Tohagi

Could my Tsuba be Ono School ? They are known to make heavy and thick iron sukashi tsubas... Here another thick iron Tsuba I found on line (7.2mm). At least, this Tsuba can be used as an anchor ! https://japaneseswor...n-tsuba-with-anchor/

Very close work on the ring ! No higo zogan in this one... Best, Éric VD

Thank you, Yes it's Tachibana(kuse) family crest. It's a cort (curt?) high ranck family, not samourai... and quite enemis/politics oponents of the fujiwara's. Best regards, Éric

Hello, and thanks Bruce... Here is a topic about a very unusual Tsuba for me. First time I see such a massive heavy iron tsuba : The thickness of the mimi is almost 1 cm (exactly 9.4mm). The main Kamon is Tachibana (kuse), the copper is added recently... What do you think about it ? is it for nagamaki naoshi or other kind of blade? Did you saw this before?

I wish you the better luck possible ! It happened to me, I finally found mine in a post office where it has been dropped under myscelanus in dirt 6 month later... It was EMS express service. Hope you will find out soon Best, Éric VD

I understand your point of view, this nakago des not look showa at all. Not even shinto IMO.... Artificialy elder? ... Black rust FeO3 takes usualy 300 years or more... Best, Éric VD

Musqueter's speaking, judging from a recent picture with your daughter Best regards, Éric VD

The tsuba is unusual and interesting, I will post it soon to have opinions... Best regards, Éric VD

Hello, i tried to check, i dont think you liste this one: simple silver foilled, nice patern... Éric VD

Fantastic piece of history ! Sakaï family is even refered in "Ghost of Tsushima" 😀. Best regards, Éric VD

It's beautiful blade ! Without seeing the nakago and the marumune, I was thinking of Sue koto bizen (I was probably alone in that one). For me, there is an utsuri... By the way, I don't see where the polisher removed the mitsu meï on the nakago... did he gave any "guess" on an attribution ? Best regards, Éric VD NB: Sorry, I did'nt saw this topic was from 2012...this sword is probably papered by now. Forgive me...

Hi, my father never gave me such a gift! It would be a fantastic Tale if it could be Ichimonji Norimune... I can't tell from the meï, but the place seems wrong on the nakago (I can be myself wrong) it is under the mekugi ana and not enough on the mune side... Hope it is another good Norimune. Best regards, Éric VD

Very usefull! Thank you all for sharing your XP. I go there the 11 august for my first time... Best regards Éric VD

Hello Bruce, Is this nakago from the same Tachi sword? Very strange... Best regards, ÉricVD

Hello, Here is what I was meaning by the Yasuhiro's "Takane"... Please, I know it's not bullet proof (just close enough to be an interesting topic of discussion) I tried to take the name and superpose it to this above. Here the original link: https://new.uniqueja...ro-dragon-wakizashi/ (note the sanbon sugui hamon, not even close to the one I see on the katana...) And here my paste ...

...could be an illusion but I see what seems koshibiraki in the hamon and maybe gunome choji ( 4th picture)... but difficult to say from these pictures... Best regards Éric VD

This hamon could be beautifull with à fresh polish ! .... Nice piece. Best regards, Éric VD

Random searching on Yasuhiro, I found this one.... from Edo. Mei is different (and style too) but Yasuhiro's takane looks familiar to me. Could this Smith have mooved to kyoto? (It is not a very belivable story I know, he is from 1500's)... After thinking at it, meï is realy différent, sorry wasting your time.

...23 inches is à little short for such à sugata. Without better picture I would not take the risk... Dont feel Satsuma to me (short and good quality ito not wrapped classical Satsuma alf knot) , I may be wrong. Best regards, Éric VD

Hello Jussi, Thank you very much for your researches and your time ! I've got bad luck on this one too. (In my opinion) most of Kyoto schools, on early Shinto, should have been Yamashiro-den ... maybe some rare yamato-den? The only "Yasuhiro" in kanbun shinto working around was Tachibana ( the mei is not matching in any way) and Tachibana(kuse)'s and Fujiwara's were'nt really friends... So I wonder ... Kinnoto was an option (mostly because of the "Satsuma"/ Ezo context) but it does'nt look a shinshinto work to me (not thick and kind of "show off" enough IMO)... I can only say that it was brought back in France before 1900 and never been polished since (there was a very thick layer of grease and dirt on it, preventing for heavy rust). It will keep it's mystery ... Thank you again for your interest, Best regards, Eric VD

Sugata is somehow interesting... Do you know the nagasa? Tsuka ito have been awfully rewrapped, but the ito is probably genuine. Fuchi/kashira are not good (specialy kashira) Why are you considering to buy this sword? A gamble on finding diamonds in a rough? Best regards Éric VD

Congratulations ! It's very nice first sword in very decent koshirae with papers! Far best than my first sword. Like Jussi above, it looks ubu to me. It's a fine opportunity to study Uda school. Best regards, Éric VD

Hello, If it is gendaito in military mounts, you could find something, it were standard... But Colin's seems the Best solution. Best regards Éric VD

Difficult to say... 5mm is not so much, there is almost no polishing bolt (renflement in french). Hada seems masame with loose grain... Could be kazu-ichimono ( not a good news) or tired genuine (yamato-den?). Middle or end muromachi is very possible to me. Absolutely not sure at this point. Best regards, Éric VD

By the way, Nagasa is finaly 74,5 cm long, nakago is 24 cm. Too long for a shinto sword? Best regards Éric VD