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Adam if you do not want to receive comments to your post do not post. If you post any member of NMB is entitled to give his opinion on the topic, regardless of the fact that you like it or not. From your profile it seem that you joined NMB about three months ago, since then your posts have become increasingly intolerant of criticism on what you post. If you cannot withstand negative opinions, or opinions diverging from yours you are on the wrong blog. Personally I am here to learn from more experienced collectors. If this involves being corrected, even in harsh terms, fine, I have shoulders strong enough to bear it. I prefer onest opinions to flattery. Luca

Hi Nicholas, yes you are correct it's a Type 94/98 officers sword with what looks like a Zohei-To blade. These were made using good quality swedish steel and forged using nontraditional methods, while not as impressive as many other swords of the era they usually have very high quality fittings, were popular with officers and performed well during wartime sword exhibitions. We would need better photos of the tassel to ascertain what it is, don't worry about tying it on the wrong place, there are plenty of originals found with the tassel tied around the hanger. Please make sure you wipe down the blade with a good machine oil and avoid touching the blade with your bare hands, this will prevent further rust occurring and ensure you can pass this sword down to the next generation intact.

The Suzumushi started about 10 days ago. They really do sound like little bells. I recorded them one evening! And the cool evenings they bring with them are sooooo refreshing at last, after weeks of stifling heat and incessant cicadas.

Hello Again, I grabbed this sword because I thought the old Koshirae handsome, the blade was mostly in polish and didn’t have many kizu, and it was at a good price. The downside is its lost its signature due to O-suriage and while I’m sure I’m looking at a Kanbun sugata, I’m not finding it all that easy to pin it down to a school/region. Very little curvature for sure (8mm), even compared to the sword Mr. Benson said was Bizen Muromachi which was not terribly curved. What curvature it has seems to start early, although I’m not sure just how much losing close to 10cm in length might have affected the shape. Nagasa length is still 66.2cm despite having been shortened to lose of much of the original nagako. As far as hada goes it looks like it starts with komokume and then further up the blade are large structures I think are some type of itame with small grain inside, often bordered by dark nie grains. I’m not sure but it looks a bit like the description of Echizen or Musashi hada from Connoisseur’s. Also the Shinogi has some roundish wood grain. The Hamon I can’t tell if it suguha or komidare, it’s straightish but wobbles a bit, might have hotsure. The kisaki looks like a chukisaki with a hakikake boshi. Nagako has katte sagari that seem to disappear above the first hole. So I guess my questions are: Am I correct in assuming this is a Kanbun Shinto? Would the sword having been produced near Edo be a reasonable guess? And is there any point in taking this to a shinsa once they return to America?

Dear All Being not exactly my line of study I ask for your help about the school attribution of this tsuba. Goto? Mino? Thank you in advance Luca

Interesting you tube.. Best

Dear Juan. First of all, I like your sword. Don't worry about the tsuba, there is nothing left to concern you with that one. Any restoration of the tsuka will really involve at least a re bind and possibly a new core. Up to you but my feeling is keep until you really need to change. As to sugata. Hhmmm! The yokote seems to have been put in the wrong place by the last polisher, according t your third photo. Given that it should be a few millimetres back that makes the kissaki a little longer. You estimate that it has lost 100mms through suriage so 766mms at least, possibly more. You mention some mokume hada in the shinogi, which is rather narrow isn't it? The boshi is not what one would expect from a Shinto sword, (and by Kanbun Shinto is well established), neither to my eye is the hada. I realise that I am posing more questions than giving answers but that's how it goes with this study. Just to illustrate this you might like to work your way through this post. I am looking forward to what others have to say on this one but I don't think we have got to the bottom of it yet. All the best.

Nick take your time for learning how to handle an preserve your sword Bare hands on the blade is a no go. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=1tVnI8-Ml_Y&feature=emb_logo

上等小柄六本 Jōtō kozuka roppon 6 high quality kozuka I can't make out the 6 lines under that, but they are describing the 6 kozuka: material/theme Third from right is "Shibuichi, tori (bird)" The first and fifth from the right might be 赤銅 (shakudō) then a description of the theme

Moriie is among the most famous smiths working in Bizen during the Kamakura period. He was said to have been the founder of the Hatakeda school and worked during the middle Kamakura period, and the same time as Ko-Osafune Mitsutada. He was rated Saijo saku in Fujishiro and exhibited a style of work very similar to Fukuoka Ichimonji. To find a signed example of Moriie's work of near josun length (2 shaku 2 sun 9 bu) and intact boshi is something extraordinary. This sword has exactly the workmanship which you would expect to see in a high-quality Hatakeda. The hamon is an extremely active choji-midare in ko-nie with vivid midare utsuri. Look closely at the photos to see the activity within the hamon, with fine kinsuji and inazuma dancing throughout. The jihada is a beautiful itame with ji-nie. Nakago is suriage, but with a fully intact mei of Moriie tsukuru. There are three mekugi-ana. The nakago has beautiful color and texture. This tachi is in shirasaya with kinmuku (solid gold) habaki and comes with an excellent itomaki-no-tachi koshirae. Tosogu are iron with intact zogan. Tsuka is done in jibara-maki and has menuki of dragons in shakudo. While the blade is a fit to the koshirae, I believe that this is a married set and would want any buyer to be aware. The sword has NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon kanteisho. The Moriie is from a Japanese arts collection for an individual now residing in the US. It has been exhibited several times in museums, including the Museo Franz Mayer for the 120th anniversary of the Japanese migration to Mexico. https://youtu.be/RcNbthSyWA4 SOLD

Over time, I tried new light sources. I only share for enjoy. Jirotaro Naokatsu ko-wakizashi One of my favorite blades

Thought it may be of interest to see how Mon are distributed among different types of swords, I know it will be difficult to ascertain any reliable data but I'm sure there will be a trend or something interesting discovered(?). I would have attempted to collect data from the Identify our Mon thread but many examples don't have the types of blade listed. Obviously this can be skewed by the nature of how everyone collects but please indulge me for now. One thing I have come to recognize is they are most regularly found on Shin Gunto of all types with old blades, followed by Gendaito, quite rarely on Kai Gunto and very rarely on Showato. An observation on swords from Yasukuni & Minatogawa Jinja is that they rarely seem to carry Mon, however that could very well be a matter of smaller sample size and this was based off swords listed for sale over the years. For simplicity Showato can encompass all non traditional blades such as Koa Isshin Mantetsu, Zohei-To & Murata-To, special steel swords, stainless and any bearing the usual Seki/Showa stamps. So please, if you like, list your swords with Mon here as such. Of mine: Old blades: 6 (two are only Koshirae) Gendaito: 2 (one a Yasukuni) Kai Gunto: 0 Showato: 0 Kyu Gunto: 0

Bruce think Japanese made for the tourists and sold at the Yokohama docks to the low end punters.

Hi again, Here's another dumb theme question. Does the combination of akikusa (fall flowers) and suzumushi (bell cricket) have a legend, story or some other meaning that they're both found in the fall? Again, I'm trying to write up something, and... Obligatory eye candy images of the theme: Thanks in advance, rkg (Richard George)

The themes suzumushi, akikusa, Musashino and nozarashi sometimes overlap in some instances. Anyway each theme has its own origin in Japanese literature. According to "Tsuba - Kodōgu Gadai Jiten" (vol. 1, p. 278) the suzumushi-zu refers to "‎The Pillow Book" (Makura no Sōshi - 枕草子) by Sei Shōnagon, a collection of writings from Heian period. Here below the relevant entry from "Tsuba - Kodōgu Gadai Jiten" :

Probably a similar one presented in this thread :

Revised Chapter 53 was posted today. This is Part 2 of chapter 18, Nanboku-Cho Period History. This chapter explains why the Northern Dynasty and the Southern Dynasty were co-existed at the same time. Please click the link below to go to this chapter directly. https://studyingjapaneseswords.com/2019/05/04/53-part-2-of-18-nanboku-cho南北朝-period-history-1333-1393/ Thank you Yurie

I’ll be honest, I don’t like the shape of the nakago. Something looks very off here. I’m not at all implying it is a fake, but something went wrong here, as if, maybe on the field, the nakago was modified, perhaps for repair. Also, the kissaki and the lack of Yokote look odd.

Juan, I like your sword. The trouble with an Ō-suriage sword is that it greatly change the original sugata. Since it is shortened, it takes away from the sori, the nakago is also modified, so what looks like Kanbun Shinto May actually be something else. That’s the problem with rules, you always find something to contradict them. At first sight, it looks Kanbun, and it might have been made around that date, but it could also be slightly earlier when the shape wasn’t already entirely set in stone. Then again, I believe, probably falsely, that you’re not too far off in terms of period.

I have a couple of pieces with kirikomi on them. The first is this: As can be seen, the cut appears to be from a sword(part of it is still in the blade), and the bottom doesn't come to a sharp V. And the second is this naginata(?) tsuba I recently acquired - there are a couple of what appear to be kirikomi on it: Best, rkg (Richard George)

http://www.japansword.co.jp Best

Could be MITSUNAGA.

Nick, The kanji on the end of the nakago (tang) - 3 ? 4 - and are most likely put there by the shop that assembled the blade to it's fittings. They often will have matching numbers on the metal parts, like the tsuba (handguard) and seppa (spacers), but not always. In fact, the numbers match those on the mouth of the saya (scabbard), pic attached. Yours seem to be a mix of kanji and numbers. I'll post on the translation forum for clarification. But they are still likely to be assembly markings. The officer gunto that come back with NCO tassels are a mystery. I've seen a number of them lately. Your picture shows that this came home that way, as opposed to being added back home by a collector or dealer. Now, it's not known if the gunto was found that way, or if the soldier added the tassel before coming home. If your grandfather is still alive, it would mean a lot to us if you could ask him if it was found that way.

Yes I try to find old tosogu boxes the rich wood colours appeal to me more and I think they are often better made.New boxes are so white. I like those eel menuki ,they are full of movement. Very well rendered.

Oh, didn't think show you my mon...One I no longer have, 2 have been ripped off...this is the only one ...this is on a mumei shin-shinto/early gendaito in Type 98.

Do I see brush marks? If so, was that normal practice rather than spraying? Maybe not? Also, is the (variation) reddish brown colour normal .... rather than the 'olive drab' which I realise comes in different shades but its still olive drab colour. Rob

Thanks. BTW Thats not me in the pic, but my nephew. i used that as the only picture i have of the blade. I'll ensure they are aware of how to look after it until i manage to take possession.!

very nice tanto!! I love this nie 🙂

The Bluffer's Guide to Curating. I guess that museums have to write something, even if they are not sure what they are looking at, in the absence of the fuller or more satisfactory story. In Barry's case, it is possible that the museum has specific people who can verify what visitors tell them, and who are allowed to go inside their displays. When you say 'never', Barry, some time must have passed after you told them, right? Some years ago at the Hayashibara Museum of Art I noticed that the Sune'-ate' below a suit of the Lord's armour were the wrong way round, so I casually mentioned it to the lady at the entrance desk. No idea whether they subsequently adjusted them...

Yes, likely Kanbun Shinto. Always look at the bare-blade sugata to determine jidai. Although there is some mokume hada, it's primarily itame. Nice hakikake in the ura boshi, & sunagashi. I'd consider sending this blade for polishing. If the blade came with shirasaya, I'd store it in that, so you don't have to wonder about messing up the tsuka. If something is flaking off the tsuba, you can assume it was a modern addition. Nice find, Juan.

The local museum has switched the labels on two swords. I have told them about this and they never changed the labels.

This is another photo of the large hada structures that start midway up the blade (picture 4 in my 1st post is another example). Is this what they refer to as "coarse"? Also as an addenum: the motohaba is 2.9cm and sakihaba is just under 2cm. The kasane seems fairly thick. Both of which I guess fit in with a Kanbun period blade.

G'day John Old blades - 3 out of 4 have mon Gendaito - 0 of 1 have mon Cheers, Bryce

Murakami school for starters. There were others that used it. This is not Murakami school workmanship.

Here is a fuchi & kashira made by him. I have at least 3 other F&K by him in books. As I am not a fittings guy I am surprised he is so highly rated as his work seem quite scarce at top level, maybe they are really rare? When going through books I thought he was just a good maker but I didn't think him in same league as makers you mentioned in OP. Of course I have never seen his work in real life so cannot say much.

Yas, you have the English translation off again, Google translate [not that it is accurate] Hiroyoshi Tsu (1721-1762) A sword metalworker in the middle of the Edo period. Born in Kyoho (kiyou-ho) 6 years. Awa Tokushima (Awa Tokushima) Clan's master of Nomura Masamichi (Nomura Masamichi). He is said to be the best craftsman in the Nomura school. He decorated with flowers and birds, rims of botanical drawings, petite, scales, etc. Horeki (hou-reki) died in June 2012. 42 years old. Born in Edo. Known as Hachizaemon. Research book: Shigeru Kajimura, "Tsuhirogo", 1966, self-published

The problem with these "Koshirae" is that without the blade you can only guess how long they have been together. I used an old tsunagi I had knocking around to mount the pieces up and from the alterations I had to do and proportions resulting I think the saya and tsuka match up. It was an old blade (short nakago) mounted up late in the war, and the leather cover and haikan lost to time. The tsuba I am not so sure, it's very nice under the paint, and is gilded brass with burnishing, so you get both matt and bright areas. Those 94 - 98 tsuba are very handsome when it good condition as opposed to the sad plain brass that we usually see after 70 years of wear and polishing, late war they tended to be plated cast iron. No matter though, it's what it is. Regarding the same, I did think it might be sandpaper as seen on some late war stuff, but inspection under a lens confirms it to be shark of one sort or another. I have an Edo period tsuka with similar, but smoothed down and lacquered over all. Good quality same is and was an import to Japan from further South.

The seven flowers of autumn are often depicted with the bell cricket (Suzumushi) Flowers are indigenous to Japan. Bush Clover hagi, Japanese Silver Grass susuki, Japanese Arrowroot kuzu, Pink nadeshiko, Valerian ominaeshi, Joe Pye Weed fujibakama, and Balloon Flower kikyo.

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt". Adam has not only spoken, he is yelling through a megaphone at this point.

I have only removed a mei three times among the hundreds of swords I have owned. Once, it was signed Masamune and failed shinsa twice with gimei as the conclusion. Once, it had a shumei that was carved and lacquered to Taira Nagamori. Also rejected twice with advice to remove it. Finally, one that had two famous signatures on it - Masamune and Ryokai. Clearly bad and never submitted. Two of these got a fresh polish afterwards and are now definitely better preserved. I still own two of them. I will caution that it is important that it be done by an expert who knows how to file it appropriately and restore the patina. I believe that most sword polishers do this periodically.

In my opinion we are custodians so we should try to conserve. Generally, you shouldn't remove a mei unless you have several authorities all agreeing that it is gimei (and even then, you should only have it removed in rare cases).

Babu, why wouldn't you submit it first with the mei panel as is? Would you have to actually cut it out? In other words, is it truly folded over or just inserted? I wouldn't deface the sword unless I had an authoritative opinion that the blade was not made by the name on the orikaeshi mei.

Daved it goes with out saying after a degreaser one would clean any residue. The curators at both gold star Museum and a local Historical Society we had no problem with using goof or oops. When using water use it as hot as you can stand. This will help with the drying.. Once dried oil well then wipe with just a light film of oil

I have seen online a number of games and competitions asking people to pick their world class fantasy football (Soccer for our U.S. Colleagues) teams. There has been a great deal of discussion recently about collecting, it is after all a major part of why we are here, but with too much time on my hands I thought I would take the fantasy concept onboard and try and pick my “Fantasy Nihon-To collection”. I know this has been done in various forms in the past but it might be worth re-visiting. If nothing else it might help you identify on what you really appreciate in a sword. Below is mine and is selected mainly based on smiths who’s work I have been lucky enough to see in hand (most but not all). There are what might be considered some glaring omissions but this is not based on reputation of a smith, just on workmanship that really appeals to my own aesthetic. 1. An Awataguchi daito preferably by Kunitomo, Hisakuni or Norikuni. 2. A ko-Bizen daito preferably Tomonari 3. A tanto by Shintogo Kunimitsu or Yukimitsu (early work style) 4. An Aoe blade from mid to late Kamakura by Sadatsugu or Tsunetsugu 5. A tanto by Rai Kunimitsu 6. A Yamato daito by either a Taima smith or by Shodai Kanenaga(Tegai) 7. A Bizen Osafune daito by Shodai Nagamitsu or Kagemitsu 8. A daito by Shodai Yamato Shizu. 9. An Osaka shinto daito by Inoue Shinkai 10. A daito by Nanki Shigekuni 11. A daito by Sa Yukihide While in many ways it is a trivial exercise it might be worth doing, keeping the list and then re-doing a few years later just to see if and how your views evolve as you progress in to the subject.

Hi Geoffry, What Christian said is so true. You have saved money on a polish and done serious damage to the sword and significantly reduced its value. Your friend has no business polishing Japanese swords; he doesn't have proper training. You said it looks a lot better than how it was before. When I look at your before picture I see a fine old blade with real potential. When I look at the pictures after polish I see a mess that may not be repairable. Grey

It cost you only the value of the Blade

Many tachi tsuba would fit the request.

I've been advised to avoid submitting a blade to either NBTHK/NTHK shinsa unless it is in decent polish. Has this changed? If the team can't see enough details to kantei, aren't we wasting our money? I keep reading posts recommending shinsa before polishing, & wonder if that's really bad advice.

OK it is just about a katana as its over 60cm. Its been shortened and the finish on the Nakago jiri and the two mekugi ana back this theory up. It does not appear to be signed. There is no way anyone can see the hada or hamon in those current images and I worry its been sanded over so all detail is lost. The fitting (and I mean no disrespect) are very mediocre and of relatively low quality when new. I am not convinced that the tsuba is not cast iron hand finished. It's really important you take a picture of the blade on a towel on the floor at midpoint so people can see the sugata.

Autumn 1942 - Koa Isshin Mantetsu - YA 350 *update have slight buyers remorse as this stated "excellent condition blade with no scratches" has tiny surface scratches down the whole blade (hike?) from an amateur cleaning attempt. Otherwise blade/mounts are in excellent condition. Seller will take a return with full refund, which is solid of him, so I'm debating it now.