benkyoka

Thanks everyone. I've yet to see the blade myself but will see about getting some more info and images.

Unfortunately (?), no. When this person mentioned the blade for me I asked for pictures but only got these. I mentioned the strong possibility of Gimei but that wasn't received well. Heh

A not so knowledgable friend is telling me that someone he knows has a Masamune. Of course, I'm highly skeptical but thought i would put this out here for discussion, or at least confirmation. It's been a while since I posted something here. I know longer live in Japan and my Nihonto are kept with family back there. I really miss them but this board is an excellent salve for that.

Morita-san, 助かりました! I thought that kanj might be Mori but I couldn't find a Mori in any of the lists I was looking at. While I wait to get back home to my books, can anyone point me to a source for more information on this smith?

I was sent pictures of a blade in the hopes I could identify the smith and while I can easily make out that the mei starts with Seki Ju I am lost after that. Does anyone know a good resource (online, preferably, or other) which lists the Seki smiths so I can match up this signature? It may be I am missing something obvious and folks here can read the mei instantly but I am not at that level. A google search brought up some sites listing some Seki smiths but the I couldn't match up any kanji. As I can't recognize the Kanji that come after Seki Ju trying to match it with the resource books I have, while maybe not impossible, is definitely difficult and time consuming. Once last question. Does anyone know of anyone in the Raleigh, NC area who would be able and willing to look at some blades in person to help out the guy who sent me these pictures? He is looking for info on the history of his blade and I told him without the blade in hand it is quite a bit more difficult. Thanks for your help!

An acquaintance of mine has a friend (whose barber knows this guy's uncle) who recently inherited some blades brought back from Japan after the war by his grandfather. He asked me if I could determine the smith and age of the blades and while the mei was simple enough to read, Echigo no Kami Kanesada, I am thinking this looks gimei when I compare it to some references. But as I am still terrible at kantei, and because others here are more knowledgable and seem to enjoy it, I thought I would put up a picture.

It is with exceedingly large amounts of regret that I confess to having forgotten the Dai Token Ichi was this past weekend. I will be kicking myself for a year.

Hello everyone! I recently acquired this lovely tsuba with kanteisho paperwork stating it is the work Wakashiba. I tried googling and found reference to his name in one of the editions of 鍔の美. I don't have that edition and I am wondering if anyone else could point me in the direction of more information. I will post the pictures for all to enjoy.

ignore my post. I was incorrect

For a busy, productive smith I haven't heard of Nakamura Tunekai. Interesting way to read that kanji. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... tsupported http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... tsupported

Also interesting, every blade that seller has sold has had the same signature.

The nakago!!!?! Noooooooooooooooooooo!!

I turn 35 in a few days and have had a 'thing' for Japanese weaponry for a good number of years. Back in Canada I had a couple stainless steel wallhangers which I used to practice cutting things up. When I moved to Japan to further my study of budo and met the woman who would become my wife I also met the person who has been most responsible for my Nihonto interests (obsession?). My at-the-time fiance's uncle, upon hearing of my interest in Japanese martial arts, invited me to his home where he showed me his Nihonto collection (impressive!) and we cut some tatami using real Nihonto. Now that I think about it, I should have at least checked the age and condition of the blade before hacking at the mat. Shortly after my marriage, a long, thin package arrived in the mail addressed to me. I opened it to discover a real Nihonto and a letter stating that this blade was mine and I had to register it promptly. It turns out that the uncle had promised my wife that if we did get married he would give me a blade. She thought he was joking because he was drunk at the time. I immediately started studying the blade, purchasing books, and found this here NMB. Since then the uncle has gifted me with a few more. I consider myself extremely fortunate and am overwhelmed. The NMB community has been a great place to be a part of.

I hope we can all get together again afterwards.

What do you have for trade? hmmm...

Robert, It has a nice strong shape that I am sure will look fantastic once polished. Please do post pictures when it returns to you. It is good to see another Vancouver-islander on the forums.

I have a Takado Fujiwara Shigeyuki katana. If I can get on my computer when I return home I will post a picture of the mei. At a glance, the hamon looks very similar. edit: here are the pics.

This may be a start. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2302

Really? You don't need a lot of length in order to slash someone.

You could have just bid on them. I find this comment unnecessarily harsh. The seller admitted in the listing that he didn't know much about Japanese swords. When you consider the daunting amount of information relating to Japanese swords, I would be hard-pressed to call anyone an idiot simply because they don't know.

What camera did you purchase to take these pictures? They turned out pretty well.

I may have the opportunity to purchase this tsuba, but, before I make a decision either way, was hoping to get some information/insight on it. What do you folks think? School? Age?

In the Nihonto Jiten by 得能一男　page 152 has these two entries that may be related to your piece (although I could be way off).

thanks Jon! What does everyone think about the mei? Perhaps, mine is one of the later Kanenaga who worked more towards the edo period...

Huh?! I have what appears to be a koto blade with the mei Kanenaga. Should I hurriedly get my butt over to the next shinsa to have it inspected? Does anyone have any oshigata for this smith so I can compare the workmanship and mei?