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  1. I have displayed my swords for years with a proper coat of oil in this cabinet that has an electric rod often used in gun safes that heats the air slightly and as it circulates in the cabinet it reduces the humidity. Never had any problems with rust and as I like to see my blades on display it has served me well for a long time. https://www.lockdown.com/products/moisture-control/dehumidifier-rods/golden-rod-dehumidifier-rod/725721.html
    6 points
  2. With the understanding that I haven't seen the sword in hand (it may be wonderful) and also, since I do sell swords, I have a dog in this fight, I think you can do better for the money. 4,500 GBP is about US$6,150; I would expect something more exciting than unsigned Jumyo in shirasaya with a paper for that amount. Grey
    6 points
  3. Well, be careful. Not all is chikei. Some is merely laminations ie mokume or itame. The chikei would be accumulations of nie mostly and be dark but shiny
    3 points
  4. On the left is Myochin Munekane (明珍宗周), on the right is Echizen ju Kinai saku (越前住記内作)
    3 points
  5. I never saw a picture of a navy nco with a sword. Anyone knows one?
    3 points
  6. I thought I would share this legitimate Generals sword with the board. It came from the Son of an army vet who was a part of the early occupation. The son told me his father traded an elderly Japanese general a 10 lbs sack of sugar for it. He didn't know the tassel denoted the rank until I told him. Enjoy! Bill Rannow Mpls, MN
    2 points
  7. Hi guys, I haven't posted here for a while; thought I should stir the pot. I just listed a lovely signed and papered katana with itomaki no dachi koshirae: all of it in excellent condition. https://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/swords/q642-signed-papered-katana-itomaki-no-dachi-koshirae I know there have been newer collectors here on NMB asking about possible purchases. They could do a whole lot worse than this one. And as long as I'm tooting my horn, I don't understand why I still own this Hojoji Kunimasa katana: https://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/swords/q404-long-katana-hojoji-kunimasa Give it a look. Cheers, Grey
    2 points
  8. Not very good at this, but maybe 'Sukegawa Sadamitsu'? Is this a non-traditional blade?
    2 points
  9. The 2nd picture shows a IJA 2nd Lieutenant with a Shin Gunto, the Tsuba is non-regulation. The wikipedia entry for IJA ranks is very handy, as it gives the rank in Kanji: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranks_of_the_Imperial_Japanese_Army
    2 points
  10. Paz - From experience: Yes, it goes through PF in Coventry. You can't collect from there. It normally takes about 3 weeks from Japan via EMS, PF, Customs and back to PF, but it'll probably be a few days longer over Christmas / New Year. Wait until the PF tracking status changes to "In delivery depot" and the location shows your local depot. You then wait a week or so to get the letter with the customs charge, but in practice, you can ring your local depot and ask if you can pay the charge over the phone. This takes a week off waiting for the letter and they'll schedule it for delivery the next day (note - it costs an extra tenner if you want Saturday delivery). Its a waste of time contacting PF "Customer Service" if the tracking shows as "Awaiting customs clearance". You will learn the virtue of patience when dealing with PF & Customs Cheers, Jon P.S. I'll respond to your PM this eve
    2 points
  11. Wow...you guys are downers. The value is in the sword anyways, and the tassel. Bill is just sharing it with us, not trying to sell it to anyone here. Bill, thanks for sharing. Feel free to tell us more about the blade too.
    2 points
  12. I'd echo what Grey and Brian have said. Unsigned and/ or shortened shinto and shin shinto blades aren't that desireable to collectors and you may well find that you won't get back what you paid for this if or when you decide to move it on. For me it looks like it might be machi okuri but that might be my eyes, however, this would mark it down for me. There are many swords out there and you are looking at spending relatively decent money. I'd hang fire for a while and get a better feel for the market before diving in - don't be afraid of missing out. Keep an eye on the sales section on here as reasonably priced good quality items pop up fairly regularly.
    2 points
  13. And another one that I ran into by accident over at SFI, it appears to be the plain version that I associate with Chinese use. Japanese samurai sword ???
    2 points
  14. Can anyone give a translation on these two guards? Thanks in advance.
    1 point
  15. For Hidari Mutsu Kaneyasu it was, yes. https://www.aoijapan.net/katana-mutsu-kami-kaneyasu-hidari-mutsu/
    1 point
  16. With the sums involved, I just hope everyone makes sure their wives don't think they're keeping a secret second family.
    1 point
  17. I feel like we have some firm believers of "Its easier to ask for forgiveness than permission" here.
    1 point
  18. Bishu Osafune Suke …can’t see the last one clearly enough. Not “sada” though.
    1 point
  19. It is a 24th series and the 8th one reported to date. The observed 24th series range from ウ-20 to ウ-593. In addition, it is an army contract blade prior to the change in markings to 満鐵鍛造之. Above the 昭和壬午春 date, one can see the "M" partial inspection mark. One will also more than likely find a 東 stamped on the kabutogane.
    1 point
  20. Paz - I think the best you can say is there may be some relation - given the quality of what we can see, it may (and its a big IF) it may have been someone who served the family that used this mon. Over two hundred and fifty years there would have been dozens of branch families and retainer families given permission to use the mon - sometimes it is on "parade" items used for sankin kotai - seriously without other corroborating information it is just a nice mon... -t
    1 point
  21. It's Brian's display which intrigued me.
    1 point
  22. @Bruce Pennington Bruce One more 昭和壬午春(1942 Spring) 興亞一心 滿鐵謹作 ウ(U)四一四 414
    1 point
  23. It has an interesting mon, too! Unusual for a kaigunto. To your question on the haikan, I've seen both single and double, I have a single one myself. It's undated, but I believe it to be late-war, with the single haikan and canvas ito. Personally, there's no way to know whether this was a piece-together item or a late-war kaigunto. My gut says piece-togther, with the army fuchi, bright finish to the naval fittings, and mixed tsuba/seppa parts.
    1 point
  24. Sorry, I forgot to say that collection from the local depot is possible (Cambs in my case), but they told me I couldn't collect from the National Hub (Coventry). To be fair to PF though, after clearing customs, my last purchase was at the local delivery depot in less than 12 hours, so not worth the trip(for me) even if I could have collected from Coventry. Yes indeed! Whenever going to the Parcelforce Depot (or the Tax office), I always make sure my phone is charged-up and that I have coffee available, so I can wile away the hours! Jon
    1 point
  25. I have dealt with Parcelforce numerous times. Sometimes something gets stuck in there, sometimes the postal slip gets delivered to a neighbour (who does not know me or has no idea how to give me the slip or just cannot be bothered to do so), etc. My recommendation is to be pro-active and keep checking with the overseas (EMS, UPS etc) reference number, which the Parcelforce online checker tool will convert automatically to the UK Parcelforce reference. If you notice in the online history tracker that your parcel has been stuck in there (eg Coventry hub or London depot, etc) for longer than 3-5 business days, I suggest you either telephone them (034485522427 or 03448004466; cannot remember which one worked for me) and clear the payment on the phone or email them (pfw-ccb@parcelforce.co.uk) to accelerate the clearance through the customs bonded warehouse. Sometimes, it might help to speak with a local depot (for me this was the London S East on 03442096101). Always be pro-active: when requesting seller / sender to document items (both inside and outside the parcel, with the correct codes, with the appropriate description, with as full documentation in English as possible even if this means translating the Hozon certificate, etc) and also when dealing with Customs or Parcelforce. Do not rely on others to do the job properly and always double check everything. If you are too eager or the item - too precious, yes you can go and collect the item in person. Note: the hubs do not accept cash payments. If you are there on the spot, you could pay the fee using their card reader. When the card reader does not work (happened to me once), they ask you to call a line or speak with a colleague of theirs upstairs (using the telephone lines mentioned above, etc) and you clear the payment on the phone, then hang around in a small unsightly cold waiting room while they potter around doing their jobs behind the bulletproof screen, you and need to remind them to check their screens the item has cleared. Once, it took me 45 minutes to an hour of just hanging around there due to faulty card readers even though there were only 2-3 customers there.
    1 point
  26. Chris the figure in the first picture is not real.....its the Samurai Monkey But seriously, it could be an officer in SNLF or IJN The second picture/figure has rank badge of either 2nd Lieutenant or Corporal (very similar in black and white picture). But if you take the sword & tassel into account, he would be a corporal in the IJA. Not IJN. I scoured the web for hours today looking for any signs of grey 95's and also any naval NCO's with swords.....no luck with either.
    1 point
  27. Mark I maintain approximately 45-50% humidity and temperature of 20-25 degrees. In line with the NBTHK. No need for multiple dehumidifiers - just the one, where my swords are. Now when the radiator comes on due to winter coldness, humidity drops to 35-40% sometimes but that is when it becomes too hot, so I try to control for that by reducing temperature.
    1 point
  28. Always great to see Brians display. Just a few things ive learned you may already be aware of. Dont display swords near an outside wall or radiator. Dont display swords above which is a boiler, in my experience seen too many spring a leak. When you go on holiday move your swords upstairs and turn the water off at the mains (witnessed a disaster once), preferably leave them in a locked gun cabinet (get them cheap on ebay) Move them out of the way if any friends or family visiting. Lastly, dont buy any blade that shows any sign of spider rust.
    1 point
  29. This is the most recent tome on the topic and the author posts from time to time over at WRF and GBF. Rikusentai: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Japanese Naval Landing Forces 1927-1945
    1 point
  30. 三条粟田口景光 - Sanjo Awataguchi Kagemitsu
    1 point
  31. P.P.P.S. yet again, Hakutaku is also used for a different beast which has the body of an ox, a human face and three additional eyes on each flank: https://www.rosemarybandini.com/articles/kudan-versus-hakutaku/
    1 point
  32. It doses like island made sword, but the hanger is different than all the other island made swords. It could like Fuller says "Indian or native made wartime copy sold to allied troops".I never saw any photo of Navy NCO carrying a Type 95 sword, anyone?
    1 point
  33. The "Kirin" entry of Joly's "Legend in Japanese Art" (see this link) includes a list of mythical horned beasts. I would say that the Hakutaku is the one whose attributes most closely match those on Bob's beast: P.S. here is the description of the netsuke above from the catalogue of a 2017 auction at Van Ham (it fetched 24510 EUR including buyer fee): P.P.S. here is a painting where a similar beast is indeed tagged 白澤 (Bai Ze or Hakutaku):
    1 point
  34. I agree with Chris. I know F&G mention it and say this is reputed to be a naval NCO sword, but it looks awfully like an island sword. The fact they note that tells me they thought that likely too. Edit to add the later update from F&G regarding the 'Naval NCO' sword @BANGBANGSAN
    1 point
  35. There are many varieties of unicorns in Japanese/Chinese mythology. The flames from the sides (circled in red in the picture below) and the "moustache" (circled in green) on the animal in Bob's tsuba don't seem to match the depictions of the Komainu that you posted: In fact, the sacred flames are a classical attribute of the Kirin, and the moustache also happens (pictures from the Wiki article linked above): You can also see that the pronged horn is not unusual. OTOH, as I wrote above, a Kirin is supposed to have hooved feet. Perhaps the maker of Bob's tsuba combined the attributes of different mythical beasts.
    1 point
  36. OK, one last try... Item 181 is a komainu - see photos below and compare to Bob's tsuba... Note the similar two pronged horn in the one photo (also same claws, face, teeth, tail, legs, etc. etc.) Bob's Tsuba: Komainu (see two pronged horn?) and Shishi: Another Komainu (single pronged horn in this case, but it doesn't matter - see claws, tail, face, etc.):
    1 point
  37. I found this Type 97 sword made by 伊奈波 interesting as it has a sideways facing anchor stamp and small 伊. Yet both are facing in different directions! Type 97 Naval Kai-gunto
    1 point
  38. Many thanks for the advice. I think most of the small kizu I would accept due to the age of the blade. The one below the Hamon line was the biggest concern. I had to make a decision today on this blade and I have decided to pass on it. It wasn't just the kizu but also the attribution and a few of the things that have come out in the course of this thread. I have told them that if they decide to send it to the NBTHK, I would be interested in the result and may change my mind in the future. At where I am in this hobby, I want to have more certainty of what I am buying and there were just too many question marks with this one. Thanks and much appreciation to everyone who offered their advice to me. I may not have gone through with this but I have learned a lot in the process. All the best, John
    1 point
  39. I thought @george trotter, @Bazza, @mecox, & other forumites, would appreciate and enjoy reading this partial summary written by Nick about the book 軍刀組合始末: 陸軍受命刀匠の周辺. Rikugun Jumei Tosho (RJT) Star Stamped Blades - Documentation?, Post #45
    1 point
  40. Before you do anything read just one book, take you a day or two Enlightenment. The Samurai Sword: A Handbook: Amazon.co.uk: John M. Yumoto, T.C. Ford: 9784805309575: Books Nothing worse than buyers remorse.
    1 point
  41. There is no one perfect book on the subject, although some do offer a few family names for each Mon. There are several internet sites too of varying helpfulness. Once you get a handful of possible family names, you can then look each of them up, in old and new printed/internet sources to narrow the field and try to find a close and/likely match. Say for example your Mon book says the Ishikawa family used this Mon (or a variety of it) then in order to to double-check that, you can use J. Wiki under ‘Ishikawa’ to see what they say. Or an old 武鑑 Bukan covering the likely time period. Often they do not actually correspond. It’s a labo(u)r of love in a massive spiderweb. ❤️
    1 point
  42. The first appears to be signed Kii no kuni Yasutsuna. https://nihontoclub.com/smiths/YAS997
    1 point
  43. I didn't realize the menuki were that large. I considered bidding on them myself, but am fighting with myself to save up money for another purchase later this year. Doc Kyle's writeup is spot-on. My first thought was Ezo, but the longer I look at them the more I agree with Edo revival. --Still, nice posts on the backside point towards older. Nice set.
    1 point
  44. That's a such a multi-faceted question, Paz, that it is hard to know where to begin. A Mon or Kamon shows close or distant allegiance/affiliation/association with a particular clan or family, used with permission, (but in later centuries increasingly without permission from anyone). It is rare that a Mon alone can be used to pin down anything historically, but in some cases it is clear from the rest of the circumstantial evidence that it can be the final authenticating piece within an overall package. On average I find that the presence of a finely executed Mon adds a touch of cachet, a dash of romance, (I hate to use the debased word 'class'), like the cherry on a cake. PS Just noticed another mini question in there. Old blades are very rarely found in their original Koshirae. The number of mekugi holes in the nakago will give you an indication of how often the koshirae was changed. If it's a good blade that has been passed down between or within illustrious families, it could be that in a time of opulence the owner has decided to fit it with a splendid-looking koshirae, studded with family crests (Kamon). Generally such a blade and package will fetch top dollar today.
    1 point
  45. Perhaps less obvious is the change in appearance of a blade. When newly made and given its first polish, the smith would examine it for defects before passing it to its first owner. What they saw would be lost after the next polish which cut away the original surface. Subsequent polishes would gradually reveal what had initially been the interior of the blade. In other words when we gaze in admiration at the activity in a koto blade, it is a bit sobering to think that we, and the last polisher, are the only people who have seen that incarnation of the blade that probably differs considerably from what its maker saw. Ian Bottomley
    1 point
  46. I would like to thank Mark for taking the time to meet with me, teach me more about the sword, and provide me more knowledge about what I have in my possession. I would agree with what Mark stated about this sword and have taken necessary steps to try an preserve it the best I can at this time.
    1 point
  47. I have looked at Andy's sword and hopefully helped him out some...... My impression is: Blade appears Muromachi, it is signed katana mei not tachi mei but we could see that from the pictures. The blade looks to be medium quality, i don't see any visible fatal flaws, there are some small carbon inclusions and/or small pits or ware', some nicks (polish should take out), some coarse hada (maybe core steel), habaki was tight and i didn't want to damage it so left it as is so didn't see the machi. I think it was originally signed Fujishima_______ and the smiths name has been lost. All in all the blade is an honest Koto sword, not a treasure but not junk, just mediocre. The tsuka and saya were redone probably Meiji for export (sale to foreigners), you can see the 2 hangers were not original, they were added to the saya. The tsuba is ok, nothing special my guess is Meiji, same for fuchi kashira and menuki. The hangers have dragons (one is missing on one side) and Tigers (the tigers seem to be maybe tobacco pouch ornaments, the dragons look like they were made as part of the hanger but they must of been added as you can see the spot where the missing one was attached). Probably the sword had samurai mounts and then they were tarted up in Meiji. I gave some suggestions about how to care for the sword and preserve the koshirae as it will deteriorate if left as is or mishandled. He will probably post his thoughts.
    1 point
  48. Hi guys I have this one by Bishu Ju Hisayama Suketaka Saku February 1865 cheers Glenn
    1 point
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