John C

Thanks, Mauro. Being new to the world of tsuba and having read the various posts and kantei points about forging layers, I figured it was a failrly important point. And compared to the photos on some of the posts, I could not see anything like that on this tsuba. So I wasn't sure if the lack of visible layers was big deal or not. John C.

Gerry: Just my two cents, however I agree with the comments about becoming a nuisance to them. Most of my career was spent arresting, interviewing, and prosecuting dishonest employees. And in my experience, assuming it was indeed stolen, if enough pressure is applied, the sword may just "show up" at some point because the crime becomes too risky. If it is just lost, the added pressure will prompt action because ultimately these folks don't want to lose their jobs. So keep up the phone calls, emails, and bugging them up the chain of command. John C.

Hello: I've been researching this akasaka tsuba, reading the multitude of posts. It seems to check all of the kantei boxes with one exception - layers. Shape of seppa-dai is good, thickness is good (if later), subject matter is good (Musahino), kogai ana is smaller than kozuka ana, carvings show kittate, etc. I don't, however, see any distinct layers. But it doesn't show signs of being cast either. Does an akasaka tsuba necessarily have to show fold layers? Is this an absolute kantei point? Thickness at seppa-dai 5.5mm; 4mm at the mimi I believe puts it later. Thank you for taking a look, John C.

What do you guys think this is? Just scratches or something else? John C.

I think John is correct. It's just a number 8. That said, if one were superstitious and could pick a number to stamp into their sword, then why not pick the number 8. But that's probably all there is to it. John C.

Kenny: My guess would be the last one - Masanaga. John C.

My stepdad used to do that when attaching the ends of his fishing pole together. John C.

Thanks. Guess I'll leave it for now and just lightly oil the small areas of rust. John C.

Dale: I just acquired an Akasaka tsuba that seems awfully shiny. I assumed it was coated in lacquer or shellac to preserve it. So shiny could be from cleaning? If it were lacquer or shellac, would you recommend its removal? I have the materials and knowledge to do it, just not sure if I should. Rust is starting to appear in the places they missed. John C.

I'm thinking the only folks who use the term gendai in the context of military swords are the WW2 collector community. So why do we not use the more accurate term dentoteki to mean traditionally made military sword? John C.

Jerald posted those pics here on April 16th - slighly larger versions, that is. John C.

Mike: Very nice Kai gunto (sword in naval mounts) with a nicely cut signature. Polish looks nice as well. Nothing else to do with it other than take care of it! John C.

I'm sure there is some contextual nuance I'm missing as a non-Japanese speaker, however I was wondering why we use the term gendai-to to describe a traditionally made blade? From AI: Gendai Definition: Composed of gen (Fl, current/now) and dai (1t, age/period). Dentöteki na : Literally "traditional," used for food, crafts, or methods. If gendai means current or modern age, It seems to me that dentoteki na would be a more accurate way of describing a sword made in the traditional manner. Just curious how the term gendai came to be used ubiquitiously in reference to traditionally made swords. John C.

Looks like a cobble together piece, to me. The guard and seppa look like whoever made them was inspired by a naval dirk. Not sure about the blade. Could be modern. John C.

Dustin: In answer to this part of your question, showato were partially hand forged. The difference between these and gendaito are 1) the type of steel used (tamahagane vs. other types), 2) the forging method used (air hammers and presses vs. hand forging, and 3) the quenching medium (oil vs.water). Additionally, showato, like gendaito, were also made for officers. Since they purchased their swords, the type of sword depended on how much they were willing to spend. John C.

...and yet, a dozen folks on Ebay, icluding some of our own unfortunately, call ANY dagger a kamikaze suicide dagger. In my opinion, it really gives the hobby a black eye, particularly when perpetuated by folks who know better but just want to make a buck. John C.

On a related topic, note the statement that the officers committed suicide by shooting themselves and not with the often labeled "suicide dagger." John C.

I like it as well, however the head of the wolf would impede the kozuka. Seems like a design flaw. John C.

Jeff: Your last pic may show signs of being water quenched, however The polish and resolution make it hard to tell. In hand, you may be seeing larger martensite crystals called nie, which could indicate water quenching particularly paired with some grain pattern in the hada. Oil quenched blades typically will not have nie nor will they display obvious hada. The blade will look light flat metal. You may need a loupe to see the grain if the polish is particularly bad or the grain is tight. John C.

Wow! Thank you, Jussi. This will be great for comparing with those issued for gunto. Right off the bat, I can see Tokyo has issued 3 times the number issued by Osaka. If what I heard is true, the registrations issued for gunto will be the reverse. And I am aware that these numbers may not reflect actual stats, however they are a good place to start. Now to go forth and collect data.... John C.

Hey Jussi: I was wondering if you have any general stats on nihonto torokusho by location and maybe date? I could use that as a base line for comparing which Boards of Education issue the most torokusho (Tokyo would be my guess) for regular nihonto and which issue the most for gunto. John C.

@Bruce Pennington @Kiipu You guys might find this interesting. Through a discussion with a dealer, I commented on showato getting torokusho. I was told that this dealer was commisioned to gather swords to be sent to Japan for resale. The Japanese dealer had several shops and would ask the swords be sent to his Osaka location and not his Tokyo location because the regulations were less strict (or at least less enforced) in Osaka and getting a torokusho for gunto was easier. I bring this up because I was thinking about...gulp...doing some research on registered gunto by location and frequency - unless you guys have done that already. John C.

Hello: I'm trying to figure out the Tadatoki generation for an Akasaka tsuba signed Bushu ju Hilojuro Tadatoki. Does anyone know if a list of Tadatoki oshigata exists? I believe there were at least 9 generations of masters plus students etc. Thank you, John C.

@Bruce Pennington From the auction posted above: I know you have Masahide's kokuin listed in the stamps doc, however this may be a slightly clearer pic. John C.

I don't think it matches Mori Kunitoshi. Couldn't find an oshigata for Enju. John C.