Bazza

IETSUGU??? BaZZa.

G'day Peter, Thanks very much for the link. I know a couple of people with a new interest in tsuba who will enjoy this, as I did. All grist for the mill... Bestests, BaZZa.

As I have a katana by Takahashi Naganobu I found this particularly interesting. Can I also thank you Peter and Morita san. Are any more essays by Benjamin Vincent known??? We are aware of his good paper on Gassan Sadakazu I on NMB. Bestests, Barry Thomas aka BazZa.

Would this tsuba represent the famous Bell of Miidera????? BaZZa.

Ahhhhh, I remember it well. Robertshaw in Melbourne, Australia. And those reports from Western Australia. Sighhhhh... Roger Old Chum, I haven't given it up, but I have taken the advice of a mate of mine "Barry, you don't have to give it up. Just drink it by the glass and not the bottle". The most important thing is that you are still flying high on Tadayoshi. So good to see you in action here. Bestests, BaZZa.

Mariusz, I remember this grouping very well. Thirty or so years ago I had a nearly identical tsuba except it was round. I didn't know about sanmai then so I can't recall whether it was rivetted. I have an old photo somewhere I'll keep an eye out for. BaZZa.

G'day Jean, My real name is Barry, but all my life I have been called Bazza. In my retirement I jazzed it up a bit with the two capital Z!! I do have some other sanmai with the two equally decorated sides, but the one I showed is the pick of the bunch. Regards, Barry aka BaZZa.

I picked up a nice one from a mate a few years ago. Here's what he wrote about it: =============================================================== This is a very nice Ko Kinko Sanmai construction shakudo tsuba. It has a well carved shakudo fukurin that keeps the 3 plates in place. This piece would date to the late Muromachi or Momoyama Era (ca1560 - 1590). It is mokko in shape with a floral pattern delicately carved on its surface. Small silver droplets of dew have been added to the leaves. It measures 7.1 cm by 6.8 cm. Excellent condition. There are two plugged holes in the seppa dai that are in fact rivets, used generally in kinko tsuba featuring sanmei (3 plate) construction. Holes are made through the 3 plates on both sides of the nakago ana and a rivet is inserted and hammered down to fix the 3 plates together. This is finished off smooth and the shakudo finish is added to the plate. The tsuba is then finished off with a fukurin to complete the mimi and hold the 3 plates together at the rim as well as to hide the appearance of 3 plates. =============================================================== Here are a couple of pics of it. Bestests, BaZZa.,

I once tried a method in an old book which was to use a scalpel carefully to remove rust from the surface of an iron tsuba. I found it less than satisfactory and wouldn't recommend it at all. Quite possibly because as well as gently cleaning the surface I also used the scalpel point to literally clean out the pits of rust below the surface of the tsuba. A wise, old American collector visiting Australia poured cold water on this technique and criticised it for leaving pockmarks in the surface - this is what I fear will happen with the freezing method as deeper rusted pits burst out of the body of the tsuba. The wise American suggested using a piece of bone/ivory/whatever on the flat with some oil and carefully wear the crusted rust down level with the surface, all the while trying not to reach the base iron resulting in bright metal showing. The same aspects also apply to nakago of swords. I have seen a re-tempered blade where the heat literally exploded rust out of the pits in the tang leaving a pockmarked surface. Luca has already learnt that it takes hours and hours of patient work to scarcely see a result, yet this is what is needed to undo decades or centuries of neglect. Bestests, BaZZa.

G'day David, Great to see your name in the discussions again. How's the fly fishing??? Swords??? Best regards, Barry Thomas (Melbourne, Australia)

In the results for the Bonham sale 17926 Lot 3075 isn't listed. I seem to recall that these were withdrawn from sale as being copies/gimei. BaZZa.

I agree modern work, and IMHO not lacquered, but a nice patina. Also has been filed "recently" - see fresh metal inside nakago ana. BaZZa.

It looks to me as if the binding has been disturbed and the original menuki taken out and something else substituted. The "something else" may have been small but NOT Japanese menuki???? BaZZa.

Brethren, some may find this an interesting article: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-33860778 Bestests, BaZZa.

Hi John and all, yes, but to me they have a look of gold rather than the plain brass (sorry, shinchuu) that these low grade menuki are mostly made of????? BaZZa.

Grey and All, This is a kiriha katana, desu ne??? What is the other side, shinogi tsukuri or kata tsukuri?? And is there a mei there?? I recall reading that some samurai preferred kiriha blades because it was believed they cut better - or some such. What is the length?? Appears to be a VERY interesting blade. Bestests, BaZZa.

Curtis, IMHO you oversold these!! Eight tsuba at $550 = approx $70 each. These are VERY expensive and VERY ugly paperweights. I'm sorry to read that you are in an bind over this, but you are in no way responsible for another man's lack of knowledge or judgment of both artistic merit and monetary worth. Without a signed paper agreement I doubt the original owner has a leg to stand on legally. Any knowledgeable person would back you to the hilt (sorry!). I've chipped in here because earlier this week I was asked to look over a number of "Japanese" swords, 13 in all, that the owner had paid A LOT of money for. Dear Reader, you will be thrilled to hear that amongst this lot was a GENUINE, SAMURAI head cutting tanto, a kubikiri no less with a hawk's head point (and sharpened on the inside curve in case I haven't made it clear). It was also embellished with gold plating on the mune side. I've seen better straight razors!! There wasn't a single piece in this group that anyone here would want, yet the owner had paid a considerable amount of money for them whilst posted overseas to the USA. The postings here should more than support the help you have given to the unfortunate owner. BaZZa.

FUJIWARA SAN - I love it. A wonderful insight into Cary Condell's sense of humour. I get the occasional similar reminder from my collecting mates... Thanks for this delightful snippet that made my morning. BaZZa.

Gentle Folk, I see the original thread http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/16293-higo-tsuba-%E8%82%A5%E5%BE%8C%E9%8D%94-dandyism-expressed-through-iron/?hl=dandyism is locked. However, a friend (a reader of the Japan Times) has sent me a link that may be interesting reading to some: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2015/06/30/arts/edo-samurai-knew-look-sharp/#.VZKLk6oRU0N Best regards, BaZZa.

Need higher resolution pics and closeup of mei and kao. BaZZa.

37 years ago I acquired a Shinshinto katana with a distressed, though original handachi koshirae. The blade had an overcoat of rust and the edge had several chips, however I was convinced there was potential hidden underneath all this. I feel that my patience and careful study have now been rewarded after all these years holding onto this sword. It’s finally been polished and I'm deeply impressed with what has been revealed, I wanted to share it with everyone here on the board. It was polished by Andrew Ickeringill, whose hard years training in Japan have obviously paid off, he did a tremendous job. Andrew also photographed the sword and gave it a write-up on his website, here's the direct link: http://touken-togishi.com/hyakuryushi-nagashige/ Enjoy! Best regards, Barry Thomas aka BaZZa.

Goodness me!! I think I missed this once before. Grev, as a bloke who has worked with Excel etc etc I take my hat off to you in a Grand Sweep. Some deja vu here and I fear after 50+ years "in swords" and at 71 yo I'm starting to lose it, which is why I'll do my PayPal duty right now... Thanks for giving it a bump for an old bloke. BaZZa.

I'm reminded too that sometimes with hagire one can see a sort of "dimple" at the end of the crack due, I guess, to released stresses inherent in the blade. BaZZa.

As said, it doesn't look too good, but I note the following: - if a crack there is no impact evident at the very edge, so either not a crack at all and just a gouge of some cause, or a very old crack followed by a polish. - in the third photo the crack appears to go past the hamon into the jigane. I have seen this but only where the blade has been distorted with bad treatment. In this case the blade shows no sign of being abused so I'm surprised to see a crack propagating past the hamon??? BaZZa.

In the sense that there appears to be firescale on the nakago??? BaZZa.