Spartancrest

Shachihoko with perforated mimi - NICE!

A glorious piece of workmanship - but the material itself is just not up to the task. The fukurin is the only element keeping this piece together. https://www.jauce.com/auction/1224137596 I have to wonder if it was altered to be used as a tsuba? The seppa-dai area does not look as you would expect.

Your Koshirae looks to be missing a metal koiguchi, a tsuba, a kurigata and tsuka is missing the menuki from under the wrap - a big list of replacements. I think you will have some trouble finding enough pieces to fit correctly. I think the tsuka can be rewrapped fairly easily and finding some appropriately sized menuki should be easy enough to find. The Koiguchi is a big problem to get the fit correct, you could make one from horn or even bone if you have the time.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/167116012345 leather pouch with tsuba clasp https://www.ebay.com/itm/167923793099 and another with a fabric case! https://samuraimuseum.de/shop/en/tsuba-necklace-orange https://samuraimuseum.de/shop/en/scarf-tsuba-blue-gold

I think, as Jean has stated, the first is either Hotei's sack [sometimes also Daruma] but may also represent a "furoshiki" wrap. [but these other designs are not to the same standard of quality - - that is for sure!] I love the wave and cloud sukashi

I hate the look of that signature and what is this "spot"? - a raised dot on an area that is supposed to be carved down - - does not compute! You could get a much better piece for much less and with more assurance that it was legit. Familiar "copies"? Looks like a pattern that should be added to "Please avoid at all costs - or it really will cost you!" A missing link to the Bonhams auction mentioned in the 2022 thread [below] is here: https://www.bonhams.com/auction/17816/lot/25/an-iron-tsuba-by-katsurano-sekibun-19th-century/

https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/l657634473

Running total going up - 164 from this mediocre group https://www.jauce.com/auction/o1223290758 an unusual "semi flat" design almost like a rounded example squished in a vice. Determined to find 200 examples of these "rare" - "unique" designs.

John see Posted February 6 a MEKUGI-NUKI or mekugi peg remover for a tsuka. Yes I think a very serious "user" could wear it as a pendant for "that special occasion" when you need to remove your sword handle.

https://www.jauce.com/auction/r1222928203

Welcome to NMB Chris. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/33388 an example of Kaneie work, the Met has about fifty examples - Very few have any guarantee of being authentic. As Jean has said the blade age has no relation to the age of the fittings. The shape of the guard would suggest to me it is a later work - it is not a common form, which is a good thing suggesting it is not a copy of another piece. The theme is Jittoku & Kanzan https://asia-archive.si.edu/exhibition/kanzan-and-jittoku/

Okay Okam - - where do you do your shopping? I love that second guard.

Kōfu jū Namitoshi 70 mm x 73 mm x 5 mm https://www.finarte.it/asta/arte-e-simbolismo-dei-fornimenti-delle-spade-giapponesi-sarzana-2026-03-18/tsuba-firmata-kfu-j-namitoshi-183067

The guard looks very similar to a type of gunto guard with the rim removed - except that the majority of these have a locking hole - the guard in question may have been given a "texture" recently if it was in fact a WWII altered piece but the colour is not what you would expect either. Could you give us some dimensions for this piece?

Colin can you access Jauce in the UK? https://www.jauce.com/auction/t1221335764 Most things on Yahoo can be found on Jauce - just substitute the last set of numbers from Yahoo [in this case t1221335764]