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Really appreciate your help on the forum Hiro. With help from guys like you, Moriyama san, Morita san, Steve M, Ray Singer, Trystan and others that are too many to remember right now, we really do have a very solid "team" that is able to assist where few other places are able. On behalf of all of us, thanks to you guys who take time out to help so freely.

銘作もいらぬ meisakumo iranu 「I have no need for famous, highly regarded swords (authentic, signed blades).」 きさくて軽る軽ると kisakude karugaruto 「 with a light, easygoing spirit (also evoking the physical lightness of a wooden sword)」 　きさく　kisaku：It also brings to mind the images of “whittling wood” and “making something out of wood”. 　　　　　　　　　（気さくkisaku 　木・削 ki/saku　木・作 ki/saku） 浮世をさして　ukiyo wo sashite 浮世 ukiyo : a hedonistic world, 憂き世 ukiyo : the transient, sorrow-filled world さして sashite：「刀を差す katana wo sasu」… to wear a sword 　　　　　　 「刀を刺す katana wo sasu」… to stab with a sword 　　　　　　　 「目的地を指す mokutekichi wo sasu」… to make for one’s destination 　It seems to carry all of these meanings at once. 行そ木刀 yukuzo? bokutou 　　さして行そ sashite yukuzo「a declaration of intent to move forward in this way.←[差す/刺す/指すsasu] 」 　 行そ木刀 yukuzo bokutou「Let’s go, wooden sword.」 　　This also feels like it carries both meanings. Added note: “Zo” may also be used as a form of emphasis, stressing the preceding phrase. I truly hope that someone knowledgeable will come and explain this properly. Hiro

Freely composed poems are difficult…！Please assume that my interpretation is basically “incorrect.” I will only share a simple impression based on the wording. The rest, please leave to your imagination. （in the case of classical waka, the meanings are already established, so I can convey them accurately.） 銘作も いらぬ きさくて 軽る軽ると 浮世をさして 行そ 木刀 character: meisaku mo iranu kisakute karukaru to ukiyo wo sashite　yukuso? bokutou （reading: meisaku mo iranu kisakude karugaru to ukiyo wo sashite　yukuzo? bokutou） 圓正堂（en shou dou）or（en sei dou）

https://www.town.okuizumo.shimane.jp/kosodate-kyoiku/kyoiku/bunkazai/1001000000611.html See No.62 圓正堂　圓正寺 At the end of the inscription we can see the word: 木刀 bokutō (not chatō)

Hello, It contains a poem by Ono-no-Komachi, a 9th-century poet. It starts in the center, then moves to the left, and continues to the right. 心から　　　うきたる舟に　乗りそめて　ひと日も波に　　濡ぬ日ぞなき kokorokara ukitarufuneni norisomete hitohimonamini nurenuhizonaki meaning 「I willingly chose to board this painful boat, and not a single day passes without being drenched in tears (waves).」 （It expresses her lament over the suffering caused by a love she herself began.） Hiro

SOLD, admins please delete, thank you

Update: I have been working on updating the site since returning from Japan Tuesday night. I think most everything is current. If you see something that doesn't look right, feel free to contact me. Ed Yakiba.com

Gentlemen, Dawson‘s book is what I would consider the gold standard. That being said, Plimpton’s book comes with a very high-level of photography that is second to none and amongst the best I’ve seen in any sword book. Headstamp publishing has a reputation to uphold. Best, Danny

Con, I didn't note the source (I'm better about that now, but for years, I only saved photos), but here are some more shots:

For the interest of NMB members in the greater Los Angeles and SoCal area - The Orange Country Buddhist Church will be holding their annual Hanamatsuri festival this weekend, including an exhibition of Japanese swords and fittings curated by the Nanka Token Kai, Southern California Japanese Sword Sociey. There will be some goodies on display. Admission and parking are free and there is plenty to enjoy at the event, more info here: https://www.orangecountybuddhist.org/hanamatsuri Event Details Location: Orange County Buddhist Church, 909 S. Dale Ave Day/Date: Saturday/Sunday April 18-19, 2026 Time: 1:00-7:00 PM Exhibits: Swords, Tea Ceremony, Japanese Artifacts, Bonsai, Kimekomi Dolls, Ikebana, Calligraphy and Origami. Performances: Martial Arts, Taiko Drums, Nihon Buyo (Classical Dance) and Japanese Singing Plus: Food, Beverages, Crafts, Games, and more... Free Shuttle Service: A free shuttle service will run from the Western High School parking area to the festival from 12:30 PM to 7:30 PM. The parking lot entrance is off Orange Avenue. All are welcome and we look forward to seeing you there!

One point where people might disagree is when we are starting to consider what items and authenticating bodies we see as legitimate ones. I am very allowing and I often accept museum and shrine items as legitimate ones, yet I know many people can disagree with this view. I feel I am not the correct person to judge authencity of the items. In my personal opinion some shrine items for example have much more interesting history than some newly minted NBTHK Tokubetsu Jūyō, still these are often just differences in viewpoints, For example here is a signed Masamune that I think is flying under the radar, named sword 夫馬正宗 (Fuma Masamune), no designation it is in the collection of Tokyo National Museum https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/489835 https://meitou.info/index.php/夫馬正宗 Here is named sword 朱判正宗 (Shuhan Masamune), no official designation and currently in private collection https://meitou.info/index.php/朱判正宗 Named sword 島津正宗 (Shimazu Masamune), no designation, is in the collection of Kyoto National Museum https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/565922 https://meitou.info/index.php/島津正宗 If you check Yahoo Japan auctions there are often Masamune being sold in there too... There is just lot of wiggle room depending on what you will accept as legitimate item.

The figure on the kashira would generally be classfied as a South Sea Islander and they are often depicted on Kozuka towing or dragging a branch of coral, which would tie in the coral insert at the lower end of the saya. Love it! All the best.

For comparison. I once owned a blade signed Osawa Kanehisa with seki stamp and kokuin. I sold it a couple years ago, but I always thought it was a relatively well made showato. -Sam

Hello, There are few issues in these counts, out of the 19 Jubun, 9 are kokuho and technically no longer "jubun" - this reduces the total count. One of the Gyobutsu is also Kokuho (the Kanze Masamune), while the other has no designation (a zaimei tanto). For accurate item count, one needs to account at the item-level, not at the designation-level. It will take a bit of time for NihontoWatch to provide 100% accurate counts. The Juyo/TJ counts are accurate, the rest - not quite, yet. Keep this in mind. It doesn't change the overall picture though. You can absolutely go wrong with Masamune on the market though, as the setsumei needs to be studied carefully, and outside appraisals are in my opinion required before dipping into this name. It's not so simple. Stay clear of anything TH unless you really know what you're doing. If the price feels too good to be true, it probably is. A legitimately high-level and cross-verified Masamune attribution though is absolutely a blue chip investment and will only appreciate. The investment risk is lowest at the absolute apex of the field. it's the "Holy Grail" effect in art and collectible. It is not just a matter of money, however. It may take years of efforts and relationship building at the highest level just to be presented the opportunity, if ever, so it should he more of an aspirational goal. Best, Hoshi

The most knowledgable people in Nihonto that I’ve met were very humble and mostly keep to themselves. In my very limited experience of course. Hopefully that’s the reason for the crickets. Maybe those high-up and highly knowledgeable individuals names aren’t well known outside their respective circles. Best, -Sam

In summer 1977, there was a high-quality sword show in KOBE. With a preparation time of ten (= ten) years, they had gathered swords from private collections, and there were three MASAMUNE blades which had never been shown in public. I could imagine that there might be a few more hidden from view.

The inlay does appear to be in glass, and I coincidentally received this piece below just a few hours ago. Best regards, Ray

Hi Kim! I found Nick Komiya's write-up on Suya Shoten where he posted this photo at the beginning - The Untold Story of Suya Shoten; Warrelics. I don't know why he chose this particular stamp, and I wish he had gone into the other variations. I have a few in my files, and after reviewing, I think you are right that they changed their stamping over time. Of course, it could be as you suggest that there were seperate shops for different products, as they made quite a few things. Here is what I have that seems to suggest a time progression: On an old kyugunto On a kyugunto made for the Chinese As seen on most gunto On an RS (Type 3/100/etc) tsuba

So back in November 2024 I made a thread about the first mid-high quality piece in my collection, a gimei "Shozui" piece. Whilst it is no longer the best piece in my entire collection I still use it as my profile picture on the forum to this day and the eye still fascinates me. Here's a link to the old thread for anyone curious: Recently as I was playing around with AI, I decided to use Gemini to see what it could tell me about the likely tradition of the piece or about the technique used for the eye and it pointed me in an interesting direction so I thought I'd make a thread about it. I uploaded some images and had an extensive back and forth with the AI: Eye Closeup: What the AI suggested is that the piece is likely either late Edo Hamano or Iwama school lineage with a gimei signature. Glass eye, mother of pearl, etc as many on this forum already know was a practice that mainly became popularised in the Bakumatsu Period. Based on the sort of "milky" opacity of the eye and the lack of colourful iridiscence reminiscent of crushed shell, the AI determined that the eye dome on this piece was most likely made from crushed stag horn using a technique known as Gyokugan. Gyokugan is a technique that originated from Buddhist statue carving however in the Bakumatsu Period, it (as well as other interesting techniques like Mother of Pearl or using bone, ivory inspired by netsuke craftsmen, etc.) was used experimentally by masters such as Hamano Noriyuki III, Unno Shomin or Iwama Nobuyuki who sought to make their work feel more "realistic" or "alive". The AI also provided some interesting information about the intricacies of using this technique (Gyokugan specifically...) on a small tosogu such as a kashira which appears to have been a very difficult process requiring precision. Here is a simplified outline, as I understood it: 1) The piece would need a carefully carved slot with a slightly raised rim in which the dome would be inserted. 2) Next, a properly fitted dome made of crushed stag horn would need to be shaped and slotted. 3) Taka-zogan would be shaped around the eye to give it its artistic appearance. 4) The artisan would also have to hit the metal around the dome tightly into place (seen in the brow here) to ensure that the piece retains its cohesiveness over time, as the stag horn material expands or contracts depending on hydration over the decades or centuries. * For this reason, Tosogu pieces that retain their domes (and are not later Meiji productions that use adhesives) are quite rare. 5) Finally, an incredibly small hole would be cut into the dome and a tiny shakudo peg inserted, or alternatively black lacquer would be used to form the pupil in the dome. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ All of this interesting information about Bakumatsu Period experimental pieces aside, I figured this thread would be a space to share examples of tosogu pieces featuring mother of pearl, inlaid stones, bone, ivory etc. Most of all whilst I have found some limited information about this technique, most of what I can find relates to Buddhist statue carving. If anybody is able to locate information or examples of the Gyokugan technique used in other tosogu pieces, I would be very grateful! (Dale Sensei, I am hoping you can throw me another bone!) Post some crazy Bakamatsu experimental works! DISCLAIMER EDIT: Do also keep in mind that I am not 100% sure the eye is made using this technique. I am simply going off what the AI suggested... I just ran these images through ChatGPT which suggested Inlaid translucent stones like agate or chalcedony!! (This may however be ignoring the historical intricacies of Hamano style carving or Bakamatsu Period experimentation and going solely off the 100's of years dried out horn texture which looks rough like stone, so I think the Gemini assessment makes more sense. It's also a lot harder to hit soft-metal around precious stones without causing damage or breaking something!).

I saw this 'authentic' NCO's katana listed on fleabay. It is perhaps the worst example that I have as yet seen. Maybe a portent of things to come, but at least, to those with a modicum of knowledge, an obvious fake! Thankfully, it seems that some are not even trying to copy originals any longer, which should hopefully, make things a bit easier for the newcomers.

Bless you, Sam—I admire the optimism. But I do think the question touches on something many collectors are fretting about: what happens after Tanobe Michihiro? The answer is that we just don't know. Since the end of the war, there has been a fairly clear intellectual lineage in the study and appraisal of Nihontō—from Hon'ami Kosson and Honma Junji, to Sato Kanzan, and then to Ogawa Morihiro and Tanobe-sensei. That continuity has provided a kind of anchor for the field. What is certain now is that nobody seems to know who the next generation will be and how to access their chops. The NBTHK these days is, by most accounts, something of a black box, and it’s not clear who the torch will be passed to—or whether it will be passed in the same way at all. I’ve heard some interest around figures like Hirosuke Sato at the Tokyo National Museum, but that’s a very different institutional lane from the appraisal world the market tends to care about. It may be as Sam suggests that the next generation is being quietly groomed and hasn’t yet stepped forward publicly. But I keep hearing about a crisis in the Honbu which is shaking lots of peoples' confidence. From the outside, there appears to be no clear consensus on who carries that mantle next. And that uncertainty, for a lot of people, is unsettling. Maybe somebody here has heard of a potential rising star, but I certainly have not. Scary, actually.

Think of it this way too....the more support we receive, and are able to pay for the upgrade and hosting, the less chance I'll have to look at horrible things like advertising or paid services here. So you guys are helping everyone at the same time :-)

Much of the extraordinary collection of the late Roald Knutsen (1933 - 2025) is being offered for sale on the 23rd of April 2026 at Toovey's in Washington, West Sussex. https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/tooveys/catalogue-id-srtoo10562

I sent them a notice on the NAGAMAKI. There are many more mistakes in their descriptions, and it seems many items are in bad condition: Cleaned NAKAGO, corroded blades a.s.o.

Dawson offers far more value and useful detail for the money.

I may have been wrong after all—sorry about that. I ended up thinking to myself, ‘it could be read this way as well. 「い」→「つ」？ I suspect that the part marked ‘軽る’ might have another possible reading as well. 銘作も 　 つらぬきさくて ＊＊＊＊＊ 浮世をさして 行そ 木刀 character: meisaku mo tsuranukisakute ＊＊＊＊＊ ukiyo wo sashite　yukuso? bokutou （reading: meisaku mo tsuranukisakute ＊＊＊＊＊ ukiyo wo sashite　yukuzo? bokutou） つらぬきさく tsuranukisaku : pierce+split There doesn’t seem to be a clear answer, so I keep going around in circles thinking about it. If there’s anyone truly knowledgeable about this, I would really appreciate your help. I’m going to study for a while… Hiro

Thanks guys! Good additions to the files. Especially that Morinobu. Actual blade to add to the file with the Slough reference.

And finally, the harp logo on a General’s grade Type 19: I personally don’t see a correlation between the quality of the corporate logo and the overall quality of the sword, but that’s just my assessment as someone who primarily collects dress swords.

And another example on a Japanese Type 19 (from Sohei Swords listing): I would guess that the hanzi was used prior to the “harp” or “Suya Tokyo” logos.

While BOKUTO literally means "wooden sword" which is basically used in martial arts training, a decorated item like this would probably have another purpose. It could have been a memorial or presentation item, but it could have served as CHATO as well. In my understanding, "Doctor's sword" or "CHATO" are not exactly describing terms for the object itself but for its use.

If you have to choose I would recommend the Dawson.

As always in this game numbers are not always perfect - I wish they were. I am extremely grateful to @Jussi Ekholm for sharing his numbers. My numbers are closer to his in terms of Masamune blades and suspect his numbers include some TH or Provincial JuBu that I don't have therefore I will default to his numbers. In terms of designated blades which are easier to track out of the various books: Gyubutsu - 7 (Includes previous Imperial blades - from my previous posts this has been the most difficult designation to track) Kokuho - 9 JuBu - 19 (This does include missing blades, including the Honjo) JuBi - 10 ToJu - 24 Juyo - 34 Total - 103 Juyo and above designated blades I have no idea how many Hozon and ToHo blades there are or blades in Museums and Collections that have not been to NBTHK for authentication but I would suggest that 10% on top of this, is probably valid... In terms of zaimei blades I have 10 blades, including 9 Tanto and 1 Tachi. I cannot comment how legit these signatures are as there is still some speculation but they are only from designated blades. The last Masamune I saw for sale was with @Ray Singer, who had a beautiful TokuJu Tanto. It was the first and last legit TJ Masamune I saw for sale and it appears to no longer be available. If you were gonna and could spend the big money then a Masamune is probably the one you will want to put it down against. As long as you don't go crazy you generally can't go wrong with the GOAT.

On Saturday Mr Koike told me they have already seen over 1.5 million JPY in donations towards the project. (One person alone apparently gave ¥1,000,000.)

Wow, Hiro. Showing the hiragana and kanji next to their script form is really helpful. Thank you! John C.

Hi Jake, in my opinion, it is unlikely to be stag-horn which is a bone material, consisting mainly of calcium phosphate. If it is not some polished quartz, it is probably glass as Ray says. An expert may be able to polish it so PINOCCHIO would have clear view again!

There are actually surprisingly many swords that are by Masamune or attributed to Masamune. So far I have 113 blades in my list. There are also several blades that have been historically seen as Masamune but modern organizations have reattributed them, those are excluded from that number. As I saw my own post there about 3,5 years ago, it seems I have found 10 Masamune from my references during that time.

There are two types, one is solid metal, the other is 2 thin plates. Usually the 2 plate types are shakudo or some precious metal. I think this is done to reduce material cost. The 2 plate type are generally Edo period installs, the solid type could be either pre-Edo or Edo. Normally the 2 plate type are glued in with a pitch filler in between the plates, which is frequently dried out. The solid type are frequently lead or copper and are held in with a force fit. Removal - As mentioned, a short wood dowel the right diameter is used as a punch. I have a block of wood with a biggish hole in it to support the tsuba, and the plug will drop through the hole. For the 2 plate type, usually these are so thin that denting them cannot be avoided. On technique to mitigate is to place the punch near the edge of the plug rather than the center and work around the circumference or go side to side and go slow. Another method is to use a thin piece of leather between the punch and the plug, until you get it moving. Usually solid lead plugs are so soft they are going to dent, but it is possible to retexture them if you decide to put then back in.

I'd say 清次 (Kiyotsugu), December 1943. I could be wrong about the smith, often am. You paid a normal price for WWII Type 98 gunto. Looks like you're missing a seppa or two, so that's why it's loose. You can find them online now and then. I had to buy a clump of 6 or 8 to get a couple the right size for mine. The red paint is "37" matching your fittings.

Check out 武蔵太郎安国 Musashi Taro Yasukuni (Mito) who also signed 左正安国

Hell....you'll get a far better appraisal here for free :-) And trust me, if Ray says something, you can take that as fact 99% of the time

In all seriousness, if you paid someone to appraise your sword and they told you that it was a WWII era blade by Ichihara Nagamitsu and signed Bizen Osafune ju Nagamitsu saku you should ask for your money back. See below. On the left is an inscription by Ichihara Nagamitsu. On the right is an inscription by first generation Yasutsugu. Compare the kanji with what is inscribed on your sword. |

Hi Darin, not sure if this is the sword you intended to post but it is not a blade by Ichihara Nagamitsu nor is it signed Bizen Osafune jū Nagamitsu saku. The mei is Bushu Edo Echizen ju Yasutsugu and appears to be a Shinto blade, from the early part of the Edo period.

Hi folks, As many of you know, Mark Jones & I bought a large chunk of the tsuba and kodogu left in Skip Holbrook's collection when he passed away recently; I have been vigorously listing them to my site ever since. We will have everything that hasn't sold on our tables in Chicago. We also acquired Skip's library and I have listed many of the books on my site. There were, however, many more books than I wanted to list. I will have 3 heavy boxes of Skip's books on our tables at serious bargain prices; please stop by and lighten our load. And, since I drive to the Chicago show, I can bring with me any book from my site you might like to own - no charge for post. Check my book pages and send me an email from the site to place an order. I have recently taken on 2 other libraries beyond Skip's; I have a great inventory of very useful titles. Thanks, Grey

Sorry to hear that he has passed away. I have his signed book on pole weapons. Is his wife still going strong?

Marcin, It looks more like an o-wakizashi to me.

On that one I don't think so. Of the 40 or so yatate I have, only 10 or 15 have the slot for the kami-kiri. And of those, only 3 came with it - all in very rough shape. Pictured is one of my other ones that came with the kami-kiri. Note the finger slot that helps push it out. John C.

No paper, bought it on its attributes. Shodai doesn’t always have a uniform tagane-mei. I’ve seen many pieces similar to this, but that’s not as important. It’s definitely much darker than its photos with a very reflective surface, probably from the urushi. Was in a US collection for a long time, I believe. I’ve been looking for one for some time, so got lucky. I was thinking second generation when I first saw it. Who knows.

Hi Robert, Thank you kindly for your thoughtful tribute to Guido. I never met him in person, but I remember him from the Nihontō Message Board website. My deepest condolences to his family.

My fondest memories of him are also on the yakatabune after the DTI. That is when his real character came out. He really enjoyed a party. I also have clips of him singing and entertaining us all. Here he is with 2.5 South Africans (because Ford lived in Cape Town for a while, we claim him just a little) And on the yakatabune...I think that's Ted Tenold with him.

Thanks for letting us know Bob and sorry for your loss, and the nihonto community’s loss. These last few years I had often thought about Guido, hoping through some miracle he might wake from his coma… not to be. Guido was someone I respected very much, he was highly intelligent, full of knowledge and insight, and willing to share it, he also had a very sharp wit and more often than not our conversations would end in belly-laughing. Many years ago, when I first set out to become a nihonto craftsman, there were very few people willing to help me, most would just dismiss me as a foolish foreigner, but not Guido. He offered to meet up with me in Tokyo, a complete stranger from the other side of the world, to discuss all things nihonto and nihon. Over the years, we corresponded quite a bit, and we would sometimes meet up at nihonto related events, where we could continue our running in-jokes with each other. He was a gentleman and a scholar... with a strong sugata!! May he rest in peace.