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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.

I´ll fully subscribe to that. Somewhat offtopic but that´s IMHO exactly the difference between "I bought it because I like it" and "I bought it because I like (AND understand) it."

Hi Marc, The signature on the left side is "Setsuhô saku" (雪峰作) which was the gô of Hidetomo (英友), H 01174.0. Haynes mentions "this artist specialized in making brass plate tsuba of snakes in the round ... 1900-1930 ... Most were made for export." I´m not sure about the right side, probably "Nara Sugi-sanroku" (奈良杉山麓), "at the foot of Mt. Sugi"?

The second girl seems to think "Did I turn off the stove?"

Two brutally stylized swords (koshigatana, ebizaya). Hey, such a guessing game is quite funny.

When viewed from the other side, as the omote side of the pieces of Jingo Shigenaga, it could be - with much phantasy - a stylized depiction of the Japan archipelago (to the right), and the Chinese/Korean mainland (to the left).

Hi Darcy, I can do the translation work. I´m just leaving to attend a sword study meeting this weekend (how apt;), so I will only be able to reply from Monday on. Greetings.

Hi guys. Will be there on Friday and Saturday. Looking forward to the party;)

Problem solved :D There is nothing like people with the same kind of interest keeping a well sorted archive.

Hi all, I am doing research about Tanaka Kiyotoshi (田中清寿) at the moment and am in need of Fukushi Shigeo´s comments in the Token-Bijutsu issue No. 548. I would be very grateful if anybody has this issue and is willing to scan the relevant pages for me (PM, not high quality needed, just readable). Thank you for taking your time.

Kisshin (吉辰) is another term for "kichijitsu" (吉日), so the left part of the fuchi is not a signature but belongs to the date: seika-kisshin (盛夏吉日), "a lucky day in the middle of summer". The motif is IMHO the sign of Abe no Seimei. http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%AE%89% ... 4%E6%98%8E http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abe_no_Seimei