Deez77

Thank you for sharing, Justin. Did you take any wide angle pictures of the display room at all? If so, could you please post one or two pictures? I'm quite interested in seeing how they set up the tsuba display area. Did I miss the bee themed piece, or maybe you're referring to the cicada (insect on the tree)?

Anyone have an extra 12k-15k to drop on a tsuba art print? 😆 https://www.bonhams.com/auction/31839/lot/2/philip-taaffe-b-1955-tsuba-figure-1995-96/

Lol

Maybe it's just me, but one particular tsuba of mine always gives me a bit of a laugh. It's this little shrimp/prawn and the way it's little mouth is rendered just is quite humorous to me. What do you think...does it qualify for the laugh if the day? Damon

Ohh, so I'm not too weird and am in good company!! 🤪 Btw, was Sasano-sensei's routine published somewhere or was he quite vocal about that? I'm just curious how one would find that information out.

Cheers Michael. Thanks for sharing. I also have a habit of handling my iron tsuba daily. My routine, I will select one tsuba from my collection and carry it with me to work or wherever I go for (usually) at least a few days. Rubbing it while driving, while at work, while watching tv, etc. Many many years ago, a sword polisher I became aquatinted with while living in Japan suggested that the natural oils help stabalize the patina of iron tsuba, and I honestly love the tactile feel. It feels like therapy sometimes. If I have a piece with some active rust, I usually apply a small amount of choji oil with a q-tip, then rub it in a bit and use a cotton cloth to rub the area. I've never used bone or ivory, but occasionally a fingernail. I try to cycle through my pieces to give each one attention fairly, but I have to admit I have my favorites. Damon

You're probably right, Alex. I mean having it refitted for different blades would indicate it was loved and worn.

Interesting use of what looks like both lead and copper on yours. Thanks for sharing, Lewis.

I wanted to share with the group this interesting (Echizen Kinai) piece in my collection (with a lovely nautical theme) which has multi-tiered sekigane instead of a single piece (perhaps more distinguishable on ura). I can't say that I've seen sekigane stacked like this before, but definitely looks like this wakizashi-sized tsuba could have been mounted on a tanto given the resulting size. Damon

Not much Mauro. Tsuruoka mentions a Kihei with possible affiliations to the Echizen Umemura family, but info is sparse.

I have a single signed Echizen piece with a similarly constructed seppa-dai: Certainly uncommon for pieces from this area, though, so not suggesting yours could be Echizen. Damon

Happy New Year all. Reviving this topic from mid last year as I wanted to share another piece I acquired and how the information provided in this thread helped me make an informed decision. The Nebikimatsu theme was completely new to me and members of this wonderful forum helped crack it. So when I came across this piece described as "feathers," I immediately recognized what it actually was...and was quite thrilled as it appears to be very rare motif in Echizen tsuba. It's fitting that the theme is associated to the new year, and if you are ever in Japan over the new year period, you will definitely see the pine decorations on display around shop entrances all around...like this massive one I found outside a Seibu in Fukui City on my most recent trip. Wishing everyone a great 2026. All the best. Damon

Happy new year Dale! Thanks for sharing. That 7-artist piece is really amazing. I love the little signed plaques. And the father-son collab makes sense. As for my Myochin Yoshihisa, if you've not seen anything signed in a similar way, that is saying a lot. Not sure if that's good or bad at the moment. But I'll continue to research and do some light cleaning to see if the signature can come through more clearly. Damon

Happy new year!! After getting some help in the translation section, I'm here to ask your opinions on a peculiar piece. I picked up this Echizen Myochin Yoshihisa tsuba which is also signed on the other side: "水戸士 Mito shi (Retainer of the Mito clan)" and "高山千□造 Takayama...zo". Although the characters are not easy to read and not definitive, it seems to allude to a samurai from the Mito clan having/making/reworking it. The question is why the second signature? I'm not sure I've seen a piece signed this way before, so I'm wondering if this indicates: - a collaboration piece - a case of signing to show ownership - gimei signature(s) - something else If both signatures are legitimate, then this seems (to me) like a special piece given the rarity to find similarly double-signed pieces. I'm really curious and interested to hear from those with much more experience than me. Appreciate any input you have. Damon

Thank you both gentlemen. That is very interesting indeed. I wonder if the dual inscriptions (from different regions) might indicate: - a collaboration piece - an Echizen piece later signed by the owner who was from the Mito clan - a gimei piece - something else I need to do some research and appreciate your help. Damon