C0D

I have some extra i can share and since i'm in the EU you won't have customs fees

More than Gassan this looks more like Shitahara, also nakago shape would fit

i read 一風子 (Ippushi? child of Ippu?) can't find any artist with that name, the only similar is 一風 "Ippu"

It doesn't say anything about Soshu or Masamune anywhere, on the hakogaki it actually says "Awataguchi" 粟田口

From the research i did online for a name with those specific kanji they all turn out as Yoshimasa, so i'm quite confident that would be it

The most likely pronunciation of 祥正 i think would be "Yoshimasa"

I do use Wise, very convenient and fast also to transfer money to Japan. A suggestion when sending money to Japan, ask for kanji/katakana account name or it can cause problems for transfer. i leave you my link so you can have a free transfer up to 500€ (and i can get some cashback ) https://wise.com/invite/u/manuelc927

looks like 需應佐々木重輔 which should mean "on request of Sasaki Shigesuke (or Jusuke)" Seems he liked his swords being custom made https://jref.com/threads/request-for-help-translating-kanji.251744/ https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/33601-help-needed-with-mei/

btw here's a beautiful documentary on how kettles are made traditionally (you can also see how complicated is to get a good one that way)

Cast iron has a melting point of 1250+ °C (which was hard to achieve with ancient bellows) while copper have 1085°C and brass 900-950°C (depending on the composition of the alloy), moreover as said previously cast iron needs to be heat treated after pouring to ensure workability and toughness. Charcoal wasn't cheap even in those times, so would have been a double waste, the work of a person to make a tsuba from scratch was probably cheaper.

A little tanto habaki i have since a while

My best wishes to Guido, looking forward to have a beer (or two) with him again

they do look quite new, maybe Meiji or modern

A pretty unique one from Aoijapan https://www.aoijapan.com/wakizashi-mumeiunji/

SOLD

That sword looks like an utsushi of the famous Yamatorige https://markussesko.com/2018/11/29/the-yamatorige-sanchomo-山鳥毛/

Probably someone tried to test cut his sword against the tsuba

That is actually a ken (straight double edged sword) it represents Fudo Myoo

Still available

You're welcome

should be this: YOSHIKUNI (吉国), Kanbun (寛文, 1661-1673), Tosa – “Kōzuke no Kami Yoshikuni” (上野守吉国), “Kōzuke no Daijō Yoshikuni” (上野大掾吉国), “Settsu-jū Yoshikuni” (摂津住吉国), real name Morishita Magobei (森下孫兵衛), son of Harima no Kami Yoshinari (播磨守吉成) and older brother of Mutsu no Kami Yoshiyuki (陸奥守吉行), he studied under the 1st gen. Yamato no Kami Yoshimichi (大和守吉道), he lived in Kyōto´s Fushimi-Ryōgae-machi (伏見両替町) and later in Tosa´s Kusaka-mura (日下村), he came originally from Nakamura (中村) in Ōshū province, he worked in the style of his master Yoshimichi, the jigane is an itame mixed with masame, the hamon is a gunome-midare, partially mixed with sudareba, and has a sugu-yakidashi, wazamono, chūjō-saku A papered example here https://katananokura.jp/SHOP/1810-W03.html#:~:text=摂津住吉国（上野守,として活躍しています。

武州下原住康重 - Bushū Shimohara ju Yasushige

Spring discount, 550€ plus shipping and Paypal

If genuine it should be around late 1600's

河内大掾原国定 Kawachi no Daijo Minamoto Kunisada