xkingz1998 Posted February 20 Report Posted February 20 I recently acquired a Kai Gunto for about 400. The blade is in excellent shape however the Tsuka is in very rough shape and if it was possible to restore it or any professionals that provided such a service. Quote
Bruce Pennington Posted February 20 Report Posted February 20 Couple of guys named on this thread that rewrap tsuka: Quote
Kiipu Posted February 20 Report Posted February 20 Taylor, what exactly is that black material that is under the ito wrap on the handle made of? Is it cloth, paint, paper, electrical tape, etc.? Quote
mecox Posted February 21 Report Posted February 21 @xkingz1998 Taylor, Is that the mei you show? Looks like "Inaba" . Here is an example of a s/s kaigunto" maybe a bit similar? 1 Quote
xkingz1998 Posted February 21 Author Report Posted February 21 On 2/20/2025 at 11:04 PM, Kiipu said: Taylor, what exactly is that black material that is under the ito wrap on the handle made of? Is it cloth, paint, paper, electrical tape, etc.? Expand Here, is a close look at it. I honestly don't know what the material is but it feels the same as the wood texture wise, I assume it is discoloration/staining of some sort but I may be wrong. On 2/21/2025 at 12:46 AM, mecox said: Taylor, Is that the mei you show? Looks like "Inaba" . Here is an example of a s/s kaigunto" maybe a bit similar Expand It might be, I think. I've been trying to find more examples 1 Quote
Kiipu Posted February 21 Report Posted February 21 The mei is Inaba 伊奈波. I have some recorded with the exact same style of signature. The signatures vary considerable with these blades. 2 Quote
mecox Posted February 21 Report Posted February 21 Plenty of examples and variations of "INABA" in this paper: 3 Quote
Bruce Pennington Posted February 21 Report Posted February 21 On 2/21/2025 at 2:17 AM, xkingz1998 said: the material is but it feels the same as the wood texture wise Expand The whole rig appears to be late war. Very common to see painted wood rather than rayskin or even fabric in these. Quote
Kiipu Posted February 21 Report Posted February 21 On 2/21/2025 at 2:17 AM, xkingz1998 said: I've been trying to find more examples Expand Below are some examples of the signature style as used on yours. Keep in mind, this forge used several different styles depending upon who the smith was that signed. Anchor Mon On Rinji (Type 3) Translation Help on Kai-Gunto 2 Quote
Conway S Posted February 22 Report Posted February 22 @xkingz1998 Hi Taylor! It does not look like anyone answered your original question! If you live in FL, there is a Japanese Sword show in Orlando from 20-22 June 2025. This is well-known show in the US and there are usually a few individuals set up who are trained in tsukamaki. In my experience, you should be able to get the handle re-wrapped for between $250-$350. https://orlandoswordshow.com/ Conway 2 Quote
Bruno Posted February 23 Report Posted February 23 On 2/21/2025 at 2:41 AM, Kiipu said: Inaba 伊奈波 Expand Any infos on this particular Navy smith? Quote
Bruce Pennington Posted February 24 Report Posted February 24 On 2/23/2025 at 10:59 PM, Bruno said: Any infos on this particular Navy smith? Expand Mal has a write-up on him in his article he posted above. Working from memory, there was an Inaba Forge in Seki city, so we don't know for sure if the mei is a smith going by Inaba or if it's a forge mei, or both. 1 Quote
Kiipu Posted February 24 Report Posted February 24 On 2/23/2025 at 10:59 PM, Bruno said: Any infos on this particular Navy smith? Expand Very little documentation about this forge or the swordsmiths that worked there. Gendaito Kanetoshi (伊奈波鍛錬場兼利作) Quote
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