ROKUJURO

Fred, Hohoho, what a nice HOO bird! I like this phoenix KOGAI, looks well made! The dragon TSUBA looks, hum, unusual to my old eyes. What is the material? Could it be a recent production? The SEPPA DAI seems to be untouched while the NAKAGO ANA has TAGANE marks from fitting it to a blade. The iron TOSHO style TSUBA was certainly a nice one, but the surface was in my opinion not treated with hammer and punch but with heavy corrosion. The flower is UME no HANA (round petals), and what you see as a hot stamp was probably carefully chiselled out. But others with more competence may see this differently.

Grev, it is always interesting and educational to see samples of this museum's collection, so thank you again! Even if these shown today are considered HAMAMONO, No. 3 has been used a lot as it seems. Are the insects and spiders on this one mounted to be moveable? Very fancy - the SAMURAI was probably very proud of it!

Grev, it may have to do with the fact that the photos are not very helpful as the light seems to be too direkt. I think it would be better to have the light from the side, so that the signature grooves formed by the chisel are in the 'shade'. You might be able to further improve the readability of the MEI if you brush them with a toothbrush so loose red rust comes out. The signature of TSUBA No. 5 seems to start with CHOSHU which would comply with the style.

Theme is probably 'Frutti di mare'. The colour of the KOZUKA seems quite uniform on the photos, so I would like to ask if perhaps the patination was lost in this piece? I have rarely seen a plain copper red surface like this.

Thank you, Ford! A wonderful text, showing a deep understanding! Nice language as well, a proof of artistic skill in his field.

Thank you, Adam, for showing this wonderful KOZUKA! I like the subject a lot and admire how the limited space was used by the artist! Concerning the subject of the Japanese smiths, I would like to mention that they are (or were) probably not more talented than those of other cultures. In my observation it has to do with the fact that Japanese SHOKUNIN in general have a different approach to their respectice crafts compared with the West (in modern times). Japanese craftmen used to see their work finished when it was very well done all over (even inside!). We in the West have developped an attitude to see a work finished when it just served the purpose and enough time was invested. A Japanese smith has to learn his craft to a perfection that may exceed the technical requirements of the item he is forging. This may come down in many cases to a kind of aesthetics or beauty even in a simple workpiece, and this may be obvious even to a non-specialist. In this respect, the Japanese crafts as taught over centuries, are still paradigms for everyone striving for true mastership, at least in my eyes.

Gentlemen, besides your unnecessary 'wrestling' for more competence I enjoy the subject of this post which is educational. I would like to add that most likely the KAGI was not forged of one piece of steel but usually three or four strands are forge-welded to form the main beam which is then bent into a ring on it's upper end. This way would be the easier one, but it is technically possible to cut open a thick iron bar into four strands. This would require a bigger fire and more hammer work. If I remember correctly, there was a famous duel between MIYAMOTO MUSASHI and a KUSARIGAMA fighter the name of which just escapes me. In weapons, so it seems, using a very light chain made more sense than a rope. In climbing a wall, pulling down a burning house or for marine purposes, a short chain end plus a long rope appears to make more sense.

Clive, it may be the photo but this TSUBA has a strange look to it. The SEPPA DAI has some 'sunken-in' spots, and the surface of the carved monkeys has a uniform sheen as if it was coated or painted. I don't want to shout 'cast' without having held the TSUBA in hand, but it appears different from others that I have seen.

Jim, we should have stayed with the out-of-focus-photos because now it's clear that at least the MON are cast. However, there is a chance that the basic TSUBA plate might be an authentic one, having been 'upgraded'. I don't think the TSUBA's value was in fact increased by that measure, so depending on what you paid, it remains probably a souvenir, not an investment.

Jim, one sharp photo is much better than five out of focus!

Welcome to the NMB forum, Adam! Enjoy the wealth of information and experience assembled here! The members are always willing to help wherever needed, so please ask for advice in case you want to make a purchase. Although this is a NIHONTO forum we also have specialists of GUNTO on board.

Grev, if I get a bulk price, I'd like to take them all! No. 1 is not my favourite, but No. 2 is top of my list. Imagine if they were properly restored! Thanks for sharing, it is a nice opportunity to learn!

Robert, nice aquisition! The subject of your TSUBA seems to have been familiar in that school. There is a similar TSUBA being pictured in 'SUKASHI TSUBA by KOKUBO KENICHI on p. 104. It is signed NAGATO HAGI no JU NAKAI ZENSUKE TOMOTSUNE SAKU. Sources from the web say that the families of the KAWAJI, NAKAI, OKAMOTO, and some more, which were descended from the SHOAMI school, were the mainstream of TSUBA production in this area. If you are interested in researching about your TSUBA I would like to recommend you start with the NAKAI family.

Paul, there is no way other than to show the blade to an expert! That is not the next knife shop around the corner who might want to sharpen this very long knife, but someone who has experience in this special field. NBM provides a lot of useful addresses. The other side is what you could do yourself. Oil has the capacity to keep oxygen away from a metallic surface IF a) the layer is thick enough and b) the oil is adhesive enough to stay in place. Not every oil can provide this, and you should not put an oiled blade back in the scabbard as dust and particles will stick on the blade's surface. In the end, this can cause more damage by scratching and 'grinding' the blade. As far as I can see from the photos, the rust damage does not seem to go very deep, so all measures need not be decided today or this week. But in the long range somebody should polish a 'window' and see what you have. In the meantime a little bit of machine oil would do any harm, but will also not work wonders. Remove the HABAKI, get rid of the red rust on the NAKAGO (use you wife's toothbrush and a dry cotton rag), clean well also inside the HABAKI, and put on a little bit of oil.

I have no voice with this video. There could be a similarity between the OSHIGATA and the blade, but the condition of the latter does not allow a firm statement, I think.

Joe, I cannot read the MEI, but couldn't the uppermost character on the right be also read as KO (小)? Would that make more sense?

Bruno, Arnold Frentzel may be around there as his nickname is seattle1.

Keith, You probably mean TSUBA when you write tsubs? Your photos are not in focus, so there is not much to see and to evaluate. It looks like a KYO-SUKASHI TSUBA, depicting KARIGANE (have a look at the informations available here on NMB concerning this school), and the colour and blotches may lead to the impression, that it has been in a fire (as well as the NAKAGO of the WAKIZASHI). Hoan has mentioned this before. If that was the case, I am afraid there is not much value left, also considering the heavy corrosion in some spots. Nothing can be said in regard to the blade as there are no pictures. As you might have read here on the NMB, it is almost impossible to judge the quality (and even the market value!) of blades based on photos, the more when these are not in good polish.

Florian, he is a kind man, no doubt, but you cannot expect any NIHONTO related knowledge from him. If he had not his Japanese girl friend (or wife in the meantime?) he would be helpless. You have to make out for yourselves what you can buy. I would not say that if I did not know him personally.

David, it may be my old eyes but I count three MEKUGI ANA in the NAKAGO and also a number of them (three?) in the TSUKA. So one could guess that at some point of time the original handle was broken or lost and had to be replaced, presumably but another used one. At least one new MEKUGI ANA had to be drilled then for adaptation. I think there is no other great secret behind! Date is SHOWA 20, SHOGATSU, by the way.

Ford, I also enjoy your expert comments as eye-opener, and I am as well thankful for any opportunity to learn to distinguish between the quality levels. Being able to compare fine items which I probably will never be able to hold - that is so much different compared to my rookie times in the seventies! This is really a valuable improvement in the learning curve! Thanks, Ford!

Chris, in the mid seventies, they had Japanese film weeks in Frankfurt, Germany, and they showed classic SAMURAI films like 'Seven SAMURAI', YOJIMBO, TSUBAKI SANJURO, RASHOMON a.s.o. every other day. Among these was a film I liked a lot, and in the years since then, I tried in vain to see this film again. It was difficult as I did not remember the title, and unfortunately only a part of the contents. To make a long story short, it took me about 40 years to find that film again on YouTube (UGETSU MONOGATARI, 1953). So, with a little endurance, I am sure you will have your film one day!

Curran, do you have an explanation for the strangely shaped NAKAGO ANA seen in some items? Is it meant to fit a KATANA NAKAGO as well as one of a European rapier? Thank you!

Vern, first thing: get the cat out of the bed. Then take some close-up photos of the tang with the signature, avoiding reflections. If inside the house, try with light from the side, the signature is clear enough so you need no special tricks. Use daylight, if possible, but not bright sunshine. The pictures seem to show a really nice NAGINATA. Shape is o.k. but the damages of the tip might be a problem. To help you, well focused, sharp photos are needed.

Chris, I wish you the best of luck with your quest! Of course it is a bit selfish as I hope to see that film one day, too!