Brian Ayres

Goto Ichijo wrote about his gratitude...He also talked about his economic worries, saying, "I am leading a hand-to-mouth life" These excerpts are from Rokusho Vol.3 Impact on Art Nouveau Metalworks in Late Edo and Meiji Period.

I like the raised rough look from the grain rising. The red is just enough. Subtle and not in your face. Poison oak/ivy destroys me. I will leave the Urushi to others. I know that students are tested before they begin work to see if they are allergic. I won't even bother to try. Not worth the risk! ???? Though I am a bit jealous. I think urushi and some magnolia would be the answer to my not liking to do leatherwork for my knives.

Very nice forging. There is a couple ways to expose the "bones" like this in iron. If you heat the metal after it has been carved and is "finished" and quench it. Depending on if your forge was oxidizing, neutral or catburizing it will effect how much the steel scales and flakes off. It can clean up faint tool marks and give the metal the soft look, and expose the forging details. It's how I heat treat knives with a "forged finish". In a more controlled way, and traditional of course, is the iron patination processes that Ford has chronicled so well and teaches in his classes and is covered on his websites and will be in his books. I wouldn't be surprised if the soft look is also a product of working the steel hot, when they use a chisel to hot cut the basic design. I don't know enough about schools to make much more of a judgement than saying that the additional photos are great. Their detail helps a lot. In fact the lower pic if you zoom in to the inside of the rim almost appears to be growing lichen or moss.... Seriously great photos. ????

It looks to me more like a pre-form forged tsuba. It was slit for the nakago but not drifted to size. And when it was being forged out a lobe of the tsuba fell off and the tsuba was unceremoniously tossed in the slag heap with the molds from other projects at the sight. Or, it's a tsuba that was tossed in a fire that was hot and oxidizing....It looks like melted glass that you find in older campsites in the mountains.

I like the tsuba. I don't think it's modern. Looking at all the pictures what at first appear to be wear spots on the shakudo look to me purposeful after a closer look. Look at the 5th picture. The flower's petals are all evenly "worn". It is possible the tsuba was lighltly patinated on purpose for this reason.

Is there any sign that it is a forged piece? I would think that this is constructed with a dozen or so rows of wire each way and forge welded. This would be what I would do to give it the natural form if I was to make a tsuba of this design. That would also explain the inside edges being rough vs being finished. I am assuming that it's not casting flash. I think it would be fun to make a tsuba like this perhaps of soft metal wire, forge welded like mokume......

Well if it's originating in Japan why not have Kunitaro san get it now before it is shipped to you for immediate shinsa wo import/export fees piling up?

For one. Fred is old. 9 years older than when this post first was opened. It's his son that does most the work that is done in the shop. I've never met his son. The rest he farms out overseas including polishing and other work. I have been in his shop and have seen work in progress and I would wholeheartedly suggest you find someone else. .

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/17535-restoration-services-in-the-us-for-tosogu/?do=findComment&comment=180747 I would contact Marcus

Thanks Marius. That helped. I bought it thinking it was shakudo from the darkness of the patina but was second guessing it as copper.

Here is a straight on picture

I have this plain copper tsuba I picked up a couple years ago. I am curious how common they are as I cannot seem to find other soft metal tsuba that are unadorned. Do I not see them because nobody shares something so simple? It is 8.05cm wide and 8.15cm tall. The thickness is 3.75mm at the rim and 4.5mm at the nakago. It has one sekigane added to the bottom. There are a couple wear spots on the patina and some wax on the ura.

The missing sekigane as well as the insert that was in the kogai hitsu-ana being missing leads me to believe it was either badly corroded or in a fire and they fell out.

Spend the money and get the papered one! It is close enough that at a glance it might have been the one used to make the copy. Just think how much more you will love it than the copy!

I would love to see pics of the new polish and the difference. As a newbie I ask why a blade that appeared to be in full polish would be redone.

The nakago patina looks like it was heated with a torch after yakire to soften it for drilling. The hamon is so typical of a shopping mall knife store sword. That being said better pics couldn't hurt.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=17115&start=15 I'd talk to Kunitaro about a polish.....

Fantastic sir! Thank you. Curiosty satisfied. I love seeing the work of blacksmiths, swordsmiths and seeing the steps they took to create their work.

Ron, As a learning blacksmith and knifemaker, I have spent some time forging, drawing tapers and forge welding. Looking at your example I was wondering, could you examine the sides not pictured for another forge weld seam? In my experience hot cutting, and drawing out two pieces would take much more work than simply forge welding 4 pieces together after they have been tapered. Thanks for sharing this as it looks like a fun project to forge down the road. It is also an interesting piece of Japanese history. :D

Darren, Please share both a photo of your tsuba and the museum piece with credit to the museum for comparison. As Barry said, lots of designs were copied many times. It would be fun to compare your tsuba to the other.

OMG! The biggest balls of them all.... That piece just gets better!

I like it very much. Thanks for sharing.

You keep pulling out some nice pieces Bernard. I agree, Ford would make this piece glow. I really like this one too. Thanks once again for sharing. :D

I personally like the composition. Are all of Teruhide's works, or any other mainline master's works always the best of their portfolio? I know for a fact I only have a fraction of the knowledge that others here have, but I would like to see this piece go to shinsa and get papered. Bernard, Thank you ever so much for sharing your fathers and now your collection. It's been an immense joy,

Pete, Thanks for sharing this set with us. I am most fond of tree/moon scenes on fittings. The composition of the set is fantastic. I too would love better pictures. I second the request to send them to Richard with the addendum that I may drop into his studio since I'm only a couple miles from him.