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https://nihonto.com/shinkai/ Nie spills over from the habuchi to the ji? Increased activities toward the monouchi? Please enlighten us! -Sam

That's a great display case. Looks really nice. Probably quite a distraction from your work!

Thanks again Uwe. Yes, that’s the little information I was able to get about this family. Both on the samurai castle, which can be visited and the two brothers. In any case, we have already made progress on the kamon thanks to you. Thanks again

Thanks uwe.

Hi all, A member posted an image of a teppo barrel or something similar seemingly mounted in a cannon form now almost a decade ago at the Glendive Montana Gun Show. I am looking for this piece if anyone has seen it anywhere or knows who may have it I would be deeply appreciative and happy to pay a finders fee. Attached is an image of it. It's quite distinctive looking. Looks like a detached barrel which may have had a touch hole added at the top and which was mounted in a 19th or 20th-century sort of odd mounting. If anyone has any information on this piece or where it is I would be deeply interested in it. Thanks Gene

Thanks again Ray! The price crept up in the auction today to nearly twice that so I decided to step away - but I am really grateful for your feedback, as I'm definitely feeling more confident at spotting both the good, bad, and ugly with the blades. Hope you have a great day, George

I came across this thread and wanted to join and ask a question. A sword came into my position some years ago and I’m looking to sell it. Not sure if it’s real or fake and having a hard time figuring it out. I don’t want to overcharge someone but I also don’t want to sell it too cheap. It’s in a frame so it’s difficult to see all the details. There appears to be serial numbers on it. Any thoughts, tips, or advice?

Well, a quick search brought up not much about this family... Interestingly they shared another mon with the Ôi (大井). The Ôi clan in turn suppostly erected Uchiyama castle (内山城). So you probably have to search in this environment?! On the other hand, there is also a Bukeyashiki (Samurai residence) in Ôno (Echizen provinze) called Uchiyama-bukeyashiki (内山武家屋敷). It was inhabited by Uchiyama Ryôkyû during the Bakumatsu period. Refer: https://www.jcastle....w/Uchiyama_Residence Maybe another point to start?

Just finished reading the download. Very very informative! Exactly what I’m looking for. Hopefully the Marcus Sesko book I ordered will go further and give more examples.

Age attribution on early, unsigned tsuba is a difficult subject because there is not a lot of hard evidence. The earliest signed pieces are from the Muromachi period, so these signed examples can be tied back to a known person. Even so, in some cases we do not know exactly when they worked. Some early tsuba are documented as being donated to shrines on a particular date, so that helps establish some data points. But, we may not know how old they were when that happened. There are also datable kozuka and kogai examples (we know which Goto masters made them and when they worked). Masayuki Sasano did much original research tying changes in style of kozuka and kogai to hitusana shapes and established a dating regime based on that research. His findings are in Tosogu no Kigen and Early Japanese Sword Guards, Sukashi Tsuba. Of course, later tsuba smiths copied earlier styles sometimes so hitsuana shape is not definitive for date; the other aspects of the tsuba, such as proportion, construction, decoration and oxidation need to be taken into account. The best way to learn is to look at a lot of tsuba in-hand with some personal guidance. Going to a sword show and asking questions from more experienced collectors is a way to do that. Preparation for doing this study is a collection of reference books to build up a visual knowledge of ages, styles and characteristics. A few comments on the images in this thread. You asked about if the rectangular hole crossing the nakoana can be a dating element. Chinese tsuba, or kagonami, were first imported into Japan probably by the Portuguese mid to late 1500's, so the appearance of that feature dates from that time period. If this is seen on older tsuba then it was added later. There are a few tsuba with really big center holes shown above. I think these were modified to fit on a wooden sword (bokuto or bokken) and was a fad among the kenjutsu practitioners probably in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Reduced to 3300 USD.

Looks like 貞廣 (Sadahiro).

Hello, I must comment on that, since I don't agree. Either you don't use the knifes or you only 'cut' butter with them. I also own Japanese kitchen knifes and can say one thing, story that it won't become blunt is just a legend. Any type of knife will eventually be dull if you use it. Knifes, no matter what type of steel or craftsmanship, will need sharpening if you use them to cut things. They are not lightsabers you know.

Amazing Piers, what a vast array there is.. We are very lucky to have you on NMB!. Do you know if all those cannon were manufactured in Japan ? .No expert, some look Japanese and some Western, i guess maybe influenced by Western Cannon around at that time, especially the one on the Naval carriage. One reminds me of a lantaka. A lot to take in, appears quite a few could come under the "swivel cannon" type. A really nice ornate cannon, looks bronze. Like the one on the carriage with the wood stock., that's fantastic, i want one. Lots of various cannon balls/shells. They actually remind me of that Sherman round from ww2. Absolutely amazing collection, id have a field day in there lol

Excellent, wide and thick Awataguchi Tadayuki wakizashi. Ubu and signed with a frosty nie-deki habuchi. Tight and healthy ko-itame with ji-nie. A flawless and perfect shinto blade, with silver foil habaki in fresh Japanese polish and shirasaya. TADAYUKI (忠行), Jōkyō (貞享, 1684-1688), Settsu – “Settsu no Kami Minamoto Tadayuki” (摂津守源忠行), real name Asai Shin´emon (浅井新右衛門), chū-suguha, notare with chōji-ashi, wazamono $4k + shipping & PayPal (on hold for a buyer on FB)

No, only the design of the nioiguchi

Great, thanks Steve!

You're not talking about wide yakiba?

No one with a little idea ?

Turn up the volume! April 7, 2024 on the bridge at Shinjo Village, where the famous Sakura de Triomphe (Gaisen Sakura) are located. Three ladies start us off with a 'Reisha' or salute. At 14:30 I get knocked off my feet by the 50 Monme hand cannon. The 100 Monme (19:50) towards the end is good!

Just ideas about this tsuba that has long since left my collection. While the carving style is an old one seen sometimes in the Kamakura-bori style of tsuba the rim shape is very atypical of Kamakura-bori style tsuba as well as the other thickness of the tsuba. I now have two Kamakura-bori style tsuba in my collection and they have hugely different style rims and very thin plates. The carving and along the rim are also not seen in Kamakura-bori style tsuba. The gold inlayed eyes are also not something seen in Kamakura-bori style tsuba. The plain Higo call to that tsuba means the NBTHK was not able to put the tsuba into one of the five main schools of Higo Provience (Kamiyoshi, Hayashi, Nishigaki, and Jingo). There were other independent artists working in Higo Province both professionally and as a side hobby while being samurai during the Edo Period. Of these five main schools of Higo Provience my old tsuba shows most similarities with the Jingo School.

Chicago Sword Show April 26-28, 2024 is less than 2 weeks away. Don’t miss it! It should be the busiest show yet, the hotel had to add additional rooms. Free parking. The NBTHK.AB will be doing a great display on fittings with the motif of Dragons and Spring "this years ..year" with some great Juyo and equal to study. There will be a presentation of great blades 600-1000 years old. Buy-Sell-Trade. If you need anything let me know. I look forward to seeing everyone. http://www.chicagoswordshow.com/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064937373977

He specialized in the Bakumatsu. As you slid open the front door for the very first time, this is what guests saw in front of them:

For Alex, etc. Change of angles in the genkan.