Gunome

Hello, May I have your opinion on this tsuba ? It is signed Ikkin with the shodai's kao. The mei is close to what I see on Wakayama, but I would appreciate your opinion on it: shoshin or gimei ? Thanks

The Yahoo one is less desirable as yours and far to have its quality

Hello, Inoue Shinkai 井上真改 Big name and many gimei !

what about Hide 秀 ?

The Tanaka

For me, you just need this saya repared and relaqued. No need of a new full koshirae

you could also go for a shirasaya and order a tsunagi to keep your original koshirae

Hello, Here a tsuba that was mine. I though it was a Kyo shoami.

Hello JP, Becareful, even if I mistaken, this is the "Shinto Shu" that is available for download by Fujishiro and not the Nihon Toko Jiten also by Fujishiro. Here we spoke about the second one. Also just to add that the Connoisseurs book is a must to have. Don't know if you have it already, but I would start by it if you don't

I think that it depend also how we use the books. As I don't read Japanese, I use french and English book or translation (like fujishiro/AFU) to find information on school or swordsmith, all the feature, the hada, hamon ... I use my Japanese books (nihonto zuikan, Shinto/Shinshinto Taikan) for oshigata only : to confirm the mei and have a sample of the hamon. So the use is different and for me, the first category is more for the study, the second one is more for research on a specific sword/swordsmith. I really like physical book, but I must confess I face the same space issue as state above. I will proably decrease my Library of at least try to not increase it !

Hello JP, for Aoi art kantei, just go the main page of their website, and then "appraisal" menu https://www.aoijapan.com/appraisal/appraisal-quiz/ You have all the kantei history. the last one (#534 this week) is the kantei of the week with the aswere of the previous kantei (#534). you will see that ones are easy and other less. enjoy

Hello, You could also learn a lot with kantei. Aoiart propose weekly kantei on his site and you have: both oshigata and photos, and also the comment that tell you what you need to see on the blade. then you search on your book what it could be => you learn by searching and you have the answere after. Go back to your book after you have the answer and check why this blade enter into this school, what lead to that answer.

Hello, Detail of 2 of my saya. The black one has snowflakes stamped in the laquare

Thanks for kinds words. When I bought it, there was rust and scratches. The hamon was difficult to see but I thought it would be gunome. After polish it turn to be more hitatsura than Gunome.

Hello, Here is my wakizashi signed Shigetsune (shinto). Before and after polish.

Hello, This should help you https://www.aoijapan.net/tanto-mikasa-hideaki/

Congratulation A nice tanto in pretty good condition. Both fitting and blades are signed. A nice one to study and start a collection

What about Awa shoami ?

Hello, I second the opinion already given. A nice package. The koshirae, the blade and the polish looks to be in decent condition Seems there is a gunome hamon.

Hello Uwe, Thanks for the answere. Another point is nakago: nakago jiri between Tadayoshi and Tadahiro is not the same, and for Tadatsuna, both nakago jiri and yasurime are differents. Very desirable tsuba... !

Hello, Thanks for sharing, I also have a black and red saya in a tanto that has kaga fitting in shakudo & shibuishi. I first thought the bi-coloration of saya was to match the kojiri, but thanks to this post, I discover there is another explanations.

I think the gold is for the cutting test and the tachi mei is hidden by the "Rai Kunitsugu"

Jean, Just need to clic on the pics and you will have the full sword picture

Hello, Cannot enlarge the photo, but I would go on shodai Tadayoshi