Donjohn

Thanks Joe! Don't think I would have got that one without your assistance.

Just picked up a Shin Gunto katana this weekend...like many of the non-traditional swords, the mei looks like chicken scratches. Can anyone help me decipher the first character? The second one I believe is Kane. Thanks much! -Don

Thanks much! Any tips on figuring out any more about which Sukesada it is?

Hello, I'd appreciate any assistance in my quest to better understand Nihonto. I picked up this wakizashi about 9 months ago and finally got around to translating the mei. I would appreciate any assistance in confirming my translation attempt. I believe it says Bishu Osafune Tsukuru Sadayuki. When doing research on this name, there are several Sadayuki's in the Bizen tradition. Any help from someone with an oshigata book or material on Bizen Sadayuki's would be appreciated. Sincerely, Don J.

Epic sniper failure... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Japanes ... 7675.l2557 I'd be interested to see some examples of the one that got away. How many of you have gnashed your teeth when your bidding software has failed you and you were potentially willing to go much higher than the item actually went for. Don

Thanks to all who responded. These obviously don't compare to some of the incredible works of art on some Tsuba owned by many board members but I thought they were fun. T, in conversations with a few people, the plugs might once have been part of a belt buckle. As far as the other cut outs being filled...I don't believe so. Is the coppery looking material shakudō? Don

Went to the Chantilly Gun Show today and started my Tsuba collection with the following two pieces. Any tips on identifying: age, maker, location made, etc? Also, any suggestions on how to go about learning more about Tsubas? Suggested books? Also had the pleasure of meeting, conversing and learning a ton from Chuck Cillo. Don J.

Alan and KM, Thanks for the advice! I live in one of the Washington, DC suburbs in Northern Virginia. I was looking at the Sword Show Listing on the main page and I'm going to try and make it to the Northeast Japanese Sword Show (Philadelphia, PA) Oct. 17-19 and see what I can learn there. I've also been told there are a few sword sellers at the Dulles Gun Show in Chantilly, VA this weekend. Has anyone been to this show looking for anything other than guns? There are supposedly 1,000 dealer tables. Best Regards, Don J.

Thanks for the advice Grey! I'm just happy I actually own a traditionally made blade! The learning curve is steep!

KM, thank you for taking the time to assist an interested novice. So...my understanding from reading the prior thread is that the mei on this Nakago which reads Mutsu no Kami Kaneyasu are probably gimei? Can this be determined by looking at the style of the sword itself? or the "signature?" Also, if the mei are indeed gimei, can anyone determine any more about the wakasahi...ie...is this a traditionally made sword, and if so...how to roughly date it? Sincerely, DJ

Wow...small world, this board is amazing! I guess I'm the buyer that wanted it just a little more than the poster in the thread listed above. I guess someone saved me some time on my research!

Hello, I just picked up my second Shin Gunto sword...this time a Wakasahi, length 31" and blade about 22." Unlike my last purchase, I don't see a Showa arsenal mark. Does that mean that this is a Gendaito blade? I also had a question about the unusual shaped tang and the two holes. Can anyone tell if this blade was cut down? Any help with the mei would also be appreciated. I enjoy doing the research on the armorer myself...I'm just hopeless right now at figuring out what the kanji characters on the tang are...

Thanks Peter and Stephen! Didn't realize I needed to get into linguistics when I started this hobby!

Thank you! How do you think I did in terms of a first purchase? And where do most collectors move to from here (obviously budget plays a role)? Buying research books and reading this board seems to be the prudent course of action...I'm just glad I was lucky enough to buy a real wartime relic...and not a Chinese knock-off. Don

So I believe the translation works out to: Ko-shū Seki Sumi Kanehiro-saku no. From Markus Sesko's Index of Japanese Swordsmiths, I believe the Kanehiro-saku who signed this sword lived from 1926-1989 in Gifu Province and went by the civilian name Isaji Osamu. It says he studied under Takaba Hidetada and Kita Sadahiro...am I right? The Nihonto Knowledge page had this information listed: Kanehiro Mino no kuni (Eisho) Seki KAN903 (15pts) noshu ju kanehiro What does the point system mean?

Thank you all very much for the time you took to respond to my request. I'm actually really interested in the entire process of learning how to interpret and then trace a signature to a particular armorer so thank you Veli for doing the hard part and transcribing the kanji off of the blade. I am fairly tech savvy so using a Japanese translator is no big deal for me. Now for the fun part of researching the information you all have graciously provided me! My thanks once again, Don J.

I just picked up my first Shin Gunto and have not had any luck translating the mei. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.