ROKUJURO

I think this thread belongs in the military section.

Grey, in principle, you are correct, but I saw his workshop in the background of the photos, so I hope he's just an innocent woodworker without bad intentions!

Thank you, deleted

Hi Jonas, to me, the FUCHI has a HIKONE BORI tradition touch. Better quality than NAGOYA MONO in my opinion. The marks on the inside may be by the workshop. Possibly, unsigned school work by an employee or a student was marked that way. We have a Menuki Orphanage section, so in case you were interested in completing your FUCHI to a matching set, you might look there. A set is much more desirable than a single FUCHI.

Steve, where have these stones been quarried? If they are not Japanese, it might be difficult to find out the provenience as grindimg stones are found all over the world. Green ones are a bit rare. In case these stones are not related to Japanese sword polishing, this thread should appear in the IZAKAYA I believe.

Jason, it would certainly help if we could see the parts dismounted (photos made on a plain dark background). Sometimes, bad condition as on the KASHIRA makes an assessment very difficult. From a first look I think the KOSHIRAE (what can be seen of it) is very late EDO or younger, but unfortunately quite neglected.

It is definitely straighter in the MONOUCHI, so yes, KOSHIZORI also for me. Nice blade!

Thank you Kirill, I was in the belief that drilled MEKUGI-ANA were a feature of SHINTO era, and thus an evidence point for KOTO in case they were punched. Did I learn that wrongly?

Hi Dean, the apprenticeship in this field is about 35 years for Westerners and 2 years less for Japanese. So be patient and study!

Hi Dean, this TSUBA may not be iron, but of course it is metallic - brass is a soft-metal alloy. We have to differentiate between traditional casting techniques and modern ones. And to make thing more difficult, there are also brass TSUBA which were not cast. In the beginning, brass was first imported from China in the Nara period (8th century AD), and it was considered very precious, close to gold. Brass was used to cast mirrors, religious implements, music instruments, and architectural (= temple) fittings. Casting was made in clay molds for single use, so it was a time and work consuming techique. The first cast brass TSUBA came up in the 17th century (cast copper was produced much earlier). The technique was later refined by using a wax mode. A negative "mother mold" was used to produce wax TSUBA which could then be used to make molds for single casting. Thus, a slightly higher output was possible. Modern casting technology (beginning in early MEIJI JIDAI) allowed to cast decorated TSUBA which did not need much work to finish them, and with the latest development in this field, high output numbers are possible. There is also a more artistic technology in which a brass blank is pre-cast and then worked on by cutting and chiseling. The above pictured TSUBA is a modern cast example, not necessarily made in Japan. Just a remark: The plural of TSUBA is TSUBA, not Tsubas.

Hi Derek, welcome to the NMB forum! What you have is certainly not a late World War 2 Japanese Calvary sword but probably a Cavalry sword may exist somewhere.

Well, he may always try.

Sky, then sell the SAKE and keep the TSUBA! It's a nice one!

Sky, why did you not post in the TSUBA section?

Very beautiful! Must be a great pleasure to see it fully in-hand and not only small sections!

A beautiful TSUBA in my opinion!

That wasn't perhaps a friend....

Hector, so he made the sword at the age of 85 years? Respectable!

How real did the way look when you found it? It is a KOGATANA, and I think it is authentic. Please compare with other examples you can find here (NOT in the NIHONTO section, but under TOSOGU).

Some details may indeed look like very early EDO or even before, but both MEKUGI-ANA are clearly drilled. This makes me believe the blade might be much younger, the more as the patina above the MEI does not look "old" to me: So perhaps SHIN-SHINTO ?

Hi Lionel, the photos of your WAKIZASHI do not reveal much for me. The SUGATA reminds me of early EDO, the blade looks a bit tired (= open grain from several polishes ?) in places. SUGUHA HAMON, HATARAKI not visible for me, but that may be my old eyes. The SHIRA-SAYA looks home-made (not in Japan), and is there a wooden HABAKI on the blade? If the SHIRA-SAYA is made of softwood (fir or pine), there is the risk of the blade coming into contact with resin. Not suitable. Also, only knot-free wood should be used. The NAKAGO photos (always without HABAKI please) are upside-down; the MEI is chiseled and read vertically tip-upwards. I can guess the smith as KANE (MOTO or CHIKA). The copper plug in one MEKUGI-ANA is recent and not Japanese, I suspect. Your Avatar TSUBA is also oriented upside-down. Other members will probably see more.

Thank you John! It is indeed TOISHI no TSURA NAOSHI-KI. It's a strange tool with a glass top and a fine soft surface underneath made of some foamy material - no whetstone in it, but it might be a stand to fix a fine sand-paper with water on the glass to level the bottom/sole of a KANNA. Does that make sense to you?

I kindly ask for translation help for this tool I purchased in the hope it was a grinding stone: but I have no idea what it is or how to use it. Many thanks in advance!

Jonathan, photos of TSUBA 2 and 3 are oriented upside-down (as you can see yourself). The descriptions are not in line with the photos appearing.

Joab, as you can see yourself, the blade has probably been sandpapered and is now so scratched-up that nothing can be seen. Unfortunately, the magnification is enhancing the defects more than the HATARAKI (if there are at all).