ROKUJURO

Arnold, if I understand correctly, 'counter' means the opposite end of the handle while the blade represents the major part of the weight of a KATANA. We have counterbalances in medieval European swords where a massive pommel at the end of the handle serves this purpose. In Japanese swords the weight of the TSUBA adds to the weight of the blade while a KASHIRA has no function as a counterbalance.

Grev, you probably know that a reply to your post may require to write a book! It is difficult to give exhaustive answers, the more as not everything is known. Authors of articles sometimes just give their opinions about a manufacturing method, and in many cases these opinions, once read in an 'important' book, spread around and become accepted information, right or wrong. Let me start with your depicted TSUBA. It may well have TEKKOTSU but this is not visible in the photo. The corrosion is predominant, but the TSUBA itself might be nice (or might have been nice....). In the following I will try to answer some of your points. .....1001 - Triple ‘S’ curve fold. This I assume is where the metal is folded twice. Possibly three foldings, depending on what the author wanted to express. Could be nine layers at the end. 1243 – Kettle makers casting. These were cast from the last drops of molten metal after the kettles were made. How on earth can someone be so specific and if they can how can a layman spot this type? In theory, when you prepare a kettle casting, you may put TSUBA molds in the reach and pour surplus iron in. But this is based on the assumption that TSUBA were cast at all. Late cast copies existed but they were not meant for use in battle but for decoration only. Cast iron is useless for battle without a special decarburizing procedure. 1325 – Exceptionally fine iron plate with a liquid feeling. Means nothing to me. This relates to a polished but not even surface. The process is called YAKITE SHITATE – 焼手仕立 or YAKINAMASHI 焼き鈍し in the literature. It is believed to be created by heating the TSUBA up to almost melting temperature. Technically this is nonsense. It is also believed to produce the TEKKOTSU, but you will not find a satisfying answer how they think this works. 1046 – Factory iron plate 1201 – Factory plate, well forged How can I tell if factory iron plate is used and how well it was produced? You cannot tell unless you see traces of folding which is not necessary with factory iron. It is just plain 'lifeless' iron 1014 - Sand iron. 1210 – Refined sand iron 1190 – Well forged sand iron How can I tell if it is sand iron plate that is used and how well it was produced? If you could polish the material the Japanese way (TOGI) you might see a structure like HADA. This could be a hint for a well forged plate. In most cases it cannot be seen unless you have some traces of laminations. Expressions like 'sand iron' are not correct. There is an iron ore called SATETSU, found on the shores of some rivers which is the base material of the traditional iron/steel making process in the TATARA. The raw steel is called TAMAHAGANE. It is quite inhomogenuous and has to be refined by repeated folding, fire-welding, and hammering. The end product might then be called well forged. Many older TSUBA are believed to have been made from left-over material from sword or armour making. 1055 – Very hard iron plate. The only way I can tell if the metal is hard it to tap it and tell by the ring. No, this does not work. I can make any iron plate ring. Hardness is judged by the way the steel reacts on an impression of a hard pointed tip (usually a diamond tip with a standardized weight on top, used in a machine to test the HRC/Rockwell hardness). Usually, TSUBA have not been hardened, even if made of good steel. 1092 – Rich plate is pure Momoyama period. Can age be determined by the metal used? Difficult. What is 'a rich plate'? Unless you can see the naked surface, you can only guess. In may cases it works the other way round: You have a MOMOYAMA period TSUBA, and you know that they had then a good material supply and worked very carefully 1169 – Iron of Owari quality 1041 – Iron of the Saotome. I’m sure a school may be determined by the metal but how. You can only tell by the metal surface. An even surface without flaws and delaminations (often MIGAKI-BO) is a proof of well processed steel 1017 – Hitsuana, Higo style 1027 – Hitsuana, Jingo school, Higo style 1093 – Hitsuana is pure Shoami Does anyone have images of differing hitsuana schools? Someone will have pictures 1249 – Early casting. I know how derogative NMB members can be when talking castings. I understand that some castings are finally chiselled but others are left as cast. I have a cast tsuba that has a quite porous surface so I hold this in very low esteem. My understanding is that there is no early iron casting in Japan. Chiselling cast iron is perhaps possible, but it will be very coarse Don’t even start me on bones..... Grev, I am working on this subject, and the results of my research are not final at this point of time. In my understanding, many of the descriptions of TEKKOTSU are just guesses and lack practical experience and knowledge. I have found that TEKKOTSU is a feature of inhomogenuous steel (which does not necessarily mean a lack of strength!), being processed in a special way (YAKITE KUSARASHI) after forging. I hope this helps a bit.

Keith, It is not the sword that has the title but the smith. It is like a family name, helping to identify the person. Do not worry too much about what is written on the NAKAGO, there is always a chance it is a fake signature, and you cannot be sure unless some real connoisseur or a SHINSA panel has held the blade in hands. But even if the signature was just a phantasy name, it may be a nice sword when restored.

Paul, this assumption is not correct. It is not the prolonged application of heat (which would lead to form coarse crystals within the metal structure of the steel, causing a decrease of sharpness and strength) but it is higher temperature, as Chris pointed out correctly. As far as we know, creating martensite in form of NIE and NIOI plus all the nice little structures of them (CHIKEI, INAZUMA, SUNAGASHI, a.s.o.) requires a fine balance of the carbon content in the steel (and it's distribution), the heating process and the quenching within a very limited range of temperatures. If one of these criteria is not met perfectly, the outcome may not be as expected. The superior mastership of the smiths of old times, their experience with making and processing the steel and doing the heat treatment, and of course the forming of a blade leads to a relative consistency in the appearence of the blades of one school. Do we know if blades were destroyed when they did not fulfill the rquirements of the related school? I could imagine so, and also I could imagine that a blade with somewhat lesser inherent quality could slip through, especially when these drawbacks were only visible after a number of polishes. It is probably like the paintings of a great master: Many of them are very good, but some may not match the highest level. This is my understanding of the complex materia.

Ian, thank you for the information. Unfortunately I have no access to the book on 'Iron and Steel in Ancient China', but when I wrote that a noticeable migration of carbon in steel progresses at a very slow rate and only at temperatures considerably above 900°C, then this is nothing of my invention but can be re-read in books on metallurgy (e.g. Paul Verhoeven). I don't know how educated Donald B. Wagner is in this field. In case he was an archeologist, I would not trust his conclusions. As soon as I am back at home with my books I will look and give you some more data about this. Your TSUBA was certainly made intentionally this way. Patination of the steel can include the use of aggressive substances, so I can imagine a small extra loss of material on the rim which ended in this design. I have seen similar thin material in KO-TOSHO TSUBA in the SUKASHI.

Ian, this is a matter I have done and am still doing some research work in. An article about TEKKOTSU I wrote was printed in a JSSUS magazine. In short words, you are completely wrong. I will try to explain some basics: You cannot decarburize cast iron just by heating it up. You need high temperatures up to liquefaction to achieve this. This is how the industry used to convert raw cast iron into malleable iron or steel (Puddle steel) until about 1870. Carbon diffusion in steel is slow at temperatures below 1.000°C, and especially slow in cast iron. Water kettles could probably have a signature chiselled on without being 'decarburized'. Cast iron is brittle, but not hard. No cast iron is malleable. Only the handles of kettles are forged. Many SUKASHI TSUBA show chisel work traces on the insides of the SUKASHI and NAKAGO ANA. If you remember Ford's famous UTSUSHI video, you get an idea about how the artists used to work, and there is no great difference between soft metal TSUBA and iron TSUBA. The work progress on steel was/is admittedly somewhat slower. If I remember correctly, many AKASAKA TSUBA even show a SAN MAI welded construction in the plate, and traces of lamination are clearly seen on the rim of many other schools' TSUBA. I have heard that the file was a relatively late invention in the Japanese crafts, but I can offer no date for that. Probably the early artists had stone files, but I have no proof for that either. But they had jigsaws with steel wires, which could cut steel with the addition of diamond powder and some oil on the wire. I have no pictures for that but some ITO TSUBA with long hairline cuts were made with these saws (unless the artists had a LASER cutter). The idea of TEKKOTSU being produced by wear on clothes does not die out, it seems. There are some facts that suggest strongly it is impossible. 1. The so called 'bones' are not steel but iron. If wear was the cause of harder material standing out, it would have worn away the softer TEKKOTSU, but this would have taken thousands of years of permanent rubbing! 2. I have forged samples to produce TEKKOTSU and it is the iron (not the steel) that is more ductile and stands out of the metal matrix of a TSUBA plate. 3. Many TSUBA have been etched in the manufacturing process. Acids attack steel (with carbon content) easily while they work quite slowly on low C-content iron. So if TEKKOTSU was not produced by forging alone but by etching, again the iron stands out while the steel is etched away. 4. Making a mold and casting something like a fine KYO SUKASHI TSUBA in steel is very probably more work than cutting it out with chisels. Today with refined techniques this is still a lot easier. In general, casting makes no sense unless you have a mold which can be re-used to produce large numbers of cheap TSUBA for decoration only. 5. There are many TSUBA design books and sketch papers known. What would be their use if TSUBA were cast? Maybe Ford's competence is more convincing than mine, so I really hope he will join in the discussion.

I believe, we love you all for your humour!

Just a guess as a training: FUJIWARA NAKAYUKI The experts here will probably know better.

Chris, it is 62 mm long. I don't want to sell it, I was rather looking for completing a pair. Interestingly, I just learned from Barry that two completely different MENUKI may match as well! Nevertheless, I would appreciate to see a picture of your FUCHI, if you and Massa Brian don't mind..

Excellent idea, Brian! Thank you! One day, you might also want to start a FUCHI-KASHIRA orphanage, I have a few which wait for their respective counterpart.

Denis, cast does not necessarily mean fake. If close in-hand inspection shows no seams or lunkers, then it isn't cast.

Denis, As for a design guess, I believe this could be TAIKO drums and clouds. Difficult to judge from a photo, but it looks cast to my old eyes.

Jeff, the MEI reads HIZEN no KUNI MASATSUGU, I think. For the rest you may try the KANJI pages here on NMB yourself, it is a good training.

Thank you, Chris, for that insight, and congratulations! I think it is a good blend of knowledge, experience and luck to make such a purchase on E-Bay. After having had a look on the NOTARE HAMON of the KATANA, I would not have put my (non existing) money on it! It looks so 'artificial' on the photos! Good for you - you knew it better!

Grev, thank you for showing these TSUBA! It surprised me a bit to read that you attributed them to TOSHO. Until now I have different informations for these, e.g. thin flat plate, no signature, no HITSU-ANA (KO-TOSHO), no raised rim, but mostly with SUKASHI. Of course I know that many later TSUBA were made based on TOSHO designs, even up to late EDO period. I would have seen these TSUBA closer to TEMBO or so. By the way, it is quite easy to produce these undulating rims. You just need a two-point support underneath and one precise stroke for every 'wave'.

The human brain is a weird thing! When you know what it is you can suddenly see it!

I looked at the TSUBA quite a while and I think I can see a smaller bird (pigeon?) travelling by 'Crane Airlines'. There is still something bigger behind it - a sack? I am sure there is a Japanese legend behind it which our expert membres from Japan may know.

Nick, there is a tiny thing that I want to ask: the KASHIRA seems to have been worked on. If I am right with my observation, there are holes in the sides of the KASHIRA where normally the TSUKA-ITO would have gone through the SHITODOME. Now these slots are closed by decorative silver covers. I wonder whether this change took place when the TSUKA-ITO was changed one day or whether the KASHIRA had served on another TSUKA before.

Yes, and these seem better focused than the blade itself! :D

Gary, I am not a KANJI specialist, but I think the photos are not good. Try some with indirect light or light from the side to avoid reflexions. And of course they should be very sharp in spite of the magnification. Sometimes a little application of chalk helps to enhance the readability. Wipe the powder off so some remains in the grooves.

Dave, the polish does not look very convincing, maybe it is the photos? Was the blade polished in Japan and did it pass SHINSA? Have you got a new SHIRASAYA and HABAKI made?

I had that too on my first blade that I bought some 35 years ago. My experience is that chemical solvents will not harm the blade, but sometimes you have to experiment a while. If it is nitro varnish it takes time. I was anxious about my blade, but another collector told me: It's a hassle but better than deep rust! He was right!

Jason, there has always been a market for those buyers who do not have the opportunity to compare with the really fine work of the masters, and for those who are eager to believe in any signature, while not really looking at the quality aspects of the item involved. It has to do with eye training, and with a feeling for good quality. Another side is the fact that copying an original in a fast and dirty way and selling it cheaply often finds a buyer faster than the original with it's high price. Obviously the human brain works that way unless trained otherwise. High-end GOTO parts in heavily used condition? I doubt that you may find them! These quality items were in high esteem and respected although a wealthy owner might have had a number of good blades equipped on this quality level. Those who could afford GOTO items were probably not forced to wear their swords on a daily basis like a low-ranked SAMURAI. On the other side even a heavily used GOTO KODOGU piece would still show its' high quality, at least to those who can see it!

Paul, there is a lot of books waiting for you to be read! New MEKUGI ANA were made to adapt the NAKAGO to a new TSUKA (handle). Over time, TSUKA needed to be exchanged when they dried out, became brittle, and got cracks. One of these holes seems to have been plugged with lead (?) when it was no longer used. We can try to determine the age of a blade when we have all information necessary: all measurements and description data, good, sharp pictures of all parts of the naked blade (good state of polish is necessary!) including the NAKAGO, perhaps of a MEI and sometimes of a date. The MEI on your blade will have to be evaluated. There were BIZEN smiths of that name in early EDO times (e.g. YOKOYAMA KOZUKE DAIJO FUJIWARA SUKESADA), but I can't tell if this smith had made your sword. If you are interested, it will be you part of the work to do some research in books and in the www.

Paul, it may be an older blade, considerably cut to shorten the NAKAGO (tang) and strangely signed on both sides. I can read BIZEN OSAFUNE no JU. The other side is less easy to see and I can only read YOKOYAMA FUJIWARA. The experts here will know more. Signatures may or may not be genuine and are not necessarily a sign of value. Please read everything here on NMB on preserving Japanese blades. Doing the wrong 'cleaning' may damage the blades and lead to a considerable loss in value. Don't clean the NAKAGO except with a dry cloth or a toothbrush! As you can see, the blades are secured in the handle with a bamboo peg. Try to find that peg (MEKUGI) in the other handle, don't cut the binding!