Sly

Thanks John for having found the swordsmith(s). I didn't know that they could use only a part of their formal mei on certain blades. Well, anyway, as Jean noticed, it's not a notable smith and he is totaly right about the cost of restoration. Sometimes you can find wonders, but most of the times, it's just junk blades. Geraint is maybe right about the kissaki. That's the only pics I have, so hard to go further on this issue... You know what ? The guy ask 450 € for this, and there's no koshirae, the kashira is missing, etc. I think he can wait for a while ! But if someone is interested on the board, I can do the connection

Hi All. I am considering to acquire a new blade. I found this one. it's a nagamaki zukuri shape and it's suriage. I think it could become a good blade with the appropriate polish. But I can't read the mei. I think it's "Kane-something". Could you help me and as an option, give me your opinion on the restoration issue ? Thanks a lot guys !

Hi all ! It's been a few months since my last post on this thread. I got the wakizashi back from the polisher. Now it's on its way to Japan to pass Shinsa. While awaiting for the judgment, here are some pics of the blade. I got difficulties to take good pictures with the poor light of my appartment, so please be kind !

Thanks Thierry ! Any idea of what is written on the kanteisho beside the mei, on the left ? Is it an information on the maker ?

Hi ! I got this tembo school tsuba in my collection which passed NBTHK hozon last spring. I didn't manage to read the mei on the tsuba, but apparently the NBTHK could ! On the kanteisho, I just guess that the mei begins with "Yoshu Ju...", but I can't read the following kanjis. Could anyone give a little help about this ? Sylvain

Wow, Thank you Geraint, Mauro and Thomas for your usefull comments !!! I have learned a lot of interesting things on this koshirae thanks to you (quality, symbol, history). I'm feeling now more involved in taking care of what I bought. Best, Sylvain

Oops I did it again Jean... But I'm sure you will forgive me when you'll have it in hands (when you'll be back from vacation).

Hello. I acquired last month a daisho koshirae, which I got in an estate auction in Paris. I don't know what to think about the quality of all the fittings. IMHO, the pair of tsubas with tokugawa aoi mon look good quality, but the fuchi kashira (mei "mune nao" I think) seem to be in copper instead of shakudo. I'm not very good in fittings, so any thoughts about this is welcome. Sylvain

Too bad that this sword has not been submited to tokubetsu juyo shinsa this year. Masamune could fail but not this one .

Hi. I asked to a local auction house here in France some photos of a tanto which will be at auction next week. Look at the kozuka ! Funny ! What can we conclude ? All these different kozuka were cast ? Sylvain

Frank, I've checked and mine is iorimune. Sorry. Sylvain

Hi Frank. The shape (narrow sori) seems to fits with the era during when yokoyama sukesada used to work (Kanbun/Enpo era). I agree with you and Brian, I've never seen one of his work with suguha hamon. He is well known for his kani-no-tsune hamon (crab claw shape). I have one katana made by him, and something bothers me with your mei. It is close to yokoyama's mei, but at some point it is weak. Especially on the ura side with the bishu osafune ju nin. Strange. Here's the signature of mine, to compare. Sylvain

A big thank you to all of you guys, I think we have moved forward. I will submit it to NBTHK shinsa for sure, thanks to your comments. You will have to wait for the result for a while, as the polishing has just beginning. I will do an update of this thread once the sashi-komi has been done completely, and obviously once it has passed the shinsa. Sylvain

Hi ! The mei is an issue I agree , for it seems definitely a bit weak compared to other signatures of these swordsmiths. Anyway, the polisher sent me this morning some pictures of the hamon at the first step of polishing. What do you think ? Is it sudare-ba or not ? Thanks for your help ! Sylvain

Hi Jim. The polisher thinks it's a real one, even if he could'nt determine which generation it is. He just began his work on the blade, so he couldn't reveal yet the sudare-ba. However, he told me yesterday that he was planning to do a "window" on the blade (polishing a small part) so as to check the jihada and hamon for my purpose. He had an interesting remark about the "weakness" of the mei : "who could say he signs exactly 100 % the same way everytime, expecially when it is hand made ?" I would emphasize : mei are not hot stamps, right ? So, in theory there could be a sligthly difference of signing from a blade to another, even it is performed by the same swordsmith. Anyway, through my different readding, I was taught : don't judge the mei by itself, judge the entire blade. Please wait for further photos of the blade itself and we'll have a better judgment. Meanwhile, here's another picture of the mei with natural lignt. Looks better.

Thank you David, Christian and Brian for these usefull comments. Indeed, I have to study a little further this blade, but only once it will get fully polished. For the moment, I can guess the sudare ba design of the hamon within the rust, but I am not abble to take a picture wich shows it. Sorry for that. I will share with the board the photos of this wakizashi once the polishing beeing done, so as we can have a better judgment. However, I am thinking of sending it to Japan to pass shinsa. The above comment of Brian makes me a little bit more confident for the result.

Hi to everyone. I've bought a year ago a wakizashi from an individual for a relatively decent price, for the main reason it was in a bad shape. I've sent this wakizashi to a polisher and it should be ready at the end of this year. From my reasearch, I've found that the mei was "tanba no kami yoshimichi". The hamon seems to be sudare-ba, so perhaps it is a genuine one. Now, I have a chalenge : which Yoshimichi is it ? shodai, nidai, etc. ? Osaka or Kyoto ? Thanks for your help ! Sylvain

Oh, by the way, I think I did a misunderstanding on the design of the tsuba and the kozuka. I think the tsuba shows the chinese general Zhang Fei (Chôhi in Japanese) and the kozuka shows his companion the general Kuan Yu. The two menuki below emphazises the difference of dressing and face between Zhang fei (on the left) and Kuan Yu (on the right). Interesting.

John, thank you for your help. I've search a bit on the web and I found a tsuba with the naoestu mei 直悦. Seems to be close to the deisgn of my kozuka. So I would say it matches. But for the fuchi maker, I didn't find anything wich matches for the time beeing. Sylvain

Hi guys ! I've bought 6 months ago a wakizashi, with a very nice koshirae, though it is not "en suite". I've sent it to NBTHK shinsa but unfortunately the signature of the blade was judged as gimei (sigh) . Anyway, I stil want to submit the koshirae for shinsa, for I think it is genuine and good looking. While waiting for the judgment, I ask your help to translate the signature of the kozuka and the fuchi. The kozuka (and the tsuba) shows the chinese general Kuan Yu on his horse over a bridge. The fuchi (and kashira) shows insects among grass. Sylvain

PM sent for 22.

Hello to everyone ! It's a great pleasure to join the NMB. My name is Sylvain, I'm 37, I'm living in France in the city of Versailles near Paris. I started studying and collecting nihonto two years ago. I studied and enjoyed Japanese arts a few years ago, first by collecting woodblock prints. I moved then to warrior arts. That's where I am currently standing, and maybe in a few years, I'll move to Japanese netsuke, who knows ? Actually, if there is one person to blame about my great interest (obsession ?) in nihonto, it's Mr Paul MARTIN, for this true gentleman guided me to understand the basics of nihonto and helped me to submit some blades and tosogus at the NBTHK. Hachiman bless him ! I hope to share and learn as much as possible with you guys ! Sly