Spartancrest

Reading a copy of the "Times"?

Unsigned Soten - very unusual - I think I agree with Piers. Hikone-bori.

To confuse the matter, even when the tagane-ato have been punched and spread the metal into the nakago-ana in order to fit a particular blade, it is also possible that the metal could be filed back in order to fit a THICKER blade. This will result in heavy tagane-ato marks but little to no metal spread into the hole. Fitting a tsuba to a new blade therefore works both ways.

One category Tim missed, * Weird. I have changed my collection preference to Kawari-gata - this can of course involve most if not all of the other categories that Tim has listed.

Kabuto/Maedate kamon? Kuwagata Kamon?

Three eyed snake?

Someone will have a better notion than me - but the shape of the seppa-dai suggests Hizen? Namban influence but made in Japan. Seriously nice piece!

https://www.czernys.com/catalogues/

https://www.jauce.com/auction/v1172904922 back again from 19th April 2022 - [https://www.jauce.com/auction/f1048239985] where it sold for nearly half the new asking price. https://www.jauce.com/auction/d1216400857 sword rack/Kake https://www.jauce.com/auction/c1215355128

I can see where the Yagyu vibe comes from - Yagu often have that half melted [yakite] look to them. But I don't know enough to say it is.

Tanaka also seem to have a predominance of Kuchi-beni (口紅) [though not all]

These are often described as "Abalone" design most are not signed and as you already speculate, a signature by Nobuie is likely gimei. The tsuba is featured in the movie "Ichi" - blind swordswoman 2008, image is poor resolution [how is that for trivia ] https://www.ebay.com/itm/296923445362

Happened to me years back, sword blade way out of polish [may have had one more polish left in it and some minor chips] but the tsuba was very fine nanako in iron with lined udenuki-ana. Stripped the tsuba off and sold the blade for the overall price I had paid. $800 from memory - I still love the tsuba. I guess my point is the same as Curren's - sometimes the fittings are superior to the blade and may never have been part of the "original" Koshirae.

Thank you all very much for your help - This truly is a weird guard [I have shown it long ago] It has two "prongs?" that project out in front like european sword breakers - just weird, so right up my alley

Can anyone translate the mei? Many thanks in advance.