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Hi, Two Tanzaku of waka poem are same waka poem. Title of the Waka-poem is: Yoroi (鎧)　armor. 甲冑のくちからぞ秋といわねども、むかしをもへばなみだこぼるゝ。 Katchu no kuchi karazo akito iwanedomo mukashi omoeba namida koboruru. Enoki an Meaning:(free translation) The old armor says nothing but I cry when I think of the old days. 榎庵(Emoki an)　is signature.

Good Morning Gentlemen, I had this style of stamped Sakura tsuba years ago, it was on a put together for either military or civilian support use, with an old lacquered wooden Saya with kurikata with an added Haiken and leather combat cover and old tsuka pierced for a Tosho tassel. I was told these Sakura tsuba were popular during the war and available in sword shops catering for the war effort.

Good evening all, I just received from Japan my very first Kai Gunto, and I'm very enthusiast sharing it with you. I had some trouble removing the blade from the saya since the habaki slipped towards the nakago and got stucked there. As a result the blade entered too far into the saya. Hopefully I managed to gently unblock it using techniques suggested on this forum. But I will have now to find a way to reposition the habaki and then replace the mekugi as the previous one was broken. For now tsuka is not firmly held as you may see on photos. Blade is signed Kōzuke-jū Kanemune kore saku, made by Kiribuchi Kanemune, identified here thanks to @SteveM : This swordsmith is known having worked on Gunsuito project, swords made of Gunsuihagane, steel produced from sand iron by hydro-electrical power company Gunma Suiden Kabushiki Kaisha. I can't tell if this precise sword is made using this still as it is not precised on Mei, but it is still a possibility. You'll find more about this project here : http://www.nihontocraft.com/Kanetomo.html Blade is not stamped. It has a lovely Hamon, as I don't know much about hamon types you may qualify it better than I could do ! Coming with its beautiful lacquered sharkskin saya. Saya and all fittings are stamped with same production number. Here are photos :

Item No. 259 Tsuba in Sentoku wth silver , gold , shakudo and shibuichi 6.90 cm x 5.50 cm x 0.26 cm Subject of autumnal scenes under a full moon . Signed Nagaharu - 3rd Generation Koichi & Katsuo school ( Kaga ) late 17th cent. The tsuba is in good condition for its age of nearly 350 years. An interesting small ( wakizashi sized ) tsuba with an image of a stream running past bundles of firewood and an old pine tree . The scene continues on the other side with a few more bamboo leaves and two flying geese . The whole panorama is lit by a full moon shining through a gap in the clouds . A quiet, contemplative , almost melancholic piece depicting the changing of the seasons .

Some photographs of the IJN Submarine I-14's clock. There were only 3 of these super submarines built, Yamamoto wanted 18, the cost and nearing wars end prevented this. The technology was so advanced the Americans refused access to the Russians and sunk the vessel after they had gathered all the information. Such a shame to destroy such a superb Submarine, it should have been preserved for future historians to enjoy. There's a lot of interesting achived history on these submarines in Google. I corresponded with the Vets son, who sent the provenance letter, he told his father who was in a nursing home of my preservation of such an important historical piece. I had the clock restored by a horologist I know, it runs for about 2 weeks, the kanji on the dial plate says wind every day I think. I have a lot of documentation and photographs relating to the history of this clock. At least I have saved it and enshrined its history!

Thanks everyone! I was able to talk the seller down a bit and we came to an agreement, it’ll be my first Type 95 and my first sword, I’m very excited!

Good evening, here are the anchor menuki I got thanks to Dale, and also a beautiful tsuba showing a warrior on a boat :

I think the signature is 雲龍斎義次 - Unryūsai Yoshitsugu

Shinto Oshigata Dictionary $ 120 Facts and Fundermentals. $80 The New Generation Of Japanese swordsmiths X 2 $80 each The connoiseurs Guide. $180 All prices are in US dollars to be paid in AU dollars, plus P&H/

Dear all I am struggling with the translation of the mei found on this tsuba in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum (accession number M.203-1921). The museum states simply "signed made by Hakamaya Saburodayu of Okayama in Bizen province". My best effort came up with: 備前(岡)山住(人)三郎大(夫)作之 Bizen (Oka)yama Ju (Nin) Saburodai(yu) Saku Kore In red between brackets the uncertain missing pieces Any help is more than welcome. Best regards Luca

I received this sword along with other treasures, first a beautiful shima-kokutan (asian ebony) bokuto. A recent one most probably but still a beautiful object : And also a good luck flag with stamp from Tōkei Jinja, shrine from Wakayama prefecture, and signed by chief of Tanabe police station, also in Wakayama prefecture. Not possible to say if it was dedicated to a soldier or sailor, I only have a name, but as it is from a coastal city who knows, it was perhaps for a navy guy. Anyway, a good opportunity for a photo with this Kai Gunto :

Ah, I just put it away, but length is approximately 67-69 cm. I'll take more exact measurements when I get a chance. When I first got it, I was told the measurements were 67.12 cm, 3.1 cm at the motohaba, and 2.2 cm at the sakihaba. I'm not sure how correct these measurements are. I believe the kicho and torokusho say that it's 2 shaku 2 sun 1 bu (66.9 cm)

Just received this It was like this when I originally bought it. You can see the wooden lacquered saya where the combat cover is split. It has been taped up at the opening and I am reluctant to remove the tape

I meant id usually see it as a negative but in this case I didn't thus I bought it

Peter, I found a few errors and an update and so withdrew it. Should be back up in a week or so.

I remain on my first impression this nakago is ubu, in any case it is not Magoroku shodai or nidai, but Shinto.

Why do you call it a family heirloom, more likely bought from a second hand shop for the job! Even now you can pick up ordinary Edo tsuba cheap from Japan. Back in the 1930's-40's they would have been junk. Below, bought for £15 in 2015..... It might even have been one of those Showa retro jobs. I have even seen them on Shin Gunto drilled for the Chuso.

Hi friends, I was hoping to have precise technical information on this Bajojutsu, but I see that no one has answered. Looks like there was a scholar on the Forum "Donald Watson" I believe, His avatar is Stan Laurel. In the absence of advice, I made the following technical choices: I mounted the flash pan (hizara) on a dovetail as well as the sights. The sealing of the flash pan (this miniature will fire) is made by a series of 1 mm holes filled with tin. After heating with a blowtorch, the tin melts and fills the intertwinings. The barrel protector (ama-ooi) is mounted as originally with a wedge (ama-ooi kusabi). The sloping groove is 0.5 mm wide. The barrel eyelets are also brazed with tin, then filed on the barrel to the correct size. For the barrel signature (Mei) I engraved my initials G (Gilles) L (Lavandera) in Rõmaji letter (Japanese Latin alphabet). It was quite hard to do with a 0.2 mm chisel. The barrel is in Stub 100C6 (52100) steel. I hope I haven't made a mistake, this is my first engraving in Japanese. Finally, I remember reading a post by Donald who explained that the "real" pan cover pins (hibuta) were drilled right through and held together by a thread. Mine is 6 x 1.5 x 1 mm the partial bore of the ends is 0.6 mm, the passage of the locking brass wire 0.25 mm. The brass wire is 0.15 mm. I hope you will find the whole coherent because it took me more than 100 hours of work to get there. I redid the pan cover, the first one not compliant and it broke. Here is a series of Goopics links that will allow you to follow the manufacture. The first link is the start of production, the last link the last works. https://goopics.net/a/39bikxei https://goopics.net/a/678xpu7t https://goopics.net/a/kr7jl9jm https://goopics.net/a/kr7jl9jm https://goopics.net/a/6r3go9vq https://goopics.net/a/661uu2bs See you soon, Gilles

As for the date, I can imagine it is 天保十 (1839)…

「関伝日本刀鍛錬技術保存会」井戸誠嗣会長のご協力により、昭和１５年、当時の関町が発行した「刀都関」誌に、『 関刃物工業組合の厳重な検査に合格した刀身に「桜花に昭字」の刻印が打たれ、実用刀として天下無敵の好評を博している 』との記述が発見された。 With the cooperation of Ido Seiji 井戸･誠嗣, Chairman of the “Seki-Den Japanese Sword Forging Technique Preservation Society” 関伝日本刀鍛錬技術保存会, a description was found in "Tōto Seki" 刀都関, published by the Town of Seki in 1940, that said “The blade has passed the strict inspection of the "Seki Cutlery Manufacturers’ Society" 関刃物工業組合 and is stamped with “Sakurabana ni Shō ji” 桜花に昭字, and has gained an unrivaled reputation as a practical sword.” Source: 関・軍用日本刀 刀都関 = can be pronounced as either Tōto Seki or Katana no Miyako, Seki. 桜花に昭字 = Shō 昭 character within a cherry blossom. Nick states that it would be better to write it as either 桜の花に昭の字 or 桜の花に昭和の昭の字.

I have no intention of removing the handle as we can guess exactly what it will look like

Item No. 258 Copper Kozuka with gold and shibuichi Subject of a cricket signed Yasuchika on one edge. The Kozuka is carved with a background imitating a wooden log , the cricket in gold with a full moon rising behind grasses on the reverse.

It happens, but is not limited to rednecks. Pretty much anyone that is relatively new to the hobby, unknowledgeable or perhaps unconcerned with history, preservation, etc. I once sold a katana to an attorney in Philadelphia who later wrote to inform me he had bent the blade while cutting mats in the back yard. He even included a video which depicted the sordid event.

Sorry folks, I threw the word "heirloom' in there but only as a an 'cover-all' to suggest to Grev to simply establish its bona-fides before he offers it for sale. I know as much about tsuba's as a hog does about sunday. Didn't intend to imply it was ...... [what I referred to it as]