KungFooey

Thank you Sam! I truly hope it's as nice as we both think it is but I also respect John's comments below. I'll show you more when I get it in hand. 😊 Dee

Thanks for all the input guys! I feel really bad now. No good deed goes unpunished, eh? 🙄 Dee

No problems, my friend! Now firmly in my sights. 👍 Dee

I'm changing this post based on all the comments it has garnered from the military experts below. I originally put it up in good faith although gunto (and swords in general) are not my thing. However, I sure don't want to be responsible for anyone being fleeced out of two grand - especially at Christmas! So instead of asking the admins to take the thread down, I'll leave it here like this as a warning. Sorry guys!!! Dee https://page.auction.../auction/h1042502132

I'm CIA, Tsuba Division 😉

Hey Dan, With all these hundreds of tsuba you buy, no wonder you need a Jeep Gladiator Overland to carry them! 😉

Hi John! There's absolutely no need for the family to get shinsa papers in order to keep grandpa's sword - all they need is the torokusho. Then everything is legal. A hozon certificate is just icing on the cake for grandpa's family when they want to sell it along with all his medals. 😥

Actually, Showato do paper.

This has been painted gray, presumably to hide rust. They forgot to mask off the copper inserts and (presumably) shakudo plug.

And, as usual, I know very little about it apart from at least it's not cast this time. These are the photos I just got from my brother (as he gets all the stuff I bid on In Japan). Based on the pictures, there's only a little rusting but there are a couple of strange random blobs of what looks like copper or brass 😳. I got it because I liked the shape, the forging structure throughout the steel and the sunburst pattern lightly engraved on both sides. Dimensions are: height 78mm, width 72mm, thickness at mimi 3.2mm, thickness at seppadai 3mm. Any thoughts on school or time period (looks like late Edo to me) will be gratefully received. Thanks!

If something is a blatant heap of crap from word go (which is the inferred state of all Kazu Uchi Mono), then I don't think it really matters how well is cared for - do you? Dee x

Totally agree Alex! Below is what one of the real stinkers looks like. I don't see anything like that in the sword under discussion.

Really noble intention, Simon - but the Japanese hate being reminded of any humiliation. They would much rather forget it ever happened. I guess what I'm saying is that you may accidentally open up an old wound. Dee

Being a tiny minnow, I look from the side of the tank and watch the show. Dee

🎶 Round and round the houses we go! 🎶 Dee😂

Papered signatures on the left, Yahoo 'bargain' on the right. 🤣

Hi all, Yesterday I was amusing myself watching a Yahoo auction for a - wait for it - Rai Kunimitsu tanto. 🤣 All it takes is a look at the signature on the unpapered auction tanto and some genuine examples and you can pretty quickly figure that it isn't some Japanese dealer who's suddenly gone all soft hearted. It chugged along at ¥48,000 and then suddenly turned into a feeding frenzy in the last few minutes - but it was cancelled by the seller anyway at ¥112,000 who obviously thinks there are bigger suckers to be had. 🤣 Dee PS: if the photos appear out of order (as they often do) just look at them from the lowest price up to the highest!

OK, now I've got to get real serious and bring back my ace in the hole - the 'JB Weld enhanced tsuba'!!! Dee

You've outfuglied me completely!!! 🤣

Which means it was actually made for combat - not just for some high ranking fop to wear to a poetry reading. Awesome - this is my dream sword!!! Dee

Maybe the NTHK?

Neanderthal man flipping the bird to a midget witch. https://page.auction.../auction/h1165979047

Hey Bruce! I'm a little confused - I thought the NBTHK itself was formed in 1948? Thank, Dee

Now that is a very precious - and beautiful - piece of history. 😍

Oh my word! I honestly thought it came direct from "Mr Chang's Workshop of Bronze Abominations"! I had no idea it was actually based on Japanese originals - my world is falling around my ears. 😩😩😩 Dee