John C

Kris: As a leather worker, I would be careful with natural oils like mink oil because they can darken leather. Neatsfoot oil MIGHT darken the leather but usually doesn't. Another option are conditioners used on high-end purses, like Coach conditioner. Bick also makes a good conditioner. Personally, I use either Coach leather conditioner or Neatsfoot. John C.

David: Here is a website with a pretty good breakdown of Japanese swords by era and shape. https://Japan-forward.com/the-changes-in-the-shape-of-the-Japanese-sword/ John C.

Kris: Probably just the wrinkle in the fabric, however the kissaki looks odd. How does it look in hand? Also, and you probably already know this, the tassel is a company grade tassel meaning Lieutenent or Captain (or could be warrant officer as well). John C.

I'm assuming one of the two metal looking pointy pieces at the top of the pic? John C. p.s. Been looking for a drinking cup. Saw one on Ebay last year. The guy wanted 250 dollars! Needless to say, I still don't have one.

Is the line next to the kissaki a dent? John C.

Thank you, Steve. Very much appreceiated. Eight semesters of college German doesn't seem to be paying off for me. John C.

This is on the bottom of a bronze vase. I think the first kanji may be O or Dai or Hiro; not sure what the second mark is; then followed by Moto??? The last character on the left is probably a kao. But other than those guesses, I'm lost. Any help is appreciated, John C.

Sam: Could the first kanji be one of these? John C.

Matching serial number on saya and blade, which is always good. It also appears to be the thicker 11mm tsuba, which also means early in the production. John C.

Julian: Firstly, nice sword. As far as it belonging to a general, it's hard to say. The tassel that is on the sword, if original, is not the type that would be on a general's sword. Secondly, and more importantly, as to returning the sword to the family: this would be problematic for several reasons. As a military sword (assuming the blade was made during the Showa era), you most likely would not be allowed to bring the sword into the country. There are some extremely strict rules regarding swords and registration in Japan. Additionally, many Japanese families would rather not have a "war" reminder of their relatives. This is of course a generalization, however it is often true. My suggestion would be to continue having fun doing the research and the discovery but not worry about returning it. Regards, John C.

It's possible. In general, officers had to pay for their own type 94/98 swords unlike NCO's and the Type 95. I'm not sure of the exact process, however I suspect if one had enough money he could commission his favorite smith to make a sword. Smiths also worked with private companies to sell their swords. Also in that process, officers could order different quality of fittings from what was essentially a catalog. John C.

Thanks, Ray and Uwe. All I could get was the Na at the beginning. John C.

Just a guess but it looks a bit like number 9 then hiragana KE or possibly Hiragana TA KE. John C.

Auction title: Sword Auction description: Sword Pictures: 3 - all the same shot. https://www.ebay.com/itm/357714728503? John C.

Thank you, Rohan. That makes a lot more sense in the context of what Kanehide was trying to accomplish. John C.

Hello: Saw this mei on a decorated iron piece. Too short to be a bokuto "doctor's sword" but too long to be a netsuke. Not symetrical enough to be a tansu handle. Anyway, I was curious about the name of the metal smith, which may give a clue as to what it is. John C.

May I follow-up with a guess? Is the passage above referring to ara-nie, large "boiling water" crystal structure? John C.

A scholarly article that some may find interesting. https://newvoices.org.au/volume-2/understanding-samurai-disloyalty/ John C. @Scogg Sam: should this be in some other category?

Thank you both. Much appreciated. John C.

Thomas: I believe this could be where Kanehide became a part-time employee in 1953, please see pic below to confirm. Do the documents list any employee names? John C.

Hello: While doing research on Kanehide, his biography mentioned the phrase in the pic. Google AI translated it as “exploring the application of hamon and developing techniques to create a hamon that exudes moisture.” I am assuming they are referring to the "bubble-like" structure of the Martensite crystals, though I'm not sure. Is that how it reads in Japanese? Thank you, John C.

Thanks, Chandler. I might give them a try. John C.

From what I could see in the pic, the grain structure (grain width and porous nature). The use of bamboo was also quite common. The one I have (see pic) has a very similar concentric and porous grain, though not as refined as yours. John C.

Aaron: This site here has some good info on tabako-ire, kiseru, and other smoking related items. The whole set-up could be referred to as sagemono (items that hang from the obi or belt since kimono had no pockets). Also, the netsuke ash tray looks like bamboo to me. The shredded tobacco looks typical as well. https://pipedia.org/wiki/Ire John C.

Looks like the thicker (11mm) pierced tsuba as well. John C.