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熊沢兼俊 - Kumazawa Kanetoshi

熊口 Kanenobu - Kuma? Kanenobu.

Spend some time looking at as many blades as you can, and once you've had a few dozen in your hands, you'll start to get an idea of what a nihonto is. Being in a hurry is the worst thing of all.

_ _ Kanenobu

It's wild isn't it? Glad I got mine when I did... It seems I just barely beat the price hike. For the last year or so, i've noticed that they've been commanding ~$1000 bottom dollar. Good ones seem to be listed for $2000, pretty regularly. Just a few years ago, you could find them for $500-$750, and that now seems impossible.

Interesting Tony! My light-weight gunto has a chrome plated blade as well and has a fuller, though the kissaki is standard shape.

I saw that, too, but realized that it is the shop we are recognizing. The shop would easily have gotten blades made by different smiths/forges.

Anyone look at current asking prices for Type 95s? Just scanned ebay and they are going through the roof! $1,200 is the low end with several above $1,500 up to $2,200 USD!!!! Sure, that is asking price and the actual sale may go lower, but my point is the asking prices are way up.

I'm away for a few weeks now but when I get back I'll take photos and provide measurements of everything

Hope one of you can help me with this signature. Thanks in advance. Regards, Ed

Hi Willi, Don't be in a hurry to buy; good swords will always be available and the more you know before you buy the happier you will be when you do. If you insist on purchasing a sword as a beginner you need an unusually honest dealer. Grey

Absolutely bonkers story that blade has to tell!

Any measurements? Nagasa especially.

This is where sekigane is useful ( the small copper inserts on the tsuba) The soft copper sits between the tsuba and the nakago

Took a look at it. It's 100% a lightweight gunto. All of the fittings as described in dawsons are smaller than normal. It is very light in the hand. Feels more like a police saber in all ways. There is no edge to the blade, not even a false hamon. The fittings are of high quality and the blade is obviously plated. No habaki and seems like it was never intended to have one. The saya wouldn't fit if it did. I've actually never come across one before but then again the UK market is more limited.

Yes I thought about shills but bad shape of blade is enough to keep away. Too much money involved.

Hello, Missing part would be most welcome. I would be happy to buy or trade. Click the link to see the most current inventory. Menuki: https://www.flickr.com/photos/artur_drogamiecza/albums/72157718380401373 Fuchi: https://www.flickr.com/photos/artur_drogamiecza/albums/72177720327293751 Kashira: https://www.flickr.com/photos/artur_drogamiecza/albums/72177720327314253

Tanto: Teishitsu Gigeiin Sugawara Kanenori(NBTHK Hozon Token) - Japanese Sword Shop Aoi-Art

Hi Bob, sent you 2 PM. Get back to me if ur interested. Cheers

I think it is difficult to tell if the design was first there and cut through later, or was carved up to the existing hole. In your example we can't see how far the carving has gone down the hitsu wall because it is filled.

I couldn't guess. It could be a kantei point for Seiryuken Eiju tanto - they all seem to have it? One here in a museum from Osaka https://www.ikm-art.jp/degitalmuseum/num/002/0020164000.html [Sorry to hijack the thread with Eiju examples, but they were a group that I am familiar with] [I have never been a big fan of papers myself, I like the tsuba not the ephemera that is someone elses opinion at one time]

Very poor pictures and problematic setup. Modern cast chinese tsuba. Tsuka looks somewhat better, but again pictures are bad. Very poor yasurime on the sword. Sharp, intense contours of nakago. Two options - circa 1945 production/possibly memento circa 1946, or entirely modern fake.

The colour of the base material, [seppa-dai] and the "silver" looks wrong. There is also some paint overspray on the edges of the seppa-dai. Also when you look at other items from the same seller he has a majority of fakes - some "good" fakes like the two tsuba with horses - until you see the edges. https://www.jauce.com/auction/r1191847950 https://www.jauce.com/auction/r1191847950 both these horse guards have "shakudo" nanako but not when you see the rim edges in one and the hitsu walls in the other - shouldn't the colour be the same in all the exposed areas? Fine details let down by bad painting. [IMHO]

Aaaah I see, that makes a lot of sense thank you. It's a good pointer towards authenticity then!

1. Buy books. There are plenty of threads about which books to buy (use NMB search). Markus Sesko has translated a great deal of info, take advantage. 2. Study Japanese-nihonto history. A must for any serious collector. 3. Write out and ID your collecting objectives. What makes a sword collectible? What is kantei? According to Sato sensei what is the 2nd step in kantei? 4. Join study groups. Attend sword shows. Meet dealers. 5. "Don't mistake temptation for opportunity" Good luck.