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  1. My first Nihonto. It’s nothing special but I’m proud to be its custodian. I purchased it from Aoi Art in Japan. Im just a baby in the world of Nihonto and thought I’d jump in and buy early in my journey to learn from a blade in hand. Open to comments and opinions.
    12 points
  2. Mr. Tanobe completed the sayagaki. Here’s the translation I received (he had a lot to say about it!): Bingo Koku Ko Mihara Masaie Osuriage Mumei On the Nakago, there is an Hon'ami Koson's gold powder signature. But it is peeled off and illegible. The blade is wide and O-Kissaki, a magnificent figure. Shaped like a Enbun(1356-1361) and Jogi(1362-1368) era. The Itame Hada flows close to the Ha. There are beautiful Utsuri. Calm and elegant middle Suguha Hamon with Ko Nie. Boshi is Tsukiage shape and small round back. Yamato Den mixed with elements of Aoe. Komihara swordsmith masterpiece representing a master craftsman. This sword is very similar in appearance to the important artifact sword with the Keio date written on it. Blade length is 2 Shaku 3 Sun 7 Bu Han. Written by Mr. Tanobe in Feb 2024.
    12 points
  3. Inspiration from Louis Tiffany? Reminds me very much of those early 20th century photos of his house before it was destroyed by fire. I've tried many different ways to display my collection, display boards worked well, but I didn'tlike the two differing materials making full contact. The most adjustable/adaptable way I have found is a shelf arrangement (with stands). I built this shelf while my wife was visiting family in the US, as I knew it would get a squashing push back if it was discussed. I think that once she saw it complete and filled, there was no arguing that there was a nice aesthetic to it (and she was too tiredto argue!). The stands are 3d printed from a design I drew up, so I basically have unlimited access to them, so long as my printer doesn't break. It would be great to have mirrors behind for the shelf backing to see the reverse sides, but my time and urgency in creation didn't allow this. This particular view is the initial view I get of the collection because of the door location.
    12 points
  4. Keep the blade as is. The kinpun mei is mostly illegible, but there is enough to deduce the word "yoshi". This is why yoshi (吉) appears in a box on the appraisal paper. The part above yoshi is completely illegible, which is why there is a blank box on the appraisal sheet. Then, under that blank box, the paper says "den Aoe" in parenthesis. "Den" is already a hedge, and there has been a ton about this written on here. The shinsa team is saying, "there is a previous attribution which we do not completely endorse, but neither do we wish to reject it outright". The placement of the "den" attribution in parenthesis is one step farther away from an endorsement. It's their way of saying, "we respectfully note a previous attribution" and that's about it. So they are not really on board with the previous attribution, but they hesitate to reject it completely, probably because ↓ The kinpun mei is attributed to Hon'ami Kōson. Kōson's signature (光遜) cannot be read completely, but there is enough evidence to deduce it as Kōson, and we know this because his name also appears in boxes on the authentication paper. Again, the boxes around the kanji mean the kanji is virtually illegible, but there is enough to deduce what it must be. Maybe they can tell from the kaō. In any event, they are confident enough to declare it as a Kōson kinpun mei, which means presumably the "yoshi" was also put on there by, or at the request of, Hon'ami Kōson. So given all this, you've got a very good sword which was attributed at one point by Hon'ami Kōson to Aoe school, to somebody with "yoshi" in their name. The modern shinsa team said, "no doubt this is a TH sword, and we can sort of see why Kōson made the attribution to Aoe, but we're not so sure". So they validate the sword, and they note the previous attribution, but they don't quite want to accept or reject Kōson's attribution. Tanobe, who is free from the constraints of consensus-building at NBTHK, can be more decisive. But who wants to grind off a kinpun mei from Hon'ami Kōson, who is attributing it to Aoe?
    11 points
  5. Adam, I sent you some comments, and I wanted to note here that there are some loosely translated bits that don't quite provide the full impact of what Tanobe is trying to say. (And there is a glaring mistranslation of the date noted on the Juyo piece he's comparing it to: Tanobe says the sword resembles a Masaie sword from the Ōan (1368-1375) era, and the person who did the rough translation mistranslated it as "Keiō" era). At first, I wasn't so sure it was a wise idea to get Tanobe to write a sayagaki that would be in conflict with the TH attribution, but I've done a 180° turn on this. Tanobe-san is strongly hinting at the Jūyō quality of this sword.
    10 points
  6. Recently, I have added a naginata naoshi katana in military mountings to my collection. I'm excited about it and want to share my excitement withyou guys. I really like the blade shape. The nagasa is 67 cm. The original signature is lost but the signature is painted in gold kanji (Mitsuhiro) on the nakago. The blade is in a good condition. Not the best quality pictures but the best I could do. Feel free to comment. Kind regards, Ed
    9 points
  7. Nambokucho O-Suriage Tachi NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon to Shikkake school One of the 5 schools of the Yamato Den 71.2 cm with a 23 cm Nakago. This would have been a massive Tachi before O-Suriage . Solid gold Habaki Sayagaki by Mr. Tanobe : This sword is O-Suriage museum.The omote shows an itame mixed with Nagare and Madame. The ura side features some ji-nie.The hardening in suguha is nie- laden and is interwoven with uchinoke and got sure, and the hakikake in the Boshi. We reorganize the characteristic features of the Yamato tradition the connected gunome that appear in places resemble doe-yakiba ,with that this masterwork can be attributed to the Shikkake school. 2021
    9 points
  8. I pulled a few swords from the cupboard tonight to inspect and enjoy. This KANETOSHI (Murayama) Star Stamp, July 1944 in late war RS mounts always demands attention. In WW2 polish, the hada and hamon in Ichimonji style JUKA CHOJI, is like viewing a nice piece of art, something new always catches your eye. For Bruce's benefit, I tried to do my best on the MUNE stamps. I have probably posted photos before, but my new phone camera and LED lights show much more detail. If I had the time and money, this sword would be a prime candidate for a touch up polish.
    8 points
  9. Off-season but surprisingly busy for March. 1. Went to Fukuyama as I mentioned to see the Masamune exhibition. 2. Big tsuba exhibition now on at Osafune Sword Museum, which I want to see. 3. Related to that, at the NBTHK local sword meeting on Saturday we were encouraged to bring along some of our own tsuba, which I did. The sensei went through them all pointing out their salient features. (After years of feeling 'tsuba' ignored, I was pleasantly surprised to garner some positive comments and to learn a little more about my own tsuba too.) Photos may follow... 4. I have a small blade to give to the Togi-Shi but our paths have not yet crossed. 5. Was offered some rare 'objects' which cleaned out my bank account, but for some strange reason I am not crying. 6. The phone rang and a dealer offered me a super deal on a matchlock pistol. I told him my finances right now would not allow it, but he would not take no for an answer, so I may have to stand on the street corner for a month or so to supplement my meagre pension. 7. Our first public full-armo(u)r blackpowder demonstration of Reiwa 6 will be held on the 31st of March at Tsuyama Castle. Will need to drag out the moldy, rusty armour, get some air into it, clean the guns, and otherwise plan ahead for that. (Oh, and I am just starting to create a base for a small cannon.)
    8 points
  10. This is a quite spectacular and healthy koto daito with Tokubetsu Hozon papers to the late Nanbokucho / Oei smith Hokke Ichijo. The blade just received an exemplary restoration in Japan, with high quality polish, shirasaya and gold foil habaki. The blade has a bright suguha based hamon with lots of fine activities along the edge. The jihada is a beautifully formed itame with a few areas of flowing itame and masame. In shirasaya with WWII era shingunto koshirae with leather cover. A good choice of someone is looking for an example of the highest quality of blade that can be found in koshirae carried to war. ICHIJŌ (一乗), 1st gen., Ōei (応永, 1394-1428), Bingo – “Bingo no Kuni-jū Ichijō saku” (備後国住一乗作), “Hokke Ichijō” (法華一乗), “Bingo no Kuni-jū Ichijō” (備後国住一乗), “Ichijō” (一乗), “Ichi” (一), he lived in Kusado (草戸) in the Ashida district (芦田) of Bingo province, because of that local connection, this lineage is also referred to as Ashida-Mihara (芦田三原) or due to the supplement “Hokke” also to as Hokke-Mihara (法華三原), some sources see him as son of Mihara Masaie (正家), others as student of Kokubunji Sukekuni (国分寺助国), beautifully and finely forged ko-itame, suguha mixed with gunome-midare or chōji-midare, jō-saku $10,500 + shipping
    8 points
  11. Hi David, Your Shigekuni signed blade is identical to mine...signature matches exactly. It is written in the style of some of the signatures done by the c.1655 2nd Gen. NANKI SHIGEKUNI of KII province (now Wakayama). However, this is in fact a WWII gendaito smith and now that you have provided a second example, it seems he made these for military officers, but signed in the style of 2nd Gen Shigekuni. Although modern WWII made, this smith is not recorded in any book I have seen, so other than discuss the quality and date of his (now 2) blades, I have no history of him. Here are a few photos of mine and his signature and a comparison with the way the 2nd Gen Nanki Shigekuni signed some of his tangs - look especially at the way the 'kuni' is written. I think this WWII Shigekuni deliberately "copied" the writing style of the 2nd Gen. Hope this helps. I'd like to see some pics of your blade and fittings...any info on where/who surrendered your blade? Mine was owned by a 2nd Lt. Kume of the 32nd (Kaeda) Division on Morotai Island in August 1945. This Div. consisted of the 210, 211, 212 Regiments drawn from Tokyo and the adjoining Chiba and Yamanashi Prefs. It was raised and trained in Feb 1939 - May 1939 (so the officer probably came from one of these three areas and as they all trained in Tokyo, this is probably where he engaged the smith Shigekuni to make his sword). Lt Kume surrendered to the Americans and Australians on Morotai in two separate ceremonies...he was obviously part of the units that surrendered to the Australians as it ended up here after the war. Be great to know more about this Shigekuni....look forward to your pics of blade/tang/fittings etc. On the handle wood (under the Fuchi) is a ink stamp "3 in a circle" mon (prob. the mounting/polishing/artisan logo, and also the kanji numbers '199' (prob the job number) and the name 'Oshima' (prob the name of the mounter guy?). Maybe check yours and see if yours went through the same "system". My officer's silver mon was torn off before its surrender.
    8 points
  12. Wild guess: 豊後住藤原實行 = Bungo-jū Fujiwara Saneyuki Compare to this example from the Aoi Art website:
    8 points
  13. Here you can just see the tents where artefacts are sorted. From partway up the shrine steps.
    8 points
  14. The Hon'ami are a family of sword polishers and appraisers. "Family" is used very loosely here, because as with most hereditary lineages in Japan there was a lot of adoption and marriages of convenience and branch lines. The Hon'ami were the official sword appraisers/caretakers to the Shogunate. Since swords were highly valued as gifts among the military aristocracy, the Hon'ami family had quite an important position in attributing or validating the value of these gifts. Swords were in constant circulation, going to and from the Tokyo central government, and back out to branch families of the Tokugawa, or to daimyo who provided a favor or service to the government, etc. When the shogunal government finally fell, and Japan starting modernizing in the late 1800s, the Hon'ami were cut loose from steady government employment, and drifted around for a bit. One of those drifters was Hon'ami Kōga. You can read about him here in Markus Sesko's article https://markussesko..../05/02/honami-koson/ Your sayagaki looks to be from the early 1900s. It doesn't look to me like its from the 1800s. So this puts it at odds with the time Hon'ami Kōga was alive. (It also doesn't look very much like Hon'ami Koga's normal signature). It could be a forgery, i.e. someone trying to make the sword look more important than it is. Or, it could be from Hon'ami Kōson (1879-1955), who was "adopted" into the Hon'ami family and married off to one of Kōga's relatives. The monogram written below the signature looks kind of like one used by Hon'ami Kōson. So maybe before he took the name "Hon'ami Kōson" he used the name of Kōga, to whom he was related through marriage. It is also very possible I have the name wrong,or the age of the sayagaki wrong, but to me the name looks like Kōga (written in calligraphic form). There are a lot of possibilities, and I'm just throwing all of these out there so you know the margin of error is pretty wide. Actually, there were two different Hon'ami appraisers who used the name Kōga, but the other one is from an even older time, so I've rejected him as even a remote possibility. The sayagaki doesn't mention anything about polishing, so who knows when it was last polished. Kan is a monetary unit equal to a string of 1000 copper "mon" coins. The values written on any sayagaki in modern times shouldn't be taken literally as a price for the sword inside. It should be considered a relative valuation, and its just a way for the Hon'ami to say "this sword is worth a lot of money". So you'll never find an amount on a Hon'ami sayagaki that doesn't represent a lot of money. Hard to say how much 1000 "kan" would be in today's money because of the huge fluctuation in exchange rates - let's say 1000 kan is about $100,000. Note, the "kan" as a unit of money wasn't in use at the time this sayagaki was written. As I said, its just a way of saying "you have a very valuable sword", which is what the customer wanted to hear when they approached a Hon'ami appraiser. I just read very recently (probably another Markus Sesko article) where the Hon'ami started using "kan" because it allowed them to use higher numbers; 1000 kan looks more impressive than "3 gold pieces", especially when people aren't really using "kan" anymore so they have no internalized concept of how much 1000 kan would be in real life. It just sounds like a lot. https://en.wikipedia...anese_mon_(currency)
    8 points
  15. I recently had a blade return from Woody Hall. There is a bit of a wait, like all togishi, but his communication and work were fantastic and I would highly recommend him to those in the US. Now that it is back, sharing with the NMB. The blade has a history on NMB… it was first posted by a newcomer who stirred things up and to save Brian’s stress levels I won’t link to the old posts. Despite that... I was interested in the blade’s connection to the Burma-Thailand railway and how was taken back as a “war trophy” by a Dutch POW who worked on the rail. I spent a tour in Thailand and was fortunate enough to visit the Australian hosted dawn ceremony at a museum they have on the Thai side. The blade showed some promise, and was signed and dated, and had a good chance (IMHO) of being shoshin. So, I took a gamble on it. I reached out to Woody, and about a year later now have it back in hand! And to head off any concerns – I liked the old shirasaya’s character so I had the interior refurbished so that it could be reused, rather than a whole new shirasaya made—so no, it is not back in the “old” interior after a fresh polish. Without further ado- a wakizashi Bizen Osafune jū Yokoyama Sukesada-saku Tomonari 58 Daimago Ansei 7th Year (1860) 2 Month (February) Day 備前長船住横山祐包作 友成五十八代孫 安政七年二月日 Before… And after… For the militaria folks here – the current owner provided a copy of the original POW’s memoir of his time in captivity, with some hand drawings and a service ribbon from the Dutch military.
    8 points
  16. I will have a table at the show, but mainly display. Since I won't be too busy at my table, I would like to offer my service for shinsa to those who cannot attend the show/shinsa in person. This is how it works; Your item or items will be mailed to my home address, at least 1 week prior to the show. (sooner is better). You are responsible for the packaging and mailing of the item(s) to me. When you are shipping from your preferred shipping place, pay for the shipping, and pre-pay for the return shipping label. Add this label to the inside of the package prior to sending. If you pre register, please include a copy of the registration and any reply from the NTHK for subimssion times. https://nthkamerica.com/registration For swords and koshirae, the initial fee is $200 for me to complete the registration for you, or $100 if you have pre-registered and paid directly to NTHK. For tsuba and kozuka, kogai, kozuka, menuki, the initial fee is $125 for me to complete the registration for you, or $25 if you have pre-registered and paid directly to NTHK. My fee covers; Initial registration of the item(s) for shinsa submission <-- does not apply if you have pre-registered Receipt and safe storage of item(s). Notification and pictures will be provided to owner upon receipt. Transportation of item(s) to the show. (driven in a large SUV, no aircraft involved!) Preparation of item(s) for submission. Delivery to the shinsa team. Receipt of the item(s) from shinsa. Preservation of item(s) and re-packaging for return shipping. I will send photos of the worksheet to owner prior to item re-packaging. Worksheet(s) will be included in the packaging with the item(s). Transportation of re-packaged item(s) to shipping company, and tracking information provided to item owner. If the item(s) pass shinsa, that will be an additional $150 fee for the origami, for each item. This can ONLY be paid in cash on the day of submission. Include a check, payable to me, for the $150 and I will pay cash on your behalf at the show. if your item does not pass, I will return your uncashed check with your item. If you have any additional questions, please message me!
    8 points
  17. Step 2. Fingers aching. Thumb bandaged. Enough for one day. Drilling the mekugi holes will be an all-or-nothing excitement.
    7 points
  18. When you find a naked barrel. Tempted to either a) copy the real base of another cannon... or b) just make it like other simpler ones I've seen.(?) a) Preliminary no-brainer idea: b) One I made several years ago.
    7 points
  19. Got bored today and decided to try to make my own Tsunagi for a Wakizashi I’ve got. It’s an out of polish, mumei blade with WW2 leather saya cover. Anyway, the process gave me a whole new appreciation for the precision of koshirae craftsman. Wow, it was challenging to fit! Just sharing for the sake of sharing, All the best, -Sam
    7 points
  20. Hello Andrew, I've got good news and bad news: The bad news: I'm afraid this isn't a WW2 sword. The good news: It dates from several centuries before WW2, potentially from the 1600s. The inscription is 近江守藤原継 (cut off) Ōmi-no-kami Fujiwara Tsugu... (cut off, but probably Tsuguhiro) It means 近江守藤原継廣 Ōmi-no-kami = Lord of Omi Province (Omi province is present-day Shiga Prefecture in Japan. Fujiwara = this is a clan name. Not really to be taken as a literal name of the swordsmith. Its the swordsmith declaring he has a lineage to an ancient aristocratic clan. Tsuguhiro = is the swordsmith's name. Not his real, given name, but more or less a professional name. Your sword was originally longer by a few inches, but it was cut down at some point. Shortening the sword is very common. It was always shortened from the tang. So the tang was shortened, and the notches where the brass collar sits were moved up. Could have been done a couple of hundred years ago, or a hundred years ago. There are many swords with fake signatures, and yours too could have a fake signature. Faking signatures was (and still is) very common. Regardless, the sword itself is still a genuine Japanese antique, and could still be several hundred years old even if the signature turns out to be fake. So what I'm saying is, the sword should be preserved, shouldn't be subject to any amateur restoration efforts, and is probably worth showing to someone who knows a lot about swords. It will be hard to authenticate it just by looking at photos. And, the condition probably precludes anyone from making an accurate assessment. But, as I said, the sword is a genuine antique regardless of the authenticity of the signature.
    7 points
  21. Was needing some cash so I sold a Kishū Wakayama long gun about two weeks ago. Then on Friday someone offers me a Sendai long gun. Well, I’ve been looking for a Sendai gun for many a long year. It was expensive, more than I got for the Kishū, but there are times when a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do…
    7 points
  22. this is what fine cloisonne should look like.
    7 points
  23. Today a bunch of us went to see the Masamune exhibition at the Fukuyama Museum of Art. It was a collection of swords in three general sections, those who influenced him, those swords that Masamune made, and those swords made by his disciples or by smiths strongly influenced by him. And unveiled in the castle museum park today!
    7 points
  24. Your understanding of Konuka is rather rice husks. Konuka (rice bran) looks more like powder.
    7 points
  25. It is indeed a fake, but unlike most of them that just have arbitrary Japanese-sounding names inscribed, this one does not seem to be entirely random: 小笠原信夫 = Ogasawara Nobuo He was a student of Satō Kanzan, for many years curator at the Tokyo National Museum and author of a whole bunch of nihontō-related books. So perhaps the Chinese smith who made this wanted to give a little nod to the author of his study resources?
    7 points
  26. I make my own "information" papers, with picture of nakago, translation of signature, blade dimensions, and information on the smith or school. I use a heavy linen paper that is similar to NBTHK papers, then place it into a top folding envelope, again, like NBTHK papers. Example below of a WWII gendaito from Emura that I owned. Buyer was very happy with the format, and the ability to read in English.
    7 points
  27. Thanks ya'll! Very kind words! @Wayben, probably not anytime soon for the Shirasaya. Although, I would love to learn a craft like that from a professional. Like everything Nihonto, I'm told it's no easy task, and would require some training and mentorship to do it correctly. I imagine some special tools too. I'm still relatively young, so maybe someday! My next challenge will be making a shinogi-zukuri tsunagi for a longer blade. I'm also working on an antler kake for myself. I'll photo document my process next time - but for now here's a synopsis (i'm sure there are better ways). I used an 8mm plank of wood from a craft store, and measured the blade with plastic calipers. I then drew the blade on the piece of wood with a pencil, and used a dremel tool to cut out a rough blade shape. I then widdled it down with a pocket knife to get a closer blade shape and establish a slight bevel. From there, I took some more precise measurements, and established the mune-machi and ha-machi locations. After that, it was all sandpaper and filing - being careful to sand an iori-mune at the mune-machi. *The hardest part was getting the habiki to fit, and I was surprised how thin the piece of wood needed to be. especially at the edge. (probably no surprise to ya'll ).* *I used a photo of the blade and measurements for reference, and took the sanding and filing to another room (Don't want to get sand paper particles all over the blade).* *Being extra careful to clean the wood of particles before attempting a fit (see above ^).* *All said and done, I learned a lot. I ended up with a slightly different blade geometry, but at least it fits!* My motives are to be crafty and practice, rather than entrepreneurial. Unfortunately I work too much right now. Thanks for reading my long winded comment, Edit: added side by side photo, and the next blade I hope to make a Tsunagi for, from my type 98. Cheers, and all the best! -Sam
    7 points
  28. The topic of how to take pictures of blades is repeated here regularly Above all, it requires the right equipment for photography and PATIENCE Maybe some will not agree with me, but forget about the camera in your mobile phone You shoot in "bad" lighting conditions (longer shutter speed), you need to capture very fine details (low ISO) I recommend a dark room to minimize reflexion from the surroundings What you need: a tripod, a camera with full manual control (focusing, ISO setting, aperture, shutter speed, white balance ...), ideally a high-quality macro lens of at least 70mm (I use 180mm), a remote shutter release is a good aid against camera shake For photographing from the top, I use two flat LED light sources (left and right) if I want to photograph the blade without reflection ( I couldn't find a way to insert photos between the text, so the photos will be at the end ) However, you can also use a spot light and even by slightly changing the position of the light (its reflection from the surface of the blade) you will achieve different photo results Different light sources (LED, halogen, classic light bulb, warm LED, cold LED...) achieve different results Likewise, the distance of the light source from the blade changes the result of the photo So experiment and what suits you best Several spotlights for shooting at an angle The same applies to choosing a light source as I wrote above (type of light, light temperature, distance from the blade...) And then achieving the "correct position" of the blade is sometimes a difficult task You have two options: move the lights and camera, or the blade Sometimes a change of position of only a few millimeters is necessary to achieve the correct reflection of the martensitic structures The hardest part is taking the first few good photos Then you will only get better But it requires PATIENCE
    6 points
  29. 鴛鴦図鐔 - oshidori no zu tsuba from https://blog.goo.ne....1d33ed38de37dc7ff5ed
    6 points
  30. Today I made steady progress and hope to be able to report very soon. Daimyō lords in the Edo Period were always looking for something different. A miniature cannon capable of being fired could be an instrument of amusement or even used for instruction. And now we face the most difficult part, the lacquering etc. Manyana! Getting prepared for the metal reinforcing band. Pinned on…
    6 points
  31. Dear all yes - this thread is about a signed Ishiguro school masterpiece with recent NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers and it is a pair of fuchi kashira! The mei reads Ishiguro Masachika [Kao] (石黒政近[花押]). I will not comment on the piece but rather go into the process of taking pictures of it. When I decided to sell this set, I knew that taking pictures would be a huge challenge. As you all know, the Ishiguro school is famous for its fine and beautiful nanako. And there is nothing as difficult as taking reasonable pictures of a black shakudo nanako. I decided to wait for the morning sun on a clear spring day and what my camera caught almost looks like small black diamonds sparkling in the sun light. This set has a deep beauty to it which is unique in the range of fine class tosogu. The ten omodaka themed kamon are delicately carved and gilded in a superior way of craftmanship. I hope you will enjoy the pictures as much as I do. I got this set from Soryu Antiques (https://soryu.pl/pro...kubetsu-hozon-tosogu) and will sell with at a huge discount for EUR 2,800.00 plus actual shipping costs. No need to hesitate as I will not consider further discounts. The only thing to mention regarding condition are small scratches on the kamon. Dimensions are: Dai: Fuchi: 38 mm x 20 mm x 12 mm Kashira: 35 mm x 16 mm x 8 mm Sho: Fuchi: 39 mm x 20 mm x 11 mm Kashira: 34 mm x 15 mm x 8 mm Best Chris
    6 points
  32. Akasaka or Owari tsuba $425 + shipping This is a very famous Akasaka design, though supposedly of Owari origin. Published in many many books, and it is very rare to find an example for sale. My opinion: the geometry on this one is more Owari than Akasaka. It is thick and the sukashi is more Owari drop edged. I believe this to be a kodai example, and I am pricing it as such. Not a $4250 shodai ko-Akasaka, but fairly $425 as a kodai-Akasaka or kodai Owari. The patina is a flat brown and a bit thin in 2 spots. See pics. I think it would be a great one for mounting. Size: 79.5mm x 79mm x 5.8mm thick. Please ask all questions. PM me if interested. I will leave it up here for 24 hours before letting the Facebook groups have a grab at it. Curran
    6 points
  33. Well I made another one for my Type98 This one was tough, and ended up a bit more crude than my first. I used a harder wood. The shinogi-zukuri shape was considerably more challenging… and I would say I failed at establishing it That being said, it fits great, and holds the koshirae together nicely! Here’s some photos I took along the way. I followed the same method described in my comment above (while being constricted to the tools that I have at hand. Better/more tools would have made it much easier)
    6 points
  34. http://www.nihontocr...hinshi_Masahide.html https://www.nihontoc...tameshi_Nihonto.html
    6 points
  35. Eddy - If a sword smith was a "Retained Smith" (Kakae-kaji) then you can reasonably assume that he worked exclusively for his samurai lord and his retainers. Of course you could have had one-offs, special order gifts and such and there was nothing stopping a merchant from purchasing a sword by a well-known smith in the secondary market... -t
    6 points
  36. Left: 龍雲堂造  made by Ryū-un dō Right: 龍分堂造 made by Ryū-bun dō
    6 points
  37. Here are some of the things on the sayagaki that got "lost in translation" (mentioned to Adam in pm). ・Tenshō-age - this is a term specific to the method of suriage, mentioned on the sayagaki, but untranslated. ・Enbun-Jōji shape - another specific term relating to the shape of the sword, somehow mangled in translation. An "Enbun-Joji shape" is the key point for a Masaie attribution. ・Shirake-utsuri - Here too, he is hinting that this can't be Aoe, since Aoe wouldn't (or shouldn't) have shirake-utsuri. The translation of "beautiful utsuri" just misses the target completely. ・Taki-otoshi style of boshi - another strong indicator of Ko-Mihara. Why this was missing from the rough translation is a mystery. ・One of the few outstanding works in excellent condition - A final word of high praise, before he mentions how much it resembles the Jubi Masaie. I'm interpreting Tanobe's use of the word 健體 to refer to the sword's condition (the characters literally mean "healthy + body" ). Hopefully Moriyama-san or Morita-san will provide a correction if they think it has another interpretation. Again, it felt to me like a comment specifically included to point out the fine condition of a sword that is many centuries old, and therefore worthy of attention. I think Franco's comment above is very appropriate to this conversation. The attribution on the paper or saya is important, but how that attribution was decided is also important. We don't have this information on the TH paper, we just have a very qualified "said to be Aoe" on it. Tanobe spells out his thinking in his sayagaki, which is a great help to those of us who don't have the eyes or the memory that he has.
    6 points
  38. Super Samurai Market - Episode 9: Japanese swords and fittings at Token Matsumoto Part 8 https://www.youtube..../watch?v=AftMf0EoilY This Episode of Super Samurai Market again takes us to Token Matsumoto a sword dealer in Nishi Kasai just 30 minutes from Tokyo station. If you are interested in purchasing any of the presented items please find them here: https://www.touken-matsumoto.jp/en The individual item video presentations are linked below. Four items from the shop are presented. 1. Katana by Hizen Tadahiro yen 1,500,000 https://www.touken-matsumoto.jp/en/pr... VIDEO LINK: • Super Samurai Market - Episode 9 - It... 2. Tanto by Kanesaki yen 650,000 https://www.touken-matsumoto.jp/en/pr... VIDEO LINK: • Super Samurai Market - Episode 9 - It... 3. Tsuba by Tojusai Masakatsu yen 500,000 https://www.touken-matsumoto.jp/en/pr... VIDEO LINK: • Super Samurai Market - Episode 9 - It... 4. Kozuka, Ko-Mino yen 500,000 https://www.touken-matsumoto.jp/en/pr... VIDEO LINK: • Super Samurai Market - Episode 9 - It...
    6 points
  39. Hello, Just wanted to share my recent tsukamaki work. Thank you for watching, Sergio
    6 points
  40. The Northern California Japanese Sword Club and the NBTHK/American Branch have entered into a a reciprocal membership relationship – If you join the NBTHK/AB now in addition to their great magazine and other member benefits, you will also be enrolled in the NCJSC. You will receive the NCJSC newsletter, have access to our online kantei classes and of course all the other benefits of NCJSC membership. You need only only pay dues once to the NBTHK/AB, and let them know you also want NCJSC membership and your dues will cover both memberships. We encourage all students of the Japanese Sword to consider support of these two fine organizations.
    5 points
  41. 5 points
  42. Step 3. Luckily the holes lined up through the block and the mekugi rings! (You only get one try at that.) Had some spare hours this afternoon, so with one saw and one very rough file I started to shape the outline. From here on, when I get some time, I will use finer files to re-shape, refine and smooth. After that, only the metalwork and the lacquering will remain. This is an exercise to create a decorative object, following in the footsteps of an Edo stock maker. I can even see the filemarks now of the artisan who made the original; they correspond closely to what I have been doing. Some of the angles have even been a constructive lesson! (Most of this I am doing by eye and by feel, although I should probably be more professional, measuring everything precisely.) Photos follow...
    5 points
  43. The residue might be cosmoline, or might be some old oil. Either way, I would remove it from the sword with denatured alcohol and a soft cloth. If you have any lens-cleaning cloths (like for cameras or glasses), those will work very well. Clean off the old oil, then put a very thin layer of lightweight oil (sewing machine oil or electric shaver oil) on the sword to stop it from rusting. You don't need to drench it in oil. A tiny film of oil will be fine. The wooden scabbard (called a shirasaya) is a plain scabbard used for storing the sword, and they are still made and used to this day. We all store our swords in them. Yours is well past its "use by" date, so at some point you should get a new one made. (You don't want an antique sword resting in a scabbard that has a hundred years of old grime and oil and dust and muck in it). If yours is clean inside, and just has tape residue on the outside, it should be OK to continue using for now. Also OK to tape it back up so that it actually works as a protective case for your sword. These things are meant to be renewed when they start getting dirty and falling apart. If it has some old writing on it, you'll want to preserve it, but if its just a plain, dirty, wooden scabbard that's falling apart, it's OK to tape it back up and use it until you can get a replacement made. The sword looks to be just under 24 inches from tip to notch, so it's right on the border between "wakizashi" size and "katana" size. These are the official size designations used by Japan today. Anything over 60.6 cms is classified as katana, and anything 30.3 cm - 60.6 cm is classified as a wakizashi.
    5 points
  44. These three have the same wire-line marking the outline of the nakago-ana and the middle example has a much more refined version of the Tokugawa Mon. Sorry the images are small and one has a no-longer active link. https://www.beaussan...et-emaux-closearch=& This link has the best image and some information on the middle example [in French]
    5 points
  45. You may want to search the forum for cloisonne, and read a few threads like this one:
    5 points
  46. Pins on a Kai Gunto, the drag is also secured with pins. The mounts are of very good quality, the pins lead me to believe this could be an early production of the Type 97. Unfortunately the sword itself was an obvious Gimei.
    5 points
  47. Sayagaki says Mino-no-kuni Kaneuji Length 1 shaku 5 sun 2 bu Value 1000 "kan" Signed / Hon'ami Kōga
    5 points
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