Tsuba Mei, Legit?

[Bruce Pennington]

Is this mei legit, or fakery?

 

Thanks guys!

[Babu]

Bruce it's a nice tsuba.

but, as I'm sure your aware the inclusions if air forming small surface bubbles and the lack of any real definition or detail seems to make it appear to be cast.

So the mei could be genuine in that it's possible it's carved but it isn't indicative of any real quality.

I may be wrong and I'm sorry if I am but it looks cast then hand finished to me.

Regards Adam

[Bruce Pennington]

Thanks Adam.  It comes from, what I think is a possible post-war tourist piece ON THIS THREAD.

 

If the kanji are Japanese, and legit, then it's likely a Japanese-made souvenir, but if it's gibberish, then it's some other type of fakery.

[Babu]

It's Kanji Bruce for sure.

Mitsu X Saku.

X= I'm not at home to check this Kanji.

 

Ah that's a bitsa sword I believe. Nice Samegawa and raiden?? Saya.

Cast tsuba, showa WWII tsuka.

All Cobbled  together?

Quite like the saya.

[ROKUJURO]

Could be MITSUNAGA.

[Kurikata]

Probably a similar one presented in this thread :

 

[Bruce Pennington]

2 hours ago, Kurikata said:

Probably a similar one presented in this thread

Bruno,

So MITSUNAGA SAKU.  Does this mean it's Japanese made?  But maybe for souvenir? Or by Mitusnaga for real purposes?  Sorry for the rookie-style questions, but I don't know the tsuba world.

[Babu]

Bruce think Japanese made for the tourists and sold at the Yokohama docks to the low end punters.

[george trotter]

Tsuba looks OK to me Bruce but I'm not an expert. Can't say if the kanji are cut or cast. To test if tsuba is cast, hold tsuba lightly (horizontal) with your first finger and thumb on the nakago hole and 'flick' the edge of the tsuba with your other hand. If there is a fine ring it is forged, if a dull thud, it is cast...then nothing is legit.

Let us know,

[Bruce Pennington]

2 minutes ago, george trotter said:

Let us know,

Sorry, George, it's not mine.  Part of a likely souvenir sword from THIS THREAD.

[george trotter]

Duhh...Ok, thanks Bruce.

[ROKUJURO]

1 hour ago, george trotter said:

........ To test if tsuba is cast, hold tsuba lightly (horizontal) with your first finger and thumb on the nakago hole and 'flick' the edge of the tsuba with your other hand. If there is a fine ring it is forged, if a dull thud, it is cast....

Let us know,

This why bells are cast. (irony off). This test does not work. It is mainly the form of a metal object that makes it ring (or not). 

[george trotter]

OK thanks. Yes a good point.

Over the years I have done this test on a lot of tsuba that I KNOW are either forged and cast and the resulting 'ring' or 'thud' was consistent with this.

Of course there may always be "variations"...which I can't explain....it is always up to the member to use or not use this test.

Regards,

[TroyTF]

Thank you everyone. Fascinating, all of the bits of information even though it is probably a 'pieced-together' sword.