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Hello, Just to share with you this nice tsuba signed Echizen Kinai saku with Mount Fuji and bird.

Time for me to show my gendai Ishido Teruhide mei with kao. Not sure if it would be considered 'high-end' but I absolutely enjoy it! Photographs are realy hard to take of blades, I hope the sword and the pictures speak for itself The sword has a fully hardened kissaki(ichimai) if I am correct, hard to tell from pictures.

Hello, let me put my two cents as well

Gentlemen - There is no difference between a properly trained westerner and a properly trained Japanese employing a Shinsaku-to for Iai or batto. If you visit AOI arts and other websites you will see swords, mostly Shinsaku-to but sometimes antiques specifically outfitted and sold as ready for Iai. While I know of no secret short-cuts used to make shinsaku-to for practice I know that swords made as art swords are made using the best materials and extra effort that is reflected in the selling price. I think Michael has the right attitude, this simply may not be the best place to find what he is looking for. Antiques should not be used for destructive practice and that has not changed. I wish him luck in his search. -tch

It is interesting that I came across a "brass scabbard copper handle NCO" as mentioned in Fuller and Gregory. It is actually brass or "gilt plated" not solid brass as the extract from their excellent book infers. Anyway, thought it worth sharing.

These are two of my favorite blades. Not exactly high class gunto mounts, but top notch smiths and both with a nagasa of at least 27”. Top - Imai Sadashige. Bottom - Tomita Sukehiro.

I don't think there's any advantage to having any cleaning done before shinsa. It's in pretty good nick and looks spot on in my opinion. Good luck.

100% this. I did end up finding a shinsakuto in the end. It’s in iai koshirae with a batto polish. Totally setup for martial arts use, from the beginning. Guess some of us will just have to agree to disagree. That’s okay.

The official family shrine of the Ikeda Daimyō, Kibitsu Hiko Jinja 18 October 2020, our sole live firing this year. No public. Only large guns, 10 Monmé and above, not a full demonstration. A dedication to the gods.

Hi All, Just a personal idea that I impulsively acted upon. There are lots of random pieces of video distribute on Youtube.com about swords or in connection with swords. So I came up with the idea of starting a group on youtube so as to collect various nihonto videos and collate them into a video library, this way you don't have to spend hours scouring through tons of rubbish. And if you do find something of note, you can submit it to the group for easy access at a later date. I have selected that all videos are vetted before submition to keep out the Naruto crowd. If you find any nihonto related video on you tube, please save it to your favorites them submit it to the group. I have colllected some to start it off. Please peruse at your leisure. http://www.youtube.com/group/nihonto Best Paul

Sorry Bruce I only know a couple of stamps. Looks the “Nishi” kanji, meaning “west”, enclosed in a circle. Does that make any sense?

Neil, That is the most completely colored one I've seen before. I seem to have missed that discussion in F & G! I tried to find our earlier discussion about the gold coloring of the copper-handled sayas, with no luck. I wonder if this is different than the faint gold that seems to be on many of the copper-handled 95 saya? Here's mine. Also, this re-opens my questions, years ago, about gold-painted saya. I know you said this is gilding, not paint, but maybe some of the others that are painted are simply trying to emulate this style finish?

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Gorgeous fittings ! This hada is quite something 😍

Yes, M San, and 1,000,000 Koku is 百万石　hyaku-man-goku

Good morning Gentlemen, Just to get the math into my head: So 32.5 万 & 31.5 万 would be 325,000 & 315,000 respectively?

I assume you mean 32.5 sen koku and 31.5 sen koku. John

The two kinkos look the same. Resale often succeeds or fails with fraudulent bidding. https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/n461647339 https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/h511410568 There was an merchandise with lessons learned, so I would like to introduce it. The Kogai seller wrote in the item description: "Since each grain of Nanaco of authenticity is driven in, there is a slight deviation, and even if the columns are aligned, the rows are unlikely to be exactly aligned. If you see it in a straight line when viewed from an angle, Nanako is a mass-produced product cast from a mold (both crest and base)." https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/l631095092 https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/v750248387

Curran-san, I found. This is it.　 桐紋図鍔　無銘　後藤徳乗　Kirimon-zu Tsuba [Goto Tokujyo 5th] https://www.tsuruginoya.com/items/f00244.html I can find other works called Tsuba of Goto Tokujyo. I can't say anything about that because I don't have enough knowledge me too. It is generally said that among Japanese kinko enthusiasts, the one signed by the legitimate head of the Goto family with kiwame is exceptional compared to the unsigned work judged by modern appraisers to be Tokujyo. 桐紋図鍔　無銘　後藤徳乗 https://blog.goo.ne.jp/tsuba_001/e/4cba73b60878c2993cbaff2dffb0e702

What delightful problems you have to solve.

In mid March 2021 there will be a 杮落とし Kokera-otoshi opening ceremony for the newly reconstructed 表門 Omote-Mon main gate to Tottori Castle. (They also rebuilt the 'Giboshi-Bashi' bridge a few years ago, to original specifications.) Our teppo troop has been invited to their ceremony for a live firing. There are mixed feelings in Tottori, as we are their cousins, carrying the open-winged 備前蝶 Bizen-Cho flags of the Okayama Ikeda, whereas they traditionally use the older 立て羽蝶 standing butterfly of the Tottori Ikeda, inherited from Ikeda Terumasa of Himeji. To complicate matters there is pride involved, Tottori being a 32.5 Koku fiefdom, whereas Okayama is a mere 31.5 Koku, all that was left of the Ikeda 1,000,000 Koku. I have a gun with 因幡 (Inaba) Tottori Ikeda crest and markings which might be a consideration to fire there. The Mei is not a Tottori smith, though, so possibly this is not such a bright idea. I also have a Bizen Sukekane Tanto in Inaba Koshirae, which I treasure as a symbol of harmony between cousins.

“尾野仙太郎“ (Ono Sentarou, in Japanese). Makes little sense....🤔

I have updated the tsuba sale page Some price adjustments as I know a bit more than I did 3 years ago when they were first listed There are 6 or 7 new tsuba This PDF has better images and an extra page showing the price order Link https://www.dropbox.com/s/q0g8f5og1wl8ze5/NMB listing Nov 2020.pdf?dl=0 Grev

I think you'll be highly entertained by this first for me discovery of a metal sleeve in place of same* the samurai must have been a serious dude. Enjoy

Hi Ken, I think it has just had a rough suriage without heating the blade to remove the hamon through the tang. I'm not as convinced as I was last night of the Mihara attribution though there are some similarities between my blade in terms of the boshi with the pointed look and long turn back. I think the jigane is different in terms of colour and Dan's blade has more of a "zanguri", standing up look to it. Here are the pictures:

Hasn't been any action here for a while, so here is one. A 1943 Akihide. Bruce reminded me about canvas combat covers.

Textbook example of Ichijo during his "Warhol" period, as famous as he is I don''t feel he gets the full measure of respect he deserves. His work ranges from meticulous micro detail to conceptual "serial" art, a varied and facinating career. Fine piece Valery...Well done! -S-

Thats my feeling Stephen 😄 Did it say something or is it only "Kritzelkrakel"

Sad to see a sword die...