A REALLY UGLY TSUBA - WHAT SCHOOL/ARTISAN?

[NihontoEurope]

Hello,

 

Does anyone of the gents here know the origin?

 

I solved some of the Kanji, but not enough knowledge of Tosogu to get anything from it.

 

It is an almost destroyed piece, but it is signed front and back. I have owned this for many years and it would be nice to know something about it. Sorry about the images, but it is rusty.

 

[attachment=2]img004A.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=1]img004B.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=3]img005A.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=0]img005B.jpg[/attachment]

 

Thank you!

 

/Martin

[Gunome]

Hello,

 

The mei is Soten, but maybe a shoami tsuba is soten style ?!

[nagamaki - Franco]

I have owned this for many years

 

Why have you not addressed the rusting?

[NihontoEurope]

Hello,

 

...something about it. Sorry about the images, but it is rusty.

 

/Martin

 

 

: )

 

Addressed!

 

/Martin

[Brian]

Martin,

By addressed, I think Franco means halted and/or taken steps to remove, and not just mentioned

This one might look a lot better with some mild cleaning/boning with ivory.

 

Brian

[NihontoEurope]

Brian,

 

Really!?!

 

I thought this was above ground, but dead :S

 

I was thinking Franco was pulling my leg... (sorry Franco).

 

Never heard about this process. I have read that cooking in water can help some Tsubas.

 

So, not a FUBAR then.

 

I will search for info and if anyone have a step-by-step guide it is appreciated.

 

Sebastien, thanks for the identification.

 

/Martin

[Brian]

Let's say Walking Dead....it's a Zombie :lol:

It's dead....but might still walk and be a bit animated. Would look a lot better with some tlc...probably look ok mounted, but will never be..umm..er...alive

 

Brian

[NihontoEurope]

 

I found this and I do not know if it up to the standards of today, but it sounds ok. Verifies the boiling method as well as the boner method.

 

http://home.earthlink.net/~jggilbert/Cleaning.htm

 

/Martin

[Marius]

Verifies the boiling method as well as the boner method.

 

Boner?

 

 

Sorry guys, I know, that was cheap, cheap, cheap

[Geraint]

Just so long as Martin knows the difference................

[Jean]

Guys, please Imagine what would you have said if instead of Martin, it has been Richard

[nagamaki - Franco]

There are previous threads where the topic and methods of bringing back a rusted tsuba have been discussed, please take the time to thoroughly search. To help you get started ...... http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2494&hilit=red+rust

[kusunokimasahige]

To be honest, rust does not always mean the artifact is totally gone.

 

In Archaeology we come across large blobs of rust which have, if handled and restored correctly, true gems in it.

 

Now of course there is a difference between artifacts which have been underground for centuries and artifacts which were

cleaned regularly but still remained exposed to air, moist etcetera, but unless your tsuba is changing into metal flakes and truly falling apart, rust can still be attended and in the hands of a good restorer something nice can still come from it.

 

KM

[NihontoEurope]

Ok! Thank you for the replies in educational insights.

 

I will try to restore it with caution and your recommendations.

 

/Martin