sencho

Also one look at the Fukura says immediately that it is 100% fake.... classic Chinese style!!! :lol:

"Arigatou san!!"　　 　　 :D Cheers!

Moriyama san.... Sumimasen... regarding the Kanji for Osaka 大å‚　rather than the kanji for the prefecture 大阪　... is this an older kanji for Osaka?... or does it refer to something else?? Thanks and regards Nigel

at first and immediate glance the shape of the 2nd kanji screams NAGA to me... MASA NAGA 正永 ...edit.... Mark, I see where you are going with MASASUKE, (with the little box and all) but I don't think it works. If it was SUKE I would want to see the main vertical stroke further over to the left, instead it is central to the kanji. However I be just a nihovice and am quite likely wrong! Let's wait for Moriyama san or Morita san to give an opinion..... cheers

:lol: first time I looked I thought... "bloody hell, that's a lot of strokes!!!!" :lol:

Bonji maybe Osaka as Reinhard says but I am not 100%　大阪　we're talking about the prefecture right??? :lol: Sakamichi saku ç››é“作 ... at first glance, but also as Reinhard says Morimichi... same 1st kanji.... no SAKA's in Hawleys but lots of MORI's Kao

No.... From your pictures,Reinhard, I would (as a novice) suggest that the Yokote, Mistugashira, Ko-shingoi, etc look pretty shabby. The shape of the Fukura as a whole does not seems to work at all, but this would not necessarily lead me to immediately believe it was not Japanese. The shingoi looks a bit dodgy too.... not as crisp and perfect as it should... almost looks like there is a bow in it farther down.... the shine looks very shallow like well polished stainless.... however I would not know that these things are not just the photograph, or a bad polish. All of the above would make me suspicious and wary... still not knowledgeable enough to tell if it is a good fake/iato/etc or a badly treated/polished/photographed nihonto. The nakano would probably suggest to me that it was showato or gunto... I have never seen a mei on a non-Japanese sword that uses such well done kanji..... Reinhard... enlighten us..... with a spoiler if necessary! Cheers!

次 TSUGU é‡ SHIGE æ³¢ NAMI é‡ SHIGE On the mei there is not have enough strokes to the left side of the character for Tsugu.... I go with Nami..... cannot find a smith by this name though either.... :?

token oshigata no gihou??? 刀剣押形ã®æŠ€æ³• Anyone heard of this book?

So people do not have to keep clicking the link for Po`s kozuka.... here is some of the pics....

Thanks Pete, I am going to look into those. I find Shozui's workmanship quite difficult to judge. I personally, with my novice eye, think that the workmanship of the kozuka in question is quite good. I looked at this tsuba too, from the Boston MFA. Some of his work I find depicts nature, some is a little abstract and some downright cartoonish... but anyway I see some pieces that seem to be extremely clever, skillful and intricate, but are shot down as obvious fakes and some more simplistic and almost awkward, mishapen designs that are hailed as his genius..... and vice versa!! :? ....still give me hope for my own 99.99% gimei Shozui kozuka... :lol:

Pete, Curran, Thanks for your imput... apart from Haynes and kinko meikan... is there any books that concentrate more squarely on Hamano, or at least Nara and it's derivative schools...? In addition, mei aside, what is your take and appraisal on the workmanship itself? Cheers Nigel

Hey Milt, This Kogai also with Po... What is Somin school that he refers to..... the "masa" kanji reminds me so much of shozui.... Po says it is.... The Suaka Kogai is decorated with Suemon,Ke-bori , Katakiri-bori carving, Shakudo inlay on Migaki-ji, design of Dragon with Dragon Ball on waves, signed Naomasa Kao. Yanagawa Naomasa is one of the greatest craftman of Somin school, lived in Edo Kanda.

It`s very nice too.... shoshin??? I dunno... I would expect ole Po to get something papered if there was a chance of being gen`.... I love this Hamano style though.... it really floats my boat!!! Saved all of the pics for reference for my Hamano website.... when I finally get around to building it one day!! Cheers!

Google "Heiwajima" Antique Fair... it's big by the way and even if you don't buy anything it is great to wander around!! I am going to the May one, and possibly June too. Just near Tokyo Ryutsu Center Station John... here is a good English language page for lots of antique markets in Japan and the whens and wheres. http://www.weekender.co.jp/new/guides/a ... rkets.html Cheers!

.... but would this be because of the Smith, or the Polisher? Cheers!

http://home.earthlink.net/%7Esteinrl/wcsword.htm On Dr. Stein's site there is an article by David Meinhart on Masatoshi and the sword named White Cloud. Does any one have any sources further information on this sword and where it now resides? Cheers!

Welcome to the board........ what is your name?? Interesting, looks to my (untrained) eye, like a reshaped Naginata (that is a Japanese pole arm). The groove on the shinogi line extending from the habaki is something I have never seen. I actually find the Koshirae interesting. The dragon theme Kozuka (utility knife handle) is kinda cool and looks like same theme is continued on the fuchi kashira, etc... the kojiri (or would you call that an ishizuki?) seems to follow the theme too. Didn't the board cover this shape of saya once before?? Can you post pics of the nakano (tang) of the blade... that would help.... try to remove the habaki (brass coloured collar) too. a picture of the complete naked blade would be good to see. Cheers Nigel

BY the way Andrew, Eisho 7th (shichi) year (nen) would be 1510, so this is the correct reading of the date... 1504 being Eisho 1st year... (the translator who read 1511 made the mistake (most likely) of starting off at 0 year instead of 1st year) cheers

Plenty of Osafune SUKEMUNE smiths　in Hawley's, Bri. 6 smiths between 1394 and 1865 used this Kanji 助 for their mei. Hawleys documents other smiths from Osafune with at least 2 other kanji for SUKE. Your point on the suriage vs. mei is well taken... Cheers!

:lol: thanks Grey.... Jacques, Eric and Piers... I will take pictures of the tanto in Yokohama next time I am there and post them here... Is the sukashi hori peculiar to tanto generally? I would have thought that it is not particularly practical on a larger blade... Cheers

I recently saw a tanto in Yokohama, with a horimono that passed right through the blade.... i.e it was carved on both sides so that there were areas that you could see right through. It was an incredibly beautiful piece of workmanship, and the only one I have ever seen. I am wondering if there is a technical term for this kind of horimono and if there are any other examples available. Cheers

Ichi, Yes Uraga.... the very same place.... I will pm you next time I am coming in so you can come over for a beer! Cheers!

Exactly right Peter.... Also as Stephen says, do some research on polishers before you pick just one.... generally cheapest is definitely not best in the polishing process, but it is good to be informed by polishers at home and abroad. Plenty of knowledgable people in Aus, so ask lots of questions! Cheers

Great post, Paul... thanks for passing on the knowledge... cheers!