W K Clifford

Thank you all for replying to my inquiry. Apparently Brian saw this thread and he called me back (or just by sheer coincidence). Cheers!

I called Brian Tschernega and left a message a few days ago. So far, no reply. Is he still active? Or just too busy? Any other Habaki maker out there in the US?

Not a tsuba, but it is by Ford: https://kramerknives.com/product/vase/

o gunto also makes sense...

Is it plausible to assume that this is a late Edo / early Meiji period sword, given how popular 頼山陽 was back then among intellectual reformers? The nakago does look the part, right?

it is from a poem by 頼山陽 畫　龜 既無神異智。　　既に神異の智なし 豈近廟廊尊。　　豈に廟廊の尊に近ずかんや 曳尾吾生足。　　尾を曳きて吾が生　足る 深泥亦国恩。　　深泥も亦た国恩 I will leave it to you to interpret what that means,

forgery.

Dear all, I will be in Tokyo next week. Of course I will check out the nihonto collections at the national museum and the nihonto museum. Where else should I go? Maybe a few nihonto shops? Are the staff in these shops friendly towards spectators with no intention to buy? Anybody has done this before?

yeah, I am not sure about yours... but there are many Kunimune in the Uda school...

I have seen this one before, papered. So, yeah, the one above looks like an imitation and might be gimei.

Seconded. The signature has a distinctive style... I am sure one of the more knowledgeable members here will tell you which Uda Kunimune it is. Which temple in Beijing? It is strange to think that a soldier would carry a katana in saya into a battlefield...

looks like a forgery to me....

I read 祐定

Thank you, comrades. It seems that Brian Tschernega does not do emails. Would any of you be so kind as to instruct me on how to contact him?

Hi All, I live in California. I have a TBH wakizashi and want to have a new habaki made (in fact possibly a new shirasaya). Any suggestions on how this can be accomplished locally? all the best