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@David I think the last time it took about a week to be ordered at amazon.co.uk and a couple of days more at amazon.com. Just curious: Has anyone ever ordered a book of mine directly at Books on Demand (http://www.bod.de)? I wonder if it works faster that way or if they ship to the UK/US too. And not to forget, thank you all for your interest.

The signature on the blade reads: Inoue Izumi no Kami Kunisada - 井上和泉守国貞 And on the kozuka: Gotô Mitsuyasu + kaô - 後藤光保

@Richard Yes, it will be listed there too. It takes a little longer to show up at amazon.com.

Hello Everybody, I would like to announce my latest publication called "Handbook of Sword Fittings related Terms". The German handbook was privately published by me some time ago but now I was able to finish the English version. I would like to quote from the blurb: "This work focuses on the explanation and the origins of the most common terms in the field of tsuba, kodôgu, and tôsôgu. Terms from all areas are explained in detail, like zôgan (inlay), hori (carvings), iroe (colouring), sukashi (openings), dôgu (tools), jigane (raw materials), jimen (surface and surface finish), etc. Most of the explanations are supported by illustrations." ISBN 978-3-8423-6422-6, paperback, 88 pages, A5, s/w illustrations Price: 24,90 Euro PS: It might take a couple of days until an order can be placed via amazon.de, amazon.co.uk, or amazon.com http://www.amazon.de/Handbook-Sword-Fit ... 941&sr=8-8 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Handbook-Sword- ... 358&sr=8-8 http://www.bod.de/index.php?id=296&objk_id=514811

The missing part reads "Kumamoto" (隈本). This is the old writing of Kumamoto Castle (熊本城) which was used for the former castle at the Cha´usu-yama. Katô Kiyomasa had erected the new castle where the old one stood. The construction was finished in 1606 and the new characters were used from 1607 onwards. Quite interesting background...

I apologize for the lack of clarity. There is no English version (at least now now) of the full Encyclopedia but an English publication of the genealogies found therein (enlarged with the genealogies of the tsuba craftsmen) is available since April. @Lorenzo: This book was announced here: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=10155

Iwama Masayoshi had some students. One was adopted by him later as his successor, called Nobuyuki (H 07300.0). Other students were Nobuyoshi (H 07283.0), Naoyuki (H 06907.0) and Norishige (H 07393.0). Masayoshi´s student Hiroyoshi (H 01450.0) is listed in some sources as his son.

Thank you Paul! @Brian: I do not sell them directly, only in special cases if ordering does not work. But please bear in mind that I can´t offer the "free shipping" as does amazon (at least in the EU AFAIK). Anyway, it was the first time that I added the supplement at Books on Demand which guarantees an ordering from the US and UK. I hope this works but I don´t know when it is available in the US. At least it shows up when looking for the book at amazon.co.uk. So for all those who are interested in a copy and the ordering does not work via the two links given above, please contact me (PM) and I will send one (PayPal is fine).

Hi everybody, I want to inform you that my latest publication - in English this time - is out now. It is like the genealogies book of the swordsmiths but this time it deals with the tsuba and tôsô-kinkô schools. Quoting from the blurb: "The aim of this publication is to make the genealogies of the Japanese tsuba and tôsô-kinkô schools easily accessible to the reader, namely in that they are complete and have been revised for the first time, in a single book. The book contains 120 genealogies of all the major schools, divided up into two sections: the tankô who worked in iron, and the tôsô-kinkô who processed soft metal. For a better use of the genealogies, an extensive index is added at the end of the book." 148 pages, A4, price 39,90 Euro Here two links: http://www.amazon.de/Genealogies-Japane ... 436&sr=8-6 http://www.bod.de/index.php?id=296&objk_id=495248 And here some previews: Thank you for taking interest in my work. :D contents.pdf preview1.pdf preview2.pdf

The kaô should represent those of Hon´ami Tadaaki (本阿弥忠明), 19th head of the family (from about 1854 to 1868). It´s either a fake or a well meant hommage. Note: A similar kaô was once used by Kô´on (本阿弥光温) during the Kan´ei era (1624-1644).

Hi Mariusz, The first one: 浪華住　月山雲龍子源貞一　彫同作 慶応三丁卯年十一月日 Naniwa-jû Gassan Unryûshi Minamoto Sadakazu hori-dôsaku ([blade] and horimono made by Gassan Unryûshi Minamoto Sadakazu from Naniwa [Osaka]) Keiô san hinoto-usagidoshi jûichigatsu hi (a day in the 11th month Keiô three, 1867, year of the hare) The second one: 浪花住月山貞一精鍛 大正二年八月日 Naniwa-jû Gassan Sadakazu seitan (thoroughly forged by Gassan Sadakazu from Naniwa [Osaka]) Taishô ninen hachigatsu hi (a day in the eighth month of the 2nd year Taishô, 1913)

To all your confusion, 三三五 is also a name, namely "Sasago".

Sorry for being a pedant but it does not read "Toshitane" but "kô´in" (後胤) which means "descendant, scion".

Probably not the actual motif but the closest thing which comes to mind is a gorin-tô: http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/5 ... stone.html

Thank you Brian! I think it is better to wait for my book "Genealogies of Japanese tsuba and toso-kinko Schools" which should be finished in summer this year because the only useful info for English speakers in the "Lexikon..." are the genealogies. The new book will contain then all genealogies - as the name suggests - also of the tsuba schools (tanko), i.e. not only the kinko which are given in the German Lexikon.

PS: For all English-speaking enthusiasts, a book on the Genealogies of the tsuba and tôsô-kinkô schools will be out (presumably) in summer this year. It will be quite the same kind of book as my "Genealogies and Schools of Japanese Swordsmiths".

Dear members of the forum, I would like to introduce my latest publication. It is called "Lexikon der japanischen tôsô-kinkô-Schulen" (Encyclopedia of the Japanese tôsô-kinkô Schools) and deals - as the name already says - with the kinkô schools. The main focus is the systematical introduction of the schools, their decent, and the master-student relationships of the various artists. The latter are visualized by genealogies of the major schools. It starts with Kyôto and Edo and includes all the kinkô artists from the other provinces too (of course;). As mentioned, the main focus is the systematical introduction of the schools. The book does not deal with workmanships or signature styles. The format is 22 x 15,5 and the book contains 468 pages (including an extensive index of the names to make finding a certain artist easier). As it is new on amazon, it might take a couple of days if an order can be made or is shipped. http://www.amazon.de/Lexikon-japanische ... 705&sr=8-6 http://www.bod.de/index.php?id=296&objk_id=478687 Thank you for your interest. PS: Attached a preview PDF of three pages of the book. Vorschau.pdf

Hi Mariusz, The mei reads: 應友人之需 "yûjin no motome ni kotae" "made according to an order of a friend" 茅園逸士鐫 "Hô´en-isshi horu" "carved by Hô´en-isshi" (i.e. "carved by the hermit/retired Hô´en") "Isshi" means "hermit" and "Hô´en" was a gô of Ôkawa Teikan (H 09521.0).

Dear Members of the forum, I would like to announce a just-finished publication/sword catalogue. This catalogue records a selection of the blades from our Nihonto-Club Germany. But it is not just an illustrated list but offers sound and considerable informations to each blade, its characteristics, and its maker and/or school.Listed are 40 blades of which twelve bear the status juyo-token. The sequence is as usual, speak Koto-gokaden, Koto blades of other provinces, Sue-Koto, Keicho-Shinto, Shinto, Shinshinto, and Gendaito. If anybody is interested, it is available at amazon in English: http://www.amazon.de/Swords-Nihonto-Clu ... 182&sr=8-5 and in German: http://www.amazon.de/Schwerter-Nihonto- ... 182&sr=8-4 And also on Books on Demand: http://www.bod.de/index.php?id=296&objk_id=456541 http://www.bod.de/index.php?id=296&objk_id=453775 Thank you for your interest.

These are abbreviations of references: kenkô (剣工) = "Kenkô-dan" (剣工談) bikô (備考) = "Kokon-kaji-bikô" (古今鍛冶備考) sôran (総覧) = "Tôkô-sôran" (刀工総覧)

Maybe "Moriyasu saku" 盛康作 Maybe...

Yes, Koichi-san is absolutely correct, Kaneoka. 兼罡 or somestimes also written 兼岊 There were several Muromachi-period Kaneoka smiths of Seki´s Zenjô lineage.

This is Kashima´s "Shinto-oshigata-shu" (新刀押象集) published by the Ôsaka Tôken Kai.

I think the meaning is as Thomas suggested: "tenshikin o motte kore o saku - Suzuki Shigehide" (以天賜金作之 鈴木重秀) So I think that a certain Suzuki Shigehide had him made this sword by a later generation Izumi no Kami Kanesada using the money he was granted with as Imperial gratuity (shikin, 賜金). Maybe he was so proud of that bonus that he ordered the smith to engrave this on the tang. However, this does not rule out that the mei is gimei. Maybe he said he is going to have him forged a sword by Kanesada but went actually to a cheeper smith, ordered him to fake Kanesada´s name on the tang, using the saved money for saké and/or wives.

I´m leaning out of the window and say the opposite, i.e. rather Akihiro than Hiromitsu, just because I have the strange imagination that a narrowing of the hamon towards the habakimoto is more common for Akihiro. On the basis of these small details, I would pick blade 2 or 4.