Steves87

Chris is correct, I do know that Matsukaze sources at least some of their stock from Jauce... they do have a mark-up, but they are otherwise very trustworthy.

this seller is one of only a few (not including private sellers) that I would recommend. After a while, if you get on with them, they make some "allowances" for you, too. Having said that, stay away from them! I don't need any more competition adding to the weak Aus dollar!

Dale already has these two on file, but here they are to add to the forum examples.

I see what you are getting at, Dan. Not a bad idea, I think the main issue you will have, is the infinite different results that are possible... I have a ton of photos just like the one above and every one is different. I am almost 100% sure some of them are rust over previous unwanted/fixed rust... and getting a bit literal, iron patina is a controlled rust anyway, isn't it? Who says that between intentional hammer blows/chisel marks and various levels of intentional patina rust, a created finish cant just happen to look like a cast finish?

You can ignore the first two books, they should not be available at all, and new book is far superior to those. This is the link to the proof copy of the book: Tsuba, the special collection of Rolling Brooks Gallery https://www.dropbox....j873v4y9ecysnrj&dl=0 Like I have said, there are quite a few amendments in the hardcopy.

Thank you Peter and Dale, it is very kind... I'm generally too shy for such an intimate promotion to a forum such as this. Piers, I have a "proof" pdf copy I can share with the forum (for a limited time). I'll get on it later today. It is a proof copy and the hard copy has had quite a few things amended in it, so you will pick stuff up. Shortly after the book became live (Tsuba, the special collection in Rolling Brooks Gallery), someone contacted me and bought up a whole heap of the basic guards (As provenance and publication appears to make low end stuff much more appealing), which allowed me to acquire almost as many, more vastly superior guards. These will eventually go into an updated version (probably), but I have heap more study to do on them first. If you click my profile in Peter's link, there will be two links to the book sales, just remember I basically have no control on the sales price.

I'm not sure I understand the extent of small rust spotting you are trying to see, but I have quite a few that once had localised rust areas. This is one of these examples.

It would be interesting to get a simple poll on this Tsuba to see where the forum really sits.... Is this Tsuba cast? Yes, No.... (no maybe) I honestly cannot be sure, but I think more points to it being traditionally made, versus cast. Iron sukashi is so "easily" reproduced, that is why I tend to focus on inlaid pieces. Having said that, some of the details supporting it as cast, are also found on Tsuba with heavy inlay... if a traditionally made Tsuba with inlay can share the signs we consider as "cast" traits, then why can't an iron sukashi Tsuba also have them without being considered a casting?

I think they they work well as a married daisho. As Alex pointed out though, the difference in metal thickness around the hitsu-ana is the most obvious difference between the two, followed closely by the slightly different shape of the two hitsu-ana. These two differences are probably what makes them not a "true" daisho in my opinion. I think the surface condition between the two is acceptable as there is no guarantee that a daisho would be stored in a daisho kiribako, which leads to the possibility of different rates of storage/environmental conditions (that can subsequently lead to degradation). The tagane ato, if added when fitting (and not as decoration) does not need to be similar, as this can be needed at differing times from multiple fitment activities. Having said that though, if both are fitted at the same time by the same person, I would expect that (like me) they choose the same punch/method/locations? I think the size relationship is also acceptable, being large is typical, and if your have a large Katana guard, you don't want a comparitively miniature Wakizashi daisho guard.

hi Leon, It can be a difficult task finding a source. There is a document from Ford Hallam to make your own. Have a look, it may be something you enjoy having-a-go with.

I'd say Shakudo, which should be a consistent "black"

It's a question and a search that you will ask forever, it just doesn't have a simple answer. Have a look through this thread as this is one of the more recent

Is there a publicly accessible database of every papered item, including details and images? Or at least one containing the appraised items since digital word processing and digital photography has been used? That as a source, has the potential to change everything in the education of Nihonto... and drastically, especially for fittings. I haven't found it yet, so it either doesn't exist, isnt publically available (to members?), or it is advertised woefully. I feel that this type of database may be counter productive to the financial business of the NBTHK, but if education or the future of appraisals is so important, then...?

We will be happy to hear your findings David, good luck!

Thanks for this one Peter, I hadn't read this one yet, but I have the perfect chance to cite it at the moment, in a study. Page 155 brings up a point that is often asked, which side is the omote when both are identical? I usually say the omote is the side with tagane ato, if there are none, then I say the side in best condition (or most remaining zogan). I have a utsushi to the example they have given (fig4), in this case I had to go with condition (one side had slightly better nunome zogan). It would be interesting to see what others have to say. Back on topic though, I will definitely confirm the importance of using a lighted base support. It is basically the only way to take the shadows out of the sukashi, without affecting the colour and contrasts of the Tsuba plate. I still can't get it right, there is always a compromise, especially when shadows are needed to convey the relief of carvings.

I found these two in George Trotter's book "Japanese swords and fittings in the Western Australian Museum" while looking through it during the week. Its a pretty interesting Habaki, George did a good job on the book too. The museum may have to lift their fittings (Tsuba) game though.

Dale, your skills in this area are second to none! It would be great if the bonhams or christies could hire you to do their past Tsuba items!?

I don't know too much about the whole system, and I suspect most other people do not either. I could be completely wrong about that, but there appears to be no transparency to the whole system. You pay a considerable load of dollars (especially for non-USD earners), the item disappears for a while, then it may come back with a paper that has been produced by an un-known quantity, using an un-known reference source (how old, how complete, how updated?). The papers usually confirm what is already known or produce a result that is questionable to many seasoned collectors. I think the paper system is important, but I can tell you now, it is in drastic need of reform. Pre internet, pre-web 2.0, or maybe even pre 2010 the system worked ok, now we have powerful crowd sourced information and web-based access to massive amounts of digitised Nihonto related information. If the papering system was as transparent as these powerful new-aged ways, it may have needed to increase its intake, not lessen it. Maybe papering is still totally superior to the new ways, but they aren't making a good case for it. Its currently a petrol system in a hybrid world, I hope they see this before everything goes electric.

It is exceptionally uniform and contrasting, I can't decide if it was intentional or purely just time induced?

I have seen a few (probably 4) Nara guards in the past with a zogan covered mei, it appears to be something they did. I have one myself, and if I'll take a semi-educated guess, I'd say your guard was similar to mine, and the zogan (however it was fixed) has fallen off. I imagine the base plate has the mei (as with your example) and then the zogan material is depressed into the mei characters. I have asked here on the forum about this practice with the mei, it was a few years ago, but I don't think there were any definite answers.

Yes, I've had it described as sho-no-fue. I don't have an example as shown (as you know), but I do have this one with the sho depicted on the reverse side. Edit: of note, the nobles cap is also depicted on guard too.

Mauro, exactly what I have been thinking for years (in terms of getting an item papered). The whole system of papering an item is very much a pre-web 2.0 system. I think it was important up until the 2010's, but these days it very much comes across as a boys club, or like you say, religion. Is there any transparency to the process/decisions when papering?

From those photos, that doesn't appear to be a faked patina. It may not be the original patina (tagane patina is very consistent), but who knows? In my experience with fake patina, the guards will have more of a black, or quite dark finish with a somewhat "dry" appearance. The biggest tell however, is by submerging the guard in static hot water, if the finish starts to leach, it is a fake patina. There are a few high volume sellers who's guards consistently leech when submerged, and at this stage I have about an 80% strike rate of calling a guard out, as having a fake patina (once in hand), but this doesn't always translate with photographs.

I understand what Florian is saying, however to me, I think it is maybe the head of the figure that is "off" and this seems to influence the rest of the feeling towards the guard. Don't underestimate the power of human faces depicted on Tsuba... I feel that is why Soten pieces do so well. The nakago ana is not typical for sure, but this dishing is not unheard of (although usually the whole way round or either side as Florian says). In the case of this Tsuba, if you look at the third posted picture, you can see a bulg in the ana wall, this is what would happen with a hammer blow, so I am certain it has not been carved out in this case. The iron is remarkably free of rust and the patina appears quite consistent in the photos too (including in ana and tagane). Is the guard attracted to a magnet? There are cases of zogan being applied to appear worn (suri-heri/suri-hegashi, can't remember which one is on purpose), so don't necessarily get hooked up on that. Below are a couple of similar nakago-ana

Good luck Grev! I tested the waters here in Perth Australia (where most people have never heard of a Tsuba). It was this January just gone. A super basic iron guard with a bit of copper ten zogan reached $100 aud, which is about three dollars in your currency, so I think you will do well with your examples. Buyers fees are 16.5% at this auction house.... 30% is insane!