Shogun8

As a noobie here, I've come to realize that most blades with koshirae are of sufficient quality to warrant having koshirae - most low to mid-level blades don't have koshirae. In other words, proper koshirae are custom made for the blade which means that the blade is worth it, correct? Put another way, what is the minimum value of a blade to warrant having koshirae made for it? It's not really "proper" to just buy koshirae separately because then you can't even mount the blade (because the koshirae wasn't made for that specific blade). Or, is it common to buy existing koshirae for a blade and then have it adjusted or altered so that the blade can be mounted with the fittings and scabbard? This is what I've been able to surmise, but tell me if I'm out to lunch on this...

Absolutely gorgeous work - thanks Ray and Arnold for the information and pics. Does Brian have a website?

Incredible work. Please forgive the noob question (and my ignorance if this is bad form), but what might be the price range of such commission work (particularly #3)?

Wasn't trying to be facetious, Stephen - if the use of the word fallow were intentional, it would've been a very appropriate pun!

I should also mention that menpo such as these from Nara were produced in vast quantities of almost identical design which is probably why it was possible to find a nosepiece that is not a bad fit (aside from the different colour and urushi treatment and the fact that the wrinkles on the cheek should continue onto the flanges of the nosepiece).

Hi Javier, The kabuto is a fairly typical suji kabuto of goshozan (or "high-sided" shape) likely from the Haruta school (Andy - an akoda nari is very distinctive in its shape, with much more swelling at the rear of the hachi and a very pronounced dip around the tehen). The menpo is also a quite common Nara ressei men ("fierce expression"), with - as Andy has already said - a nosepiece which does not belong to this mask (as can be seen by the differing colour and texture of the urushi, amongst other signs). John

Hi Grey, My question(s) were really in relation to the Hozon papers that I have for my swords (but I think you've answered my underlying question with your comment "it pays to know who you are dealing with"). I certainly wasn't questioning the sword or papers that are the subject of this thread. John

Thanks, Alex. Was the counterfeiting more prevalent with NBTHK or with NTHK papers? Also, does each of these organization keeps a record of every sword that has been submitted, regardless of results, or only the ones that have been papered? John

Is there a way to tell if these papers have been faked? Also, is there a certain period during which this is supposed to have happened? John

Wonder what the exchange rate would've been at the time?

Next week I will be going to Florence for the second symposium on samurai armour and related arts, held by the members of the Nihon-no-Katchu forum. One of the topics seems on point with this one: Francesco Grazzi: Identification of the forging methods of Japanese swords from the Ancient Sword (Koto) Age to modern times (Gendaito). A non destructive study through neutron diffraction. At the first symposium in 2014, we discovered that some of the long-held beliefs about the construction of kabuto (especially the famous construction as pioneered by Yoshimichi) were actually incorrect as proven with scientific analysis (such as neutron diffraction). Should be interesting. John

Fallow or follow? John

Wow, good find Stephen! Can't believe that such a great match was found so quickly.

I too find it ugly. To me, it doesn't at all reflect or represent the elegance of the Japanese sword and is simply a curiosity. And like many curiosities, it's almost disturbing and gives me a queasy feeling...

What's a ballpark price for a simple black-lacquered saya and tsuka with simple Edo iron fittings? John

This is a great thread. I particularly enjoyed - and appreciated - Darcy's and Guido's comments. Thank you. John

Hi Guido, In addition to my own collection (which does not include a bronze lobster, I must say), I have handled many jizai okimono and this lobster is far superior to the Chinese copies to which you refer or the numerous and ubiquitous tinny pieces by "Hiromi" or "Myochin" extant. Though certainly not one of the best examples of the genre, the sculpting and articulation is decent as can be seen with the spines, legs and carapace sections. There are much cruder examples out there and I have seen complete bronze pieces sell for at least the amounts that I quoted. John

Hi, Firstly, I think one of the rules for posting here is that you include at least a first name... Your lobster is a nice quality example in bronze, likely from the Meiji period. If it were completely intact, it would be worth $5000-$8000 depending on the maker. With reference to a restoration, I don't know of anyone that specifically handles jizai okimono, but perhaps try contacting Robert Soanes (http://www.katchushi.com). Robert does excellent metal work and I have seen and held the iron karusa menpo that he features on his site and can attest to the quality of his work. I will leave the translation of the signature to the Japanese-reading and speaking members of this forum. Hope this helps. John

Kudos to you and your client for sharing these for the benefit of the members.

Thanks for being patient with a noob, Marius. That's what I thought but just wanted to make sure. This katana has been attributed to the Uda school and I have a converted Uda nagamaki wakizashi (also with Hozon papers) which goes together nicely with the katana as a daisho. Hope to see you on the Nihon-no-Katchu forum, where I'm not quite such a noobie. John

Thank you Marius. Is tate ware considered fatal? John

Hi All, I have acquired my first sword - a koto blade which has ware in the hamon (hagarami). However, even with this flaw, the sword received Hozon papers from the NBTHK. I have verified that the sword was polished before it was submitted, so presumably all of its flaws were visible at time of submission. Reading through this thread, it seems that sometimes (most times?) hagarami is considered fatal, so I'm wondering how it was still able to receive Hozon? Any insight would be greatly appreciated. John

You had this noob. It's like the legendary tale of finding a mint condish 356 Speedster in an old barn after being taken there by the farmer's nubile daughter...

Thanks, Lance!

Hi Alton, The pieces you mention by Hiromi and Hiroyuki are very common and low quality and I do not believe they were made anywhere close to the Edo period. There are so many low quality pieces on the market now and they're easily spotted with their crude metalwork, thin materials, rough articulation, etc.. Once you've seen and held the high quality examples, you will see and feel the very vast difference. As well, there is a distinct difference between the work produced in iron by the ex-armourers of the Edo period and the pieces in various metals produced by the Meiji-era artisans (many of which are also very high quality). There is a soft cover catalogue produced by the Tokyo National Museum from several years ago in Japanese and a very nice hardcover book in Japanese and English from a few years ago. Let me know if you need more information about these and I can try to provide links for them.