Toryu2020

Sacramento Japanese Sword Club Nanka To-ken Kai (Southern California Japanese Sword Club)

Just set up my collector profile (though I have been using NW since go) - I am a little hurt that the New York Token Kai is included in your list of clubs and not the NCJSC (Northern California Japanese Sword Club), we who bring you the annual San Francisco To-ken Taikai... -t

Can we see the whole koshirae? There may be info there that can help answer the questions. -t

Welcome, Liang

Signed Izu no Kuni ju Sadayoshi saku kore (no date) but with a very fine carving of a ken attesting to his background in the Gassan tradition...

Sorry to say NFS but I'm sure this is what you're looking for...

Great write up. Since this is by Fukunaga Sensei it is likely just a repeat of information but if it helps... B518. Koshitsu. Shogunke. Daimyoke Token Mokuroku - Japanese sword books and tsuba

Interesting point Brian, agreed Vajo I understood posting this might cause some pain…

Indeed it is described as shakudo but look closely at the surface; casting bubbles or evidence of gilding?

Cast menuki? https://www.aoijapan.com/menuki-mumei-kettle/

Compare to Rai Kuniyuki, I am sure you can see the differences...

One item for the wish list - this gets flagged for "Weapons" on my work computer wish there was a way to get around that. Not that I look at Nihonto while I am at work...

Great stuff!

https://nbthk-ab2.org/join-now/

Great thoughts Brett - I think you should propose this to the NBTHK/AB, I am not sure the Japan office has thought on these, they really should. I will point out that one of your proposals is already a reality. The Northern California Japanese Sword Club and the Metropolitan New York Club both have reciprocal relationships via the NBTHK/AB we pay one fee for membership in both clubs. Also we still get the NBTHK magazines in the mail, it is the NCJSC that went digital and now produces its newsletter only electronically... -t

Masayoshi's family name no relation to the Daimyo or the manufacturing company...

Bruce the kokuin reads ホソ川　or Hosokawa used by Masayoshi and his students…

Looks like your smith is Sugawara Kanenori. Made at age 84. May have to leave the rest to others…

Naze saita sakura ni Koma tsunagu Koma ga isameba hana ochiru

Luca thank you for the great article! Looking at my Tsuba it seems clear it is Kaga Yoshiro. You can see the telltale lines in person and you can almost see them in my photos…

Revisiting this thread as I just discovered Washida may be the source of my Tsuba.

David - sorry I cannot help with the auction question just want to send greetings from the Bay Area. -t

From the Urushi Kogei Jiten - Tagaysan Nuri ~ a type of kawari-nuri that brings out the wood grain with a finished look like Ironwood. Mokume-nuri - common in the middle-ages, red lacquer on top of black lacquer creating a woodgrain pattern. Mokume Arai dash-nuri - a type of sabi-nuri where the lacquer is manipulated by fingers, awls and spatula to create the wood grain. Sabi-nuri - urushi mixed with paper powder (Kami no ko) is then manipulated to build up patterns like Matsu-kawa and sakura-gawa...

From the interweb…

Look up the five sacred mountains of China