Lorenzo

I think the hole was made together with the nakago ana. One hole in that position is quite tipical as udenuki ana on higo soft metal tsuba, particularly Nishigaki (please don't think I'm implying the OP is a Nishigaki tsuba, just pointing out about 6 o'clock single hole) I don't have handy a better example piece to show, so I'm going with this one found on google, sorry. Also, regarding the OP, I don't think it's badly done. I think it is deliberately rustic in appearance.

Among others, Kamon are from Satsuma (the cross on the circle, the two bands on the circle) Higo (the kuyomon), Takeda (central Japan), Mitsutomoe, and the one in right in the centre is the Tokugawa mon. This theme to me indicate the whole country as one, especially under Tokugawa shogunate; hence I would say it is at least a post Momoyama piece.

Me too I'd like to see the other side. The mon are from all over the country. It could have been a part of a beauty set or utility (mirror?) than turned into what it is now.

Piers my friend I agree with Mauro about the design. Yours is nanban but why you mention Kunishige? Did our common friend suggested you so? Usually Kunishige tsuba are signed. Yours is mumei? I've never seen an Hirado Kunishige tsuba similar to the OP. By coincidence I possessed a fuchi/kashira set by the man though.

In Japanese you can just read "Ke-Hori" that means "grooves hair-like thin". Joe, thank you for the ncjsc newsletter PDF. Beautiful tsuba in there, for sure. Despite the so much discussed (and yet without a final word) Musashi name, this tsuba is notable. Thank you for showing it.

ps... the picture is not clear but the tsuba looks very beautiful. It gives me a vague jingo feeling. I hope the seller will add more pics

Grey, you are the seller and I knew it. There was nothing wrong in your description as you just stated that "skip tag says..". Nothing wrong at all. ...but, going customer side... Shall the customers watch what they buy closely, with their own eyes, and not blindly report another person comment, using it as they please? Syntax (or better, how we call things) is obviously important in this field, otherwise we can call this other case close as well.

I'd like to know about that detail as well :?

Just a quick note. If you measure the nakago ana / seppa dai you can figure out quite easily by the proportions if it is katana size or not. The tsuba on the book is clearly different, and quite a delicate work. Yours is, I repeat, a cute little tsuba but it fails when you call it a Hayashi Matashichi gem: That's the only problem for me. My English is not good but I imagine you call it gem referring to the fact you could have find out a little treasure; I don't think it is. You can't have one of the greatest higo master work this cheap, and if you do than the seller is probably insane. It could be an Hayashi school work.. but it have yet to be papered so. So, for honesty sake, shall we call this "in the style of.." and not "Higo Hayashi Matashichi gem" ?

Wrong axis :D

Cute little tsuba. Two minor questions; are you sure you are seeing tekkotsu instead of a intentional part of the design (fish fin)? are you stating this is surely made by Hayashi Matashichi? That's a bold statement to make.. better "in the style of.."

QUICKLY!!! viewtopic.php?f=4&t=13510 you can have it for a bargain.

I didn't comment because it seemed only a reading exercise. However if it goes down to quality and price, I would say that the uploaded picture isn't enough to verify the authenticity of the piece. From that picture alone I would say it is a cast copy; because of the colour and the gold shades on the mimi near the flowers. Quality pictures are important when discussing quality and price :D

Interesting find, Grev

Interesting. Not a word about kizu

Umegane is on the bohi. But any ways.. I would look elsewhere to buy.

I see at least one umegane (or something very close to it, 15th pic from the top) and something very suspicious on the 16Th picture (photoshop?). Can't agree more.

Looks genuine to me.

It's very simple, because of those sekigane. As I'm saying from the very beginning. As simple as that.

My last word is cast.

Okayama, July 29th. Temperature 45°C (in the shadow) humidity 150% .... event? Or torture? :D

I think that event deserves to be described a little more on the forum... can we collect some info? I'm seeing on facebook every sort of thing; makie, horimono etc..

I feel a bit sorry to be the one who started all this, especially if members takes it personally or like a sort of crusade to lower the respectability of the seller or any one else, which is clearly not. I felt I had better not to comment any more on this one, having already said my impressions... but after seeing all the replies, I'd like to reiterate; aren't we missing the point? I sincerely have no experience at all about casting steel; absolutely. I can't say how it's done neither I can say to be able to recognize a cast object by it's feature. But I can say that "carved" sekigane makes no sense. That should be the only point of the discussion, in my opinion. I'd like to quote Curran, regarding this: While I still seriously (very seriously) doubt that this is the case, for some remote aesthetic reason there could be faux sekigane... but I think when and if we will see it we will clearly see why... meanwhile I would suggest to take any sekigane that is one piece with the tsuba as a sign of a fake piece.

David, what I was concentrating on wasn't the fact there was or not soft metal liners on the bottom of the ryohitsu, that is something very common; what surprise me is the fact they are faux and possibly carved in the iron surface. This, if legit, could be the first time I see something like this; I see no reason to do that... So my doubt remain :D

Hi David, lovely design. I'm very keen to Takeda mon and derivatives... still searching for something bearing the kasane bishi mon. In normal circumstances this fact would make me scream cast; however you are saying that this is a documented feature of Hayashi Shigemitsu? Can you please elaborate more? Please understand I'm not saying you are wrong, one never stops to learn and I'd like to learn more to avoid mistakes. Thank you.