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Showing content with the highest reputation on 06/29/2022 in all areas

  1. In early 1980" I bought this katana through a Military Sword dealer in Canada from a collector in Quebec. The sword is not papered and unsigned but has been attributed to Akaska Senjuin Schoool in Yamato tradition from 1500's . It was in excellent polish and the mounts were as much an attraction as the sword itself which made me think that it was at some point very special to someone. The Tsuba is dragon design signed by Kinai of Echizen, the Fuchi/Koshira is of Omari waves signed by Tsurhide 1800's and the Menuki are Shakudo dragons with gold eyes. The white lacing and the whole package was just perfect and it is still one of my favourite blades and the only one from back in the day I still own. Many others have come and gone and many are more expensive that this was and I am getting too old to bother getting papers for it but one of these days someone is going to get a bargain and for them send it for shinsa. I am sure both the mounts and the blade would be given a high rating.
    4 points
  2. Hello Tlognaws You may find this film of the making of Tomei style millet of interest, the millet work itself begins at 7:40
    4 points
  3. I have known Edokko for about 20 years and I can vouch for his statement about Dawson's book as I was involved as well. I can even remember calling Edokko about what the correct rōmaji ローマ字 spelling was for 九五式軍刀, as it was misspelled in the Type 95 chapter, which was initially one chapter but was later split into two chapters. His forum name of Edokko 江戸っ子 means someone born and raised in Tōkyō, usually going back for a few generations as well. 江戸っ子 Edokko
    4 points
  4. As to the authenticity of your menuki I'd say they are fairly convincing but to be super critical perhaps just a little messy in the way the individual grains have significant metal 'smooshed' between them. On that point alone I'd be hesitant. A decent example none the less.
    3 points
  5. Nagoya Arsenal switched to wooden scabbards along with simplified fittings starting in 1944. The Atsuta Factory & Military Swords
    3 points
  6. Dear NMB fellowship, I have just acquired this beautiful maru gata tsuba from a dealer in Japan. The material is Shibuichi (alloy of copper and silver), and it has a deep silver grey patina. The drawing could be of Ri Tekkai, one of the eight Taoist immortals. Spec: 70 x 66 mm Mei and Kao is apparently identical (as far as I can tell) to the great Nara artist, Sugiura Joi. Both design, the used materials, and the carving is very close to other pieces by that famous artist that I have seen. But that name has been used as gemei quite a few times, and I have read that he was not known to have made that many tsuba during his lifetime. So - I would again both enjoy and appreciate any comments, reflections or knowledge you may have on the subject of this tsuba: mei / gemei? design / carving or possibly it’s history (if seen before) Best regards Soren
    2 points
  7. Thus one was pointed out to me by Kiipu and first appeared on Warrelics. It's a little different again, mostly in that some of the stamps and serial numbers are upsidedown and a unique combination.
    2 points
  8. It is good to see the name Ford Hallam once again including of course his contribution. Roger j
    2 points
  9. If you're interested in understanding more about nanako and its obvious connection to the millet technique this three part series on nanako might be useful too. In part three I discuss a nanako punch that has a hexagonal outer form, which you can see traces of on your example.
    2 points
  10. I've not seen a signature split like that before but I can see the reason for it. Late Edo at the earliest sounds about right. How would a seppa sit onto that design? (Nice design by the way) Could the Mei be 定平 Sadahira (or 次平 Tsuguhira), I wonder?
    2 points
  11. At very best it is a so called "Island sword" made during the war for indigenous troops under Japanese control, at worst an outright chinese fake.
    2 points
  12. Dawid, there is no such thing as an "original WWII TANTO". What troops could it have been made for? Instead, this is a non-Japanese weapon, made quite recently. The TSUKA-ITO is dead wrong (material and wrapping technique) as is the rest. Sorry for you if you bought it!
    2 points
  13. No, lots of gunto have real ray skin. Some have reptile skin which I consider more unique. On a side note, your tsuka appears to be reinforced with steel sheet? Is that so, or just the photos? I can't really make out any Samegawa?
    2 points
  14. Long before I had contact with any other nihonto collector and when the only source of information I had access to was Basil Robinson's 'Arts of the Japanese Sword', I was faced with acquiring swords whose fittings ignorant pervious owners had polished bright. I had absolutely no idea how these items were patinated originally, but because I worked in a chemical laboratory at the time, I was in a position to experiment on ways to restore the colouring. I found it relatively easy to re-colour shibuichi and shakudo by de-greasing the part with alcohol and then hanging it on a cotton thread in a cold solution of copper sulphate and bringing it up to the boil. After colouring I would wash the parts in distilled water before drying them. This worked reasonably well on those two alloys but had the unfortunate effect of turning any copper a bright pink! Curiously I also found I had to use a fresh copper sulphate solution each time as it failed to have any effect once it had been boiled. I post this simply as an interesting historic account of the weird and wonderful ways we early collectors resorted to, and certainly do NOT recommend anyone trying it today. Ian Bottomley
    2 points
  15. Hello again from the UK. Please can I ask for your help on this one? It’s another typical UK piece that has “had a life”. A few running repairs eg to tsuka Ito etc but it’s quite a pretty little thing with its shakudo Omori style mounts and crane lacquered saya. As usual, not in polish but at least mostly visible. My feeling is Koto…..brutal suriage, hamachi lost through many polishes. Still elegant with fairly coarse o-hada, masses of ko nie and ji nie, full length suguha muneyaki also nie laden. Not much (visible) activity actually within the hamon which is still very healthy and nowhere near dropping off. The ji is very dark in colour.The images have been photoshopped to try and show the details. Nagasa 22.5 cm (overall 31.5 cm) motohaba 2.2 cm motokasane 5.36mm (very slim) nakago kasane 6.16mm at widest
    1 point
  16. Tsukurō and Kujūrō seem to be common ways to read 九十郎 This is one style of Kunitomo long gun that was popular in the Edo Period, with that decorative lock plate. The flat butt cut-off suggests there may be some connection with Tazuké Ryū school of gunnery, but the rest of the gun does not really support that. Someone else posted a similar one recently. There must be a story behind these that needs investigating.
    1 point
  17. I forgot to mention, the hamon, particularly in the later half of the sword while not identical on both sides is quite similar: the gunome salvos for instance will happen at the same location with the peaks/valleys on both sides being located the same spot.
    1 point
  18. Brutally shortened. Otherwise looks like late Muromachi Mino.
    1 point
  19. Goshu Kunitomo Kyujiro Masakazu?
    1 point
  20. G'day David, The masame is more obvious in this photo. Cheers, Bryce
    1 point
  21. Bruce, I don't think that would make it Japanese. I have the impression that the MACHI of the blade are not on the same level, but to be sure, we would have to see the naked blade.
    1 point
  22. Dear All. Iwonder if the image of the jar is not a sake jar and the strange joiner not a gourd? If that is the case then perhaps the design references this. https://lordsofthedrinks.wordpress.com/2018/01/28/the-Japanese-folk-tale-of-the-sacred-white-sake/ Seems a pleasant fancy if not the right answer. All the best.
    1 point
  23. Hi all, hope you're doing well. I have just got this menuki in the form of Tomei millet motif. I know there are tons of Araki counterfeits out there, so it's not easy to get an authentic one with no paper. Since i have never seen a Tomei's work in hand, so it's quite difficult for me to tell if this one is a good piece or not. It would be my pleasure to have any educated opinion on it. I'm also grateful if there's any document about Tomei's millet technique that you can share. I'm newbie here and have willing to learn from you all. Cheers!
    1 point
  24. Here is an oshigata of Tsukamoto Kazuyuki from the 3rd Sword Exhib. of 1938. This rubbing came from an original sword magazine, kindly sent by Morita san. Hope this helps.
    1 point
  25. Dear Tlongnaws. Welcome to NMB. There is a thread here that might help. All the best.
    1 point
  26. Bryce, I don't believe this to be "Pure Masame", as the Jihada is Ko Itame. I believe what you see as Masame, is actually Hataraki.
    1 point
  27. G'day Guys, I found an example on the net that is pure masame like mine, but still has the "Soshu Kamakura Masamune" hakogaki on the box. This confirms that this description really is a marketing "catch-all" for any blade that isn't done in ayasugi. Cheers, Bryce
    1 point
  28. [One drop missing from the last image from John B above.] Damon you might pick up the difference two little drops of water can make to the 'pot' design. From a sold lot - https://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/holbrook-tsuba/h272-akao-school# Described as Akao school This design is certainly popular - https://www.christies.com/lot/a-round-iron-kyo-shoami-tsuba-edo-period-5618009/?intObjectID=5618009&lid=1 and back to the full drops on this Christies auction piece. Described as Kyo-Shoami school. So it looks like the design had its own little changes depending on the artist.
    1 point
  29. 1 point
  30. Thank you for the extra links, Thomas. A bile thrown from both sides, but I liked and will copy the words in post #82 here as they seem most respectful, IMHO provide the most likely alternative scenario to a full-blown bubba and the author speaks with some authority on traditional swords, which I am sorely deficient in. From Edokko on Gunboards.com - Post #82 "I had just been made aware of this thread about the Masatsugu in T-95 mounts, and it’s an extremely interesting read to say the least ! I don’t see any issue with the description that the seller listed on his auction as he has mentioned clearly that the analysis of the sword is his own and not guaranteed, hence all bidder has been notified that the claim of originality and rarity is just an opinion of the seller. Therefore, as such, potential buyers should formulate his own assessment of the rig to place a bid value to it. Besides, it was a dollar starting auction, and who could fault that ! Having said that, here is my “opinion” and nothing more nothing less, “opinion”. This set up was probably created post war, but since the workmanship of the fitting is pretty good, I might make a guess that the slap together was done using un-issued T-95 mounting parts (hence unnumbered koikuchu) over a shirasaya’d Ki Masatsugu by a Japanese mounting craftsman under order of occupying souveniring GIs, or was created by the craftsman to sell as a souvenir to said GIs. The issue here is that Ki Masatsugu was an extremely highly regarded smith, of an IJA Jumei ranking with a second from the top highest being “Kihin Jo-I (distinguished in the highest), and his swords were “Sai-jo Oo-waza (top class quality)”, this being in the same ranking with smiths such as Gassan Sadamitsu. The only level higher than that were given to the likes of Gassan Sadakatsu, and Masatsugu’s dad Ki Masayuki (these smiths were ranked as “distinguished in the divine)”. A high level sword like Masatsugu’s cost a LOT of money back then, and no officer in his right mind let alone who could afford such a blade would force it on to a lousy lowly NCO T-95 mount like this. Moreover, as some of the posters here have mentioned, the lack of a Habaki is an absolutely fatal flaw as far as correct sword mounting is concerned, and no good sword fitter or an officer would let an expensive blade like a Ki Masatsugu be mounted without a habaki. A Habaki is one of most important of all components out of koshirae parts, even the tsuba and tsuka is considered secondary to the habaki as far as the functionality of the mounted sword is concerned, and this is just the way it is traditionally with Japanese swords, no exceptions. I have read the argument about navy dirks, parade sabers and Meiji era souvenir junk swords made without the habaki, but that argument will not hold water, as habaki-less dirks and sabers are originally derived from western designs and does not follow the Japanese sword design tradition to require habakis, and of course Meiji junk souvenir swords were…. exactly that, junk. The two T-95 mounted Masatsugus presented were dated April and June on 1945, both very very late in the war, but as you can see from the original peg-hole position, they were not made to fit the dual-ana Type 3 mounts, and were made to fit ordinary non-gunto mounts or perhaps a Type 98 mount but which were already obsoleted by then as far as military mount standards were concerned. So my guess is that both these blades were made late war by Masatsugu as perhaps by order of some sword dealer or wealthy individuals and placed in a shirasaya to be mounted on a newly made koshirae in the future when a wealthy customer would come around for a purchase order, which probably never happened as the war came to an end soon after and all hell broke loose as far as sword business was concerned. Then comes the occupying force, every allied officer and GI thirsty for a nice souvenir, so ok let’s slap together these Masatsugus (which no one in Japan can afford or wants anymore) with these junky T-95 spare parts mount components, and sell ‘em to the GIs to make them happy. Habaki wont fit ? lose it then, no matter, them GIs wouldn’t care nor will know the significance anyways ! (says the enterprising post war Japanese sword seller). Of course this is all pure conjecture on my part. In regards to paratrooper spec question. Regardless of what some long time collector may have claimed, so far I have not seen anywhere in original documentation where T-95 mounts were used specifically for IJA paratroopers. Of course if the paratroop was an NCO, he might have carried a T-95 on board, but that just about as much as it would go in terms of a paratroop connection. I’ve seen photos of IJA paratroopers with swords, and they carry whatever they had, not restricted to T-95 mounts." Please be aware the discussion goes on, but this reply at least I think we should capture here for posterity. What comes before and after is less pleasant to read.
    1 point
  31. I believe the smith is Okimitsu and date 1943 - 隠岐国住沖光作 / 昭和十八年二月日
    1 point
  32. You could be right Mario. Maybe someone who knows more about civil fittings, like @Dave R or @PNSSHOGUN, can say if this one is a civil saya.
    1 point
  33. "Machine made" is shorthand for "non-traditionally made" - ALL WWII blades were made by men, using various tools. The most mechanized were the NCO Type 95s. I am not the right person to answer your question, so hopefully someone with that skill will answer. I have never seen a non-traditional blade with such a pattern, however this blade could have been made with all the same procedures as traditional blades, but if it was simply quenched in oil, rather than water, it would not receive the "traditional" title.
    1 point
  34. Hello all! I guess this question would be directed to an administrator. I noticed that when I move my cursor over a person’s “logo” it states their “posts” and “reputation”. I am aware of what the “posts” means. But how is that person’s “reputation” calculated?? Thanks. With respect, Dan
    1 point
  35. Dan, I think you will find that most of us don't even notice or care about reputation. It's part of the software, so it's included. Don't stress about it, less than a handful even look at it. And it can indeed be handy when looking at responses to know who has been here a long time, and who has a handful of responses from people.
    1 point
  36. Currently in Paris: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DZ7xz1pe4_F4&ved=2ahUKEwjuz7Ltv8v4AhULuRoKHYP0AaEQwqsBegQIBRAB&usg=AOvVaw3Rd9lo--FfPVEVOtTOa7uZ
    1 point
  37. I can see a frog and these guys below, but still can't see a duck .... or Winnie the Pooh!
    1 point
  38. This is a public forum of opinions, I encourage you to challenge every single member and their opinions if they offend you or differ from your reality. It is quite remarkable the things not disclosed in listings that are then clarified here later, to the benefit of everyone involved.
    1 point
  39. Umegane are considered flaws and should be disclosed to buyers. If something looks like a flaw but isn't shouldn't that be prudent information in a listing?
    1 point
  40. It depends on what you want it for. There are many academic publications that have recipies for making rokusho type solutions http://shura.shu.ac.uk/971/ Obviously I’m not endorsing it’s use on antique items or the like but I’ve used the coper acetate, coper sulfide, vinegar and NaOH forumula to great effect on arts and crafts coper metalwork my friends have gifted me. Fair disclosure, it’s more a reverse engineer of rokusho than actual rokusho. The actual rokusho seems to be something Japanese artisans pass in a secretive way and would probably be hard for us to make using a lot of organic mater. Still, I’ve found it to work very well for my crafts and according to the papers the chemical substitute nearly replicates rokusho patina.
    1 point
  41. Dear Jace. A large shinshinto katana with an o gissaki in nice original mounts, spotted many years ago as I was cycling past an antiques shop I knew. Groaned and pulled over on the basis of, "Well at least I can have a look!" Went in and drew the blade out a little to see a sticker, yes, on the blade, which said £30. Force of habit more than anything else, I asked if there was anything they could do on that and to my surprise the owner said he could do it for £28. With trembling hands I wrote the cheque, knowing that it would make me over drawn, first and last time for that. Next problem was cycling home with it. I still have it, papered now to Inshu Kanesaki. Iron mokko tsuba, gold foiled habaki and seppa, shakudo fuchi kashira and menuki of samurai fighting in boats. All the best.
    1 point
  42. While Darcy set his main website to no-cache (automatic backups were blocked), it is fortunate that there are cached copies of his blog still available to read. Please see below. https://web.archive.org/web/20220419045713/https://blog.yuhindo.com/
    1 point
  43. For a 32" 1800 sword for $5500 from a dealer, what does one expect!
    1 point
  44. maybe a variation of this one? Some sort of fruit maybe? nope, scratch that, definitely aliens...
    0 points
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