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The cabinet made that was shown on the NMB by Richard P a few weeks ago was superb. This is for us lesser mortals so not in Richards league but a nice project I bought a coin cabinet that the draws were messed with and too small for tsuba so I needed to make all new draws. This was a cheap wat way to house a lot of tsuba Images in the order shown. 1 - The bought coin cabinet with 24 draws 2 - The amateur way the draws had been messed with 3 - Initial test with plywood but due to the large hole is distorted so I used MDF 4 - Shows the old draw and my modified draw. My friend had 0.56 stainless he gave me for the backing plate 5 - The original handles were chrome screws so I bought beads that were only drilled half way. I needed two diameters for the csk screws and this is how I aligned the holes 6 - The felt should have had the cuts to allow the felt to fit into the recess but it just got too fiddly so I just forced the felt into the recess 7 - The completed draw. I should have cut the felt slightly bigger than draw as when the felt was forced into the recess it pulled some of the felt away from the edge 8 - Stages of the draw build 9 - Finished cabinet that hold 98 tsuba It was a snug fit that would have been better if I used 8mm MDF rather than 9mm I tried to remove the last duplicated image but when I do it just comes back - what a pain!

Thank you Chris, I wish it was one of mine, I am doing a book on the Cleveland Museum of Art and using it to show how some of the designs were developed and more or less it is for beginners in the field. There is some detailed information but it doesn't target the experts [who really shouldn't need it after all !] I am sure when it is finished there will be criticism that I didn't mention this or that about the examples, what amuses me is that when someone does that - they don't need that information to start with do they? They already know it! I don't want to bombard people with page after page of detailed descriptions most of which can be directly seen in the images - nor do I personally like a heap of Japanese terms that must be explained into English anyway, why make a subject more difficult to start with? If it was going to be a technical book, that only 'experts' would appreciate I can't see much point to it. I will get off my soap box now. I do wish to thank you and the other members for all their help - now and in the past.

We need a pinned profile thread for all that missing nihonto.

The Obon Society is a group that tries to repatriate items taken from Japanese soldiers to their families back in Japan. They might be able to help. https://obonsociety.org/eng/ This particular tag is too far gone for me to give any meaningful input.

It is my understanding that most, if not all Japanese families, do not want to entertain any remembrance of that era. It was a sad time, and to many a shameful time. If the sword is indeed an older family heirloom, you might not cause any possible grief by attempting to return it. However, and I could be way out of line here so please use your own best judgement, but I fear you could do more damage than good by trying to find the owners family, and return the sword. Remember the Japanese culture is way different than the American culture, so please tread lightly. My .02 worth. Mark

Amazing how swords were considered so important and as a symbol, that an entire small village would fundraise to purchase a sword for a person going off to war.

Hello David, I'll give you the kanji (you already have most of it) and the readings. I'll put it in a way that might make translation easier for you The last 9 are a location name, and a name.

New members joining and immediately sending offers of swords to people via pm. Do NOT fall for it folks. Please let me know if you get any suspicious offers from unverified members. Ask them to prove their location or give you known Nihonto community members who can vouch for them. And DON'T trust email addresses that seem to be known. They can have an extra digit or something making them seem like a known email. Today we have someone new with the above activity. I am looking into it. IP address seems to go back to Nigeria, so not looking good. But please always be aware. I'll be taking this all the way to his ISP....South Africans know how to deal with Nigerian 419 scammers

Steve, Thanks for providing a link to the Obon Society. I have a Yosegaki Hinomaru flag that came to me with a group of swords when I did an estate buy. I've kept it because I didn't know what to do with it. I will be sending it off tomorrow with the hopes that the Obon Society can locate the family. Bob Gilmore Flag sent out Priority Mail this morning.

Hi, I didn't realized it was a kantei game. My answer was just a Gestalt guess. Anyway, I'm trying to rationalise: the theme expressed in ji-sukashi could be either Higo, Akasaka or Tosa-Myōchin. In a Higo piece I'd expect a more bold kebori, and sometime a more rich texture on plain surfaces. The Akasaka design is associated with sharp, broken lines (and dishomogeneous layered metal, wich I was unable to evaluate from the pictures). So Tosa-Myōchin, with its delicate kebori and sinuous sukashi (and homogeneous iron), should be the most likely candidate.

#1 post should have been removed from the gitgo. What a wast of space and time. All the mods must be in the retirement home n Boss not far off with his memory typing.

Steve, his family name was Taniguchi Kazue, he's listed in Markus Sesko's index of Japanese sword smiths as working in the Showa era, meaning WWII. He was a good enough smith to enter the 1941 exhibition which means he was making traditional blades. He is listed along with 67 other sword smiths who ranked in 5th place which was the rising swordsmiths category. Meaning he was an up and coming smith who didn't come in first, but neither did a lot of others who entered. That doesn't mean he wasn't a good smith, it just means there were others who did better. Don't go by the ranking in the 1941 exhibition, judge the sword for the quality YOU can see. You obviously liked it enough to buy it, but now you are too hung up on what other people might think. Look at it this way, in 1941 he was good enough to enter the competition and made a decent showing. There's nothing wrong with that.

Thank you, John.

Have had a look around for suitable old paintings, prints, etc. but they are not so common, and each does not quite fit the bill in some way. (It was an interesting discovery to realize that various varieties of Kuchinashi Mon/Kamon were in use back then.) PS This tsuba does grow on one…

I look forward to seeing the pictures when it returns. What we can see of the Hamon is intriguing. Eager to see it in full polish.

I was wondering how long it would take you to find that drawing and post it!

Hi Jason, I'd be very surprised if Aoi Art (Mr. Tsuruta) would knowingly sell a sword with a fake paper; I think you can safely assume that the paper is legit. You may disagree with the attribution on the paper but that's a different story. Grey

I think differentially hardening where done in every steel working culture as it could also happen by accident on the thinner edge.

But before we continue, I just want to say this is no contest nor a quiz, It is about sharing knowledge and a passion.

I still acquire fun finds though it gets harder every year, At shows I look under the dealers table, and every so often take a punt online. Most recently two complete East African spears of the type with iron ends and a wooden grip in the centre. Only one other bidder and they didn't realise how valuable these are now. Nicely forged and the heads as sharp as razors... What I had failed to comprehend was the length of the b'ggers when assembled

Thanks David - Less than two months away - we hope that everyone is getting excited... -t

the shinsa members were Takemura san, Matsumoto san, Nishioka san, Nagata san, and the last one I can't read, but I think it was me. Nagata and Matsumoto are the specialists for this kind of kabuto. (Orikasa is always very sceptical to date these kabuto muromachi, but that is his opinion).

Hi Richard, Just for interest was any info given on the tsuba? NBTHK or one of the others? Personally I think it is a great piece and anyone would be happy to have- pm if you want to be rid of it!!! Hahaha! As others have said good nanako and extremely well done dragons- great scales! Enjoy Mike.

Not bad at all. I would say On the occasion of enlistment upon the outbreak of the Great East Asia War, early spring. (My guess would be 1942?) Over 380 yen was collected through the sincere efforts of the townspeople of the hometown, and we hereby present this to you: Oura, Saga. Shōbu Michisaburō (could also be read as Dōsaburō).

Dear Pietro, this object is clearly a picture frame that is supposed to give the appearance of being made from a genuine tsuba. I agree with Dale that this piece only looks like a tsuba. The poor workmanship and the lack of seppadai suggest a fake, which was made for the western market to satisfy the hunger for Japanese antiques around the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century (as wonderful described by Geraint!). For comparison here are some pictures of another ´picture frame tsuba´ out of my own collection, which unfortunately was made from a nice Choshu tsuba. Sorry for the bad picture quality. I´ll do better when this one enters the for sale section All the best, Thomas

Kai Gunto, Bizen Kozori school Tachi. Owned by a IJN special landing forces Colonel with full provenance on Japanese & Australian sides. Note the saltwater crocodile leather cover, made in the field on Balikpapan.

Can be Nobukuni, though very many accept his Soshu peak as somewhat later. I am not sure about Sa school, I thought their mokume is very distinctively smaller in size and isolated, you have like a pack of mokume between really fine itame. Maybe others can correct me on this one.

Hey Kaz, like I said first up..I just dont know why you want to do that. But if you really want to play/experiment then buy something like this and go for your life! But give the real blades (whole blades in any condition regardless) a miss. Rob

Hello Miguel and welcome to the forum ! Did you get / request a discount after he sandpapered the sword ? Seriously, for me this would be a deal-breaker. He greatly reduced the sword value in the process. You would be entitled to ask for a discount.

Except that maybe some of us enjoy it. So maybe go back to being quiet.

Oh, my apologies, I should have said that this kind of exercise is irrelevant because it does not provide anything concrete and it is not the right way to learn.

Cosmoline sucks. Absolutely no benefit over most modern oils, and it is terrible stuff to remove.

Hello Kaz, Not outraged but I just dont know why you want to do that. Are you going to bury it in the backyard because you have to go away fair a couple of years ? Plenty of info on NMB site re 'normal' blade rust protection/prevention measures that will still allow you enjoy your sword over that 2 or 3 year period. Out of interest, could you post a picture or two of your "wooden handle Type 95" "Showato" Rob

Organize the flights for a Shinsa team, the hotel rooms and the venue, plus 100~200 members wishing to submit swords to Shinsa, and bring the mountain over to Muhammad.

I'm thinking Osaka school during the shinto period, maybe around 1700.

Dear Jason. So you have an ubu mumei katana with an extended kissaki. Tell us what you can see, the photographs don't do much good. What about any sign of yakidashi? What does the boshi do? What is the hamon and any activities you can see? How about the nakago, what can you see there? From your study what time periods would you expect to see a katana of that nagasa with an extended kissaki? Looking forward to seeing where this one goes. All the best.

The cow is fat and looks happy enough. In the past, Japanese cows were thin and had bones showing in their hips. The Cattle body condition score is below point 2or3.　 https://blog.goo.ne.jp/tsuba_001/e/f651c8fd65136e7690ba4e030eeba8f9

I think this one needs a little sanding to get rid of the gloss finish! https://www.jauce.com/auction/x785779529 that poor Ox must have slid off the seppa-dai, he needs to be put down, I hate to see animals suffer.