Bugyotsuji

PPS I cannot yet find any record of a "Kuniyasu" gunsmith listed for Settsu-no-kuni Sakai, BTW. Here is an example of a Kunitomo gun with some similarities to yours, Ron, for reference.

Ron, the signature is quite interesting, but I think whoever took the photos must have missed the first characters for Kunitomo, which made my search a bit longer!!! All you have posted seems to be: First I found that the Mei Ho-sawa is recorded in a list of gunsmiths in Ko-shu 甲州　（甲斐）the present-day Yamanashi Ken, whence Takeda Shingen came. The third character has the meaning of Yadoru, 'temporarily living', or 'temporary abode'. Later following a few hours searching (!) I found that Kuniyasu is listed as a Kunitomo smith, but was he temporarily living in Yamanashi when he made this gun? The full signature should therefore be Kunitomo Ho-sawa (-zawa) Sha/Yadoru/Mi-o-yoseru/kari-ni-sumu Kuniyasu Saku, right? Admittedly the gun looks like a Sakai-zutsu, but being in fierce rivalry with each other , many Sakai and Kunitomo guns were almost indistinguishable. It may be that your gun looks restrained because it is in fact a Kunitomo gun, which were not generally as flashy/bling, or ostentatious as you say, as Sakai. PS I think you'll find the Chrysanthemum is an ashtray, for extinguishing the matchcord after use.

Thank you for showing your Tanto. Funny, it is fairly similar in some aspects to one that I have. Congratulations!

Lorenzo, some amazing stuff in those links. What is the FONDAZIONE ANTONIO MAZZOTTA?

...scales drop off the eyes of your understanding, Ian? I don't believe you have any left! :lol:

Oops, sorry, clicked on the second, but didn't look at the first link!

No information given, so hard to judge exacty when and why these were made. We can surely say that they are however Japanese style.

It looks as though the 'experts' are sorting them into different piles... for souvenirs, for preservation, for destruction, etc.

Well, no. I took it to a Kinko to see what he could do, but the result was not at all what I had expected. I wanted it perfect, just like before...

Thanks. Please do not ask me about the Tsuba, Philip. I went through a crazy patch buying Tsuba on internet auctions, in fairs, anywhere I found anything seemingly suitable. This one was not cheap, but perfect, in copper with a Shakudo finish and a nice twisted edge. It had no sekigane in the central Nakago Hitsu, so I cut up some copper sheet and folded and pushed it into the corners and adjusted the Tsuba to fit tightly over the Nakago. Or so I thought I was doing until I slipped with the tool I was using and put a deep scratch right across the Tsuba face...

Some bonus shots showing how the other small Bashin all sit happily there. I have reluctantly concluded that this slot was never originally designed for a Kozuka/Kogatana of the specially narrow width I had been searching for. To try to fit it would mean a redesign of the slot, and could lead to a split and more trouble than I need.

These are the candidates for the Hitsu side slot. The Kogatana/Kozuka is a solid piece of shibuichi, and suddenly seemed to be the perfect solution. The three Bashin are tetsu. The slot is triangular in cross-section. Hard to see because the horn entrance has been rather nibbled away. The Bashin all slide in easily. The Kozuka/Kogatana would break the Hitsu if forced in.

Philip, here are a few explanatory shots. The first two are the general appearance of the Saya, with the Bashin in place. My original thought was that with the kogatana/kozuka missing, someone had, at some point in history, added a Bashin just to fill the side Hitsu.

Many thanks John!

A rather sad and dark photograph. Does anyone know what kind of 'American' troops these are? A copy from the computer printer on glossy photographic paper may well turn out to be better than the original, with the added bonus that you don't have to worry about preserving it carefully.

Funny little realization this week. And a question at the end for anyone interested. The Tanto in this thread needed a narrow Kozuka for the Hitsu in the Saya. The Bashin is fine for a Kyushu saya, but it's ON THE WRONG SIDE, I was assured. Well, I have searched and asked everywhere for a kozuka, but no luck so far. Then the other day I was sorting through some bits and bobs and discovered that I already owned a 'brass' kozuka which held promise and had no other use. I took it round to an artisan and asked if he could make it a perfect fit for me. He looked at the Kozuka and said, "This is a very nice Shibuichi Kozuka!" :D Then he fitted it into the Hitsu and shook his head. "No, you see the little triangular roof there? This Hitsu is made originally specifically for a Bashin, and not for a Kozuka." It was true. Well, I took it home and pulled out my three little Bashin, of different sizes and styles. All three of them fit one way or another quite happily into the side Hitsu. Finally I have lost the urge/need to find a Kozuka for this Saya. Question. Is this a 'rare' left-handed or back-to-front Saya, or did Kyushu follow different rules as to which side a Kozuka/Kogai/Bashin fitted into the Saya?

Very nice, Ian. BTW Does it have all four of the Shio-de triangular rope attachments? (Can see one and part of another in the first pic above.)

Waki. Den. Aizu Michitoki... (I hope! )

It's just a note to remind the owner of what's inside the Kanteisho.

A pretty one there Ron. Hmmm... maybe we need a dedicated Yanone thread!

Saddles generally fetch really low prices in Japan now, but from a distance that one looks to be a very good example.

The shadow falls across the most important bit, but my instincts are telling me that it does not belong in a museum. It belongs in the hands of someone who will look after it.

An informative article and some wonderful examples in the photos there! Just a quick note on how the Japanese 'saw' arrows. Imagine them having flown and fallen into the ground all around you, like plants. The words to describe them then make sense. What we call an arrowhead, is to the Japanese a 'Ya-no-ne', or arrow-root. Alternatively for arrowhead you can say 'Ya-jiri' (jiri = shiri) ie the arrow-bottom/rear/butt. In this position they would also be in the quiver, butt down.

Hi Steve, If you really cannot post images here for some reason, then have them hosted on one of those free web sites and link them here.

No, you are spot on, Mr J. Balance and timing, yes. Part of the problem is the weight of one of these guns. You can grip the wasp-waisted butt end and hold the gun upright (think Native Americans on horseback) and then hug the gun against you to fix your match to the serpentine, but you can't open the lid at that moment for fear of the powder pouring back out of the pan; when you lower the muzzle to fire, almost all the weight rests on your left hand and arm. You have a couple of seconds before your muscles reach their agony limit. You can't really reach around comfortably to open the panlid with your right hand; it's possible, but the string had to be an attractive option.