ROKUJURO

What a pity! It has not been restored expertly in Japan!

I would like to mention that the above TSUBA (oriented upside-down) ist NOT a cast copy. I has been produced by hot-stamping. This is the method of choice for making large numbers of identical items. The initial investment for machinery is high, but it is justified by high output numbers. I have already seen this TSUBA design being copied about 40 years ago, so it is a popular template.

Hector, congratulations on that beautiful sword! I know the quality of ASANO-SAN's work and his commitment; he is very good and would deserve more attention in the market.

Steve, I know whistling arrows as KABURA-YA (not Kaburi-Ya or Kabori-Ya). UTSUBO are impressive to look at, but they are not used In YABUSAME. The KARIMATA YAJIRI will certainly be damaged when shot at a hard target.

Andrea, this is the TOSOGU section. To get the desired response, please open up a new thread in the NIHONTO section.

Good idea, but please have it restored properly before mounting!

BV, please sign all posts at least with your first name so we could address you in a polite way. It is a rule here on NMB. Photos should be made on a plain dark, non-reflecting background for good contrast. Concerning your TSUBA, the shape is not unusual. It seems to have very different surface texture on URA and OMOTE. The MEI is somewhat shallow, so just by these photos, I cannot decide if it is a late cast copy of a KUNIHIRO TSUBA or an authentic one. I have seen TSUBA with this signature in many different styles and shapes, including iron MOKUME.

Authentic but modern:

Michael, MEI looks like UJINAGA. What do you think is known in public about wholesale prices, and do you know that these are calculated for bulk sales? Please shoot all photos on a plain, dark, non-reflecting background for good contrast. Out-of-focus photos are not helpful. Full NAKAGO photos without HABAKI, showing both MACHI, always oriented tip-upwards,would be good.

Chris, inscriptions in the NAKAGO were chiseld and are read in tip-upwards orientation. Nakago photos always without HABAKI. It didn't grow there but was pushed on, so push it down carefully with the helo of a piece of wood or soft plastic. Best to upload photos here on the forum. All photos made on a plain dark, non-reflecting background for good contrast.

I don't believe it is OMORI work.

Looks like TAKA ZOGAN to me, which does not necessarily include TSUCHIDASHI.

No, certainly not a casting seam. These occur where the two halves of a mold are opening, and they are always single. They are only visible in case they are not carefully removed. Usually, you will not see fissures on cast TSUBA. Casting seams are protruding ABOVE the surface of the surrounding metal, while fissures are going INTO the metal.

So Hector's TSUBA is probably KUMO ni TOMOE zu HACHI MOKKO GATA SUKASHI, and I was wrong. Everyday, you learn something new.....

Bruce, with these photos, it is difficult if not impossible to make a safe guess. The little that I can see lets me believe the blade might not be Japanese. Maybe with better photos....

Joel, working with old apple wood is no fun, and it will get still harder with age! In case you want to make a SHIRA SAYA yourself, be sure to watch the respective YouTube videos available or learn otherwise before you start. And be sure to NEVER USE SAND-PAPER or similar!

What can be seen does not look oil-hardened to me. On the other hand, if traditionally forged and heat-treated accordingly, you would expect NIE and/or NIOI. As Ron states correctly above, the polish isn't great, and the traces of abuse in the MONO UCHI will require some TOGISHI efforts to make them disappear.

Bruce, I haven't even seen pictures of the blade, so I cannot comment on authenticity, but if the blade had HADA and a nice HAMON (produced by quenching in water), I believe it was traditionally made. At least, the NAKAGO is not sloppily made in my opinion. Puzzling to me are the tempering colours on the NAKAGO which has obviously been exposed to heat AFTER making the YASURI ME. This is unusual and lets be believe the hot stamps had been applied after the blade was finished. These colours are not very durable and do not withstand friction or rubbing.

Piers, Bruce was kind enough to post the KITAE/lamination chart above, and in the upper line, it says Shigane instead of SHINGANE. As far as the Japanese terms are concerned, I am not of much help. I only know that SHINGANE and SHINTETSU are used for the same feature, but are obviouisly pronounced differently.

Thanks Justin! Again I learned something new today! While plum-tree/apricot is represented by the blossoms, KATABAMI is so by the leaves! I apologize for any confusion or misinformation!

Hi Piers, it is indeed SHINGANE (spelled wrongly in the above chart) or SHINTETSU, and - to answer Bruce's question - in traditionally made swords, the whole blade is made of TAMAHAGANE, but with differing carbon content in the composite construction. The core steel has low carbon content, and in most cases it is not hardenable. The principle of sandwich construction implies that the physical properties of the core material are of lesser importance, compared with those of the tensile and the compressive faces. To explain: TAMAHAGANE is a RAW iron/steel material of non-defined composition. It cannot be used in this raw state and has to be refined to be usable. After processing, it can be separated by the smith into different sorts of steel, depending on carbon content. Processing TAMAHAGANE means hammering and stretching the steel out, then folding (mostly in half) and fire-welding it. In the end, this results in a more homogeneous steel, depending on the number of folds/weldings. However, the steel loses carbon each time it is exposed to high heat, so the number of foldings decides about the properties. Usually, it is said that SHINTETSU (which has a low carbon content from the start) is folded 8 to 10 times, while HAGANE (starting with more than 1% of carbon) is folded about 12 to max. 15 times for a very fine-grain, homogeneous steel, containing about 0.6 to 0.7% of carbon in the cutting edge of a finished sword blade. KAWAGANE lies in between.

Colin, and their shape is also different.

Perhaps.....testimng the grounds?

This is made with a special TAGANE the face of which is modeled that way with small blind holes. The decorative applications could have been soldered after making NANAKO JI, but this would have been a cheap technique in very late manufacture. Usually, they are fixed in ZOGAN technique, and NANAKO JI is applied later.

Yes, UME no HANA (plum-tree flower) has always 5 petals (as most ROSACEAE).