Can this be restored?

[GoldenDrachen]

Hello gentlemen!

 

This is me again. Looking for an urgent advice. (auction ends in 2 hours)

I have spotted this tsuba as a part of tachi koshirae, all in poor condition, but anyway I might go for it.

This tsuba,  I think, is interesting. (or not? What do you think)

Can this rust be removed? 

 

 

Thank you in advance

Vitaly

 

 

 

[vajo]

Looks like a fake tsuba for me.

Zinc alloy. 

 

 

[Infinite_Wisdumb]

Agree with @vajo it’s garbage

[GoldenDrachen]

@vajo and @Infinite_Wisdumb thank you so much!

I am glad that I have asked!

 

Regards

Vitaly 

[Spartancrest]

These were made for "practice swords" sometime between 1950 onwards. Usually in steel, hence the rust, some have been switched out from their original mounts and some altered like the one in the top post. Tagane-ato [punch marks] are there to make them appear used and older. Curiously these "reproductions" are based on a very fine master work by Goto Hokyo Ichijo (1791 - 1876) who may have stolen [borrowed?] the image by Utagawa Kunisada  "Dawn at Futami-ga-ura" near Ise and the self same "reproductions" were copied by both Japanese and Chinese forgers and casters.

 

How do I know this?  Because it is in my first book! And I have an altered one with an inlay of a silver moon and a hitsu cut through the plate. 

[vajo]

Wow Dale that is such a lovely research!

Great job.

[Infinite_Wisdumb]

@Spartancrest should be in some sort of NMB Hall of Fame - he is the Tosogu GOAT

[1kinko]

I was thinking the same thing. Is Dale really some kind of advanced AI? So quick, so accurate and insightful, and with references too! 

[vajo]

Alexa - is this a real tsuba?

 

Dale....

[rematron]

  On 3/17/2023 at 11:23 AM, Spartancrest said:

 

How do I know this?  Because it is in my first book! And I have an altered one with an inlay of a silver moon and a hitsu cut through the plate. 

 

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Dale, what's the title of your first book?

 

[thutson]

I have Dale's first book titled "Tsuba collecting for the beginner" and its a wonderful resource for anyone who is starting to collect tsuba.

 

It really helped me avoid some pitfalls and train my eye for fake and cast tsuba. I would highly recommend it!

 

Best,

Tom

[rematron]

Thanks Thomas!  Wasn't sure if that was his first or not and I just bought that one yesterday on Amazon along with a copy of 'Lethal Elegance' (thanks @1kinko) I'm off to good start!

[Spartancrest]

  On 3/17/2023 at 1:55 PM, Infinite_Wisdumb said:

he is the Tosogu GOAT

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I think you missed a word between Tosogu and GOAT    "OLD"

 

I have to admit the beginners book is getting a little out of date and there are some good equivalents getting about,

Stephen Kings's "Collecting Tsuba" [2021]

Gary Murtha's  "Handbook for Tsuba Collectors"  [2021]  or  "TSUBA-Japanese Sword Guards" [2012] 

Markus Sesko's "Encyclopedia of Japanese Swords" and the earlier [still one of my favourites]  "Handbook" and probably more for the advanced students "TOSOGU CLASSROOM" I can't remember how many volumes there are now. []

I have probably missed some important ones but that is what happens when you become an old goat. 

PS it took me ten minutes to work out GOAT was a "new" acronym ! [I thought it meant "Goes Over All Terrain"] Come to think of it it would make a nice name for the next model of Jeep!