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Showing content with the highest reputation on 03/31/2021 in all areas

  1. My issue is that it is being sold on a Japanese web sales site, and being sold as genuine, and I don't "respect" that.
    4 points
  2. The blue and gold labels both have the same logo and name on them. Both labels have the name spelled from right to left. The labels can show up on either a scabbard or a scabbard cover. Both labels are overwritten or overstamped, either with a person's name or date stamp. 関 = Seki. 刃物 =Hamono = Cutlery. 工業 = Kōgyō = Manufacturers'. 組合 = Kumiai = Society. As far as I know, the association was established in 1931. 岐阜県関市における刃物産業の歴史的な発展過程
    4 points
  3. Haha, ok where is Godzilla! This one?
    3 points
  4. Always going to be dishonest people looking to make a buck. Dishonesty deserves no respect.
    3 points
  5. Have to agree with Brian on the interest front, plus many of us contributed big bucks to the project, and I think we are owed at least a progress report.
    3 points
  6. 昭和六十年 would be 1985
    3 points
  7. Its a totally made up modern piece of rubbish, using old cut down fittings. If you look the KUCHIGANE has a slot for a locking clip, where as the other fittings are off a koshirae with leather securing strap.
    2 points
  8. Monkey just list this NCO sword as a rare prototype https://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-PROTOTYPE-WWII-Japanese-Army-officers-samurai-sword-NCO-LEATHER-SCABBAR/114737295938 Actually, he just bought an NCO sword without a handle from eBay and put a handle on it, now he is trying to scam people. What a shame. Original sell https://www.ebay.com/itm/Imperial-Japan-Type-95-NCO-Gunto-sword-/393110215827
    1 point
  9. I have a few more fittings for sale. Feel free to ask any questions or for more images. Akasaka school - haze across the moon SOLD
    1 point
  10. Jakushi dragon v Godzilla!! Don't miss this action packed tsuba.
    1 point
  11. No problem Stephen - have fun!
    1 point
  12. You got to be kidding me....you are the top photo shop person!!!
    1 point
  13. I missed that point. A shame. Seems stupid, too. Japanese reading Japanese inscriptions on the nakago would see the 1985 date. I guess they're counting on non-Japanese buyers to get sucked in.
    1 point
  14. Looks very good Arthur. The horizontal holes are often high like that.
    1 point
  15. Try posting one shot of the entire bare blade, which will tell us the blade's age.
    1 point
  16. It looks very suspicious to me . Look at the almost new saya lining, binding and paint on the saya. On the other hand the fittings show age and as Bruce points out the seppa and tsuba come from a sword that had a retention strap .I would bet the woodwork underneath the fuchi is new as well. All put together I think, Ian Brooks
    1 point
  17. Pretty sure it was added. Gold labels are always on saya which for the most part black lacquer. The gold stamp is from sword shops. The blue from seki cuttlery co.
    1 point
  18. The concentric circles are the katakana characters セ and キ, one over the other. The セ is at the top and the キ is at the bottom. The kanji character in the middle is 工. This is more than likely the logo of 関刃物工業組合 [The Seki Cutlery Manufacturers' Society]. There is another logo that is similar and one can more clearly see the katakana characters over one another. Arsenal Stamps., Post #100 Edit: Post #4 partially answered the question.
    1 point
  19. 1 point
  20. No. You can report them to Youtube for copyright infringement and they will take them down. Go for it!
    1 point
  21. Dear Jason, You are being laudably responsible in becoming a Japanese sword collector. Good on you!. Please let me try to help you by asking you to think about plywood, - that is 1) a material made of a bunch of thin layers of wood. It can vary 2) based on the kinds of wood that were used, and 3) the ways they were attached. And 4) you have to remember that plywood always has two sides – the stripes and the flat. ( it is tempting to call those masame and itame, but it is a bit different) Beyond all that, you also have to realize that 5) plywood has been used in lots of different ways, by craftsman 6) in many different areas and styles. So what do you do when you find a great Eames chair that a used furniture dealer is selling as a “Plywood Seat”? Do you argue with her? Do you question your understandings and tastes? Or do you say, “I like it, but can you do any better?” The gokaden was a way of classifiying Japanese sword making procedures before 1250 or so. To begin with those procedures were routine and supported by rather narrow tool kits and local resources. Basically, they were like slightly different ways of making plywood. Then, by about 1400 or so, mixing and reorganization and increased demand had begun. And so, smiths in different AREAS developed differences. They used established techniques, but developed distinctive ways of making effective weapons – call them regional styles. Soldiers in those regions got used to those weapons, And so you get things like “Hokuriku style” That usage is like talking about a “Kentucky Rifle.” Then you have to understand that in Japan, you learn a skill by entering into a close relationship with a social superior. These situations can be called SCHOOLS because the boss teaches you how to operate and he exposes you to a narrow and specific set of 1) skills and 2) tools. This means what you learn is narrow and specific. It is about how to behave NOT how to innovate. After the late 1500s there was great persistence in several of these schools. They were all making plywood, but by that time the medium and the techniques had changed a great deal… Let me also speak to Kunikane. He claimed to be a descendent of Yamato smiths, but I can’t understand how that could have been. And furthermore I do NOT think there is a gene for blacksmithing. I think he was a GOOD smith who figured out how to do masame. He also seems to have been a good local citizen. He earned the support of rich guys in his hometown. And he started an enduring “school” that lasted like 14 generations in Sendai. The second Iyesada was a student of Kunikane, but the swords he made, and those by his son and grandson don’t look TO ME like the swords that Kunikane produced. Peter
    1 point
  22. Namako shaped plate (Muromachi or older) with later heianjo zogan of ginkgo leaves in custom fitted box with NBTHK hozon SOLD
    1 point
  23. Dear Bob, it is very refreshing to hear your honest opinion about “bones” in your various posts above. Too often I hear something like “experienced collectors should only collect old iron” or “no self-respecting Samurai Warrior would have a kinko (soft metal) tsuba.” I don’t know why (perhaps it is for the reasons that you indicated in your post above), but it seems that some of the Iron Guys feel the need to bully everyone into their way of thinking. Personally, I like both iron and kinko, and I believe that people should collect what they like (but they just shouldn’t be bullied or misled into it and they shouldn’t bully others). I also often hear “my Sword Sensei told me that real Samurai Warriors only used iron tsuba”. I want to respond, “was that the Sensei that told you to sweep the leg?” As Daniel learned, sometimes the Sensei is wrong... Occasionally, people need to study and think for themselves instead of relying on the often repeated BS. The idea that true Samurai Warriors only liked somber old iron is simply not true. In fact, the whole wabisabi somber, old iron aesthetic came from non-Samurai and non-Warriors like Sen no Rikyū, the famous tea master. He was a merchant and fishmonger. Later he was made a Buddhist priest, but he was never a Samurai or Warrior. The “ami” who regulated the import of Chinese art, literature and ideas (in the early times when the Samurai were coming to power in Japan) were not Samurai or Warriors either, but they governed the aesthetic including official tosogu and koshirae and tea ceremonies for mid and upper Samurai. The Shogun used these “art advisors” to help govern and control the Daimyo and Samurai under them by requiring the Samurai to expend great resources on old iron tsuba, tea bowls, etc. This was very much like the sankin-kōtai system (alternate residence system), which the Shogun used to keep the Daimyos under control. That system required them to spend a great deal of money to travel and change residences every other year (keeping them too poor to raise an army against the Shogun....) The bottom line is that true Samurai Warriors liked and used both iron and kinko tsuba, and irony is that the somber, old iron tsuba aesthetic came from merchants, tea masters and art advisors not Samurai or Warriors... As an aside, I have a Japanese friend in Tokyo who loves trains. He and his buddies get together once a quarter to talk about them. He tells me that one of the greatest possessions that members of his club have is a used iron electrical contact from the top of an electric subway car that is worn down from riding against the electrical supply cable. It’s basically a long iron bar with smooth groves in it. He says that members can talk for hours about those wear marks and almost get aroused when running their hands over the worn groves on that iron electrical contact.... That’s what I think about when I hear people going on and on about tekkotsu (bones) on tsuba...
    1 point
  24. Nothing unusual there. I am an edged weapons collector too, and collect firearms including antiques. I have hundreds of bayonets, hundreds of custom and collectible knives, small but decent collections of kukri, keris, fairbairn sykes, fighting knives...and then of course my swords. So I'm right there with you. Nothing wrong with having broad interests.
    1 point
  25. That's it! looks like they are done, no items for sale. I got one last item from them, there was still another two I was going to try get... wonder where they will end up now, maybe an auction house?
    1 point
  26. That's because he wants to get his grimy paws on it to butcher it for parts/tart it up. He thinks he can take advantage of people and make a buck (which he sadly accomplishes sometimes). So screw that guy.
    1 point
  27. I would also advise that once you have a kozuka/kogatana or two in your collection, you should save your money for your next step on your nihonto journey. I know because I wasted a lot of money on mediocre pieces just because I could afford them. I was trying to find treasure in the bargain basement, when I really should have been saving my money for a piece that helped me progress as a sword enthusiast.
    1 point
  28. His channel needs a healthy review bombing.
    1 point
  29. Bastard. I'd encourage anyone who has dealt with him to open a fraud case. I'll assist in any way.
    1 point
  30. I can add these photos to the sword. Very nice work.
    1 point
  31. Next ( No. 4 ) a commission piece by Komai Yoshitaka , for Ikebe Shigetsuna , dated April 1870 . This tsuba measures 8.2 x 7.9 cm and is decorated with clouds and dragon theme. NBTHK Hozon papers.
    1 point
  32. Dear Bob, Lovely Tsuba. As you may know, Masatsugu worked in the late 1700’s in Kyoto and the surrounding area (including at Fushimi - the famous Inari Shrine in Kyoto). Your Masatsugu is Haynes H04701.0 and matches the mei and kao in several books (including Sesko’s Signatures of Japanese Sword Fittings Artists - but it should match because it’s your Tsuba on the bottom right of page 227 - right?). In the late 1700’s in Japan, Ginkgo Leaves could have symbolized several different things: Fall, endurance, longevity or the Urasenke School of Tea Ceremony (it is their emblem). In the case of falling ginkgo leaves like those on your tsuba, endurance and longevity are not likely themes. While Fall is a possible motif, I believe that your tsuba was probably made for a Samurai who was a member of the Urasenke School of Tea Ceremony. I reach that conclusion because Masatsugu worked in and around Kyoto (near the headquarters of the Urasenke School), and because I have seen several tea ceremony articles related to Sekiō Sōshitsu (who was the 9th Master of Urasenke during the time your tsuba was made) with this kind of falling ginkgo leaves design (and this is the emblem of the Urasenke School). I love your idea for this thread and am looking forward to seeing more of your collection. The following are a couple of photos of tea utensils with falling ginkgo leaves (not necessarily related to Urasenke or Sekiō Sōshitsu) (by the way, one of the Sumo hairstyles is a Chonmage that symbolizes a ginkgo leaf, but I don't think your tsuba symbolizes tumbling Sumo Players...)
    1 point
  33. Hello, my granddad bought this sword decades ago on a touristic visit to Japan at a market. I remember it when i was younger, we used to play with it and cut objects with it, that's why the Koshirae is ruined and also the blade had to endure a sharpening attempt by my younger brother. Can someone of you give me a very rough estimation what this thing is about? My granddad plans to sell it on the internet, but i told him i would like to check it first. I suppose strongly it's a purely massproduced piece for selling to tourists (he bought it in the 70s), but as i myself have not the slightest idea, it would help me a lot if anyone could tell me his quick opinion. At the moment i can't get the handle off the piece, but i think it won't be neccessary anymore after your first feedback. I hope you don't see it as an offense to be confronted with such a piece, but i have simply no clue at all & I assume it takes a quick look for you experts. I think for someone with knowledge, already the used materials can give hints. Cheer and thanks Bert
    1 point
  34. Hello NMB I have a early Edo katana forsale in poor polish but otherwise in decent shape. No chips or nicks in the cutting edge or the blade alike 39 inches in total length with a 27 inch cutting edge I think this would make a perfect starter blade and definitely Worthy of a polish in my opinion. SOLD
    1 point
  35. Just wondering if this is a real signature or gimi.
    1 point
  36. Thank you for that quick and easy.
    1 point
  37. Thank you all for your kind and interesting feedback so far
    1 point
  38. ok, i'll try to get it off somehow. It was professionally locked with an old rusty nale which was bent and hammered into the hilt (also performed by my younger brother). To me the scabbard looks strange. I'm not sure if it is just plastic or some kind of lacquer. How does the tsuba look to you? The material of the metal on the blade, i think it's called habaki looks like copper or brass.
    1 point
  39. Hello NMB members just testing waters on my beautiful gendatio traditionally made signed Kanetsugu. Beautiful choji crab claws hamon ko Mokume tight hada, has a few scratches here and there and a spot with some dried grease no fatal flaws or anything that wouldn't clean off or polish out beautiful Nihonto comes with nice katana bag made in Japan of course. 3000$ firm because a portion will be donated to NMB+ shipping.
    1 point
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