andreYes

Very sad news for me that the quality of modern copies increases... I prefer old good chinese fakes - there is no doubt with them Internet purchases become more and more difficult.

Thomas, Curran, thank you very much for the comments! Very convincing photo, it's a pleasure to look at such a beautiful patina! Concerning the tsuba from Yahoo, I wonder, who've made it? It doesn't look like a modern copy (or does?), but it's obviously a copy, even tagane marks resemble the ones from Hayashi tsuba.

Just curious about this tsuba from Yahoo: http://page18.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/w171218354 - the shape is very similar to the examples from Sasano book. What's wrong with it? Iron quality? Couldn't it be the Hayashi's tsuba for this price...

Ken, My right display is a slightly modified Ikea DETOLF glass-door cabinet. As all of its wall units are made of glass, it can be placed in the middle of the room, and it could be a good solution for you I wish I live somewhere where it's possible to have windows (or shoji) instead of walls

Interesting topic Couple of my displays...

Thank you, Gilles, Brian and all sponsors! I agree with Kurt, the best prize for all of us is this site. Never had a yanone, but always wanted to

Yes, it's shippo. Some examples here: http://kamondb.com/kika/shippou.html

Pete, Ford, thank you for your posts! Concerning the patina you are completely right! Looking on the tsuba closely, especially with good magnification, it can be seen that the patina is uneven on all the outer surfaces. It's extremely thin near the sukashi edges and on the mimi: the iron is well visible. The inner sukasi walls looks much better, without signs of "cleaning". It seems like the tsuba had been machine polished with some abrasives... Is there any way to save this tsuba? Could you advice, what to do with it? Try to restore it (with a help of specialists, of course), or it doesn't worth it?

Thank you very much for your opinions and comments! Ford, thank you for interesting information about "geri-bori"! I haven't saw (or noticed) this chasing technique before. So, the "dotted line" mei isn't an indication of gimei itself... Please, look at the general view of this tsuba, what do you think? Old copy, modern copy? Didn't think that Toshio is one of "big names" that are copied by someone. All the more so his original works are copies of Akasaka and Higo

Please, help me to figure it out. The tsuba is signed: Tosa Kuni Ju Myochin Ki Toshio (土佐国住　明珍紀利雄). The overall shape of kanji looks similar to the pictures from various books, but the style of lines looks strange for me. They are like dotted lines. Ke-bori is also made in same style.

I've found out that this book (in pdf) is available for free download now. Here is the link: http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/Art_of_the_Samurai_Japanese_Arms_and_Armor_1156_1868

Thank you very much for your opinions, gentlemen! As there are signs of Higo style and Akasaka style, maybe it is really Tosa Myochin? Went to find more information about this school in books and internet...

It could be a kind of "hanaikada" (花筏) pattern.

Thank you all! I was a bit concerned, because I've got it from Yahoo Japan for considerably low price, but for me it seems to be nice and interesting. Even after receiving it, I can't see where is the trick John, could you please explain, why do you think it's Akasaka? I like this school, but it often surprise me. I thought that thickness and tagane marks are not typical for Akasaka?

Please, any comments about this tsuba? It looks not bad for me, but maybe I've missed something? I'm worried PS it's not ovoid, just nagamaru gata - trompe l'oeil...

Please help to identify the following tsuba: Very slightly ovoid nagamaru gata, maru mimi. Very subtle ke-bori. The design is not very common: it looks alike several Akasaka and Higo "take sukashi", but not exactly copy them. It's not very big - 7,2x6,6 cm, and thinner then usual akasaka tsuba - 0,5 cm on seppa-dai, and 0,4 on mimi. The tagane marks around nakago-ana on both sides are very regular: maybe it can be considered to be tagane mei? Could it be made by one of Higo tsubako?

Pete, thank you! The seppa zuri on this tsuba is not clearly visible, but I think, you are right.

Some time ago I've bought a tsuba with mei 兼重 (Kaneshige). According to the hakogaki, it was considered to be made by one of the Hoan Kaneshige. I've posted here photos of this tsuba (unfortunately this topic is not available now: it was made more than 5 years ago), and I was told that it's not Hoan for sure. A strange thing with this tsuba is that the nakago ana bears no traces of tagane and there is no other signs that it was ever been mounted. Since that time I've noticed several tsuba with very resembling mei, always on ura side. Some tsuba were plain, some with inlay or carving. One with an additional (different) mei on the omote. Recently, on the Elliott Long's website I've found two more "Kaneshige" tsuba with an interesting text from Robert Haynes (number one and number two). According to Mr. Haynes, this Kaneshige (H 02548.A) is a plate maker who worked for several schools and artists. By the way, here is another topic: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/12862-anything-odd-with-this-tsuba/, where Grev posted one more tsuba with this mei (I suppose), and Mauro wrote, that it could be an unfinished piece of a plate maker. So, probably my tsuba is some kind of blank part, for some reason never been finished by the second tsubako? Here are some examples of "Kaneshige" mei from different tsuba, and omote side of these tsuba: One more small question. In the "Haynes Index..." There is no tsubako marked with the number H 02548.A, only H 02548.0. Maybe an additional list of tsubako made by Mr. Haynes exists? Is it possible to get it somewhere?

Dear Morita San, Thank you so much! Your help is invaluable (as always )!!!

I'm sorry for a question not at all connected to nihonto. Could someone help to translate the inscription on the attached picture? Sosho style is too difficult for me I know that the general meaning should be "A good buy" or something like that. I can only make out the "... 買...は...一パイ".

Oh, yes, you are right, Steve, thank you! I've made just a literally translation of each single kanji, and haven't checked the whole word

The left column is: 雷神図 鐔 真鋳地 撫角形 高彫象嵌 Tsuba with a picture of god of thunder (kaminari kami zu), made of shinchu, rounded square shape (nadekaku gata), inlay with high relief carving (takabori zogan) - nothing about the maker, unfortunately...

Russian Post is the slowest post in the world! Nevertheless, I've got my copy today! Markus, thank you so much! Without your efforts it would be very difficult to get such a beautiful book outside of Japan!

Please reserve one copy for me! PM sent...

Jean, Don't mention it! It's really difficult, I could never guess neither meaning, nor even the right position