John C

Simon: Is that a General's tassel? If so, and the story about Iwo Jima is true, could that have belonged to Lt. Gen. Kuribayashi or Lt. Gen. Sadasue? John C.

Clive: My guess on this part of the question would be a "drift", which is a hardened steel punch of sorts. Usually a drift is tapered while a punch would be straight. The drift could easily be hammered through the hot, soft steel prior to quenching. Some of the swordsmiths and blacksmiths on the forum could tell you much more about it. John C.

David: Like all swords, depends on condition and originality of parts. There are some versions that may be a bit special (with different hamon or with tassel). But recent sales are realizing 18-23 hundred for decent examples. Just a few months ago they were bringing more. They pop up fairly regularly so I suggest learning what to look for in a decent example before buying. John C.

For me, the blade has a "damascus" feel to it, which is not a typical hada. In addition, the shinogi seems too low and very wavy or uneven. And just based on the pics, the blade seems to have a weird curvature or bend in the middle. That in combination with the restoration work would give me pause. Conversely, every time I think a blade is problematic it turns out to be "early" or "late" rather than fake. John C.

Here is an example from a different thread, notches on the seppa matching the saya. John C.

I suppose that is similar to the art world. Unsigned works of art being attributed to a famous artist then sold at auction for a hefty sum.

Interesting. Thanks for the pages ( I don't have that book). Just with his small sample it looks like 25% were steel and used by both arsenals. I did notice, however, he has serial number 47079 with a Nagoya mark but listed as Kokura arsenal. Was that a typo or an anomaly with that serial number? John C.

Just in general since I hadn't seen them before on a type 95. Thank you. John C.

Are these black tsuba original to the type 95 or have these been refitted? John C.

I made no judgement or accusation. Just the observation. John C.

Carlos brings up an interesting point. As reproductions get better and better, particularly in the WW2 market, will that water down the market? And what if they get so good it is too difficult to tell the difference? This happened in one segment of the collectible document market when a very expert forger of Mormon papers flooded the market with fakes. His works are still in some collections and values have dropped because of it. John C.

A papered blade being sold on Ebay. Note the metal polish in the background. John C.

As in the Borg? My opinion as a novice collector is that the origami adds verification in the same way as graded comic books or trading cards. But if I were an experienced collector, it may not matter as much. And as has been noted on the forum before, if it cannot reach higher than Hozon, there is not much point. John C.

Dennis: I am by no means an expert, however I can tell you that Taira is a rank, like Assistant Lord, and the "no" is spoken but not written, so you won't see the kanji for it on the blade. John C.

Militaria in general seems to be a strong market. I wasn't at Vegas this past January, though it seems it went well. John C.

Thomas: So what is your working theory? Are you getting a sense of what these might actually be? Chinese fakes; Island manufacture; "rare Air crewman's tsuba"? John C.

I'm not saying this is the case here. But in terms of textured paint, I have used this product in the past to get similar results. Not sure how long it has been around, though. John C.

Jacques: I'm really not trying to pile on here. But I, for one, am on this board to learn. If you have some knowledge, please share it without reservation. Thank you, John C.

@Geraint the figure reminds me of Pan. Is there a Japanese equivalent? John C.

I can't see the mei very well, however my research into the Nobuyoshi family suggests they had a variety of signature styles. In addition, there were several dozen smiths using the Nobuyoshi name from the 14th to the 19th centuries. I believe there was a Showa Nobuyoshi smith as well. Since the Nobuyoshi group were average smiths, they aren't faked that often. But Echizen, the younger brother of the 1st gen, was considered the better of the family and would probably be the one to fake if one were so inclined. Just my two cents. John C.

Notches in steel seems fairly elaborate when a pencil, paint, or chalk mark could accomplish the same goal far easier. Unless the marks need to be maintained through some quenching or washing process that would destroy other types of marks?? John C.

Mal: Just to add to the mix, isn't the tsuba a mid-war design? John C.

Jason: In terms of it being a type 98, I have some reservations with the fittings. The fuchi and the kabutogane do not have the standard sakura flowers and leaves design; the ito wrap looks a bit new to me; the mekugi do not seem to have the detail I would expect; and the sarute seems a bit long, as some reproductions I have seen. Now, this could be some other form of furniture I am not familiar with so I will let others discuss. Here is a link to what a typical type 94 or 98 would look like for reference. http://ohmura-study.net/905.html John C.

Thanks Dave. Reinforcing pieces makes a lot more sense. I couldn't figure out how it would be a template. John C.

A sword cane. But the "hamon" does not look authentic to me. Could be a reproduction. John C.