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Here's a look at my latest version of my Tsuba stand 'The Dragon Very Detailed and high relief sculpt, slightly taller to accommodate the larger Tsuba Thanks for looking

First submission on Thursday, early afternoon. Katana Mei-Tohto Tsuguhira Ka Ko Gane plus a lot of other kanji. Returned as Horyu (undecided). Was pretty disappointed in the outcome but I plan on keeping it anyway so papers would have just been a bonus. Katana A dealer near my table was packing up to leave on Saturday afternoon. He came to my table and said last minute deal on a katana I had looked at a few times. I took another look at it and made an offer that he accepted. Mei- Bungo Jyu Fujiwara Saneyuki Took it to shinsa on Sunday morning and it passed with 76 points. Tachi Always wanted a tachi and finally got a great example from Matt Jerrel with Sohei swords. Took it immediately to shinsa and it was attributed to Chikuzen Kongobye Moritaka with 73 points. Overall, very happy with the results. I plan on submitting the tachi koshirae at the next shinsa, whenever that may be. Dan

Im not trying to beat a dead horse, but from experience, I can say that, yes, I have seen armors get broken apart and sold separately for more money in Japan and ALSO because not one dealer can afford the full price of an armor.... so they break it up and each dealer gets a part. But it is usually at auctions and it is done mainly for the dealers to sell to foreigners. What is trying to be done here is to educate people (you foreigners) as to why it is important to keep things togehter. There was one armor that I saw broken up and it took me years to track down the pieces and put back together. I also once found the missing mempo from an armor owned by Date Masamune misplaced that was put in the wrong box a couple hundred years ago (maybe the kids were playing with it) and ended up in Date Yoshikuni's armor's box which was sold off years ago by the family. It took me 25 years, but the armor was finally put back together, and it was only by chance. I made a mistake which brought me into the place that had the armor (and mempo) if I hadnt gone in there at that time, for some weird reason, it would have never gotten back together. I see people on here all day long talking about how its their responsibility to take care of this stuff... and they are only the temporary owners etc. Then take care of it! If you cant afford to by the whole armor, then don't. I would say the same thing for a sword with its original koshiare. There is much more to learn about the history of an artifact with a fuller context of the item. The more you take it apart and re-do it to your preferences, the more you ruin the context. There is plenty of stuff out there. Just find something that you like before buying something only to rip it apart and re-make it or only buy part of it because you dont have room in your house for full armors. Too many headless armors out there. Just my thoughts.

Bonji on blades are often easy to identify, but sometimes they are not as simple as they seem. Just for consideration: reinhard

I saw this armor when it was still in Japan right before it was sold. Still had the proper sangu and the maedate that were in the photos. I dont understand why anybody would break up that matching set. Its just really weird that somebody would do that because it devalues the set as the kiko on the watagami matched the tsuneate. Now its a composite. Weird.

So posted this on another forum but this seems to be the more proper home for it: RESULTS ARE IN: 1) The Kanekuni failed shinsa and was ruled as gimei with a wider possible attribution to Mino Den. It was kantei'd to be from the Oei Era. I didn't have a strong faith in the signature on this one and the age via the shinsa was a bit older than I originally thought it was. I pegged it as late 1400s early 1500s, so I was close. 2) The Kunitsugu passed shinsa with 73 points to Etchu Uda Kunitsugu also from the Oei Era. Out of the two I'm glad this was the one that papered. This was my favorite of my unpapered blades. Ōei (応永) was a Japanese era name (年号, nengō, "year name") after Meitoku and before Shōchō. This period spanned the years from July 1394 through April 1428. Reigning emperors were Go-Komatsu-tennō (後小松天皇,) and Shōkō-tennō (称光天皇). So had a 50% success rate on the Meis but I'm still glad that the Gimei Kanekuni at least has a "confirmed" age. Also the NTHK point system was unfamiliar to me so I had to research it. It seems a 73 pointer to be a lower level "important" ranking. Below is a pic of the Kunitsugu blade that passed.

For much better pics and comments go to Ford Hallam's Tosogu insights no 11 £600

Yes, attributed to Myōchin (Katchūshi). End of Edo period. The comments suggest it was well made, and done by an armorer who either transitioned to tsuba-maker, or one who was also trained in tsuba-making skills. (Note also that this paper is from the Tōsōgu Kenkyū Kai. No reason to doubt their attribution on this piece, I think.)

All of them cast fakes . Good for paperweights and to throw at your enemies though!

No, sorry it is not amazing and definitely cast, I have seen a few hundred of these, the signatures are gimei. The sword owner at some point probably switched it from the original. If you are interested there are two 'types' one like yours [and above] with the irregular hitsu-ana shapes and the other with 'niku' outlines on the hitsu, these latter ones can also have fake [cast in] tagane-ato. I think the 'regular' hitsu ones are signed MITSUNAGA SAKU? but also gimei. https://www.catawiki.com/en/l/65537469-katana-tanto-tsuba-wakizashi-1-forged-iron-cloud-tsuba-c2-478-mitsunaga-saku-finely-carved-Japan-edo-period-1600-1868 Old thread here 2012 -

Just to clarify I purchased this armor. I knew what I was buying and I bought it because I liked it. It was a reasonable price and I would buy it again. I don't know who changed what but like all descriptions on antique things buy what you see not what it is described. What I did get was what was pictured with excellent packing and communication. If any of you have an issue with the seller then take it up with him. I posted this a short while ago so I am assuming since you have seem to have been tracking it you are aware of who bought it. I really get tired of hearing people snipe at each other on this forum. The Japanese swop parts on armor , break up sets and all manner of other things to make more money. Is anyone surprised that this happens all over. I can't think of a more scary way to make a living than dealing in and or restoring antiques. Sometimes you buy things because you like them. Don't turn everything into a Monkey poop fight because there are no winners in the end.

春親在銘 傑作 赤銅四分一削継戸尻金朽込彫下 金二足蟻之圖苔金キチリ金銀 昭和庚寅夏 阿弥屋　惣右 Haruchika zaimei Masterpiece Two tone with shakudō and shibuichi arranged diagonally, with kojiri rot effect in gold Image of a pair of ants in gold. Moss in gold, and dovetail joints in gold and silver. 1950 Summer Amiya Sō

Item No. 301 Kozuka in Shakudo , Shibuichi and Gold Subject of ants on bark , signed Haruchika , 19th cent. Made in two separate sections of Shakudo and Shibuichi, joined with Gold clips and a dovetail joint, ants are inlaid onto a bark texture ground. A pleasing, unusual piece which also has an attestation by Amiya Soemon on the interior of the box lid. Can anyone help with the translation please ?

I’m not going to be shy. Hope more members post results. If you would like any more details about any of the blades, let me know. Here are my results from Saturday. 9 out of 11 of my blade submittals passed. I’ll post one more result of Sunday daisho tsuba submittal later… KATANA — Mei: Hizen Kuni ju Omi Daijo Fujiwara Tadahiro - judged Gimei - however judges notes say “Kanbun Hizen”, so still same school. I knew this one was probably gimei, but it was a good looking blade (for me) and I submitted to confirm it was not a total disaster. When I asked ‘on the side’, I was told if submitted mumei, it probably would still have scored 71 or 72 points, but of course you will have to take my word for that. WAKIZASHI — Mei: Omi-no-kami Minamoto Rai Sadamori. 77 points. One point away from possible Yushu submittal! Was kinda proud about this one as it was not a high cost blade and I trusted my research before buying… but as always, it was still a gamble. Was told it was one of the higher scored blades of the Shinsa weekend. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and again. WAKIZASHI — Mei: Bizen Osafune ju Yokoyama Sukekane / A day in February 1862. Mount Fuji hamon. Nagasa on border between ko-wakizashi or o-tanto. 73 points. Had previous old NBTHK Kicho Hozon white papers and I wanted to re-confirm. Originally judged as tanto but NBTHK corrected to wakizashi in 2020 at a previous owners request and NTHK-NPO also stated wakizashi. WAKIZASHI — Mei: Kuwana ju Morishige - Judged meikan-more. 71 points. It was in a very out of polish state when I purchased and while a blade with interesting activity, unfortunately, a fukure opened during polish, but still a respectable 71 points. And I felt it should be included in shinsa to get smith’s name recorded ‘somewhere’. If you do a search on NMB, you will see blade previously discussed. WAKIZASHI — Mei: Omi no Kami Hojoji Tachibana Masahiro (1st Gen). 74 points. This blade sparked my interest in the Hojoji school. It also fueled a recent purchase from Grey Doffin of a Hojoji Tachibana Kunimasa katana. Most definitely a school that has peaked my interest and will be a focus in the future. WAKIZASHI — MUMEI - was bounced as saiha. A little surprised by this one. Thought it might get Bungo which I was ok with, but did not expect saiha… oh well. Back to my blind squirrel status I guess. WAKIZASHI — Mei: Kanazawa ju Darani Tachibana Katsukuni. 74 points WAKIZASHI — MUMEI - judged Den: Kashu Iyo Daijo Katsukuni. 73 points. Thought it was a Mino blade, so I need to study more. TANTO — Mei: Sei-ryu-shi Moriyuki. 71 points. Was a little nervous about this blade as I could not find much about smith and example mei’s, and one kanji in mei seemed a bit ‘off’. Blade is probably a bit tired, but I was pleasantly surprised by result. JUMONJI YARI — Mei: Heian Jo Fujiwara Kunishige 75 points HIRA SANKAKU YARI (a last minute addition that showed up in the mail earlier than I expected - Shinsa team was able to squeeze it in with my other blades) — Mei (signed on all 4 sides of nakago): Izumi no Kami Kanesada (11th generation) / Keio 3 U (year of hare) 8th month / Made at Echigo Kuni Kamo / Made for Kasahara Hayato. 31.5cm nagasa. 73 points

Hello, Here are some sword fittings and tsuba for sale. Please pm me for more photos and information. Price + shipping. Best regards, Krystian

Good afternoon NMB, On offer today is a whimsical black Oribe sake cup by one of the Showa era's greats. Sasaki Tadashi was a true shokunin and this cup is a perfect example of his dedication to the craft. The bracken motif is beautifully scraped away from the jet black and silky smooth glaze, which gives the cup a marvelous feel in hand. This combined with its softly rounded lip makes for a perfect sipper. 4.7cm high x 6.3cm wide, in perfect condition with its original box, cloth and paperwork. $100 via PayPal F&F shipped to the USA, $120 worldwide. Please let me know if you have any questions or need additional pics. Thanks for looking! 🙏🍶

I don't know if I understood you correctly, but in trad. jap. archery no arrow has to bend around the bow. With the draw hand I twist the string, and with the tenouchi I turn the bow out when I shoot. In principle, I do everything that I must not do under any circumstances in western archery ;-).

Jeremy, although it is marked KABURAYA, I don't think it is one. The shape you have in mind is what you are looking for. The depicted item might just be a display piece.

Looks like a sukashi yanone with a piece of wood on the shank, perhaps one of the outsize heads that were temple offerings. Are you looking for the head or the whole arrow? That one isn’t capable of being shot from a bow like that as the shaft of the arrow must flex around the bow on release.

Not sure where to start with this Jeremy. Hoping you find something perfect for you.

Thank you guys for the insight! I put off on buying until I was sure, and decided to ask first. But it would’ve been a cheap paperweight nonetheless! They were asking $25 for all 4 I really appreciated the in depth analysis from Spartancrest, and ended up walking away with some valuable knowledge! Tsuba is just a whole sub genre that is way over my head at the moment, and I still have plenty to learn haha Ended up getting some other cool things (unrelated to Nihonto) while I was there, so the trip was not wasted!

I have the same opinion - cast. They may have come from a display board. The first two have cast seams in the cut out areas. The other two are worse IMO. The Crane or 'Tsuru' one I believe was made as a paperweight and had a cord tied through the "udenuki-ana" [now missing] the slot was used so the cord could lay flush with the tsuba. The pattern is usually associated with the Higo school - such as this one https://www.tosoguya.com/higo_crane_tsuba.html similar pattern in "Bronze" ? https://www.jauce.com/auction/g1055933740 [likely an utsushi from another school]

Thank you Garrett!

Garrett, what kind of swords might that be? IAITO with zinc-aluminium alloy blades? Newly made sharp blades are not allowed in Japan unless they have been traditionally forged from TAMAHAGANE. Not really tourist souvenirs!

The famous Hosokawa-Mon is always consisting of nine round luminaries. A bigger one in the middle and eight smaller ones circling around it. Not one more, not one less. reinhard

After many misprints on the hardcover book, the corrected version is finally done. To buy my book, "Study of Japanese Swords", go to the link below. The Alpha publishing company will ship hard and soft covers to all countries. To ship to other than the U.S., click "all countries", under buy a hardcover today. The link should look like the one below. https://www.alphapublisher.com/yurie-halchak-author-book...

Grey, You're just asking the same questions that I already addressed above. You seem to trust that those sangu weren't original and that the previous dealer had swapped them. I can ask you to prove the unprovable, too: "How do you know that they swapped them out? Can you prove it? How do you know?" This is a little silly. I'm not interested in having a conversation that goes into the schoolyard, let's deal with facts. We know what it looked like when it was first sold, and we know it was changed. Let's deal with those facts. What it had was period appropriate sangu for both the region and the era. The sangu matched the urushi on the rest of the armor from the photos. It was swapped for sangu that don't match as well. Why? Also, the kusari between the splints of the replaced kote is missing. It is just as damaged at the original set it came with, so even less reason to swap it. The maedate was period appropriate for the region and era, and was a "standard pattern" we've seen on multiple armors, from the same time period and region (There is a photo above). It was replaced with something much more exotic and fancy, why? These swaps were superfluous. "Original maedate crest with ponytail kashira date" if the Kaga beetle wasn't original, the hairy replacement certainly wasn't! It was an even later addition. Best regards, Chris

Why did the seller who chopshopped this armor claim the maedate was original when he swapped it out? Which we can 100% prove. Let's start with the simple things here. Can you explain that lie? Is this a business practice that you endorse?

Hi Grey, So, that really depends on the buyer, I guess, huh? What does the buyer think they are getting and what is the seller selling it as? If the buyer thinks they are getting a gusoku (for clarification I am using the term as a fully matched armor made to be fully matched, I realize that term has some ambiguity depending on the era and region) and it has parts swapped out, particularly parts used to enhance the salability, well, that’s a problem wouldn’t you agree? This armor is of rather late manufacture, I think we can agree on that; late-Edo? How many sets of sangu would it have had? I don’t know, but I would wager not many, if more than one. If it was a Muromachi armor, yeah, no doubt. You’re asking me to prove something that is impossible, though. I can ask the same question in reverse, but that isn’t fair either. The original owner could have switched out sangu 500 times, sure, but we need to deal with likelihood not possibility, and I don’t think it’s likely. What we know for sure is that it had an appropriate set before this superfluous swap, and these are facts we can realistically talk about. In my line of work the simplest answer is usually the right one. This Kaga armor had sangu that was completely appropriate for it’s original manufacture. It is fair to assume that set, that it had before, is likely the original one, even if it isn't, it is what came down to us through history. Next, we have to consider this item historically. Yes, in the Edo period and before they would mix and match pieces to keep it alive, but at some point (in the case of armor, more than a century and a half ago) it goes from being military kit to artifact of cultural value. They are no longer the same, nor should they be treated that way. While the samurai who owned it might not have walked around with a torn sangu, and he might have upgraded, there is a point where we need to treat this differently, and I think historically we are past that point. It is now appropriate to preserve these items, not keep them running as military kit incase the Mongolians invade again. Anything else should raise some serious red flags. Finally, let’s look at the old set of sangu and compare it a little to the new set. Look at the urushi finish. On the old set the urushi finish matches the finish of rest of the main body of the armor. The bottom most lame of the dou is urushi, as are all of the gesan and kanagu mawari. This has a nice matte finish. The new set has a much higher gloss. It is particularly notable on the suneate and haidate. A bit of polish could shine everything else up, or bring it down to a matte finish, but that’s not what we are seeing in the photos, these do not match. As for the maedate, well we know it didn’t come with the hairy kamon, because it was sold with the Kaga beetle horns. We also know from many extant examples that Kaga armor from this time period included the Kaga beetle horns as a standard maedate. Is it the original maedate that came with it when it first was made? Again, you are asking me to prove the impossible as above. If we ask questions like that, we can ask, is the helmet original to the armor? Are the sode original to the armor? Maybe the entire thing is composite from multiple armors, and it was relacquered in the Meiji era to look like a gusoku? How far can we or should we take it? I’m more willing to take the original sale and the original parts it came with in good faith, over this restoration (and when we condiser the title of this thread… well that makes me even less likely to trust it). When it is specifically advertised as “Original maedate crest with ponytail kashira date,” but we know that hairy maedate is not what was in the original sale, well, the whole thing is called into question, or at least it is in my mind. As for restoration, of course, we need to restore our antiques. Of course, swords are repolished (I have a few I need to send out). Of course, kodogu need to be repaired when dropped or mishandled. Of course, saya need to be replaced from decades of accumulated dirt. As I mentioned above, you don’t just swap out tsuba to get a little more for the sword, and say, “well, in the past samurai would swap tsuba based on their tastes…” That isn’t restoration, that is justification of bad actions. Restoration and parts swapping are not the same. They aren’t in the sword world, and they aren’t in any other field of serious antiques and collecting that I know of (at least not without disclosure, and they certainly wouldn't call a swapped part original if it wasn't). Not naïve, just calling it like it is. Best regards, Chris

We just talked about this sword in a recent thread. Cross-posting this here for easy reference. I can't find this smith in any reference. He appears once or twice in a thread on a different forum, but I don't know if anything is known about him, when he lived, or if he was even real. (It does look like a late Edo signature, but other than that I know absolutely nothing of this smith).

You can use all tulipfera woods and theire genetic neighbours like linden, poplar, alder and others.

The honoki that Namakawa Heibei sells (and ships quickly) is also 2 matched planks, cut to curve, and dried. It carved very easily, unlike poplar.

Dear Carlos. Puzzled by your last statement. Honoki is Magnolia Hypoleuca or Magnolia Obovata and is deciduous. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnolia_obovata All the best.

Ah yes, Jean. You are right, I was in error! I would think like most wood magnolia is also acidic, and that the acidity varies with environment though. Magnolia is an interesting wood, being an angiosperm that doesn't lose its leaves.

Carlos, it seems that HINOKI is cypress. HONOKI (magnolia wood) is different: https://www.lorberg.com/en/company/news-events/post/magnolia-hypoleuca-honoki-magnolie/

Tsukamaki Article from JSS/US http://www.montanairon.com/tsukamaki.html

The For Sale section seems to be getting more and more popular, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to sort through the offerings for those looking for only swords, or tsuba etc. So I have decided it is time to split these sales into sections. I know we all resist change, but I think this will be a good move and I can fine tune the settings or descriptions as we go along. Please post new items in the relevant sections above. In time, I will move all the old listings into their sections. Members should be able to reply to and discuss old listings, but not create new listings in the open section anymore. You will need to start the listings in the specific sections. Comments, suggestions etc are welcome, in this thread. I really do feel this is a step forward, and there are other changes coming that I think will improve things. Brian

O-suriage Tachi Mid Nanbokucho circa 1340 Kanenaga ( Kencho - top student of Chogi , one of the ten best students of Masamune ) Bizen Osafune school 69.9 cm Tokubetsu Hozon NBTHK Original Edo period Koshirae with Higo mounts Sayagaki by Mr. Tanobe Many thanks to Mike Yamasaki for selling this to me

Hi All, I picked up an interesting Gunto a while back and am just getting round to spending some time examining and studying it. The mounts are quite interesting in themselves but the Nakago is O-Suriage tachi mei and only part of the signature remains. The date is Shōchō 1428 so early Muromachi. so the date i've got Shōchō Gannen I can't make out the last kanji on the date maybe Roku ?? Actually it's Hachi The signature i've got Bishû Osafune and now i can't quite make out the last kanji again The sword has a ko-notare hamon the sori is 3cm Nagasa is 60cm Total length including the nakago is 76cm (16cm nakago) There is no yokote I need to take some photos of the blade itself, it's out of polish and the hamon is very faint, the hada is hard to see but i will try and pick it up. any suggestions on a potential smith? I will add pictures of the blade this weekend when i have it hand again

Koto Osuriage Tachi 68.6 cm NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Sayagaki by Mr. Tanobe Tachi attributed to the Enju school. Enju is representative of Yamashiro Den it's roots are from the Rai school. This sword was discussed as being a work of Rai Kunitoshi at one point , but due to disagreement it was given the safer attribution of Enju. There were a few spots of Rai grain which caused the discussion. It can be said it's still open to discussion. It has an elegant Tachi shape of late Kamakura ( 1280 ) . This is a summary of the sayagaki.

O Suriage Tachi late Kamakura Circa 1290-1300. 68 cm NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon attribution to Yamato Taima Specifically to Cho Aritoshi Cho is short for Chobeinojo Aritoshi This school takes its name from the Taimadera temple in Nara. They made swords for the warrior monks who protected the holdings and land belonging to the temple. They rarely signed these swords and the works of this school are rare . Sayagaki by Mr Tonobe The Hada of this sword is really beautiful.

Koto Tachi O suriage 66.7 cm NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Nambokucho jidai circa 1350 O Kissaki Sayagaki by Mr. Tanobe The Rai school was founded by Kuniyoshi. The character for Rai means " one who comes" ,the implication is the founder of this school came from outside Japan . Maybe from Korea is one of the theories. The Nanbokucho a period of constant war fare.

Have been collecting for about 25 years. My first sword I purchased was out of Iowa. I paid $650 for it. I sent a check in the mail for it, not knowing what I was really getting. Here is my first sword. No signature. The tang is darker than the picture, it looks black. From what I've been told the signature was cut off when the sword was shortened. The scabbard is nickel plated (I think) and the top was covered by the officer with tape to prevent shine (first pick). Gorgeous blade without any damage. Look at that beautiful tip!! Came from the family of a marine. He picked up the sword while island hopping. I believe he got it While fighting on Guadalcanal. I wanted to get with the family and get some paperwork on the Marine along with his picture to display the sword. I lost their contact information so impossible now. This is a family sword in combat configuration. Blade is 28" I've only shown this sword to one other collector, so this is the first time seen in public.

After a long search process... I was looking for an Aoe but ended with a Ryumon Nobuyoshi 龍門延吉.

The following are the calendars of events as per the regular updates from Paul: * 22/7/2017 Send Tachi to Japan * 3/8/2017 Tachi arrived Japan. Sword in Japan custom * 8/8/2017 Application of license * 23/8/2017 Tachi sent for polishing * 9/10/2017 Shina * 24/11/2017 Results of Shinsa * Tachi in preparation for exhibition, make an oshigata for the Zulu etc * 10-20/5/2018 Juyo Token Exhibition * 6/6/2018 Tachi back to Martin * Application for exit permit * 3/9/2018 Tachi back in Singapore * March 2019 Juyo certificate received in Singapore. There are some delay owing to my change of home address but Paul has been very helpful. The Juyo certificate was missing in mail and it was sent back to Paul. Paul has no resent it back to Singapore again. The whole process has been very professionally managed with constant updates from Paul as per the above calendars of events. Highly recommended, Thanks Nihonto Message Board for the recommendation !

Thanks!

The internet is very slow here in Thailand and take a long time to load photos...

France, I shall not enter into details but including "file fees" taken by the Customs Agent the cost is 5% for Antiques more than 100 Years old. It is some kind of Bingo with French Customs duties. I had swords coming from Japon which went through Customs - Tax free Others which were taxed (5% all-in) - small items as tsuba/kogatana often can go through Customs tax free. From North America, nothing escapes Customs but small parcels (tsuba)