Leaderboard

Unfortunately this gojimei Tadayoshi appears to be gimei as well.

7 Mon is unusual enough 😂

信州古間住人久國作 – A resident of Furuma in Shinshu, Hisakuni made.

Have I posted this before ? If so I just don't recall any comments regarding the name which I quite honestly considered to be gimei/spurious when purchased in 2008. I once earlier had katana signed Tadayoshi with military leather covered civilian saya and was pretty pleased with myself until gently advised by my friend BaZZa that it was gimei. A bit deflating for the novice. The blade was what appealed, 21cm long, 1cm thick at its thickest at the habaki. I am unable to comment about the worthiness of the blade itself because I just wouldn't know. The simple shibuichi mounts and laquered saya are all in good order and that is also what appeals. I would welcome any comments and apologise if this is a reprise of an earlier posting. My wife who took the pics wondered if it isn't the early stage of memory collapse ? Roger j

Item No. 233 Iron Sukashi Tsuba 7.40 cm x 7.20 cm x 0.70 cm Subject of Hatchet and Plum Branch unsigned , Ono school , Momoyama period. All the above information taken from Early Japanese Sword Guards : Sukashi Tsuba - by Sasano , page no. 169 Can somebody please scan a copy of the relevant page and add it into the thread ? I have a copy but it is not a good one , so any help would be appreciated. The piece has a glossy , almost confident air and patina in dark brown. Acquired over 10 years ago from an Auction in New York. Provenance - Ex Clarence McKenzie Lewis Jr collection Published Sasano - Early Japanese Sword Guards

Early Kyu Gunto with Mon release button: https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/d1053682966

looks like a variation of this one http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/oshigata/kanenor2.jpg another example https://www.samuraimuseum.jp/shop/product/modern-Japanese-sword-shirasaya-katana-gendaitosigned-by-noshu-seki-jyu-kanenori/ 関 = Seki 住 = Ju 藤 = Fuji 原 = Wara 兼 = Kane 則 = Nori Is there additional stamping abouve the mekugi-ana (peg hole)? Possibly 濃州?

Chris, the sword is legitimate and as you & Bruce stated "overcleaned." Tom, the style of the 3 indicates this was a factory overstamp from 105187 to 105308 and not something done at a later date. For example, compare the style of the numbers between the sword above to the one at Type 95 NCO Shin Gunto. Not sure what is going on with the arsenal logo but it does not look like a doublestrike to me. Maybe @Stegel & @Shamsy will have a different "impression" of the logo.

Pretty sure this is signed 'Kanenori'

This guard is shaped very close to the original guard posted but it has not been cut down as far as I can tell - the inome outlines are as first made. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/403618712930 73mm in Diameter The other images are possible cut downs but not much direct evidence so a big question mark remains. Phoenix guard - ironic, second life as a sculpture. The 'full' guard from the Copenhagen museum is pretty close but not an exact match.

Hello,I have a couple of lacquer and metal jingasa with damage to the lacquer surface or the painted surface on metal,so with chips,cracks etc and areas below the lacquer/metal surface which are clearly visible.Visually I have no problem with this but even a small move makes chips fall off,I don't want to repair them but I would like to either spray a clear coating on to them or wrap in something similar to clearfilm.Is this acceptable without reducing the value and if it's acceptable is their a recommended product to use on my jingasa regards Andrew Freeston

Grey is amazing as usual

Hi Everyone, Hope this finds the membership healthy and doing well during these crazy times. As some of you know, I have recently launched a new website www.tosoguya.com, which is now listed in Commercial 2 tab in the Links page of NMB. This new website replaces my old Yamabushi Antiques site. It will take time to make it's way up through Google search, so I wanted to post an update here. Please take the time to check it out, and follow the site as it evolves. Thanks all! PS - if anyone spots errors, issues or has suggestions, kindly let me know. The bugs are still being worked out... Best Regards, Boris.

Hi Dan, Send me an email: gdoffin at gmail.com and I'll reply with the English table of contents attached. Grey

To summarize, the essential metalwork is all of one strand, (rings apart) with a flattened tang at one end, finished with yasurimé and one mekugi ana. The other end has been split into three strands which splay out and pull round to form an inner pagoda, cleverly sealed to show no seams. The inward point seems to emphasize that this is a purely defensive object. There are no sharp edges. The 8.7 cm wide ‘Tsuba’ is loose and rings brightly, but I liked the thought that the defensive role of a tsuba-like disc is emphasized, and being made of iron, in the right hands could ward off an attacking blade. The construction could well be by a country blacksmith, as Mail says above, but it does show overt elements of bugu weaponry transcending agricultural implements or typical Buddhist shakujō bronze work. If the finely-shaped concave disc was made by a Tōsho swordsmith, then maybe here indeed is an element of consciousness from the past that tsuba did once have a defensive role to perform.

Hi Nick, If the mei is right and there are no serious defects, a polish by a competent togishi is warranted, plus a paper also if you like. My 1st Nihonto, back in 1983 or 4 was a wakizashi by Mitsuhira; he did nice work. Here is the listing in Fujishiro. Grey

It also looks like the scabbard May have be renumbered to match. Tom

The results are in. Tokubetsu Hozon. Umetada. Well happy with the Tokubetsu Hozon result and the Umetada attribution was always at the top of the possibilities. The disappointment is that I think they should be Ko-Umetada. Oh well....we move on. Mark

Last year Showa22 outbidded me on a bare blade RJT gendaito that Komonjo had for sale. Komonjo told me after, that Showa22 often "scretly" buy him blades under several different accounts names to re-sale them after and make profit. (Different names but same shipping address so not hard to guess) Indeed. Less than 10 days after, the not anymore "bare blade RJT gendaito" was for sale at Showa22's, fully re-mounted in random Type 98 koshirae, blade fully horribly cleaned so was the freshly rubbed nakago. To be honest, it was an average RJT blade by an unrecorded RJT Seki smith KANEUE. I was sad not because I lost the auction but because I could not save this one.

Well maybe not a Buddhist item. I thought of the yamabushi, mostly 2 coils with 3 rings each (=6). and there are other ones for deeper reflection with 4 coils of 3 rings (=12). But no dish. Yours looks very rural and blacksmith made. I thought of a sort of rattle, like a cow bell. but still no idea.

It’s legit

Much clearer now. Looks like I mistook a right (右) for a left (左)... Small correction: 嶋田七郎右衛門尉源義助 = Shimada Shichirōuemon no Jō Minamoto Yoshisuke 享保三天玄楮 The same blade was discussed here on this board not so long ago.

I'm a noob, but researching and participating are how to learn, so here goes. I'm going to guess Kanabo Masatsugu.

Some kind of Buddhist ritual implement would be my guess? Reminds me of a Buddhist monk's staff a lot.

Thanks Georg. I'm about to go out of town, but had a quick look. I changed my mind on the length and now suspect that it was shortened. having a nagasa of 75 cm after shortening means it was likely quite long. Based on what looks like a high shinogi, and the hamon, I am going to guess Yamato Tegai. I'm not afraid of being spectacularly wrong! I hope you like the shinsa result that you got.

The second one is not so easy to decipher on these images. My best guess for the mei is: 嶋田七郎左衛門尉源義助 = Shimada Shichirōzaemon no Jō Minamoto Yoshisuke The date appears to start with: 享保三 = Kyōhō 3 (1718 CE)

To me it looks like the beginning of Muromachi (-1500) and either Tegai which brings forward but a few or just one "typical" name, or Naminohira.

Or when your wife serves you the divorce papers .. 🤷‍♂️🤪😜😁 J.

Possibly at death? Haven't tried that yet though.