Bazza

I recall reading a couple of decades ago that the auction houses of Europe were full of (enthusiastically??) over-restored tsuba... Having seen a few efforts along these lines I agree with the view that you might regret it once it's done. It's not only the metal composition it's the centuries of age and patina that can't be recreated. I have an iron Yoshiro zogan tsuba with bits of brass wire inlay missing and in less than pristine condition that has an old NBTHK green paper (Tokubetsu Kicho) from the first NBTHK Shinsa in the USA - mmmmm - maybe nearly forty years ago. I haven't touched it even to clean it, because once it is done it cannot be undone. Maybe a next-generation collector will have more knowledge. The Greeks have a word for this sort of thing - hubris. I think it fits here nicely. Having said that, I am aware that there are professional (iron? Shakudo?? Shibuichi???) tsuba restorers in Japan. Anyone know anything about them??? Barry Thomas.

Thank you John and Markus. I'm not a gunto collector either, but I thought this was interesting enough to put up. I looked at the sword again today (it's not mine!) and it is indeed mounted in a samezaya. Thank you too Markus for the translation, very interesting indeed as this would suggest the sword at the time of its production was more highly thought of than we do today. Regards, Barry Thomas.

I thought those interested might like to see some painted(?) kanji on a gunto tang near the nakago jiri. I've never seen this before. I'll delete the images on Friday 8th May - please pm me if you want the images after that date. Regards, Barry Thomas aka Bazza.

On this mei under discussion - MURAMASA - no one has said what was obvious to me in an instant. Or maybe no one is so ill-mannered!! The mei looks as if it has been cut with the proverbial 4 inch nail!! I once saw a big Shinshinto katana with the mei MASATSUNE cut in pretty much the same way - crudely. A visiting Japanese collector looked at and opined that a sword smith didn't cut it, perhaps a mirror maker. Now, I just wonder (on the basis of my sample N = 2) if an enterprising person simply put niji mei (2 character signatures) on mumei swords in the Meiji period to increase saleability. The big MASATSUNE was a reasonable looking sword with a hamon and nice sugata, but with that mei one just wouldn't take a chance on it... Regards, Barry Thomas.

That's not a tsuba - it's a Chinese Dentist Colonel's belt buckle!!!! (Before anyone gets their toga in a knot I should say that Milt and I - and Rich T - go back a long way...) By the way, if you click on the Choshuya Ginza link you will see the phrase "Kawari gata" - different shape. For more on the usage of kawari see the thread viewtopic.php?f=9&t=4772&p=36701&hilit=kawari#p36701 In fact, in finding that thread I saw numerous others that I'll have to go and read, some associated with kantei. Barry Thomas.

I recall reading that "Appraisers" began in the Koto period, possibly 200 years before Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa. AS far as I'm aware, the Hon'ami family were the first group to formalise merely looking after visitors' swords into repairs, polishing and then judgement. I've seen this written up somewhere and hopefully someone else can remember where!! Regards, Barry Thomas.

Koichi san, John san, Nobody san, thanks blokes. I will have to work harder... I missed the two strokes that make FUYU and I should have been able get GEI- if I'd persisted. Practice makes perfect. I'm very grateful to you both for the feedback. I've only seen one FUYUHIRO so I am not so familiar with the kanji. It's a continuing work, this Nihonto study. Best regards, Barry Thomas.

Dear All, It's embarrassing to admit I can't read all of this mei and I would be grateful for assistance or opinions. The sword belongs to a good friend who is not a Nihontophile, but does love them. I'm always happy to help him. I first read this mei off the top of my head as NOSHU JU FUJIWARA HISAHIRO. Hawley doesn't yield any Hisahiro working in Noshu, so I looked at the Kuni kanji again and it most certainly is not NO-SHU. It is one of the most poorly written mei I have ever seen and I believe it now reads ? SHU JU FUJIWARA HISA HIRO - but maybe not HIRO since there is a paucity in Hawley??? I don't have the sword in my possession and this is the only image I have. If it is inadequate I will get a better picture. http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/2492/hisahiro1.jpg With thanks Barry Thomas.

Here is another sad old bugger. Started when I was 19 in my third year of work buying a shingunto from a former schoolmate. This was a year after I began to "know" (in the Biblical sense!!) red wine - another continuing affaire (I regret I have but one liver to give my country!!). I'm 65 now, and like Clive I know what the really good stuff is and as the twilight years approach I've started selling out from the bottom and polishing down from the top. The "top" is a couple of Shinto blades around the nidai Hizen Tadahiro quality level and a smattering of other blades I like through to a Gassan Sadakatsu dated 1939. It's a very serious study and historically important as art and as a symbol of samurai culture. I could be here for hours, but will close by saying that, in general looking at the plethora of dealers in "bodged up" psuedo koshirae with blades in indifferent polish with those Westerners claiming to be "polishers", Chinese copies on the internet, and the high cost of buying books and the time necessary to put into gaining first-hand knowledge, the collecting of good quality Japanese swords in good condition and correct polish has to be one of the most difficult and challenging pastimes in the world today. Some of the best people I know collect Nihonto and this list is a great aide to continual learning for even sad old buggers. We even have fun from time to time. Regards, Barry Thomas.

I think it is likely extremely rare - I don't, for example, remember reading about it in Roger Robertshaw's HIZENTO book. Or Eguchi's, or anywhere else for that matter. I certainly haven't seen it in any other Hizento I have seen in Oz, and they cover examples of shodai, nidai, and godai as well as waki-Hizento. My nidai katana in choji midare has no such "different" metal. Hopefully someone in our "catchment" of Sword Lovers can add to this??? Regards, Barry Thomas.

Here is a nice "JAL" logo tsuba that was on koshirae auctioned here last year (if I can attach it OK!!!) Regards, Barry Thomas.

Yeah, time to stick my two bob's worth in (Aussie saying) - DEFINITELY FAKE. Dreadful piece of work. Patina is all wrong etc etc etc. Barry Thomas.

Brian, This is very interesting. I have a 5-dai Tadayoshi wakizashi with "kawarigane". I was told that it isn't shintetsu, but is "different metal". Look at the first picture in the link, the left hand side image. About halfway up the blade immediately adjacent to the hamon in the ji is a strange, shiny-like patch of steel. I'm fairly sure this is the "kawari tetsu". If one puts the word "kawaru" into google there are numerous hits, the first one giving "excessive; too; very-usually of objectionable things; to err; to mistake; changeable". I think this conveys the meaning of this patch of steel very nicely, although we as collectors (especially the owner!!!) might prefer to call it simply "changeable", which is the meaning given to me by the polisher at the time... Regards, Barry Thomas.

Well, personally neither of them inspire me, but they seem "real" enough. I guess you pays your money and takes your chances, Brett!! Learning is not always about buying books, or listening to other collectors' opinions, but about buying swords and being burnt. Took me 10 years before I began to know what it was about. Some advice I gave a beginning collector recently was "All collecting Japanese swords will cost you is grief and money!!!" The first sword has a MOST interesting menuki of a figure that looks like a DATTANJIN - a Mongolian according to the web, but I have seen such figures also referred to as South Sea Islanders. It is about the third or fourth such figure I have seen. The second sword is interestingly signed tachimei. Hmmmmm. And the -HIRO character is AFAIK (As Far As I Know) the modern revised form rather than the archaic form of the Edo period. And rather crudely done. Gimei?? Probably, whatever that means for a sword of this sort. Prices?? Dunno. I'll leave that to "the Players". Both certainly need a polish and they may not be worth it. THAT requires an "in hand" inspection. Polish - another bug bear of colelctors... Best regards, Barry Thomas.

think it was Chris Bowen...remember he did alot of research along thoese lines back when he liven in Japan. Yes, Chris Bowen. I have just searched my archives and I have an 8-page document with all the emails around that time concerning much information on Kunimori. No good news, I'm afraid, but the information is there. I'll email the document to Brian to see if if it is worth putting up somewhere. Gary, if you care to pm (personal mail) me I'll send you the document direct. I have other information I'll check out too. Regards, Barry Thomas (Australia)

Bill, was that the one that ended on 6th April: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 41447879??? I hope everyone has seen the current ebay offering of item number 160327642221???? (!!!!) A friend of mine 4 hours drive away has one, but I have no photos of it until I see him again. Regards Barry Thomas.

Hennick san, to find any mention of Bumpei Usui we have to go back to the 1970s. He was a prominent collector in New York and has been described as "having an active group" (http://home.comcast.net/~colhartley/Ori ... ngArms.htm - the book of "Token Taikai" 1976 lectures, a good read even today). He was also robbed twice, I believe, which led him to auction what remained of his collection. I still have the catalogue of the sale and even as alleged remnants it reads like a dream collection. ANTIQBOOK at http://www.antiqbook.com/boox/collec/53701.shtml lists the catalogue of his 1979 auction as: AUCTION CATALOGUE, Highly Important Japanese Swords. The Collection of Mr. Bumpei Usui, New York, and Other Owners Sotheby Park Bernet, 1979. F First Edition. A fine copy in the original thin card wrappers as issued. 159 lots, all illustrated. Sale results leaflet tipped in. And that, Dear Friends, is all I can tell you about Mr Bumpei Usui. He may be the famed artist of the same name, I don't know, but my google search keywords were (with quotes) [ "bumpei usui" sword ] and these also turned up another catalogue at http://www.jegercatalogues.com/mesoamerica.html: 59) Ancient Mexico in Miniature: Pre-Columbian Clay Figures from the Collection of Frances Pratt and Bumpei Usui Cooper Union Museum, 1966 [large softcover, 6 p., unillustrated] Now, if Bumpei Usui the artist and Bumpei Usui the Japanese sword collector are one and the same (I leave verification of that to another curious mind), the search also turned up his wife http://keithsheridan.com/sale2009_A-K.html: Karl Eugene Fortess (1907-1995) Untitled (Surrealist Nocturne No. 5) - - c.1940, Lithograph. Edition 18. Signed and numbered 1/18 in pencil. Inscribed For Usui - Karl in the bottom center margin. Image size 13 7/16 x 9 3/4 inches (341 x 248 mm); sheet size 17 15/16 x 13 inches (456 x 330 mm). A fine, rich impression, on cream wove paper, with full margins (1 1/2 to 2 1/4 inches). A short repaired tear in the sheet edge, well away from the image; a diagonal crease in the bottom right sheet corner, otherwise in excellent condition. Provenance: Estate of Francis Pratt. Francis and her husband Bumpei Usui were fellow Woodstock artists and friends of Fortess. $450. Sale Price $337.50 Regards, Barry Thomas.

G'day Mark, Long after the event, but "just trawling" and came across your menuki. I can make a couple of comments - First, I think the "silver" is a tin-lead solder filling in the back and certainly not original. Second, ignoring the solder infill I think these menuki are brass pressings in thin sheet metal, rather than solid and chiselled from the front. I've seen a few of this type over the years and almost certainly late Edo/Meiji as someone else has already commented. Regards, Barry Thomas.

Gentle Persons, I have seen a few of these swords over the years and have not felt an affinity for any of them. One was a VERY large sword and I do have some oshigata, both internet and personally made, of these swords. I also have an extensive archive of various list discussions over the last 12 years or so and FYI append below such information as I have. Bestests, Barry Thomas ------------------------- From: Francisco2@aol.com To: nihonto@northcoast.com Subject: Kanenao Ishihara Date: Sunday, 1 December, 1996 8:33AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hello, Has anyone ever heard of a bladesmith called Kanenao Ishihara? All I know is that he was making gendaitos during the early part of the war. Can anybody elaborate any information about him other than this? Francisco ================================================ From: RngrSteve@aol.com To: nihonto@northcoast.com Subject: Re: Kanenao Ishihara Date: Sunday, 1 December, 1996 6:30PM -------------------------------------------------------------------- There was a smith who worked in the Takayama prison in Hida province during the war named Ishihara Masanao. Blades here were made with abnormally thick kissaki. Could this be your man? Steve ========================================================= From: Richard Stein To: nihonto@northcoast.com Subject: Kanenao Date: Sunday, 1 December, 1996 2:47PM ------------------------------------------------------------------- Fuller and Gregory list a Kanenao as signing two ways: Seki (no) ju Ishihara Kanenao Noshu Osugi (no) ju Ishihara Kanenao saku No specific dates given, but if it is in late 44 style mounts, that dates it right there Hope this helps. Richard Stein =================================================== From: GOMONE@aol.com To: nihonto@northcoast.com Subject: Re: Kanenao Ishihara Date: Sunday, 8 December, 1996 11:48AM ------------------------------------------------------- I have one of his blades and as you have noted teh kissaki is very thick , 1/4 inch and very short. I have seen one other and it was teh exact same as mine how many did this guy make??? ====================================================== From: RngrSteve@aol.com To: nihonto@northcoast.com Subject: Re: Kanenao Ishihara Date: Monday, 9 December, 1996 2:21PM -------------------------------------------------------------- In a message dated 96-12-07 19:50:41 EST, you write: << I have one of his blades and as you have noted teh kissaki is very thick, 1/4 inch and very short. I have seen one other and it was teh exact same as mine how many did this guy make? >> It was Ishihara Masanao who made blades with thick kissaki that I referred to. He and Hattori Masahiro opened a forge at the Takayama prison in Hida province and used prisoners as students and for polishing in a manner similar to the system set up by Chounsai Emura (Nagamitsu) in Okayama prison. At times Takayama blades featured the prisoner-polisher's name in the mei. The United States Strategic Bonbing Survey of January 1947 lists "prisoners in prison workshops engaged in swordsmithing" as 240 in 1942, 290 in 1943, 303 in 1944, and 380 in 1945; but no figures are given for blade production. (ref: R. Fuller, 1996) Steve Johnson ===================================================

SORRY - but I meant to add Barry that your two sets of fuchigashira both look as if they have been lacquered. The surface has an appearance that to me suggests clear lacquer rather than aged and mellow iron. Regards, Barry Thomas.

Barry, very, very nice pieces (slobber). I can't be any real help here (a blade man!), but let me pass on a story. Twenty or more years ago I sent a wakizashi and tsuka to Japan, the blade for polish and the tsuka for rebinding. I had the menuki and an iron fuchi of a shishi (pretty much like yours Barry, and unsigned), but no kashira so I had a horn one made. The fuchi had that dry-looking, almost powdery (but stable) rust and the "man in Japan" said the fuchi needed cleaning and re-lacquering - it was the done thing. I said yes and when it returned it did indeed look much better. To continue this a little further, even longer ago I had a Shinshinto katana with plain iron tosogu incised with branches and with traces of red lacquer. Being in my early years the tsuba had something on it that to me looked like household varnish. I tried a number of solvents to get it off, but nothing shifted it. A few years later I realised it was urushi and it was no wonder nothing touched it. Regards, Barry Thomas.

Henry, Arrrrr, gee, it's tough when people aren't honest. Sorry to read of it. You wrote "...most likely get your fingers burnt,though now you can see why really good forgeries of Nihontô are so difficult to get hold of..." Actually, if I correctly read that you want to get hold of a Nihontô copy I can highly recommend Hanwei copies. My eldest daughter's boyfriend has a mate who works for one of these companies (http://www.globalgear.com.au/) that sell reproduction swords of all types. He rang me one day and said he had something he wanted to show me. It was a "katana", and as I looked at I was amazed to see more than a semblance of hada, certainly a real hamon with some character, and most importantly of all the polish was "pretty good" for such a piece. And in a halfway decent looking koshirae. All for AUD$500. For anyone who wanted a "samurai lookalike" sword IMHO this was good value for money. It was well done indeed, and I'm used to looking at good stuff!! As for Daniel Fox, no one amongst my sword collecting mates has heard of him (that says something!!), but one friend commented "I have never heard of him either. Although, there is/was an antique dealer in Canberra that goes by the name of Fox Antiques and I believe he dabbles(d) in Japanese swords". Might or might not be the same bloke. He is listed as ANTIQUE DEALERS, 25 Jardine St, Kingston, ACT 2604, phone/fax +61 +2 6232 6366, mobile 0409 009 994 (International +61 +409 009 994), http://www.foxantiques.com.au/setup.htm Regards, Barry Thomas.

OK - I notice better colour in your recent set. Could be a white balance issue. Nice to see a lacquered saya. The hi going into the koshinogi suggests Koto as well. Regards, Barry Thomas.

Hardrada (?) - the nakago looks like it has had a hard time. The colour and appearance suggest to me that it has been cleaned with a proprietary rust cleaner, one with phosphoric acid that converts the rust to a phosphate??? Regards Barry Thomas.

OH DEAR - I have done something incredibly stupid. I deleted the images from ImageShack. Can't image why, must have been a Southern Hemisphere mind warp - I won't even attempt to explain what went on in my mind - BUT - here they are again. Of course the links are new because I've had to upload them again. My apologies to all who dare venture here... Barry Thomas.