Grey Doffin

There are full English translations of all 3 issues of this book. Grey

It won't be possible to find a koshirae that fits the blade. You can buy a koshirae so you'll have an example of each, sword and koshirae. You can buy the pieces for a koshirae: menuki, fuchi & kashira, tsuba, and have koshirae made to fit the blade. Or you can skip the Tadamitsu and look for a blade with koshirae if that's what you want. This would be the easiest and maybe the least expensive option also. You have to decide what works for you. Grey

Another consideration is preservation. Unless these tsuba are properly cared for they can suffer (rust on iron and scratches & dings to soft metal). The basements of the world's museums are full of donated art objects that are unappreciated and left to rot (ask the Smithsonian about the Japanese swords that Admiral Perry brought back from Japan in the 19th century). By bringing this collection to light maybe it can be seen to that they are well cared for. Grey

The kissaki looks odd. Is it too short or is that just the angles of the pictures? Can you post a pic that shows the kissaki from flat on? If it is too short it would indicate a broken kissaki, reshaped and with cosmetic boshi. If that were the case you wouldn't want to spend anything on restoration. Grey

It is against ebay rules (circumvention of ebay fees) and don't forget that this is how the Chinese fakers stick it to a lot of the unsuspecting (low buy it now and very high postage). If it's shady practice for the fakers it should be shady for all. Grey

I'm not sure this is a fake. If it were a fake wouldn't the faker have tried a more standard way of signing the blade? Wouldn't there be a mekugi-ana? This work is done better than I'd expect on a fake. Looks like real worked steel and the polish certainly is well done. I don't know what this is but I see no reason, yet, to say it isn't Nihonto. Grey

You probably already know this but in case you don't, never do anything to fix the nakago. Leave it alone. Grey

Any properly trained polisher can fix this for you. Bob Benson comes to mind first. Grey

I agree with New Nelson's and Japanese Names by Koop & Inada. If you'll excuse my shameless self promotion, I'd like to add my "Kanji Flashcards" as being a good resource for reading sword signatures. Grey

Nakago looks very Gendai, not Shin-shinto. Looks like a gunto that has been remounted in Samurai koshirae. Don't understand why people do that. It decreases the value as a military collectible and doesn't make it into an old Samurai sword. But no one ever asks me. You have to decide if you want to spend the money for the sword but from what I've seen it isn't a great bargain. Grey

What is the difference between a naginata and a nagamaki? Sato Kanzan, in "Token Bijutsu" English edition, #10, page 31, says that they are the same but with different styles of koshirae. Grey

I told the seller the blade dates to WWII. Interesting how he didn't manage to get that bit of information posted on the sale. Grey

Steve, If you're concerned about preserving value you should leave it alone. Militaria collectors want original condition, not cleaned. I doubt that cleaning would make all that much difference any way. The ito would be a bit cleaner but it would also have a different patina, not necessarily one you'll be happy with. It could also suffer damage from being wet. An old girl friend who is a fiber artist once told me that Woolite is 10% plain soap and 90% advertising; there are better soaps for cleaning fabric. Grey

I think it would help if we could see some pictures before we have to pontificate of the merits or otherwise of cleaning your tsuka. Grey

I would say unfortunate, but not fatal. Grey

Kyle, It's a fake, a flagrant one at that, and no amount of photographs will make it less so. You need to buy books and study before you try to buy a sword; otherwise you'll just waste your money. Grey

Hi Adam, I can't tell you where in Germany to get a new tsuka but just in case you don't already know, be very careful with this sword until you do get a tsuka for it. Without a tsuka with mekugi, there is nothing but friction with the habaki holding the blade in place inside the saya. If the saya is bumped the blade can move down inside and chip it's kissaki on the saya bottom. In the mean time, you might want to jerry rig something to limit the travel of the blade into the saya (2 sticks and a stout rubber band maybe?). Or does anyone have a better solution? Grey

Actually, it isn't all that uncommon for the value of a Samurai sword to be purposefully disguised. I have a monumentally valuable katana that was disguised with kizu, ware, ha-giri, shin-tetsu, sai-ba, and numerous fukure in all the right places, as well as gi-mei. In fact, the disguise is so masterfully done that few, if any of you would be able to realize this sword for the true treasure it is. In case there is one among you who has the native intelligence to appreciate this gem, send gobs of money and it's yours. Grey

Well, the sword has sold above $4,700. Wonder how long it will be before we start seeing spurious railway stamps on originally unstamped gunto nakagos. Glad I don't collect anything that is both valuable and easily faked beyond detection. I'll stick with high quality Nihonto, which are not easily faked. Grey

Fabian, Some of the characters match Japanese writing because they are used in both the Japanese & Chinese languages. Kanji means "Chinese characters" in Japanese. If you want to own a real Japanese sword and you didn't know if this sword is real or not, then you need to spend some time with books and at sword shows before you buy a sword. At your current level of knowledge you stand as good a chance of buying junk as you do of buying something worth owning. Study, Grasshopper. Grey

Whether hand made or machine made it won't be great, or even mediocre, art. So, once you have it what do you do with it? How many times are you going to look closely at it? What's there to see? It may be a good investment but I doubt it. On ebay you'll be paying top dollar, maybe even more than a realistic top price. I think you'd do better with the money in the stock market. Pride of ownership? Owning one of a few known to exist? If that works for you that's fine. Wouldn't do much for me but so what? It's your money and yours to spend as you wish. Grey

Hi Jimmy, I have 4 references in my library with oshigata of Masachika. Given that there were maybe 4 different smiths with this signature (according to Hawley's) who could have made your sword, and that my oshigata probably aren't all from the same smith, the mei on your sword does fit well with some of those oshigata. What's more, the mei on your sword feels right; it looks like a true signature, not a forged one. Grey

Dan, The opinion is more likely to be favorable if I get the liquid corn before I see the sword. Grey

There will be no shinsa in Chicago (unless you want to pay outrageous amounts for my opinion) and I've heard nothing about one at the San Francisco show. Grey

Scrounge if you like but it is much quicker to look at the Index on the JSS/US website, where, if you search the 'articles' index for Token Yoran you find: JSS/US "Newsletter", volume 31, issue 1, page 1 and "Art and the Sword" volume 3, page 129. While you're there be sure to join the JSS/US. Grey