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Thank you, i think technically this is called alloy banding lines

Not sure i'd define them sunagashi, but the effect is similar. This is a wakizashi i made from 1070, water quenched

For sale Tsuba signed Naoaki (直鏡) + kao, full name Hata Naoaki (畑直鏡), who was also a swordsmith and the son of the 1st gen. Shōji Naokatsu (荘司直勝, 1805-1858) and grandson of Taikei Naotane (大慶直胤). All the swordsmiths of the Naokatsu line also produced tsuba, mainly in the Nobuie style, and these tsuba are often characterized by a "melted" surface with a dark smooth patina. This tsuba presents all the classic elements of Naoaki's works, it represents a wheel cart (partally in sukashi) and paulownia crests in vines by engraving. The mimi on left and right sides are engraved with kikko pattern, the typical turtle shell pattern of Nobuie. The patina is dark and smooth and overall the aspect of the tsuba is very "organic" due the melted appearance. Dimensions: 76x72 mm Thickness at seppa dai: 3 mm Thickness at mimi: 5.5 mm Price 850€ plus shipping and Paypal

It's in chinese 大清康熙年製 Made in the Qing dynasty, Kangxi reign

Roger, are you still looking for this kind of tsuba? I might get my hands on one

No problem 😉

Who's Chris? 😅

Chōshū Hagi-jū Naka Tomomitsu(長州萩住中智光) http://www.sword-auction.jp/ja/content/af18414-鍔：長州萩住中智光-tsuba-choshu-hagi-ju-tomomitsu

Usually the only reason to remove a mei on a tsuba is because it's gimei

It seems there was a mei and was removed

寛延三年八月吉日 Kan'en 3 (1751) August, a lucky day

Would be more interested to know if NBTHK would judge it as mumei or not

Did you try this procedure before?

The sayagaki says "Ichimonji Yoshifusa katana 2 shaku 1 sun"

Seiryoken Hagiya Katsuhira

三位有功 (Arikoto, bearer of the third court rank) court noble, lived from 1796 to 1854, it is said that he started to forge blades by his own because he was dissatisfied with the sword collection of his family, he was trained by the swordsmiths Ozaki Masataka (尾崎正隆) and Nankai Tarō Tomotaka (南海太郎朝尊)

It's a kurikara (倶梨伽羅) horimono, more info about it here https://markussesko.com/2015/03/18/kantei-1-sugata-4/

It's a mochi pounding mortar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmSrULDVRPc

Kojima Norimichi, Seki stamp. Gendaito Seki swordsmith

Of course i might be wrong, but from what i see the blade isn't tamahagane for sure and most likely not even steel. The hamon is drawn and the nakago is been badly adapted (most likely to fit the tsuka). Usually this kind of blades are called "mogito" in Japan, and can be wall hangers for tourists or iaito for practice. Tosogu are all modern cast and the koshirae is "wall hanger quality". At least is probably made in Japan, since usually China ones are steel

This is a mogito, a practice sword with blade in aluminium alloy and modern cast fittings

The signature is different too, a compare of original Fukunaga's hakogaki on left and the certificate on right, please note the last kanji

I'm sorry if i sound presumptuous, that wasn't my intention. Just i studied Muramasa and his works for a while and what i see on this blade doesn't look anything like his workmanship. He made hitatsura, but never this picturesque and regular. Hada doesn't fit either. What i said about the papers wasn't against you, since you said yourself that this is suspicious, is just a general raccomandation. I always doubt of papers on mumei blades, even NTHK or NBTHK, after all is just an educated guess And about the certificate doesn't seem Fukunaga's http://www.shibuiswords.com/papers1.htm