Alex A

Ok thanks, I will think on it.

Thank you. Do you have any kind of authentication ?

Who is the famous fighter?

^Classic

Darius, thats an whole different discussion, perhaps a new thread would have been a good idea were im sure you will get lots of good advice. Briefly, fittings changed with time. I think its good to match age, but not crucial. Dont buy a tsuba that does not fit, measure the nakago, buy once.

I remember when I bought my first sword, owning one was adequate for a while, but as I started to learn more curiosity got the better of me. I don't plan on owning a room full of swords, cant afford it so if I buy a sword that sadly means that I eventually may have to sell a sword, but great owning and studying them for a while. It seems I may never be content, until ive seen everything i feel i need to see, could take a while

Grant, I'm nearly there, but not quite ready for Nihonto-Anonymous yet

with what you own in this hobby? Ive yet to hear of it. People say thats it, ive done with buying, then six months later there is a new sword in the post If you have managed it, be good to hear how you kicked the habit.

Whopps, Bizen, not Kaga, was on autopilot, sorry Darius, ignore that.......

Edit.

Hi Darius, what ever you choose to do, now or in the future, try and look for sensible deals were you are more likely to see your money back when you come to sell. Sometimes though, when you see something good that you really like, you may end up paying over the odds to get it, but I suppose that goes with any kind of collecting hobby. Johns correct, your taste will change when you learn a bit more, the good news is, learnings a lot cheaper than buying!

Good news, forget your gold and silver shares, the futures nihonto. I must say, some of the book prices have shot up too, buy whilst you can, boom times a coming!!

Mike, heres a few pics of what your looking for, the fuchi are iron or soft metal (not easy to find one short in height), the kashira is usually made from horn. Tsuba, ko-katchushi, ko-tosho, ko-kinko to name a few.

I see, thanks Mariusz.

That's the plan Darcy, going from old to new. I started with early tsuba, ive been looking at iron plate tsuba with simple sukashi and also bronze, yamegane and nigurome tsuba with simple decoration such as hari-ishime 針石目, kebori 毛彫 etc. I like these simple early tsuba, they are from an era that I like to study, but its not been easy to know what is considered top notch from those times. I see simple iron plate tsuba (plane jane, dare I say it) going for big bucks and then tsuba that seem more intricate going for a lot less, I guess the "history and rareness" factor has a lot do do with it. All got a bit confusing, but at least now I have some direction. I suppose I'm following the same path, simple to more complicated, easy learning program Cheers.

^^^ Great book, and you wont find many (if any) at that price.

Thanks gents for the pointers, appreciated Mariusz, fitting that you mention "some", Ko-Katchushi & Ko-Tosho, spending a month trying to get my head around them eventually led to this thread. I get what your saying, all utilitarian, but fair to say that some are more so than others. From then on, ive moved onto Onin, then Heianjo. (bit like the above, but jazzed up with brass inlay and prices seem more affordable) Il get there, cheers.

A simple question (I think), from a Tsuba simpleton. In terms of quality and skill, which tsuba from the Koto period do you think are the best, and why? Cheers.

Watched this in full last night, totally agree, jokingly said to my lad "i wouldn't last a week", lad replied, "wouldn't last a day" A point made about the number of unskilled polishers being a "dime a dozen" ruining decent blades, so true. The sensei didn't hold back with the criticism, old school training, reminds me of my first job, how times change. Interesting documentary, thanks.

I'm agreeing with you, going to say Late Muromachi, Katateuchigatana (one hand strike sword) ,now suriage. Had a few koshirae since then. Someone with more knowledge may say I'm talking nonsense, or give you more details, but your on the right lines. Your pics could be a lot better, killing my eye lol

Hi Chris, I'm thinking its suriage, original mekugi-ana just off the end of the nakago. Just as an example, look were the bo-hi ends (slight machi okuri on this example) , that's why I think suriage.http://new.uniquejapan.com/a-bizen-1514-sukesada-wakizashi/

Pm sent.

My rule of thumb for nihonto related special ops is to simply remove a zero Enjoy the restoration!

Good luck with that, perhaps bending the truth a little wont hurt as much

Hi Ben, according to JW Bott (the sword of Japan book), a groove cut by the swordsmith who made the sword, will usually run the full length of the sword, including the nakago. (maybe others have a different point of view?) A groove cut at a later time, known as "atori-bori hi", will normally stop in in the vicinity of the habaki to preserve the signature. Yours was cut later, how much later I dont know, a few months?, fifty years?, who knows, sometimes ware gives you an inkling. Look into your sword, look to see if Horimono was common to the school. How common horimono were on mass produced swords is a good question, I can only assume not to common, taking into account the 1000s up on 1000s made which were considered disposable. It was expensive for the Ashigaru and possibly low rank Samurai. Saying that though, there was money to be made on and off the battlefield, so who knows maybe the odd horimono was paid for with loot or by the reward from a severed head of an opposing big wig I'm not too clued up, be good to hear other views. Ps, I would save money on the koshirae idea, and stick with the shirasaya idea