Itomagoi Posted July 16, 2020 Report Posted July 16, 2020 Hello everyone, I wanted to show you this tsuba I found. It's probably an iron civilian gunto tsuba. But unfortunately I have no further information about it. Perhaps one of you can tell me more. 3 Quote
Itomagoi Posted July 16, 2020 Author Report Posted July 16, 2020 I found this sword with an identical tsuba: https://www.antique-swords.com/Q19-WW2-Japanese-Army-Officers-Shin-Gunto-Katana.html 1 Quote
Itomagoi Posted July 16, 2020 Author Report Posted July 16, 2020 Yes, I think also it's a cast tsuba. Quote
Bruce Pennington Posted July 16, 2020 Report Posted July 16, 2020 That's quite interesting Peter! After seeing the other example you found, it appears to be a private/civilian version with hints of IJA qualities, so made for a civilian blade that is being converted to WWII use. I've seen island swords with really poor attemts to replicate the IJA tsuba, but this is not what we're seeing here. They are not trying to "copy" the IJA tsuba, but simply add hints/flavors of it into the private tsuba. The fact that you show 2 examples could mean they both came from the same shop, but they arent' identical so it opens the idea up that more than 1 shop was making these. I'd like to see more examples if they can be found. (I'm adding the other one just in case the website page ever goes inactive) 4 Quote
vajo Posted July 16, 2020 Report Posted July 16, 2020 After a long time search i could complete my fittings of a civillian koshirae. 12 Quote
Itomagoi Posted July 16, 2020 Author Report Posted July 16, 2020 Wow Chris, what a great set. Congratulation. 1 Quote
Michaelr Posted July 16, 2020 Report Posted July 16, 2020 Peter could it be that the Tsuba that you have is the same one that was on the sword that you show that was sold? Maybe the person that purchased that sword removed the Tsuba and replaced with something else and sold the original? Just a thought. MikeR Quote
Itomagoi Posted July 16, 2020 Author Report Posted July 16, 2020 Hi Mike, I bought this tsuba with a different gunto. So it's not possible. Quote
lonely panet Posted July 16, 2020 Report Posted July 16, 2020 This is indeed cast iron, and they are very rare. I have only ever seen another 1, and it was the one I owned. Sadly for its rareity, they don't sell for much. I believe they were made for the 94s when transitioning to the 98 1 Quote
Itomagoi Posted July 17, 2020 Author Report Posted July 17, 2020 In any case, it is good to know that it is not a chinese copy. 1 Quote
vajo Posted July 17, 2020 Report Posted July 17, 2020 In any case, it is good to know that it is not a chinese copy. No Peter it's not a copy you doing right not to give it away. Oil it a little to prevent the rust. Quote
Bruno Posted July 17, 2020 Report Posted July 17, 2020 After a long time search i could complete my fittings of a civillian koshirae. gendai_civillian_koshirae_fittings.jpg Super nice Chris! I am looking around for the cherry blossoms civilian set with the idea the have a koshirae made some day, hopefully with a nice gendai-to. 1 Quote
Greg F Posted July 19, 2020 Report Posted July 19, 2020 I had one just like this that I donated to the board raffle a few years ago. Can't remember who ended up with it though. Quote
Bruce Pennington Posted July 22, 2020 Report Posted July 22, 2020 Here's one that isn't quite the same, but it's quite thin and resembles this in certain ways. It seems half-way between the OP example and a standard tsuba. It's on a civil blade mounted for the war. Here: https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/forum/ken-jasper-international-militaria-forums/Japanese-militaria-forum/11682681-ww2-Japanese-samurai-sword 2 Quote
Itomagoi Posted July 22, 2020 Author Report Posted July 22, 2020 I have such a Tsuba too :-) I find them very beautiful 2 Quote
Itomagoi Posted February 15, 2021 Author Report Posted February 15, 2021 As an addition to this topic, a photo of another iron WWII tsuba. 1 1 Quote
Bruce Pennington Posted February 15, 2021 Report Posted February 15, 2021 1 hour ago, Itomagoi said: another iron WWII tsuba. Nice example Peter! I’m starting to appreciate the humble beauty of these. Quote
Itomagoi Posted July 17, 2022 Author Report Posted July 17, 2022 Two more for the database... 1 Quote
Bruce Pennington Posted July 18, 2022 Report Posted July 18, 2022 That's cool, Peter! So to the known civil/military tsuba Sakura Bamboo Plain Fig Leaf We add "?" What should we call it? 1 Quote
IJASWORDS Posted July 19, 2022 Report Posted July 19, 2022 Bruce, I think you can add these to Showa period civilian mounted military fittings. A complete set of pine tree branch motif fittings on a December 1943 HIROMITSU blade. 4 3 Quote
Bruce Pennington Posted July 19, 2022 Report Posted July 19, 2022 24 minutes ago, IJASWORDS said: Showa period civilian mounted military fittings Neil, Are you saying that you think this tsuba/fittings were made during the war, and made specifically to go on civil blades re-fitted for the war? I had always assumed (DOH, there's that ugly word again!) that fittings like this were with a blade that had been bought as a civil sword. THEN, that civil sword was bought by the military, or donated by the owner, for the war, where the civil fittings were simply retained and a leather covered saya was added. I'm not arguing, simply wonder what impressed you about these that they were military made, or made for military swords. Quote
IJASWORDS Posted July 19, 2022 Report Posted July 19, 2022 Bruce, good question. It is definitely Showa period. I am assuming that being the same size, shape, and having the hole for the leather securing tab as the "bamboo" example, pictured, it was. 2 Quote
Bruce Pennington Posted July 19, 2022 Report Posted July 19, 2022 Good points, Neil. I'm no civil sword guy at all, but I wouldn't think old tsuba ever had a hole for a leather strap. Guys correct me if I'm wrong. And you can see yours was made with the hole. It wasn't cut into an older tsuba. The art was crafted around the hole. Hmmm. I guess we've got another style! Would it be much trouble to get a naked shot of the just the tsuba for the files? Quote
Brian Posted July 19, 2022 Report Posted July 19, 2022 It's a known Showa pattern. Not sure if it was an option that could be ordered, but it's like the bamboo set and seen on some military swords. 2 1 Quote
Bruce Pennington Posted August 31, 2022 Report Posted August 31, 2022 Another variation of the Bamboo leaf pattern tsuba. Found on a Showa-stamped Yoshisada blade. Seems to be a lower grade craftsmanship than several of the others we've seen: 1 Quote
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