ckaiserca

I am not a fan of paperback books, so I spent a bit of cash to have this hardbound with the covers done as overlays on the hard binding. It turned out pretty well.

Welcome to Colin and to ! Jean-Sébastien, I am located in Aurora, Ontario Canada. Fairly close to Toronto, so if you are ever in the area drop me a message. My collection is tiny, but growing.

Welcome Tony! I hope you enjoy your time on this board.

Welcome Jack! I am fairly new to this hobby too, and I have found this group to be helpful in the extreme!

In this case, I think that Showato refers to a sword that was made during the Showa Era. It does not always mean that the sword was not traditionally made. The description is simply stating that this sword has an amazingly good polish for a sword made during this period. Also note that this sword does not currently have Hozon papers. It is only guaranteed to receive Hozon if submitted to shinsa.

It is used from removing tsuka only. Use it as shown in the picture below. A few gentle taps are all it should take. To remove a blade from a tight shirasaya, try the advice of Grey written above.

For people who are having problems getting the Tsuka of the shirasaya off, you need to buy a set like this: It is called an Ategi-Zuchi kit (disassembly tools). I got mine at http://samuraisword.com. It's a bit pricy at $65.00 plus shipping, but it comes in really handy when you need to get a stuck tsuka off. It works on both shirasaya and on koshire

So a couple of folks have contacted me via message to let me know that I have been monkeyed with. Apparently these tsuba are cast. I thought that buying from a reputable dealer would be safe, but I was wrong. Both of these came from a well-known dealer in Tokyo. What should my next step be? Should I suck it up and count it as a lesson, or should I ask for my money back?

Two new additions to my collection. Both in the Thousand Monkeys or senbiki-zaru theme. The second tsuba seems to be a nicer example of the theme. Both tsuba are about 70 mm (2.8 inches) in diameter. The first one has a single hitsu-ana and is heavier. It doesen't show well in the photos, but all of the spaces between the monkeys is openwork. The second had two hitsu-ana and the eyes of the monkeys seem to have been accented in gold, but you have to look really closely to see it. The second one also has monkeys at the bottom that are playing a neck wrestling game called kunipiki. Kunipiki was a game where the opponents would put a loop of rope around their necks and then try to pull the other person over. I have found these examples online: Both tsuba also seem to have monkeys that are of the "See No, Speak No, and Hear No" variety.

Fairly certain this this photo is from China during the 1912 revolution.

The above photo is the only saya of a true nihonto that I own with semegane. The only other saya I have with semegane is a on a Type 98 Shin Gunto. Here is a close up of the gunto semegane: This is how the semegane fits on the saya in relation to the ishizuke:

Here are two plain silver semegane on a saya for a sun-nobi tanto:

That looks fantastic. The polish is great, and I like the koshirae. Well done!

Congratulations! What a wonderful accomplishment.

I have always been happy with the service from Aoi-Art. Not so much with FedEx which is how they have to ship to Canada lately (EMS is not currently available from Japan to Canada). My last blade sat in Anchorage, Alaska for 3 full days, and then sat in Memphis, Tennessee for two days, and then I had to jump through hoops to get it cleared through customs.

Hi Will, Welcome to the board. You have certainly found the right place. Thanks for your service.

Why would you spend $17,000 on a sword for cutting? You can get a newly made shinken for much less than that!

Another here: https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/63148478_1718c-Japanese-sword-tsuba-fukurokuju-tengu-mask-by

I found a link to a similar tsuba online: https://www.trocadero.com/stores/dmitry/items/1389012/18c-Japanese-sword-tsuba-FUKUROKUJU-TENGU-MASK

The V&A collection has a few items of arms and armour in their Toshiba Gallery (room 45). This gallery is an overview of all things Japanese rather than an exhibit focused on any one type of thing.

The waiting is the hardest part. On my last blade my heart sank every time I looked at the tracking information to see the package sitting in Anchorage, AK every day for three whole days.

Oh, you can certainly find blades with ugly corroded nakago. My latest acquisition speaks for itself: It is from Aoi-Art. NBTHK Hozon attributed as Mino Senjuin (美濃千手院).

Could these be Satsuma Rebellion related, or am I completely off?

The habaki is quite nice in hand. It appears to be made of silver.

Here are some other photos that might be helpful: