Soshin

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.

The iron bones (tekkotsu 鉄骨) along the rim or surface of Ono and other Owari Province tsuba schools and groups are distinctly different than the ones your typical encounter with tsuba of the Akasaka School. The iron bones of Ono School are typically larger granular and the iron bones of Aksasaka School on more linear in overall shape. I think I would need to show in-hand what I am talking about to be as clear as possible. Being in France please check out the NBTHK-EB meetings when you get a chance.

If I did that, I wouldn't have a collection... But I have committed to purchasing a new tsuba from a long-time member of the New York Token Kai. Therefore, I will contact you via private message once I get some tsuba back from Japan that are getting custom boxes made after passing NBTHK shinsa. I fully recommend Duolingo for regular Japanese study. I would recommend talking to real people in Japanese that understand Japanese as supplemental practice. I talk sometime with my next-door neighbor who is Chinese from Taiwan, and he enjoys it in addition to my wife who is Japanese. I have been using it for a little less than a year and on a 285-day streak. My username is @DavidStile4 anyone on NMB feel free to add me as a friend on the app so we can encourage each other.

Yes, I agree many Koto blades are atobori. Here is my example of a late Koto blade that was not atobori. This sword of mine is o-suriage but the bo-hi I think were original to the sword before it was shortened.

Size is more of a personal preference I think of the warrior using the sword during Warring States Period (Sengoku-jidai 戦国時代).This is the period that the movie Seven Samurai takes place in. Keep in mind that there were styles of (Kenjutsu 剣術) (swordsmanship) and would use larger tsuba in specific ways. These schools date from the Edo Period but do have connections to the early Kenjutsu practiced by veterans of the Warring States Period.

The thickness of the plate reminds me of Satsuma School but the overall size of the the tsuba is I think a bit too large for a Satsuma School tsuba. The Ono School has tsuba I have seen all have a thick robust plate and openwork like this tuba but would not have the soft metal inlay decorations like this tsuba has. All the Ono tsuba I have owned and examined showed strong well defined iron bones (tekkotsu 鉄骨) along the rim or even sometimes on the surface of the tsuba. I have seen nice robust signed Myochin School tsuba with later decorations done to the plate. @Tohagi Eric VD I hope you find this information helpful to your tsuba.

Here is one dating a little bit later during the early Edo Period. It might be larger than the one in the photo at 10.4 cm. While the openwork looks thin it is not weak and the plate of the tsuba is very thick and well forged.

Just wanted to let everyone know. That I added more photos of the Hayashi Ippa Tsuba (林一派鐔) tsuba to the homepage of my website here: Tsuba Otaku | Reflections of a Not So Empty Mind and enjoy.

Yes, the design of the tsuba is an extremely popular three paulownia leaves. I purchased this tsuba from a hardcore Higo tsuba collector to round out and complete my Higo Tsuba section of my Tosogu collection. He was thinking that it is the work of the fifth generation Hayashi master, but I don't have enough knowledge and experience to make that specific of an attribution. On my website (www.tsubaotaku.com) I am going to label it as "Hayashi Ippa Tsuba (林一派鐔)". I hope you find this additional information helpful for your study. 　

@Iaido dude for sword fittings I am using an array of three compact fluorescent lights with a white screen filter made by interfit. I have two of these light setups, one in a landscape and the other in a portrait format. Here is a photo of my birthday tsuba. I was terribly busy with the cleanup and water damage remediation in my basement from the aquarium leak. I was luckily it did not result in a fish death. All fish have been rehoused. For swords I use a different setup using a single fluorescent tube light. It does a wonderful job most of the time on the shorter swords, but if the sword is too long it has its limitations.

That is great news! You are incredibly lucky! I had to pay a lot of money for my Kanayama tsuba...

Thanks Jean C. Yes, I have done this before for some tsuba, but for this one I decided to use a plain white background as the patina of the iron is dark and rich in color. Here is an example I did that was once in my collection.

I was taking some better photos of the tsuba this afternoon during today's minivacation, before I was pulled away from the photo editing due to a home emergency. Don't worry, I didn't lose a fish, but sadly I no longer have a home aquarium.

I just wanted to share this quick photo of a new tsuba I picked up for my birthday. I haven't had a chance to photograph it and this photo was taken by the previous owner. The iron feels very nice in hand and design motif a classic one with an interesting variation. I will take some of my own photos later. Feel free to discuss it politely.

I had submitted two swords to the shinsa on day number two. One sword is a signed katana and the other is a signed and dated tanto. Both passed NTHK shinsa!

This sword was sent to the NTHK shinsa during the Orlando show. I have a few more bad photos to share. I cannot setup for any new bad photos as I am back at work today and need to take my car in for service as the air conditioner stopped over the weekend. I need to do this before I start work.

Okay, I still need to do more reading. Thank you for the information.

Thank you @Brian. It is a great sword. I have unpacked it and another Japanese sword (tantō) I submitted both came back undamaged from the flights to and from Orlando via Southwest airlines. I am very happy.