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Collecting Gaiso (koshirae) only?


Bugyotsuji

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Michael, I hesitated loudly before daring to ask if I could take photos of his koshirae. Managed to get some good detailed shots of the dragon's head etc. Wear on the Kashira suggests that it was worn at the waist and fondled lovingly for a period, but elsewhere it is in almost perfect condition. The other shot I would like to get is the Umetada Mei on the fuchi.

 

The blade and nakago could be a step too far! If it was mine then it could be a good study piece. I will keep the camera ready... ;-)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Here is a link to a koshirae of a Hizen Masahiro blade. Both blade and koshirae are papered. Enjoy.

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPPiPMhuqYZ1wP0SG7eBzwAfbuaV7GZKQhlsB-Ox5x8xixmGwVB8dGdbSHDsKHAZw?key=QVJUZ3FhSzN2TzVqWklCY3dBaVBfakZNZmtvcFVR

 

Very nice!

 

I love Koshirae! Im addicted to really early metal koshirae and the fact that they have survived intact and complete for so long. I dont see any issue with collecting and displaying  

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Might be just me but id guess very late edo.

 

Yeah, I was thinking same thing. Looks fairly well preserved with the usual patterns and colors we see from that era. Still pretty neat tho.

 

I could imagine a customer walking in for a new Koshirae for their very first sword, or just a new Koshirae, debating if they could afford the next model up and haggling over prices. 

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Piers, Nice koshirae, awaiting those additional photos  :glee:

 

I have had that happen numerous times over the years, people want to buy the blade but have no interest in the koshirae. It bothers me that they don't want the koshirae and I always try to explain they should not be broken up.  Have had buyers want just the blade in koshirae or either the koshirae with no blade or the bare blade with no koshirae.  

 

Have bought quite a few koshirae that were victims of this as well.  I don't see a problem with buying these already abandoned koshirae, as there is no way to know where the blade has gone.

 

To each his own I suppose.

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JP,

I have seen many people try with a few success's, but it is very difficult to find a koshirae that "fits" perfectly as they are made specifically for one blade.  If the saya fits, the tsuka can be redone to fit.

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Yes the saya seems the real issue here. The first blade I ever bought was a WW2 blade in a civilian saya.  The koiguchi wasn’t large enough, so the guy who had mounted the blade must have forced it in, splitting the top part of the saya. It was a junk saya, but still...

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Dwain, a dealer I know has three sets of those koshirae lacquerwork samples. Eye-wateringly expensive, though. Each shop's set is very different in age, concept and style of workmanship.

 

Jean-Pierre, I have bought koshirae thinking that I would find a blade to go into them, there being so many shirasaya blades around. Eventually I gave up on the idea as I did not want to either make a new mekugi hole in the tsuka, or pop a new hole in the nakago, despite the fact that multiple filled holes show that such adaptation was done frequently in the past.

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  • 2 weeks later...

A little birdie flew into the house today and told me that the Kagemitsu is actually a Shin-shinto blade. (Well done to those who sensed this. People like Michael shall remain nameless.)

 

Oh, and that the whole package has already moved house to new ownership, just when I had taken my eye off the game.

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  • 5 weeks later...

PaulB's recent thread on photographing Tōsōgu reminded me that I should just quickly update this thread.

 

Little by little I have been collecting interesting koshirae, and I am now up to at least five around the house that I can think of.

 

As the mood takes me I can use them for decoration, or get stuck into photography of the fine detail! Yay, what's not to love? :laughing:

 

In fact just yesterday I collected two back from the Shirasaya-Shi who has made heartbreakingly lovely tsunagi for them. :wub:

 

The old Tsunagi underneath respectively.

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  • 1 month later...

Last week the phone rang and our March NBTHK meet was still on!  I put a clean face mask and a box of alcohol wipes in my pocket, and rolled up a load of Koshirae in a large Furoshiki. Gotta give some alternative colour to these sword meetings, I reckon! 

 

Halfway through, as we were looking at some fine blades, the Sensei unrolled a red mat and indicated that I could use that. I laid out six examples of koshirae and told them they were fitted with Tsunagi inside, and it was fine to handle them. I had put some interesting kozuka and kogai in them too. Several members gathered round and asked if it would be all right to take photos. I guess they put them up on FB. I think they enjoyed looking at them, especially the younger members. They liked the one covered in gold, silver and shakudo zogan of little crabs. 

 

If we have our regular meet next month, I might take along some more formal example koshirae with black lacquer saya. To wear when visiting Edo Jo?

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