KungFooey

Hi again Peter! @BIG This is a really interesting thread on this school from way back in 2011. There's a couple of guards which are way more beautiful than mine but have that same signature. https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/8808-akao-school-maybe-similarly-constructed-but-different-motif/#comment-88789 I'm still trying to find another NMB thread where I found the following quote from John L. while I was researching my tsuba: "Haynes lists no fewer than five artists, working in Edo between the second half of the seventeenth century and the first half of the nineteenth century, whose mei was AKAO YOSHITSUGU. Most of the work of this school is in the soft metals, but the early masters, living in Echizen, worked in iron, as did occasionally later artists. It is difficult to attribute a particular artist to Mike's tsuba (six of these artists' mei are illustrated on pp.609a-610b of Kinko Meikan) but it probably dates to the eighteenth century - H 12227.0 or H 12228.0? John L."

Hope you feel better real soon and can have a relaxed vacation! Dee

Hi Peter, Your example is on shakudo which I agree shouldn't make a difference to the signature but I believe there were several generations who signed this way. This is another example also with Hozon papers. If you compare these signatures they look pretty close: https://tsubashi.com...chool-w-nbthk-hozon/ Thanks! Dee (Hozon left, mine right)

3 more.

Hi all, Well, one recent purchase was cast but I think I got it right with this one. Everything I buy In Japan goes to my brother first (because he's based over there) so I rely on his pictures - but this is looking good so far I think. Please let me know your opinions Thanks as always! Dee

That's absolutely beautiful!!! I'm so jealous!

Real sorry for the late reply Michael! That advice was very helpful indeed and I'm trying it myself now - I'll let you know how it turns out. Thanks again! Dee

You caught me - I'm casting them now! 😉

Well, my brother just got the guard in hand and it's cast all right! Now I have to decide on a paperweight or a wind chime! 😂 Many, many thanks to everyone who gave their opinion! Dee

Very true Jake, that's why I'm not worried either way. I should've spent that 3300 yen on a book about tsuba though! Thanks! Dee

Thanks Jean! Another vote for the paperweight! 😁

Hi Dan! Oh well, then as I just said to Dale it'll make a real conversation piece as a paperweight! 😂

Hi there Dale! Not in hand yet. I took a chance on it because I tagged on the very end of a bidding war between two guys who had been upping each other by 100 yen all day. Boy, they must have been pi$$ed when I made one bid 5 mins from the close and got it for ¥3,300! 😁 I agree with your assessment about the overcleaning but I'm pretty optimistic it's not cast. 🙏 At the very least I'll end up with one helluva cool paperweight! 🤣 Many thanks! Dee

No medical conditions in the answers please! 😉 I buy what I like just because I like it - but it sure does help when I get lucky in auction and pay peanuts. And I did just that yesterday! A nice big, square, iron tsuba - 7.5cm × 7.4cm × 0.6cm thick. Cause for concern, maybe: Rough iron surface or plain ol' corrosion? No sign of ever being mounted (punch marks). Iron bones on one side or a casting seam? 😳 So, please tell me what you think I've bought this time folks (and feel free to let me have it straight - I'm a big girl). Thanks again! Dee

Hi Stephen! Yep, they try to fleece you head to toes nowadays - that's for sure! My brother is a real boon when it comes to getting stuff on auctions but he will probably get moved next year. Dee

Yes Jean! After seeing the first one I'm spotting them everywhere now! I know what you mean about the round Akao tsuba - the ones made out of shakudo can take your breath away (like Akasaka for super-refined samurai)! Mine is just a big old iron example and I'm not even sure if it's a fake signature. But, as long as I'm not paying big prices, I buy because I like the object - plain and simple. Dee

IMHO it's a tachi cut down to a katana. The overall shape, position of the 3 peg holes and the 'run-through' grooves all point to that. Finally, the tang would have been cut down much shorter if it was ever intended as uchigatana. And hey, why even bother when Mino and Bizen were churning them out in the thousands? This has been cut down way later to conform to katana standards.

Good for you Jeff!!! There are a lot of true experts here who handle treasures you and me could only dream about. They share their wisdom freely and generously - I have benefitted from it myself many times in my short time here. unfortunately, there are others who turn a beginners question into an opportunity to 'score criticism points' and maybe they forget how discouraging it comes across sometimes. i like your sword and, if you do too, nuts to the gainsayers.

And he tells darn good jokes in the izakiya! 😁

Rust color on the tang and no hamachi - sure doesn't look Showa to me.🤔

Ouch! I see your dad used the Flitz on the tang as well. That's not good.

Ray?

And these are some of the 'shops' waiting to buy it if someone takes the bait first.

First some personal good news. Some of you might have figured that I really like big, chunky iron sukashi guards (especially without inlay) so I was real happy to have just got this Efu no Akao Yoshitsugu! I got it on Mercari, which is a Japanese 'buy it now' site which I get to use thanks to my little brother based over In Japan. Usually I don't talk cash but I want to warn you folks about a pretty obvious scam. It was on Mercari for ¥17,000 but I negotiated it down to 15,000. Meanwhile lots of 'shops' based in Japan already had it advertised on eBay for over double that. Obviously they were gonna get a bite from the States or Europe and then quickly buy the thing from Mercari. This is the listing as I bought it: (Remember, ¥15,000 is $99) Dee

Hi there Jeff! others way more knowledgeable on such things will weigh in on the signature and date but you've got yourself a nice looking original Japanese sword there! Congratulations! Sure it has some flaws - most old things do 😂 I've been doing a lot of reading recently because I bought my first sword and apparently real old blades are often light and slim. Looking at the temper line though it looks more shinto to me (but that's just because I've been reading everything I can on shinto!) This is the lamination flaw I see (and I know ALL about those!)