Ken-Hawaii Posted October 26, 2013 Report Posted October 26, 2013 I just received a nice Tosho tsuba, & while examining it, I noticed that on one portion of the sukidashi mimi I can see a glint of what looks like copper. I can also see the same glint at the middle of the sukashi, which shows in the photo. I can't get a decent photo of the mimi copper. I've never seen a combination of metals quite like this - is it common? Ken Quote
Rich S Posted October 26, 2013 Report Posted October 26, 2013 Ken - you're much more knowledgeable than I, but I don't see the copper color on the mimi. I do see the color in the flower sukaski, but are you sure it's not just left over rust? I've never heard of a copper - iron sanmai tsuba. What ever, it is a very nice tosho. Rich Quote
Ken-Hawaii Posted October 26, 2013 Author Report Posted October 26, 2013 I thought it might be red rust, Rich, but under my 10X loupe & a strong light, it definitely looks like copper, as does the small patch on the mimi. It's definitely a strange combination to me, too. Ken Quote
ROKUJURO Posted October 26, 2013 Report Posted October 26, 2013 Ken, while your nice TSUBA looks more like a KATCHUSHI style one (EDO JIDAI) to me, I believe there is copper when you saw it under magnification. As we know, the production of a TSUBA plate from raffinated TAMAHAGANE steel excludes other metals, so this must be a later addition. Perhaps someone tried to 'embellish' the TSUBA in earlier days with the addition of copper, and a connoisseur of later days restored the simple and elegant design without removing the copper completely? Just a guess to explain one possibility among many. If it is just on the surface, it may be scraped away with a fine, sharp steel tool. Quote
Jacques Posted October 26, 2013 Report Posted October 26, 2013 Hi, Maybe it's my eyes but i find the location of the nakago ana odd. Quote
Pete Klein Posted October 26, 2013 Report Posted October 26, 2013 Ken - are you sure the 'mimi' isn't a soft metal fukurin? It might be the picture but it looks to be a different metal than the plate, and the 'copper' you see might be an un-patinated spot, possibly from a rub or bruise. It's probably just from the lighting but a thought. Quote
Jean Posted October 26, 2013 Report Posted October 26, 2013 Jacques is right, it comes probably from the fact that the picture was taken in a hurry and probably sideways, result visible in the shadows of the hitsu ana and central ana. Otherwise, were it not the case as was saying Sherlock Holmes : "Watson there is something horribly wrong in the central ana, it is not centered..." Agreed with Pete, the fukurin seems made of an alloy as shakudo.. Quote
Stephen Posted October 26, 2013 Report Posted October 26, 2013 right side up you can tell it looks off from angle shot, sorry i cant help on what looks like rust. Quote
Pete Klein Posted October 26, 2013 Report Posted October 26, 2013 Interesting. I think this might be an example of photographic parallax. The picture was taken close up and at an angle which causes the tsuba to appear narrower and compressed in the distance. RKG - where are you? LOL! Quote
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