ROKUJURO

No, they are often quite faint.

Always a good idea!

Neels, not much can be seen on these photos. It looks like a Japanese military sword. We have a special section for MILITARY swords where the experts will see it. The MEI (= signature) is chiseled in a hand-writing style and reading it is for our experts. The photo of it is slightly out of focus; a better one (post it in the TRANSLATION section) would make reading much easier. Detailed photos should be taken on a dark, non-reflecting background, presented as cut-outs. NAKAGO (= tang) photos always blade-tip vertically upwards, so the signature can be read. The value is determined by the prices on the market, so you will have to look there. Depending on the type of blade (machine-made up to traditionally made), the value can vary a lot! All this may sound difficult for you, but in case you expect a competent comment, the images have to be adequate.

A TSUKA (= handle) is NEVER tapped on or off. Let someone more experienced have a look at it, please. Maybe it does not belong to the blade or something is obstructiong inside. NAKAGO photos always without HABAKI, oriented straight vertically (blade-tip upwards). Always use a plain dark background for better contrast. Your blade photos are upside-down. The question if it is traditionally made will be easily solved by looking closely at your blade. Does it have a HADA (structure in the steel?). Compare with online-photos of authentic blades. This is often difficult to capture in a photo, but in-hand, it might be obvious.

Hi Robert, as far as I can see, the blade is signed SADASHIGE, and there is TOKYO marked on the rubbing together with 295828, but unfortunately I cannet help with the translation. You may post this in the TRANSLATION section, hoping that one of our NIHONGO experts finds the time to look at it!

Glen, as far as I know, in Japan, these organizations and institutions are private and usually not supported by the gouvernment, so they have to find ways to cover their expenses. This applies also to traditional/martial sport associations who have to charge members for taking part in their graduation system. Concerning the main subject of this thread (which I followed with great interest), I think that there is a big difference in comparing images and online material with hands-on experience. AKIYAMA SENSEI has certainly held thousands of TSUBA, and we should not underestimate the sensual/haptic side of TSUBA as classification help. Also, he was much closer to the SAMURAI era (born 1844) than we Westerners ever could be. So just from these facts, I have a tendency to trust him to an extent. I absolutely admire your energy and competence you put into this subject, but as I am not as knowledgeable, I am hesitant to throw the actual system over board as long as there is no other system I could use and rely on. Human-made classification systems will always have benefits and faults at the same time. So before we discard the "old", I think we should have new reliable evidence to work with. The question is where this could come from? Ten years ago, Robert Haynes wrote in JSSUS: ....After a year of studies at the home of Dr. Torigoye, and the translation of his doctoral thesis, TSUBA GEIJUTSU KO, 1960, I thought I had a concrete grasp of all I should know as a student of the fittings for the Japanese sword. How wrong I was! It would take to this day to sort out what I believed, from what my teacher believed and what his teacher, Akiyama Kyusaku, believed. In the end I have come much closer to the thoughts and theories of Akiyama than those of my teacher.... A strong hint for me that there is always movement in judgement and thinking. Just my two YEN.

rmh, please sign all posts at least with your first name so we could address you in a polite manner. It is a rule here on NMB. As you can see, some photos are out of focus so they don't help much. The NAKAGO photos are best oriented vertically (blade-tip upwards) so reading the signature and date is possible. What do your papers tell about your sword?

As mentioned above, it could go as a long SASHIMI HÔCHÔ.

Yes, also a good possibility.

Looks all new. TSUKA MAKI seems to be made the right way, so maybe a IAITO?

My observation is that you are not wearing socks. Otherwise we can see your apartment, but no photos of the blade or the NAKAGO (= tang) of it. It could be a civilian sword, not a military one, but that can only be determined with better photos. More comment is difficult at this time. When making new photos, please use a plain dark background, a dark room and spotlights. There is a bamboo peg up in the handle which could be pushed out from the smaller side. Then the blade will come loose. Please DO NOT TOUCH THE BLADE WITH YOUR BARE FINGERS as the high-carbon steel can corrode easily! The blade might also be sharp, so be very careful! Use a clean cotton rag if the blade has to be held. In case you are not used to handling genuine Japanese swords, please ask all questions you might have.

Jo James, welcome to the NMB forum! The TSUBA seems to be of the NANBAN type. The NAKAGO (= tang) photos are a challenge as they are not well focused. Please use a plain dark background, light from the side and orient photos blade-tip vertically upwards so reading is easier. There are no photos included of the blade, so not much could be said on it except that the NAKAGO looks KOTO to me. Signatures are not always authentic!

For my eyes, the strong HADORI is concealing the features in the photo, but it may be different in-hand.

While the slightly longer SAYA can even be original to a sword, for me, the looseness would be a more serious issue.

Hi Hoshi, this must be a lot of work! My respect and admiration! However, I have a question about the accompanying descriptive texts: Are they written by you or are they original to the sellers? Reason for my question is that most TEIMEI (= SADANAGA) TSUBA are described as signed SADANOBU, so it looks like a 'serial' mistake.

Very fake.

That looks like really good work! Beautiful, admiring it!

André, welcome to the NMB forum! What you have there is a 'normal' HAMIDASHI TSUBA. The size suggests it was for a TANTO (or a KO-WAKIZASHI). Unfortunately, the condition does not seem good, but with a pointed (cut-off or ground-to-size) piece of antler or bone, you could perhaps remove some of the red rust.

Colin, I found a TSUBA by him, and the MEI looks close:

Dale, these look like political KARI birds as they are right wing and left wing.....

That looks like a good space for storing a collection!

Musubi Karigane (結び雁金) is a traditional Japanese family crest (kamon) featuring a stylized wild goose whose wings are knotted or looped into a circle. It symbolizes "a bird that carries good luck and good news" and is closely associated with SAMURAI families, most notably the SANADA clan. It represents loyalty and is a variation of the Karigane (wild goose) motif. Key details about Musubi Karigane: Design & symbolism: It features a kari (wild goose), a migratory bird often linked to autumn. The bird is designed with its face facing left and its wings deformed/knotted into a circle. Samurai Crest: This crest was used by the Shinano-Sanada clan, as well as families like the Umino and Inoue. It was frequently used for armor, sword mountings (TSUBA), and other samurai gear. Variations: Often stylized as Shiri-awase Mitsu-musubi Karigane, where three knotted geese are arranged in a circle. Modern Usage: It is still recognized as a classic design in Japanese traditional arts, sometimes used on clothing or items related to Japanese history. Taken from the internet

Very beautiful, but sadly, I cannot contribute to the history or data.

I think I can read NORIMITSU. Probably a KANZAN HAKOGAKI.

I understand exactly what you are saying! It may be different in case this was your daily work.