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Size of stamps is different, koshirae too, maybe tsuba didn't belong to ebay piece originally?

Both have toyokawa arsenal stamps, different mountings. One is from finished ebay auction https://ebay.us/m/BrXGbO Second is from my acquisition on forum. https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/52795-affordable-kai-gunto/#comment-550834 Numbers matching on tsuba 251 and 265!!! Photos of ebay piece attached. Worth nothing is different side placement.

Thank you @oli!

Hi Rick, Nice find. Likely dates to the end of the 16th century. Here you will find a link to Care and Cleaning: https://nbthk-ab2.org/sword-characteristics/ As hinted at above: don't try to fix anything. Amateur repairs often lead to damage/loss of value. Grey

Almost like the nakago was painted black with areas flaking off.

Interesting find! Is the hachimanza on the tehen magnetic, or brass, copper. etc? The Kamon looks to be the Honda family crest.

Rick, that looks strange! Did you "clean" the NAKAGO (tang)?

This is 備前国長舩住祐定作/Bizen no Kuni Osafune-Ju Sukesada Saku.

Found this sword into the wall of my mother's house while doing some repairs for her . Need help translating it any help would be greatly appreciated

Cant remember ever seeing a Koto tanto with NBTHK Hozen for that price. Great deal.

If NBTHK couldn't come to a decision, then what chance have you guys got here? I hope it all works out for you Lewis.

What amazes me is that no one pays any attention to the shape of the nakago....

The last posted habaki must tell a story about the original owner

A great example of quality

I am not well versed in all the relevant terminology or history, but I can try to describe certain elements based on the knowledge I have tried to gain online and will make an attempt to use some terms, hopefully correctly. And hope I have provided some images that are useful. I am grateful for any additions and corrections and would be interested in insights from your knowledge, history, experience or enthusiasm so I can better appreciate it and create a good description for my friend. I don't know if he has interest in restoring it, selling/donating it. 1. This suji bowl shape (hachi) is shiinari ("acorn") or toppai ("pointed") 2. 62 plates form the bowl that are 3. Standing rivets. They are in groups of 1, 2 and 3. 4. The opening on the top (tehen) is fitted with a tehen kanamono that seems to have 7 layers or pieces culminating in a solid (closed) top piece. 5. The plate at the center, back of the hachi has a ring (Kasa jirushi no kan ?) 6. The fukigaeshi seem to have some interesting patterned material under the layers of dust/dirt, with star or rosette shaped rivets or studs and a kamon on each side with Tachi Aoi (standing hollyhock)(?). Does this symbol represent a specific lineage or family crest? 7. The multi-lame skirt (shikoro) has three metal lames attached by multi-colored lacing (maybe a third of it missing)and with interesting "heart-shaped" metal pieces in outer corners of lower lame [wow, restoring lacing does look like it would be a challenging endeavor] 8. The helmet liner (Ukebari) is intact and chin cord (shinobi-no-o) is attached but degraded. 9. The visor (Mabizashi) is dented which has caused some cracking of the red laquer (paint) on the visor underside. Is there any reason to look for a signature or other markings and, if so, where or how? I think beyond a description like something above, he would be interested to know a general age or time period for the helmet and anything that might get him interested in doing something with it. Hate to see this just put back into a box for years and then likely to be found by someone who might then have very little interest in it. A lot of fine craftsmanship and beauty in this and even more so in the really fine examples I have seem during my internet explorations. Thanks for any input -- much appreciated, azzie b.

hi @Toki , welcome, nice to see more people from germany joining

Thank you @Sebuh! There is truly a lot to be learned :D

Welcome @Toki we’re glad to have you, here’s to a lifelong journey.

Hello everyone, My name is Erik, over the past few months I have gained an interest in Nihonto, mainly thanks to my practice of Japanese swordsmanship. I have been lurking around here the past few months and finally decided to make an account as well. My interests are history, antique and modern military equipment, martial arts and photography. While I like all periods of Japanese history, my main interest lies in the Kamakura period and the late Muromachi period. My collection is yet to arrive and will consist of a mumei wakizashi from the Tensho era, though it has been attributed to a smith by the NTHK-NPO. I´ll be picking it up in Japan this summer. While its certainly not a masterpiece, I still really enjoy it and am looking to learn more about it. Since I am new to the world of nihonto, please feel free to correct my mistakes whenever you see them, i dont bite

Another interesting dragon habaki. Looks Aztec.

Hi! Here are some high resolution pictures of, IMHO, excellent nanakoji. The chrysanthemum kozuka is papered TH. Mito Yoshinari was a pupil to Isigurou Masatsune. well carved motif with lovely regularity in the nanako technique. Enjoy! Anthony

And the last one:

Thank you for this amazing contribution Jussi!

Terrific work - thank you

There's actually one on eBay, but it has some flaws. He must have it, since he took more pictures at my request. Then I'll just check if I throw a bottle into the sea and see if it'll come back or not. Then, koshirae or shirasaya. I already have a wakizashi in shirasaya from the Kanabo school, so shirasaya is fine too. Paper, yes, but we'll see. Then, yes, customs can be more or less harsh, but I'm not closed off from the world; Europe would indeed be nice.