Franco D

Hello, For professional restoration of tsuba/tosogu and for other Japanese Sword Furniture services, highly recommend Brian Tschernega (search/google Brian Tschernega Washington for contact information).

fyi, https://www.aoijapan...22/F22509paper-1.jpg

Appreciate bringing this sword to our attention, and for the follow up comment/explanation/link. Grazie

Wonderful piece, most enjoyable! Tsuba finds the owner. Thank you for sharing. Auguri,

Brian Tschernega. I don't know what his turn around time is.

The Japanese write that 'Kantei is the foundation for Japanese sword appreciation.' They are correct in every sense. 'Forgive them for they know not what they do.' Principles.pdf https://www.pbs.org/...hailand/buddhism.htm

Motokasane? Sakikasane? Also, what is the kasane at the widest point of the nakago vs at the mune machi? Please, thank you.

Yes. It does appear that there has been some machi-okuri.

Would someone please be kind enough as to give a translation? Thank you.

Does the NBTHK designate this as a naginata-naoshi in the paper?

Well, which is it? [Please] make up your mind.

There is evidence that this kissaki has been altered. When the kissaki was reshaped it appears that the polisher chose not to reshape this sword closer to its original form. This observation can be taken any way you want, but it is still an observation. Although it may be difficult, when appraising a sword, for whatever reason, try to imagine what the sword looked like in its original form in an attempt to try and better understand what the swordsmith intended. Buy what you like, but understand what you're buying. As you were.

If so, then, how significantly? Was this originally Chu Kissaki? Elongated Chu Kissaki? Another good reason to have references like Yamanaka's Newsletters revised to research what should be expected. While bo-hi are frequently found on Nambokucho period nihonto, it is important to ask is it ato-bori? What does the rest of this blade look like?

Welcome.

https://www.mandarin....com/glossary/nakago

Oh, I have heard of all of them and many more. Your tit for tat baiting is very immature, and I'm still not going to tell you.

Ah, Colin, of course you take it to mean yours as in yours personally, and not yours as in your pick, or your choice. But just by the fact that your not willing to let this go now after telling me to get lost, which I was going to do, demonstrates just how personally you are taking this.

Thanks, Colin. Besides, I wasn't going to answer your first question anyway as it really isn't anyone's business. Even rude to ask, but that's you. What I will say is that I've done my homework.

And that's fine. The point I'm trying and apparently failing to make, is that by studying the best, learning to recognize what excellence in Nihonto and Japanese sword furniture really is, really means, really looks like, then junk "hurts your eyes as the Japanese say!" What does Colin's lineup look like if 3 more even better pieces were added in? Then Colin's best tsuba suddenly doesn't look that great anymore. Why? Answer that question then the entire picture is complete. People have to live within their means. But that doesn't mean they should not peel away the blinders. Take off the blinders. Buy what you like, but fully understand what you're buying! At Japanese sword shows, excellent pieces, even A+ pieces, both swords and in fittings, have been purchased for what amounts to the price of perhaps a few mediocre pieces. Why? Because somebody did their homework! Somebody noticed something that others didn't. Regards,

Yeah, keep studying s**t without ever learning what you should be studying!

Collin, what's not to get! It was an exercise in mediocrity. Nothing to learn besides what not to collect! In this whole thread it hasn't been established what A+ shakudo, or A+ nanako, or an A+ shakudo-nanako tsuba really looks like. So what is it that you're studying? What's the lesson here? Start at the bottom and work your way up? As you were.

Hello, I would say that it is a Nambokucho copy of a Kamakura sword Auguri,

Dear Lex van der Jagt, You're welcome. Ladder utsuri is a type of utsuri that appears like rungs on a ladder only they run vertically between the ha and shinogi. "Ladder utsuri" may just be another name used for Herakage utsuri. https://markussesko....i-2-jigane-jihada-3/ . Herakage utsuri is described as patches. On the Ko Nio blade I studied the utsuri did in fact look more like rungs on a ladder than patches speaking descriptively. Btw, that Ko Nio blade was TH to Ko Nio and mounted as a cane sword as it was almost as straight as an arrow. Auguri,

To my eye none of the three tsuba presented present quality above average, not materially, not artistically. So, what you're left with is which of the three is #1, #2, and #3? There's really not much of a lesson to learn here. Study the best, then collect what you like.

Quality is the criteria for making all my choices. How do you determine and gauge quality? You begin by looking at the best, not by some measure in our own minds. A better question might be how would you grade these three tsuba? Ah, but first you have to have a scale. Grade and quality in comparison to what?