Matsunoki

First glance it’s not a million miles from shobu-zukuri (iris leaf) and it is rather elegant. As a stabbing weapon it looks extremely efficient and having watched several Samurai films etc recently there seems to be a fair bit of stabbing involved when there is no room for swinging a longer blade or as coup de grace after battles. Creative way to aesthetically save a (probably) ugly damaged blade. Maybe not one for purists.

Correct. It isn’t that unusual…..many swords were rehardened following assorted damages.

Looks fake from these images. Show image of nakago without tsuka and habaki.

Probably re-hardened if the hamon finishes here?

Excellent advice from Geraint. It’s so easy to make things far worse and then wish you had never started.

👍🙂 Either way …..I’m enjoying going back through those nice pieces that came from you John. You don’t see many of this quality nowadays except maybe Bonhams ….and they have relocated to Paris. UK is a bit of a wasteland, sadly.

Fake.

This explains why I have never really bothered about Mei but instead tried to concentrate on quality!!🙂 This is the Haynes entry that I found……just a couple above yours John. All too confusing for my ageing brain🙂

Hi John, nice to hear from you. Yes indeed I think it did come from you and yes it is Shoki. Really fine kozuka but maybe time to move on again. Can’t quite make up my mind!

Hi Jean, many thanks. Much appreciated! I am sorting out my kozuka collection with a view to selling. I had not remembered that this one was signed until I sat down for a “proper look”! Time to get organised I think🙂 Best. C.

Persistence pays off maybe……is it “Denryusai Yoshiyuki”? (from a aha mani school kozuka of Shoki)

I think I can get “Yoshi” but I’m not getting any further. Many thanks in advance, apologies for my poor Mei skills. All the best Colin.

Sadly you are correct. Unlikely to be Japanese, more likely Chinese. Not a true netsuke.

Images designed to make it look dramatic without really showing anything (as Uwe says above). That alone makes me very suspicious. Also the black finish on the shikoro does not look like old lacquer. Also the “gold” plates on the shikoro are heavily worn but the lacing looks brand new. Also the missing rivets holding shikoro to hachi suggest it does not fit correctly…..possibly a marriage? I am also a novice collector of armour and my opinion is worth little but I try to look closely at images to spot things that make me nervous. To my uneducated eye this looks highly dubious. Parts may well be old but………

Could you also show images of the kissaki/boshi please?