What are your favorite fittings?

[george trotter]

I have no fittings now, other than gunto, but at one time had a fair collection. One question that I would ask of the members here...do any of your favorite fittings have battle damage? Perhaps a sword nick on the rim of a tsuba? This is something I have not seen only once (on this board I think?) or is this another thread?

Geo.

[Surfson]

Probably another interesting thread George. i do have a couple of tsuba with what appear to be sword strikes. One on the mimi and the other on the back (ura?) of the tsuba.

[Jason K]

It is hard for me to pick a favorite tsuba; however, this one has evoked a chuckle since I first saw it. The carved flower peddles are offset, from front to back, so that the transition carries over at the edge of the tsuba. Furthermore, the artist purposely carved the flower off-axis, it doesn't even line up with the nakago. Over its lifetime there were repeated attempts to “straighten out” the tsuba to get the axis lined up with a sword’s edge. I find it incredibly funny since the opposite side of the tsuba would then be off as well.

 

Jason K

[Lorenzo]

With no doubt and much pride:

 

 

 

 

 

[fritaly]

Was the second tsuba crafted by Ford Hallam or Patrick Hastings ? (I can't remember where I saw it)

[Lorenzo]

Both are Ford Hallam works

[Thierry BERNARD]

one of my favorites tsuba : saotome kiku flower with 100 petals

perhaps a good chalange for Ford or Lorenzo!! :D

[Guido]

The cornerstone of my collection, and a keeper until hell freezes over:

[paulb]

Guido,

I can see why. As someone who is not greatly appreciative of fittings I am developing a considerable liking for Nobuiye work. The one I posted above is papered to "another" Nobuiye but I think has a lot in common with yours, although not of the same quality. There is something about the texture of the iron and the shape that just marries together to create an excellent end result. I envy you this almost as much as I do some of your swords!!!

Best Regards

Paul

[Brian]

Guido,

You crossed over from amazing Kinko to the dark (and magnetic) side?

I recall you have some amazing soft metal tsuba too. But I can see why you value this one so highly.

 

Brian

[raven2]

Guido,

 

I also agree, I love that tsuba.

[nagamaki - Franco]

Kusudama with cherry blossoms and clams.

[reinhard]

A pair of tiny menuki depicting Hotei. They were made for tanto by Yamasaki ICHIGA.

 

Don't strive for more than you can carry on your back.

 

reinhard

[Henry Wilson]

I've seen Guido's Nobuie in person and it is very impressive. Nice water wheel pattern from what I remember and a signature to die for.

[Curran]

Nice quiet thread where I get to see pretty stuff and do not need endure overly long posts with little content. The pictures here are proving, "worth a thousand words".

 

Some real diversity of spectrum. Ububob- you need better photographs of that first tsuba.

Nice to know RKG had entered the Tea House with a Yamakichibei. Also like the more funky wabi-sabi one.

Boris, will trade you a lightsaber for either one.

Jason K.- that is exactly the sort of tsuba I get a kick out of now and then. I find it easy to imagine the koshirae for them, and have noted similar canting in some nice Akasaka tsuba where they add to the sense of swirl in the design. Had a really nice example years ago, long since sold off to Europe.

 

Lorenzo- good to know where that one. Love it and the original. Fernbracken always makes me hungry for korean bibimbop or yukgaejung.

 

Keep the images coming....

[Marius]

Boohoohooh, sniff, sigh

 

Curran has ignored my soft metal stuff

 

OK, here is another try....

[Jason K]

Boris

 

I really like the look of the iron in your second tsuba! Are you using a scanner or some sort of shadow box for these pictures?

 

Jason K

[Curgan]

I don't know if this comforts you a bit, Mariusz, but I like your kinko stuff...

:D

[Akitombo]

Any old iron?

David

[Ted Tenold]

I had the pleasure of owning this one and it will remain one of my favorites. It was listed in Hosokawa family record as having been mounted on a sword worn by the lord of the region.

[bjmoose]

Here's one that I would probably give up my first-born child for (if I had one, that is). Unfortunately it was in one of those "previously sold" catagories.

Oda Satsuma Naokiyo Monkey Tsuba

[Curran]

Mariusz,

Oooh sure..... List the ko-umetada you know I like. Evil bugger. I kept looking at that one, for sale during the period where I wasn't collecting.

 

Guys (girls anyone?)- Boris has us beat on the old iron one. I'd settle for a single nice ubu ko-katchushi in my collection some day. Passed on quite a few.

 

Ted- very big sigh.... I passed on that one way back when, and wish I hadn't. Very much to my taste, though some disagree about the Sasano attribution. Regardless of what it is, wish I'd purchased it when I had the chance. If the owner reads this, he should contact me about it.

[Ted Tenold]

Hey Curran, having sold it, I lament having done so and thus empathize with your regret. I realize the attribution is debated among folks, but I always wondered if the Hosokawa record may have noted it as a Hikozo work. That really was less important to me than the fact that I just liked it for the workmanship. However, I admit it would have been nice to satisfy my curiousity by seeing the records, but that never became possible.

[cspage]

David (Akitombo), any chance of getting close up good pics of the mokko tsuba on the right in your submission? It seems there is depth in the details and luciousness. Please. Thanks.

 

Colin

[Akitombo]

Hows that?

David

[Marius]

Mariusz,

Oooh sure..... List the ko-umetada you know I like. Evil bugger. I kept looking at that one, for sale during the period where I wasn't collecting.

 

Curran,

 

Being an evil bugger: have at you!

[Ed]

WOW!! So many nice pieces. Thank you all for sharing.

 

Mariusz, I really like the one posted above, beautiful patination.

 

Ted/Curran, that makes three of us regretting not buying/keeping that tsuba.

 

I think my favorite of all shown is the Odachi tsuba Boris posted.

 

A few of my own personal favorites are:

1. Iron Mokume from Namban Tetsu:

Inscribed:

Omi no Kami Tsuguhide Motte Namban Tetsu

Oite Bushu Edo Saku Kore Kansai Go Toshi (1793)

 

2. Iron, Bushu Masatoshi - motif of Sakura Blossoms.

 

3. Shakudo, Omori Hideyoshi - motif of Shishi / Botan

 

4. Shakudo, Unkown artist - motif of Sakura or Ume Blossoms

[Martin]

Hi all,

 

nice thread with lots of great Tsuba!

Here is my favourite one.

[ububob]

Thanks Martin that's fun to look at.

Boris, your pair have won my heart. I will match Curran's offer of the lightsaber and I'll throw in a pair of custom engraved Phasers that were the personal side arms of a distinguished Starfleet Admiral.

Curran, I'll work on the photos when I'm not so lazy just wanted to contribute to "show and tell."

[raven2]

Very interesting Akasaka, Martin and Ed, I really like the last shakudo :D