John C

@Bruce Pennington I know you have this in the stamp doc already, however I thought you might like another link to one. The bottom mark may be a bit more clear in this one. John C. https://www.ebay.com/itm/305777529373?

Yes, though no one is sure exactly what it means. The numbers range from 2 characters to 6 and are sometimes preceded by a katakana letter. Different arsenals/smiths tended to use different colors. For example, almost all souvenir swords are two numbers with black paint; RJT smith Kanehide used green on one side and aqua blue on the other. Personally, I think there is a little more to it than just "assembly" but I am in the minority. John C.

I picked up a fairly inexpensive kogatana with a hamon (I can see nie under a loupe). It is signed, however it has been polished to death and is unreadable. My question is whether or not age can be determined by the presence of a hamon? Or at least, were there certain eras when water quenched kogatana were more prevalent? Thank you, John C.

I'll give this another shot with some added photos. This is the best I can do with the camera I have. Hopefully, someone can make it out. I have separated the kanji in order to get closer shots. The first pic is the first character; the second pic is the second. Thanks for trying to figure this out. Much appreciated. John C.

I'm interested in learning from this thread, so let's not get it locked! Just to clarify my learning goals - I agree that if one is learning for learning sake, one can study the best artists to determine what makes a master a master or a journeyman a journeyman. But I'm not there yet. I would not graduate high school and go straight to Med school. I would first study basic science, physiology, and chemistry, get proficient there, then go on to Med school, then do a residency, then become a doctor. I prefer to learn in stages. John C.

Franco: I, for one, appreciate the exercise. Knowledge is useless if it can't be put into practice - that's why schools and universities give tests. I also tend to live in mediocrity financially, so this level of difference is right up my ally and will hopefully assist me in not wasting too much money on pure junk. John C.

Hmmm. Might be a trick question. They look similar to me, however the one on the left seems a bit cleaner and more balanced to me. John C.

Taking a step back for a moment, I see issues with comparing tsuba I see on auction sites with those that are obviously museum quality or done by master craftsmen. Is there no middle ground? In other words, aren't some "average" quality tsuba still legitimate (pre-1868)? How does one tell the difference between a legitimate Edo period average craftsman and a "Mr. Suzuki" repro? John C.

Steve: Did you see this in the for sale section? John C.

The showa stamp indicates it is a non-traditionally made arsenal blade. I believe the rifle is a type 99 Arisaka carbine (missing the cleaning rod) and the bayonet is a type 30. It should have arsenal marks on it as well. John C.

Steve @Swords Check out this link about Japanese headbands from Nick Komiya. The article talks about them being for school girls. https://www.warrelic...aze-headband-595403/ John C.

At first I was thinking a kamikiri, however it's too big for that unless the yatate were very large. John C.

They all still appear to me to have the nanako hand punched, as opposed to cast or molded. If they are "copies" they at least did some handwork on them. John C.

I agree that folks should do their research on things before purchasing, hence the popularity of yelp and other review sites. But, again just my point of view, that doesn't excuse the seller from making false or misleading claims about their products. If anyone can make any claim about their product then qualify it with "but we're not experts", Pandora's Box is opened up and all accountability re: fraud is lost. I acknowledge, however, there is a difference between ignorance and intent. Sometimes people just don't know what they have. But if that is the case, maybe they shouldn't make any claims about it at all until they do their research. Just my two cents. As someone who upheld the [rule of] law for so long, my sense of fairness runs deep and I get irritated with the blatantly false descriptions I read online. John C.

Swans? John C.

I think the seller should accept some responsibility for selling fake/forged/inaccurately described items. We condemn the poor buyer for buying this stuff. But he/she is simply relying on the opinion of the auction house. In other words, the buyer trusts the seller's assessment because we can't be experts at everything. Personally, I don't blame the victim for getting duped by, what is supposed to be, a trusted source. I think the auction site should be held criminally and/or financially liable. John C.

P.A. Just a minor note. I think Gilles is correct that the belt has some age to it. It appears to me the thread used on the belt is a cotton or burlap weave. If it were a modern repro, it would certainly have been sewn with polyester thread since it is more readily available. You can also see a minor bit of fraying. John C.

Agreed. I have both, with the majority being on the blade. The photo in the second post is one for sale in Japan with the same signature. Maybe it was his thing? Below is another one, which I believe has the same last kanji. John C.

Here is the link to the completed auction. https://www.ebay.com/itm/226567130030 John C.

Bruce: Not sure if you have this one. Matt recently sold a kai gunto with (?)63 marked on the tang. No other stamps. John C.

Has anyone seen this type of fitting before on a gunto? Looks like bare wood, leather cover, integrated dust cover? I think it might be on a type 94. https://www.ebay.com/itm/135530722493 John C.

Steve: I find his prices to be a little high. And I think he is using the word gendaito in its literal sense (present day sword). There is no star stamp, made in 1944, I would assume showato. https://www.ebay.com/itm/405311634756? He is also selling a Kanenobu star stamped gendaito for twice that price - again, too high. But if he thought the Sukenobu was a true gendaito, he would probably ask for more. Just my two cents. John C.

Agree with Brian. A little nicer than most since it still has its leather cover (usually missing or never had one). Most of the time the nakago (tang) is rough and unsigned on these, however it may be worth a look to make sure. The leather cover should come off, though it may have to be worked a bit if it is stuck on. John C.

Sorry about that. I took the pics of the mei with the tip up, similar to the other example, thinking it would be the same as swords. I'll try to get each part individually but my camera is limited. Thanks for taking a look. John C.

I knew it would be tough. Here is the same mei on a different yajiri being sold in Japan. I contacted them, however they couldn't read it either. Can anyone take a wild guess? John C.