John C

Ouch. Four tsuba for sale on Shopgoodwill already at 400 dollars. At least one is a clear fake. Two might be real. But 400 dollars??? One has a weird cutout around the nakago ana. https://shopgoodwill.com/item/267845520 John C.

I'm getting better. But still not confident enough to pull the trigger on one. I take a pessimistic view and assume everything is a fake, so not sure I will ever get one. John C.

Bryan: I'm not 100 percent sure, however I think the white paint is katakana for Katsube. Possibly the owner? John C.

# 3 looks the roughest. John C.

Jonathan: I'm sure you have already seen the info on the Hosho lineage, however here are a couple of snipets that may help your research, one from Jussi. The maker's name Kunikane lasted thirteen generations until the early Meiji period. And they all served the Date clan exclusively, forging high-quality blades. And they pursued their ancestor's sword-forging styles from Hosho school in Yamato province (Today's Nara prefecture). And in Shinto tradition Sendai Kunikane lineage is usually listed under Öshu due to their geographical location. So I think easier format might be - Shinto → Öshu → Sendai Kunikane School → lesada John C.

A military sword from Japan? It could be an island-made sword from ww2. If so, there could be a reason it was labeled as reproduction. John C.

Sean: I think what would concern me are: the serial number on the habaki, as you noted. Usually indicates a fake. But also what appear to be very fresh grinder marks on the bohi. I suppose you could always get a mixture of fake and real parts, however I would view the sword as a whole with some skeptacism. John C.

@Bruce Pennington Not sure if this has been mentioned, however after looking at these I don't think there is any special meaning to the chevron other than as an artistic separator between the smooth area of the sarute where the tassel rubs and the dimpled area around the sakura. Just something to mark the transition. Kind of like the wood transition strip used in flooring between two disparate surfaces. John C.

PM sent.

Thought this was interesting. The Japanese delegation that went to the US in 1860 to celebrate the 1858 Harris treaty. Taken by Mathew Brady. What struck me was the size of the the circled sword. Looks like a two-handed tachi? Or just long katana? The sword on the far right isn't small either. John C.

Sam: I have a solution to your problem...since I know what it is, you can always leave it to me John C.

Here is a little more info from Malcolm Cox's Gifu Tosho List available in Downloads. John C.

Jared: Those are assembly numbers 839, as are the numbers on the signature side. There does not appear to be a date. John C.

Here is an article of the different types of tsukamaki and how they are done. Might be interesting if you haven't seen it already. John C. ‎www.tsukamaki.net:PDF:ArtTsukamaki.pdf

George: Not sure if this helps, however here is an example of somne of the different styles. John C.

I imagine the difference is probably just semantics. Any utilitarian object made the best it can be by a craftsman can turn into art when the craftsman elevates the object to be aesthetically pleasing, which is of course, subjective. So craftsman can become artists. But can artists, those who make objects that are solely aesthetically pleasing, become craftsmen? And the Beat goes on... —the Whispers— John C.

Adrian: The stamps are correct, though they look double struck to me, and the scabbard has matching serial number, which is good. It is a fair representative sample. You could find one with a brass tsuba and leather tassel, if you were looking for a more complete example (nothing wrong with the iron tsuba, just not as "pretty"). For a nice example, you could look for a copper handled version. I would say 700-900 would be average for this example. John C.

Sam: Was it in the same condition? Seems odd someone would hold onto a blade for just 3 months then sell it at a loss. John C.

Jackson: If I can offer my two cents, in terms of the tone of the meeting, it helps to remember that of the 4 official classes set forth by the tokugawa shoganate, the merchant class was below samurai. The meeting, while professional, may be a bit one sided. John C.

George: It looks the same to me; even the securing knot. I think the difference may be the twist of the ito in the hineri style as it goes over the top. Yours is twisted on the bottom but flat (edges tucked under) on top, whereas the hineri looks twisted on the top as well. That's what I'm seeing, anyway. John C.

Actually, it's already my hobby, which I hope to turn into a living. I'm finishing my next fiction book currently about a Samurai Constable (Doshin) who investigates murders in 1860s Japan. John C.

Donated swords could be as short as 54.5cm (21.8 inches). John C.

Scene: On the train from Southern Cross Station, Melbourne The dust blew across the wide dirt road on the outskirts of Ballarat, bending the wheat fields in one direction. Frank stood anxiously waiting for his love, holding his wide-brimmed hat with one hand against the gale and squinting to keep the blast out of his eyes. The sound of the whistle from the steam train could be heard from a mile away, only making his heart beat faster. With a screech of steel on steel, the train rocked to a stop just in front of the delapidated wood station. The word Ballarat barely readable. The weather suddenly cleared just as Fumiko stepped off the stairs from her car. She looked around nervously until she saw Frank, their eyes locked for a moment. Dropping her one bag and rushing into an embrace, he couldn't believe the day had finally come—the day he would propose. Without hesitation he dropped to one knee and removed the ring box from the large pocket on his coat. Tears streamed down Fumiko's face as she nodded and said a shy "Yes" before Frank could even ask. The walk back to the farm was long. But Frank and Fumiko both felt they could fly there if they wanted. End Scene. John C.

Marcus Sesko lists 3 Kanetsugu that use those particular kanji in that era. All are listed as gunto smiths. Value would depend on whether or not the sword is traditionally made. Are there any stamps at all that you can see above the signature or date? If not, closer shots of the blade may give us a clue as to traditional or non-traditional. If traditional, I would say 2000-2500 for the whole package (with bayonet and paperwork). If non-traditional, 1500-2000 for the whole package. These are just estimates, of course, based on what we can see right now. John C.

I believe they were semi-traditional. If memory serves, they were hand forged from monosteel and oil quenched then electroplated in Hakusui Inami's workshop. He was also making knives and cutlery sets at that time. John C.