Soshin

No DTI for me this year. In a few years if I am lucky, I will be able to attend it again. Thank you for sharing the link to this year's show catalog.

Sorry, I missed what information you wanted. I don't have the weight of the tsuba and cannot measure it as the tsuba is no longer in my collection. I did keep a record of the measurements of the tsuba and here they are 7.1 cm X 7.2 cm, 5.8 mm at rim.

More research marital for Steve @Iaido dude. I papered this tsuba to Onō by the NBTHK when it was in my collection. I purchased it from @rkg. It had many wonderful iron bones along the rim. I really miss this tsuba.

@Tim Evans Thank you for posting this example. It is helpful to see and study such an example of a late Yagyu style tsuba being made by the Akasaka School.

I remember reading the same thing in various references, I have never seen any tsuba with a Yagyu design with a signature or other design features that would point to an Edo (Musashi Province) production versus an Owari Province production. Please someone post a photo of one it would be nice to study such an example.

This is likely what happened as many if not all Yagyu tsuba were made locally in Owari Province. The oniguruma (devil's wheel) design is one of the original thirty-six core designs done by Yagyu Renyasai Yoshikane (1625-1694 CE). He was the fourth-generation headmaster of the Yagyu Shinkage Ryu mainline in Owari Provience. It is design number twenty-three and is referred to as (oniguruma 鬼車 ). I am getting some of this information from Haynes Yagyu design book per Jim Gilbert's information in a publication in 2014 for the American branch of the NBTHK.

I did not know him, but he was a first-class artist. Deepest condolences to his friends and family.

I was only joking with my reply and funny edit, but I do agree with @Bugyotsuji that anything like this has a price really depending on what someone is willing to pay for it at the time you are trying to sell it. All dealers need buy low and sell high to survive in the Japanese antiques business. If you don't want to clean out your own collection by selling it off. I would move parts of it through a dealer.

The rain dragon themed tsuba was once in my collection. I remember selling it to Skip Holbrook at Tampa Japanese show back in 2017. At the time it had an NBTHK Hozon paper giving the tsuba to Higo. Here are my photos of that tsuba. The price is very low in my opinion. This is a must buy NMB members.

My counter bid is $51 $62.99 for the tsuba.

Very nice sword, thanks for sharing. I would suggest you send the sword to a professional to make minor modifications to the shirasaya to allow it to close correctly.

My very first authentic antique Japanese sword was at age 29 in 2005 when I was working my first real job after graduate school. I think I might have purchased it on eBay. It was a mumei tanto if I remember correctly not in an art polish and the blade more than a bit tired if I remember correctly. Sorry for the not so remarkable story here.

Sad news of the passing away of Ford Hallam. Condolences to his friends and family.

@Iaido dude That is a smart way to go. Try to slowly collect nice quality pieces that interest you in diverse ways such as artistically and historically. I don't see any Kanji about Kanayama (金山) or Kyō-Sukashi (京透). There might not be any attribution on this box as to the group that made this tsuba. I can read some characters off-hand not referring to any references on the far left as you face the box. Some of the other characters towards the middle a clear photo might help, but others are likely better than me at this. Maru-gata (丸形), Tetsu-ji (鉄地), ?? Mumei (無銘)

Nice tsuba is a great addition to your collection. Based upon my experience I would say yes, it would still be attributed to the Heianjō (平安城) Group regardless of the addition of a small amount of silver, which like you said was likely added later.