ROKUJURO

Justin, that is not NAGASA! How long is the blade without NAKAGO?

Calabrese, unfortunately, there is no "absolute". I am only looking at images, but my impression is these TSUBA are newly made (= 10 years or so) for sale to unsuspecting collectors/buyers. They do not look like MEIJI JIDAI products to me. Unused, no traces of hand-tools, obviously made for "bling" only. Sometimes the decoration is even on the SEPPA-DAI, which is very rare in Japanese TSUBA, and if it's done, it is made flat so as not to interfere with the SEPPA. As I tried to explain, these new ones lack the TSUBA function in my eyes. I cannot say where they are made, but I don't think they are made in Japan. Do you know the black Walter Compton collection catalogue from about the late 1970s? There you find spectacular late 19th century TSUBA in high quality, very ornate (not my taste) and very well made. But they are real TSUBA! You will certainly ask experts for their respective opinion on these modern TSUBA, and I am very curious about the outcome! Maybe I am wrong?

Calabrese, you missed the second part of my reply: Good Japanese TSUBA always have a practical side; they are not just fancy or flashy. Well, most of them.... I don't know if other nations besides China are actually attempting to make TSUBA for sale. But looking at these modern creations, I simply can't imagine them mounted on a sword while even the most ornate MEIJI era TSUBA will keep that functional aspect. Well, most of them; I have seen exeptions. Perhaps it is only my personal feeling.....

It is not Japanese quality and design in my opinion. Good Japanese TSUBA always have a practical side; they are not just fancy or flashy. Well, most of them....

Tyler, the photo is upside-down. If you could make some other ones, correctly oriented, plain dark background, dark room, with spotlight, and showing the full blade without HABAKI, and details like NAKAGO, KISSAKI, HAMON and MACHI, we get a clearer idea of what you have.

Tyler, traditionally working polishers (mostly living in Japan, but very few in the U.S.) usually do not polish military blades, but there are some self-taught craftsmen who do it, as fa as I know. I believe there is no appraisal system for non-traditional (military) blades. As you have the signature and the smith, you know when he worked, although the production of the blade might have been a cooperation among several workers. There are even swords which were signed by a man who did just that without working otherwise on blades. Maybe your interest will switch to traditional hand-made blades one day......?

Lewis, it could well have been used and seen as a TANTO in past times, but with today's market regulations, it is a WAKIZASHI as the TOROKUSHO says.

Salvatore, as you can see on the TOROKUSHO, it is a WAKIZASHI (TANTO have a max. length of 303 mm). The KOSHIRAE looks new, and the photos of the blade are not telling much. Perhaps try with a dark, non-reflecting background in a dark room, using s spotlight. All NAKAGO photos vertically tip-upwards.

At first glance not a TACHI and not a Japanese sword.

Colin, I absolutely share your opinion, and in addition, I will say that they are not carved but press molded, and not made in Japan. In fact, they are not in any category of TSUBA. Did anyeone see these kind of "TSUBA" 10 years ago?

NBS: Is that the famous Norwegian Button Society?

Robert, I would not exclude other impacts as you describe, but I am only looking at photos, and even with the blade in hand, it might be very difficult to guess.

Yves, as mentioned before, this is better posted in the TRANSLATION section.

Galo, you had already posted this a few days ago. Might be BISHU YOKOYAMA KUNIYOSHI. Even with good photos, estimating a market value is difficult or impossible. You will have to check the prices of comparable swords in comparable condition.

In my opinion, and as there is no distortion, these are all forging flaws without external impact influence. These can easily happen at any stage of forge-welding without being noticed by the smith, and unfortunately, they appear only as late as in the TOGI process. Colour changes could possibly be caused by locally different reactions of the steel to polishing. Uneven hardness of the cutting-edgel, caused by a poor YAKIMODOSHI (= tempering), can be felt by the polisher when working with UCHIGUMORI (= finest finishing stone). Maybe this results even in a colour change, but that is just a guess.

They are not cheap, and not close to the Japanese originals in my opinion.

Dale, the HIGO masters probably had square drill bits.....

YOSHITOSHI is wonderful!

We all make mistakes. Patience and persistance are the keys!

Jason, I don't think so. Would not be typical with flowers and flying insects. Rain is mostly not falling vertically in images.

I will confess that I don't have any competence in this field, so let me ask about the qualtity of the HORIMONO. Just from a solely personal view, I do not find it very appealing, but as it is an expression of another culture, I am probably way off, but ready to learn. How "good" is it actually?

Could be MYOCHIN NOBUIE. Perhaps also post in the TRANSLATION section.

This is basically correct, BUT the oxide layer on iron forms slowly in normal atmospheric condition. It is called "flash rust" when it gets more intense. It can be accelerated with higher temperature, so the above described colour changes can be seen when heat-treating carbon steel. In the West, these annealing colours are traditionally a guiding factor in tempering (= YAKIMODOSHI). As described above, the colours forming superficially are indeed super-thin layers of iron oxide, BUT they are not very stable and can be polished away. A straw colour would then correspond to an annealing temperature of about 200°C. In this case I don't see how such a colour would remain on a blade after the TOGI process, but a KANAHADA NUGUI (made with finest powdered magnetite (FeO x Fe2O3), suspended in oil), could darken the steel to an extent. If this magnetite is not pure and contains some hematite, the blade can even show a brownish hue. In the course of time, and with regular UCHIKO treatment, this colour will fade, resulting in a clean metallic surface. This is what I come up with when trying to explain the above described colour changes to myself.

Well Hector, as you are living near the "source" of all SAMURAI culture and weaponry, you will have good opportunities to study the subject extensively! I think it will be fun and a big advantage for you, compared with us other collectors who are not that lucky. All the best!

Hector, you are certainly right in that some people try to "age" IAITO TSUBA and sell them for a small profit. It was just your post where I could not see that evidence, the more as one grass in the "aged" TSUBA is even THICKER as in the left IAITO TSUBA. The SUKASHI (not tsukashi) could have been applied later, but I think all that messing is so much work that no one can make money with it in the end.