My tsuba

[Yabbie75]

Hi All,

Could anyone give me any info about my Tsuba?

[Spartancrest]

Difficult to see under all that dirt. I don't think it belongs with the rest of the military koshirae, [some of the sword people will correct me if I am wrong] do you have any provenance on it?  Tentative idea is that it is 'Akasaka' or  Heianjo-sukashi?  Kaku-gata sukashi. [square shape pierced]  [If I am way off I am sure I will be told and am very use to it! ]

Is it possible to get a larger image?

 

Some text from the Ashmolean Museum collection.

"The earlier Akasaka guards closely resemble the pierced work of the Heianjō and Owari workers. Later productions display a number of striking features, such as clean-cut fret-piercing in positive silhouette of designs leaving little of the iron in reserve, the addition of a slight engraving finish, a rounded or rather tapered edge to the guard, and, in some of the more recent specimens, the semi-circular enlargement of each end of the tang-hole, as if to take a plug (not supplied) of abnormal size. Enrichments of other metals are entirely absent."

Edited November 23, 2022 by Spartancrest
more information

[Yabbie75]

Hopefully this is a little easier to see.

[Spartancrest]

This one is not as detailed as yours but shows similar traits. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/403442365331  small birds and myoga [ginger plant]. The one you have looks like it has some remnants of gold nunome on the flower heads. I am surprised that other people with more experience have not commented? I am not a student of sukashi guards.

 

 

A Maru Akasaka with same elements - https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/294587055864 It doesn't give the thickness of the guard but it looks relatively chunky? 6-7 mm?

[ROKUJURO]

Dale,

if someone wants information about his TSUBA and doesn't feel the need to show proper photos (if he is not sure how to show them he can learn it here on the NMB), why should we care to answer? You were kind enough to ask for a larger photo but all Matthew cared to send was a partial view of the mounted TSUBA. Not inspriring!

My comment is not directed especially to Matthew, but my observation is that quite some new members post bad photos of NAKAGO (often upside-down or horizontally), blades or KODOGU, requesting information on their items. I would expect - even by newcomers - that they read and look a bit here on the forum to get aquainted with the subject and the customs and then ask for help. In my eyes, it is a way to be polite, in the same way as we answer politely and try to reply as competently as we can.

[Yabbie75]

Thanks for your inspiring comment. Really helpful. Maybe you could give me a run down on how to upload photos bigger than 2.93MB as the photo I posted was the only clear photo I could get that was small enough to upload. I have lots of correctly oriented photos with great detail I would love to upload. Also if it’s possible a link to the proper posting etiquette for the message board might help us impolite newbies from offending you.

 

[Brian]

No pictures need to be bigger than even 500k.
Fee image resizers are all over the net. File size does not equal clarity. Size your pics down....max width of about 1200 is more than enough.

[Bugyotsuji]

Look at Dale's photos above of tsuba only, and take shots which can be cropped right down, if you can't alter the settings as you upload. Are you using a camera or a phone? When I choose a photo from my phone library it offers me a choice of size to post.

[Yabbie75]

Thanks for the info guys. I am using phone or iPad to take photos. I’ll see if I can work it out. 
 

 

[Yabbie75]

I think I may have sorted it out guys thanks for you advice. 

[Brian]

Seems silly...but it's upside down. Tsuba are presented the other way up. Check for the nakago ana position. Not a big deal.
I would get some oil on that. Oil, wipe with a soft cloth. Oil...repeat. You need to stop that active rust. Don't clean the inside of the cutouts...the side walls are like the nakago of a sword.

[Yabbie75]

When you say upside down do you mean the photo orientation or flip the actual Tsuba over? 
what’s sort of oil do you suggest? And when you say don’t clean the cut out, do you mean the blade cut out. Sorry for all the questions but still learning about nohinto.

[Rich S]

Matthew

 

He means the physical orientation of the tsuba. They are normally shown the way they would be mounted on the sword (the "V" should be pointing up.

Not a big deal, just the normal way of doing it. 

Welcome to NMB,

 

Rich

[Spartancrest]

Everybody happy now? Geez you guys are either picky or too lazy to do it yourself. Give the guy a break. 

 

[Yabbie75]

Cheers Dale.

       Can you tell me about the chipping around the blade opening. Is that from the forming of the hole or from use? And since I didn’t pay attention as I was taking apart should it face the handle or the blade. 

[roger dundas]

Now that's another good question that Dale will help you with. I'm sure you will enjoy your foray into tsuba etc.(No tsubas, plural tsuba same as singular tsuba).

Love your pseudonym "Yabbie".

Roger j

[Spartancrest]

Matthew [or is it Matt to your friends?]

The "chipping" is the result of a chisel or punch used to tighten the sides of the tsuba to grip the tang of the sword tight so it won't wobble when mounted. The 'chips' are called tagane-ato  [sometimes other names]- they can sometimes be a very important element pointing to particular schools and smiths almost like a signature in some cases. Often found with copper inserts at the top and/or bottom of the tang hole [nakago-ana] they are called sekigane.  The orientation of the tsuba would usually be with the punch marks toward the handle side and this is the most decorated side of tsuba in most cases, pointing out to the observer, Sukashi don't really have a more decorated side as a rule.

[Dan tsuba]

Hello Matthew!

 

And welcome to the forum.  You are really going to enjoy this wonderful hobby!

 

Anyway I have learned that in reference to the picture of your tsuba (from Spartancrest - Dale) and also from the other great detailed information he sent you:  Your tsuba should be mounted with the more round hole (kozuka hitsu-ana) being closer to the wearer's body (sword carried on left side of body).  So in relation to the picture Dale sent you, the handle (tsuka) would be placed on the front (omote) and the tang of the blade going through the back (ura) of the tsuba and attaching to the handle.  Well, I hope I got that right!

 

Here is a good website for tsuba terminology.

 

https://tosogucollection.wordpress.com/2013/05/16/787/

 

Onward,

 

With respect, 

Dan

 

 

 

[Yabbie75]

It is Matt only mum calls me Matthew(but my mates actually call me Yabbie something to do with being snappy).

Anyhow so the Tsuba orientation you’ve just explained means it would be carried blade up?  Clearly they didn’t pay much attention when fitting the army handle as the Tsuba was therefore back to front.

 

[Dan tsuba]

Yabbie!

 

That is correct, sharp side up when carried in the saya (scabbard).  I use to train in iaido (the drawing of the sword).  That is why most of us (except the very high ranked black belts) trained with an iaito sword (dull bladed sword).  So we don't cut off any fingers or anything else when we practice!

 

The adventure continues!

With respect,

Dan

 

 

[Spartancrest]

Yes Katana were carried edge upwards, Tachi were carried suspended from a cord edge down. Wait till you have to work out Tachi tsuba compared to Katana and the big mix of re-cut Tachi into fitting Katana! 

Guntō (軍刀, military sword) were also carried suspended from a cord in TachI fashion - just to confuse things even further!