nagamaki - Franco

Try contacting Brian Tschernega.

http://www.nihonto.com/ko-kinko-tsuba/

1. this kozuka is signed, no? So start there, who is this maker, does mei look valid? 2. this may help you decide on restoration. 3. shinsa in u.s.a. is far less expensive, no need to send to Japan, especially a signed piece.

Hello Pablo, First impression agrees with a Kanbun shape, my concern is that I'm not seeing evidence of a hamon. You should look up/search previous discussions on how to view the hamon under lighting and write about your findings. Gracias.

Very sorry to hear. Harry was always kind and very sociable, stopping to chat even if only briefly when I used to attend the shows. RIP.

Hello, From what can be seen so far I would lean towards saying yes. Better images might bring a more definitive reply. Whichever way this goes, if restoring I would not mess around with amateurs, go with a true professional like Brian Tschernega or Ford Hallam. The shakudo looks to be of good quality, given time it could come back to some degree.

Hello John, 9 was a number floating around in my memory too for Honami. But also the numbers 7, 8,11 depending upon the tradition and just who. One time while showing a sword to a polisher, he looked at the marks and commented that he knew/recognized who had polished this sword.

A guess, Kaga Goto.

Welcome and thanks, Stephen, if the years teach us nothing we are lost. Now back to being comfortably numb ....

thoughts; 1. I would never clean a nakago with alcohol. 2. If the nakago looks to be in a proper state and aging properly, be vigilant, otherwise let it be. When and if uncomfortable with that I apply a light coat of oil once and wipe until only a very thin coating remains. 3. If there is red rust (active), I will lightly coat with oil and wipe, repeating until satisfied that the active rust has stopped and black (inactive) rust has taken hold. 4. With heavier active rust I might allow oil to soak for a short time before wiping. 5. Past owned swords have passed NBTHK Tokuho with properly oiled nakago, meaning a hardly noticeable very light coating.

Hello Arnold, All, Suggest, to be extra safe use perfume free, etc., Arm and Hammer laundry detergent as so many of these laundry products (and drier sheets as well) use nasty chemicals that can leave residues behind that you don't want in contact with your sword/tosogu.

Hello, Without looking up this mei it appears to my eye cut as the equivalent of printing not hand writing. So, I would be surprised if it passed shinsa, plus, the fact that it is not in a polished condition is unhelpful. As it is it looks to be another (decent) kogatana.

Hello, Consult a 'good' polisher, upper flaw could close, but it also could open up even more. Lower flaw is at or very close to hamon, and if so, you would have to be prepared to live with it. My 2 cents.

Fyi, http://www.nihonto.ca/ryumon-nobuyoshi/

There's no ultimatum here, no arm twisting, only a suggestion .......

One option to consider is https://markussesko.com/ sale on koshirae e book instead of buying junk with money you don't have to throw away. Developing and training your eye to recognize quality extends your buying power on a limited budget once you do have funds.

Hello Luis, My guess would be cast disguised to look otherwise, not 100% certain (but not hand made), I do not see any shakudo. Poor quality regardless, sorry it's not better news. No worries, we all started somewhere.

sorry, never mind.

A (hot) stamp process?

Hello, Upper right corner image shows a rough ridge on the center of tsuba's outer rim, which makes me suspect casting. Overall quality is not impressive.

If you haven't seen this already, http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/8252-kunikane/

Hello, While trying to keep an open mind to those suggesting an older blade, which now I think with these additional clear images has been put to rest, a reminder that as we evaluate swords it is important to keep in mind and separate those features which can be altered and those that can't or would be very difficult to alter without going through much difficulty. Holes, rust, can be doctored. For me the color of the steel definitely pointed away from an older blade, certainly not Shinto in my mind.

Hello Henry, If you can find one this title of a Sano Museum special exhibition catalog may be of interest to you, An Early Style of A Japanese Sword: A Search for The Origin of Curve.

https://www.aoijapan.com/katana-mumei-aoe24th-nbthk-juyo-paper