Tcat

Indeed it wasnt, it was a prestigious name school of swordmaking, so unfortunately we have to expect there to be plenty of questionable signatures out there.

The blade is signed 伊賀守金道作 / Iga no kami kinmichi saku. It is a genuine Japanese sword, but I can't confirm if the signature is genuine.

Hi Khalid, In the case of iron tsuba and fittings, see the below method, taken from Jim Gilbert's Cleaning Iron Tsuba - 1/26/01 'The simplest and safest first step is to wash your tsuba in mild soap and water. Use hand soap, not detergent or cleanser. Over years of careless handling a tsuba can pick up quite a bit of plain old dirt. After you’ve washed the piece, be sure to dry it thoroughly. Once it’s relatively clean, take a careful look at the piece in good light - sunlight if possible. You’ll probably see plenty of red rust. You may also see various surface coatings of modern to antique origin – wax, shoe polish, paint, old lacquer, etc. If you are not sure what you’re looking at, show the tsuba to someone familiar with old guards. My preference is to leave old lacquer in place, unless it is associated with serious corrosion. Dealing with crud that won’t come off with soap and water can require a couple of different approaches. The most straightforward method for an iron guard is to boil it in distilled water for 20 minutes or so. This will remove most films without altering the metal or removing any lacquer that may be present. I don’t recommend adding any chemical agents to the water. The more aggressive the cleaning solution the greater the risk of permanently damaging the guard. Boiling water is good enough. When the tsuba comes out of the water, the good news is that all of the oils and waxes that were hiding rust will be gone. The bad news is that you are likely to be looking at a very ugly, dry, rusty plate at this point. You may wish that you had just left things as they were, and frankly, if you’re not willing to go through with the very time consuming and finger-tiring next step of rust removal, you should have left well enough alone. Rust removal is a mechanical process of dealing with two slightly different iron oxides. The idea is to rub off the active red corrosion (anhydrous ferric oxide) while leaving behind the slightly harder protective black magnetite patina. I have tried bone, antler, ivory, bamboo, etc., and all are good for certain aspects of the job. I find that ivory (old piano keys are a good source) works best. If it isn’t available, get a section of dense bone. The typical beef “soup bone” is good. Get one that has all of the grease cooked out and use a hammer and chisel (wear your safety glasses) to break the bone up into a number of variously shaped and sized chunks. You’ll find that one of the assortment of sharp and dull surfaces and angles should do the job. Whatever the tool, you're looking for something harder than the red rust and softer than the patina. Never use steel, iron, glass, sandpaper, or anything else harder than the patina. DO NOT try chemical rust removers - they will remove the patina and damage the iron. In fact don't try chemical treatments of any type - including boiling in tea or anything of the sort. Also, don't put your tsuba in a fire despite what Robinson's “Arts of the Japanese Sword” says! Some people will use chogi oil at the start of the process to loosen the red rust. I haven’t found this method to be much help. It certainly won’t harm the iron, but it is fairly tricky to keep the oil from soaking into the rust inside any sukashi openings and darkening it to an unnatural color. The surest method is to just take your bone, antler or ivory and gently scrape away at the red rust. Periodically wipe off the red dust to see how you're doing (a damp cloth removes the dust better than a dry one). It’s usually best to work slowly in a small area. Quickly rubbing over a large area is ineffective. Avoid the temptation to find a faster way, because if you do, you will also have found a way to take the patina off. I can't stress this enough. In your inevitable attempt to get the job done faster, you will be tempted to use brass or copper, but it's much too easy to wind up damaging the patina this way. Even if you're successful (this time), you'll have to find a way to get the ugly brass residue off. Lots of patience and tired fingers is the only way. Depending on how severe your rust is, in hours to weeks you will eventually remove the red and just leave the nice black. Go gently and slowly and check your work constantly. Too much scrubbing even with a soft tool will eventually remove the patina. If you think you've got the rust under control, take your tsuba out in the sunlight and have another look. Most artificial lighting hides red rust somewhat, but sunlight will reveal all. You will probably find that there is still more rust there, but don’t get carried away with trying to remove every trace. Don't over do your cleaning. The idea is not to make a 500-year-old tsuba look new. Older tsuba can have quite a lot of oxide build up that is best left alone. The idea is to remove any active corrosion and restore the beauty of the surface, not to alter fundamentally alter it. An over cleaned tsuba is always worse than an under cleaned one. If you overdo it and damage the patina, you're in trouble. You won't get it back any time soon. There are people who repatinate iron tsuba, but the only one in the US that does good work is no longer taking orders. Many people who claim to do restoration will destroy your guard. Unfortunately, even the best repatination cannot recreate the original aged surface. Also, NEVER clean the inside of the sukashi. Cleaning the inner walls of the sukashi is like polishing the nakago of a sword – a bad idea. However, do remember to clean the rim as well as the web of the plate. Once you have the rust down to the point that you're satisfied, get out a piece of cotton cloth and just rub the tsuba. As you keep this up you'll find that the color will darken and the surface will take on a soft luster. The cloth won't do much to remove red rust, so if you find that you missed some rust, go back to more boning. Just go slowly. Once the tsuba is clean, you may want to carry it in your pocket for a few weeks in addition to rubbing it with the cloth. The idea is not to polish the guard to the point that it shines. Also, avoid rubbing the guard on carpeting or synthetics that can leave a greasy finish. I prefer to stay away from oil on a finished guard. The oily sheen is not as attractive as the natural finish and it will tend to attract dust and lint over time. It will eventually dry out, and can then actually promote a new layer of rust under the dry oil film. By the way, a coat of oil is often used as a “quick fix” to make red rust look dark. This may seem like an improvement in the short term, but really just winds up making the tsuba look like oily dirt. Also, a coating of black shoe polish is a frequently encountered “magic patina.” Watch out for these dirty tricks when buying tsuba. There's no substitute for spending a lot of time with bone and cloth to get a rusty tsuba into shape. Once you've conquered rust, store your guard in one of the wood boxes made for tsuba. Compared to the cost of all of the work you've just done, the box is cheap. After a fresh sword polish, who would leave that blade out on the shelf, or wrapped up in paper, rather than pay for a shirasaya? Be aware that most of the tsuba boxes you will come across have the center post attached by two very sharp nails coming up from the bottom of the box. Transporting tsuba in this type of box will eventually cause the center post to come loose from the weight of the tsuba moving around on it. Once that happens, the tsuba will rattle around on top of those little nails and scratch up the seppa dai. Always transport tsuba in cloth bags. Periodically take your tsuba out and give it some light rubbing with the cloth. Try to keep your fingers off, since you risk starting more rust this way. When I was discussing the initial cleaning, I mentioned that there are a couple of alternatives to consider. In the case of a guard already in good condition, free of rust, etc., but simply covered in wax, it is usually possible to safely remove the wax by rubbing with some isopropyl alcohol. Additionally, you will occasionally come across a guard that has been coated in polyurethane or some other tough, modern finish. For these, there is a commercial stripper called Strypeeze that will not harm the iron or patina. It could harm you, though, so wear gloves and work with plenty of ventilation and/or a solvent respirator. Other problems that you can encounter include fire scale, a depatinated plate, cracks and breaks or other serious damage. Unfortunately, these will require professional care. Experimenting with home treatments will generally result in further damage to the plate.'

Hard to tell from the photos but the sword as a whole seems a bit Bakumatsu style. First guess would be Shinshinto. Various hues of red lacquer (朱漆 / shu-urushi) have been traditionally used in sword decoration for hundreds of years. The Tokyo National Museum has an Important Cultural Property shu-urushi uchigatana koshirae dated to the 16th–17th century (Momoyama–early Edo). It once belonged to Yūki Hideyasu (1574–1607), Tokugawa Ieyasu’s son (see below).

Classic article by Keith Larman on the topic of niku - https://japaneseswordindex.com/niku.htm

Omote side:

I recently got curious, which can be a dangerous thing for me and especially when it comes to Japanese swords - but I thought members might also appreciate some 'before and after' images of a seki-made kogatana I had a US based polisher do a simple, no-frills sashikomi polish on. Anyone trying to photograph a sword will know how hard it is to capture the details of the hamon and hada with a camera phone, it is even harder on a tiny little kogatana, but hopefully this illustrates that some can be worth a pass across the stones.

Gentlemen, I thought I would share in a little more detail an unusual leather-covered officer’s guntō saya that may be of interest to followers of this thread. These fittings were part of an eBay purchase years back when I was new to the hobby and attempting to find a decent koto blade at a bargain price (haha). WWII era is outside of my main field of study, but what first caught my attention was the unusual two-hanger suspension arrangement, indicating that the sword was probably intended to be worn tachi style. The maker’s stamp, (清松製 / Kiyomatsu-sei?), is oriented so that it is visible when the sword hangs this way. I presume this maker to be a smaller local outfitter contracted to do this kind of work during the war. If I had to guess, perhaps they were originally a saddle and horse tack maker. The leather has been closely formed around the wooden core, giving the scabbard a slimmer than average profile and quite graceful taper. The stitching is pretty straight and evenly executed along the seam. The suspension bands appear to have been individually made and fitted from heavier leather to better withstand wear. Each band also incorporates a small brass tube through which the brass suspension ring passes, preventing direct contact with the leather. The brass koiguchi is a smooth push fit and with a little wiggling can be removed; the wooden core can then be easily extracted from the leather outer shell for cleaning. Seems like an excellent design for practical field use. I would be very interested to know whether anyone else has encountered another example of this style of leather saya, particularly one bearing the 清松製 stamp, or has any further information regarding the maker. For anyone curious, the blade housed in these mounts is an ō-suriage Nanbokuchō blade which, after many years of research and examination, was recently attributed to Yamato Shizu.

Bump and open to reasonable offers.

Reduced to $175 shipped CONUS.

Reduced to $175 shipped CONUS.

Offer reduced to $325 for the tsuba, shipped CONUS.

Reduced to $200 shipped CONUS. International shipping available.

Wow and congratulations, that cleanup turned out VERY nice.

Ko-Naminohira Yasumitsu perhaps? Edit: Looks like characteristics of both Bizen and Yamato. (Ko-Gassan?)

For sale- Edo period iron tanto tsuba of mokkō-gata form decorated with kiri mon and scrolling vines in fine gold hira-zōgan. The iron plate is quite thick. Dimensions - 55 x 38 x 5.5 mm Asking $225 shipped CONUS. International shipping is available. 5% of the sale will go to NMB

For sale- An Edo period kozuka featuring a low-relief carving of a dragon in the male form, with gold hira-zogan eyes and sword-tail highlights. The plate surface has developed a pleasing dark patina, showing the passage of time. Asking $200 Shipped CONUS. International shipping available. 5% of the sale will be donated to NMB.

Bump $280 shipped CONUS. International shipping available.

For sale- Edo period iron kojiri featuring a stylized dragon moving through swirling clouds rendered in gold hon-zōgan. The iron plate has developed a dark, even patina that contrasts well with the surviving gold inlay. Looks to be Kumagai style in execution. The plate has two boar’s eye piercings decorated with gold. Dimensions- 80x42x18mm Comes with kiri wood box and cushion. Asking $200, shipped CONUS. A matching tsuba is offered here on NMB with a package deal of $450 for the pair.

For sale - Edo period iron tsuba featuring a stylized dragon moving through swirling clouds rendered in gold hon-zōgan. The iron plate has developed a dark, even patina that contrasts well with the surviving gold inlay. Looks to be Kumagai style in execution. The plate is a rounded saddle-shape. Dimensions- 63x58x4mm Comes with kiri wood box and cushion. Asking $350 shipped CONUS, 5% of the sale goes to NMB. Include this matching Edo period kojiri (80x42x18mm) in your purchase for a package offer of $450 shipped CONUS. International shipping available. More photos on request.

Hi Adam, and thank you. Goto school I am not sure, but the quality is on par with some of the top kinko schools of the age. I agree that however they are mounted, they should be seen, because the carving work is so good! Having said that, they can be enjoyed as is. I have hung onto them for fourteen years and enjoyed studying them in the box with a magnifying glass. Now is the right time to find them a new home. 100% confident they will paper to an Edo kinko school. For their level, they are priced to fly away rapidly and I’m a little surprised they haven’t already done so.

Do I hear $300 (shipped CONUS) for these triumphs in antique Japanese traditional miniature carving? Dime for scale.

Shed light is an interesting turn of phrase, because features which appear white in photographs can be caused by reflections along high points, or appear as artifacts of scattered light. Uchiko can be the culprit, but over use is not necessarily the case when normal use will cause small openings to fill with powder also. User error here would be failure to correctly remove the uchiko after it is applied. A good clean with isopropol alcohol and a microfibre cloth would remove any uchiko, were that to be the cause. The examples in these photos seem to be kitae-ware and a small rust pit, or perhaps what was once a tiny fukure now opened by the most recent polish. In the case of the kitae-ware, it looks like light reflecting off the walls of the canyon or ridgeline. Where the other flaw is concerned, it looks to be the same basic cause, light reflecting off the inner surfaces.

It's doing many things at the same time - part of why I commented and why I think its such a great example of the aesthetic genre.

Great pipe. Plainly Japanese by virtue of execution. A very Chinese subject, yes, but as others have noted, in East Asia, all roads lead to China. I think the piece provides a nice opportunity to talk about the intriguing artistic trend it falls into, because it is an excellent example of a distinctly East Asian material aesthetic. A great deal of its beauty comes not merely from its form, but from its surface finish and “maturation” (aging, like a fine wine) through time, care, handling, and use. The coloration seen here, warm copper-browns, amber-black transitions, tea-toned lacquer hues, is part of a palette long prized in East Asian decorative arts. One sees the same shades in smoked bamboo tea utensils, rubbed walnut bracelets, old lacquerware, tiger-eye beads, darkened bronze, polished deer antler, and centuries-old furniture. They seem to evoke an aroma of autumn, smoke, earth, tea, resin, and slow oxidation - they are organic, “living” colors that speak to an artistic philosophy where time becomes a collaborator. This sensibility is deeply rooted in Chinese academic and literati culture, especially the traditions surrounding 文玩 (wenwan), the appreciation of scholar’s objects whose surfaces evolve through repetitive touch and care. In this worldview, objects are not considered complete at the moment of manufacture, rather, they gradually mature and are “nourished” by human contact. Oils from the skin, exposure to smoke, incense, tea vapors, friction from cloth, humidity etc all contribute to the development of 包浆 (baojiang): the mellow, lustrous patina prized by collectors. This concept certainly crossed over into Japan from China together with the wider genre of art, I propose as a sort of “way of seeing” or way of “appreciating” these objects to a greater degree. You get more bang for your buck from the thing if you’re encouraged to fixate, fiddle and baby it. The idea that the object becomes richer, darker, softer, and more spiritually intimate over time, as one invests one’s care and attention into it, is admittedly an alluring albeit romantic idea for me. There are even certain strict handling customs and beliefs associated with this “genre”, if you will, from the perspective of a purist. Discussing the topic with Chinese aficionados, it was noted several times to me that these sorts of objects are exclusively male oriented and should under no circumstances be handled by women, nor enter a bathroom or wash area. Although many of these artistic sensibilities originated in China, Japan absorbed and transformed them through centuries of cultural exchange. Chinese influence, especially during the Tang dynasty, profoundly shaped early Japanese court culture, artistic imagery, decorative vocabulary, Buddhism, and material arts. Over time, Japan cultivated its own parallel sensibilities, especially through concepts such as shibui, sabi, and wabi, which favor subdued richness over brilliance and quiet depth over overt display. This pipe reflects this genre wonderfully. Its artistry lies in tactility, atmosphere, and accumulated human presence. One undeniably romantic truth is this: following the notion that handling improves such an object, it is accurate to say that through years of touch and companionship, the connoisseur owner does in fact become part of the object’s final finish.