there a modern material that would do this but look like ivory? I positive it isn't cast as there would be no way to get it out of the mold. Any help greatly appreciated. Howard Dennis

AntiquarianCat, Thanks for your response. I'm pretty sure this tsuba isn't cast. I base that belief on it's current condition. As I mentioned I believe it has gone through a high temperature fire based on the flaky scale on it's surface. Every casting I've ever seen doesn't show this scaly surface after being burnt. Howard Dennis

While I have no doubt whatsoever over the tsuka I would welcome opinions on the tsuba. It's appears to be old iron with some type of thin copper wrap on the rim. It is magnetic as a magnet sticks to it. My pictures seem to give a sort of gold or brassy look to areas on the faces but it is actually very shiny black scale as if the tsuba was in a very hot fire at some point.

Well it's taken me several days of hunting but I finally found it. When you guys said the blade was probably Chinese I figured if it was I could probably find one like it for sale somewhere online and this morning I found one on eBay. Longquan China manufactured just like DoTanuki yokai said. My problem was I haven't kept up with what the Chinese were making so the last Chinese blades I was exposed to were very crudely made, guess that's changed! I was in a rush, out of town and looking at a dirty oily blade I couldn't clean nor dismount so based on the old mounts and what I thought I saw I grabbed it. Luckily the old koshirae will make the lesson less painful. Thanks Again for all your help, Howard Dennis

Well Thanks to everyone for responding. With no visible hada it would seem that the opinion of it being a modern Chinese copy is the correct answer. What really scares me is how good they appear to be getting at replicating antique swords. The geometry of this blade is flawless for an ancient naginata polished down to it's last glory. The only giveaway seems to be the lack of hada and that terrible tang which I believe must have looked a lot better when the Chinese smith was done but was trashed when someone else ground it to fit the tsuka. For those worried that I was ripped off I only gave $300 for it and I believe the Koshirae was worth that. Thanks again for all the responses. I can always count on you guys to further my education on this addiction we all suffer from. Howard Dennis

This is the best picture my meager camera skills could get of the hamon. Howard Dennis

With a Hamon? I've never seen that before. Howard Dennis

After you guys helped me out with my latest Yari purchase I decided to visit the local antique mall and purchased an unexpected surprise there. A new dealer had two swords and other unrelated military items. The first sword was half reproduction mounts on a trashed original blade. The second sword I purchased based on the original tsuka and the blade portion I could see as I couldn't dismount it there. What I found when I got home and removed the handle was totally unexpected. The blade Looked great but what is going on with the tang. It looks like it was butchered yesterday. Would something like this be done in Japan ? Luckily it was so cheap I couldn't leave it as I knew it was worth that but was sad to see something like this done to what could have been a nice survivor. Has anyone ever seen anything like this or know why it would have been done? For the price I paid it doesn't seem like it was done for profit??? Hope to hear your thoughts. Howard Dennis

Bugyotsuji and Ray Singer thank you both for taking the time to help me to better understand my latest purchase. The seller also sent me pictures of the Japanese registration papers. Do these usually include when the weapon was made? Howard Dennis

Ray, thanks so much for your rapid response. Is this signature just stating the forge location and school? If yes, any idea why the name of the smith would be absent?

Just purchased a yari online and wonder if I could get a translation of the signature sent to me by the seller? Thanks, Howard Dennis