ROKUJURO

Charles, photos made on a white background are useless.

Jeff, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I do not find much positive to say about this. While the MEI seems to be chiseled surprizingly well, all that remains is difficult to categorize. I hesitate to call this a TSUBA, and I doubt it was made in Japan.

Francisco, the blade photo gives an idea of the SUGATA, but to say more, detailed photos are necessary. Unfortunately, your blade is in bad condition, so it is possible that even good photos may not hold sufficient information. I have no blades for comparison so I cannot comment on the authenticity. Just from the NAKAGO, it looks KOTO to me, but this is just based on images. For making better photos, please look into your PMs.

Francisco, you did not show the blade but only the NAKAGO. Signatures can be faked, and in your case, the NAKAGO has been 'worked' on. I don't think it has its original shape. The age of a blade is not only determined by a signature, and in addition, quality and condition are much more important than age.

Well, Damon, the interpretation of the right picture is quite clear. It is marked PTSD, and imagining the stress of a combat or duel situation, I can understand that.

Frank, have a look into your PMs.

I am confident that Dale could show a dozen copies....

See above!

YOKOYAMA probably.

Luciano, we have a "WANTED TO BUY" section.

Rob, we will probably never know how they were made, but you can come closer in case you could clean out the underside carefully. If UCHIDASHI technique was performed, you would see the chisel traces. If the surface texture looks bumpy, but smooth, casting is more likely. As far as I know, soldering and brazing are rarely used in TOSOGU making.

Hi Lewis, it is just the opposite. The long KITAE WARE are incomplete welding spots, mostly caused by insufficient temperature in the folding/fire-welding stages. They are often seen on the MUNE as results of the composite construction

John, what would happen technically when heating up a TSUBA to melting temperature? We are talking about 1.538°C. As you cannot suspend the TSUBA on a wire or so in a furnace, you will have to place it horizontally on something flat that would be more heat-resistant. As all metals are very good heat conductors, the temperature on the upper side of the TSUBA will be the same as on the underside. So while you are trying to create a "like-melted" texture on the upper side, the underside will do the same and take on the texture of the material it is lying on. Now the details: A clay-based ceramic board that could withstand temperatures of about + 1.500°C was not known in Japan and is not known elsewhere today. In high-temp ceramics like porcelain, silicon-carbide boards are now used which withstand temperatures up to 1.700°C (theoretically). In traditional porcelain firing in China and Japan (about 1.350°C), special fireclay-based boards were used which had a short life-cycle. So I am afraid we have to discard the notion of YAKITE SHITATE being a "superficial melting" process in TSUBA making. As the term YAKU implies, fire plays a role in the process, but it is not aimed at melting. Coming to GAMA HADA, we should have a look at a toad's skin first (see images). I am not speculating how it would have been made on a TSUBA; there are several ways to do it, and none is fast and easy. Looking at your TSUBA above, my comment would be (not looking at the NAKAGO ANA shape which is off) that it was made by casting in coarse sand. You can buy TSUBA like these cheaply as souvenirs (see images of my souvenir TSUBA below).

This tag looks unusually "fresh" in my opinion, compared with others that have been shown here.

This is not really an inferior method in MENUKI making. If you look at the very detailed outer structure, it cannot be achieved just by pushing material in and out. But I admit that one should see these MENUKI cleaned in-hand to be sure.

Calabrese, I was told that this method is not lost, but if a goldsmith wants to apply it, a special exhaust system with recuperating filters has to be used.

It was perhaps not a humorous remark but a misunderstanding. The MENUKI have obviously been made in a "lost wax model" casting process instead of UCHIDASHI.

Thank you Bruce, I can see it now. It is just a wrong HABAKI. It could be dangerous to handle the sword as the blade could come loose and the MEKUGI could just fall out.

Trystan, of course KUNISHIGE! I read it and I knew it, and then I wrote it wrongly....

Lee, unless there are special exhibitions, you will see swords mostly in museums and often on the 5th floor of important warehouses like MITSUKOSHI. As I have heard, most dealers don't have swords on display, so you cannot just go there and have a look unless you want to buy..

Nazar, I saw this as well, and I would like to see if the MACHI truly align.

Frank, the signature is chiseled and read vertically, tip-upwards, so I broke my neck for you to read KUNISHIGE. I cannot read the first KANJI of the province. It does not look like a typical WWII blade, but to say more, we would need god photos of the naked blade. Have a look at your PMs.

Ken, in that condition, it will be very difficult even for a professional photographer to show more of the features. The blade would need a professional (= traditional) restoration first. Please do not try this yourself! What can be found online about HIZEN TADAYKI is not much: In the Hizen Tadayoshi lineage, Tadayuki is a historically significant figure during the late Edo period. When the 6th and 7th generations of the main Tadayoshi line passed away prematurely, Tadayuki (a senior disciple) took over the forge, managed the school, and successfully mentored the 8th generation of Tadayoshi (Hachidai Tadayoshi) until he reached adulthood. Notable Characteristics of Tadayuki Blades Steel and Grain: Hizen blades are renowned for their highly refined Jigane (surface steel) and often display Konuka-hada (fine "rice bran" grain). Quench Lines: Tadayuki blades frequently feature elegant notare (wavy) or suguha (straight) temper lines. Signature: Signatures will typically translate to "Sesshu Ju Fujiwara Tadayuki" (for the Osaka lineage) or "Hizen Koku Tadayuki". For a comparison of an authenticated example: https://www.samuraimuseum.jp/shop/product/antique-Japanese-sword-katana-signed-by-tadayuki-nbthk-tokubetsu-hozon-certificate/?srsltid=AfmBOoryBB8LXnS2Kd3kM4r8Eh__2DDliIlbbIU8-jv6KstOCvXelvCq Roger Robertshaw is an expert on HIZEN swords: https://www.hizento.com/author-book-roger-robertshaw-tadayoshi.php I believe he is a member here.

John, in that case, wouldn't it be easier to take some material off of the wooden scabbard liner?.

That was the guy who "cleaned" his car with an angle-grinder....