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Hi all, Just like to share my recent acquisition, a unique Mitokoro-mono by the 5th generation mainline head of the Goto school, Tokujo. He was the eldest son of Kujo, born in 1549 and passed away in 1631. After serving Oda Nobunaga, he became the court chisel master for Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Exhibited at the Tokyo National Museum. Enjoy!

Here is for sale something you don’t encounter every day, Nanbokuchō period naginata. As many might know ōdachi and naginata are my main thing in collecting and research. I am not too happy to sell this one as finding Nanbokuchō naginata is very difficult. However, I will try to save up towards something better so I need to let this one go. This is in no means a perfect piece and it has been shortened but it still remains as a naginata. It has few flaws which can be seen in pictures but also parts of this have quite nice workmanship and interesting activity in hamon. NBTHK has attributed this to Ko-Uda, and I would think this would be Nanbokuchō work. I believe this naginata has been shortened around 25 cm from its original blade length that would have been around 75 cm. As can be seen in the pictures the original naginata-hi is only on the nakago with soe-bi continuing small portion into current blade. I have really enjoyed owning a shortened naginata like this that is not a naoshi, these are quite rare to come by at this length of shortening. It is far more common to find slightly shortened ones. The NBTHK Hozon papers show the item as naginata and attribution to Ko-Uda. I am not that good in kantei as I don't focus on the smaller details that much, I prefer the bigger picture. However, I can understand how NBTHK went with this attribution. There is lots of interesting activity in the blade but I think the Ko-Uda attribution is fitting as this item might be lower quality in overall. There is also a piece of the item missing on the mune. It is about 2cm in size. I tend to think it could be battle damage but it is impossible to tell for sure. It could be someone dropped it to stone by accident in 1980's Japan etc. I know many dealers would tout battle damage view and I understand it in business field. I feel the picture with flaw shows also some blade details quite nicely, I am not really good photographer and only have my phone to take pictures. I would believe this one has lost the original shaft it has had and someone made this shirasaya style shaft for this. The saya is what I believe is called Raden, it has some pieces that have flaked off and it is in worn condition with small split near the tip area. Unfortunately, I don't think in this price range professional restoration would be feasible. It has two piece copper habaki, it is plated to make it golden color. Nagasa: 49,4 cm Sori: 2,2 cm Motohaba: 3,1 cm Motokasane: 5mm Nakago: 42,5 cm Weight: 865 grams (blade) Tsuka: 87 cm Total: 127,5 cm In saya: 130 cm In overall I think this is interesting item. Definitely this is not the best item out there but I think it is a cool very old naginata, and they are hard to find. I've been tracking them down when they appear for 10+ years now. I tried to put some interesting images in the sales ad. I do have lots of more on my computer and I can take any pictures that are wanted. I needed to reduce the size of pictures a lot to forum, here is a link to a dropbox with full sized pictures. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/uoojaq9z0u2sukoingnky/AFdEMoQUVW2_45g-rHbXdws?rlkey=1fmzk5iuusccggb3rb2w1h2ha&dl=0 I would prefer bank transfer as the method but can also accept PayPal. Message me and I will check the postage costs to you. One thing that is needed that I can send 150 cm package to your country by Finnish Post. Price: 3000€

Hi everyone! I’m new to the forum and wanted to briefly introduce myself by sharing a recent acquisition - my first in this space. I’ve been studying nihontō for some time, with a particular focus on late Muromachi work that prioritizes functional integrity, honest construction, and historically grounded workmanship over overtly decorative tendencies. I’m not obsessed with excessively showy hamon, but I do value how all aspects of the blade appear and balance. You will understand what I mean when you really zoom in on the image of the blade. The katana I'd like to share is a signed and dated Bishū Osafune Sukesada katana, saku, forged in Tenshō 3 (1576) and certified NBTHK Hozon Tōken. It is a late Muromachi uchigatana-form blade and represents the Sue-Bizen tradition at a moment when Osafune production was operating under sustained wartime demand. This one is ranked Jō Saku. I was specifically looking for a blade that met several criteria including: A clearly documented Sengoku-era date. A form appropriate to infantry combat rather than earlier tachi conventions. Workmanship that remained firmly within classical Bizen-den practice rather than later Shintō reinterpretation. The blade measures 67.4 cm nagasa, with a wide motohaba, firm kasane, and moderate sori, proportions that read immediately as purposeful rather than exaggerated. The jihada is itame mixed with mokume, with visible utsuri that is consistent and legible under angled light, something I consider essential in pre-flood Bizen work of this period. The hamon is a gunome-midare in nie-deki, active but controlled, favoring durability and coherence over flamboyance. The bōshi enters the kissaki in a continuous midare-komi that holds together well at the point. The nakago is ubu, with two mekugi-ana reflecting long-term use and remounting rather than shortening, and carries the full inscription 備州長船祐定作, paired with a clear Tenshō 3, 8th month date. Both the mei and nengō were accepted without reservation by the NBTHK. I was particularly interested in a dated Bishū signature, as I regard dated Sue-Bizen work as occupying a materially different category from undated mass-output blades, both in intent and quality. Historically, the blade sits in a narrow window that I find especially compelling. August 1576 places its forging immediately after Ukita Naoie’s consolidation of Bizen and only weeks after the First Battle of Kizugawaguchi. This was not a transitional or speculative period, but a moment of active mobilization, when swords were commissioned with the expectation of use. The blade’s geometry, heat treatment, and overall character align with that context in a way that feels honest. – I’m an obsessive history geek if you can’t tell lol. The koshirae itself represents a coherent mid-Edo period remounting, with the tsuka, tsuba, and primary fittings conceived as a unified aesthetic program rather than an assemblage of unrelated parts. The handle fittings are signed by Maruyama Sōzan, an Edo-period metalworker, and display a consistent visual language across the fuchi, kashira, and menuki. The rabbit (hare) menuki are rendered in a restrained, naturalistic style with selective gilt highlights, emphasizing quiet alertness rather than overt martial aggression, a sensibility characteristic of refined Edo tastes. This motif is deliberately complemented by the iron sukashi tsuba, whose rotating tomoe-derived design expresses cyclical motion and natural force in abstract form. Together, the animal imagery of the tsuka and the dynamic, elemental symbolism of the tsuba form a balanced thematic whole, power expressed through harmony rather than excess. The matching materials, colors, gilt, patina, fit, and composition strongly indicate that these components were produced within the same artistic style and likely by the same hand or workshop, assembled intentionally as a complete Edo-period mounting rather than through later mixing. - All this was another big selling point, personally. This coherence underscores a later owner’s discernment, preserving the Sengoku-era blade within a thoughtful and unified Edo presentation. I’ll be adding an appropriate silk sageo, which is missing. Attached are some of the only photos I have so far, as it's currently pending the export permit. I’ll be absolutely stoked beyond belief when it arrives! The forum size limits are far too restrictive for high-resolution images, especially of the blade, so I'll link them from my OneDrive: 25445paper-1.jpg 25445-2.jpg 25445-4.jpg image 001.png image 002.png image 005.png image 006.png image 007.png image 008.png image 010.png image 011.png Anyway, it’s great to meet everyone and join the forum, and I look forward to learning and sharing! I'm not a collector per se, more of an admirer of the art, skill, and a history buff. I don't see myself buying another one as this ticks all my boxes already. I'm going to have it on display in my living room and I'm writing a full-color coffee table book on the sword to print. It will be an absolute honor and privilege being the caretaker for this nihontō and Japanese history. - Alex

Bit late, but better late than never. The original question is not quite as simple as it seems. The sword I own is a 4th Gen katana with a katana mei and NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers. I asked Sensei Tanobe about it and he wrote back (Jan 2000) and said " Dear Mr. Robertshaw, Even though your Tadayoshi sword is slightly too long to have a Katana -mei, there are indeed some exceptions amongst swords made by Tadayoshi II, III and IV in length slightly over 2 Shaku. The mei is undoubtedly genuine, thus this sword may be considered a very rare example of such exceptional works. Sincerely yours, Michihiro Tanobe" with seal. The Hizen kaji cutoff for 'Katana' versus 'Wakizashi' is 2 Shaku 1 sun, so a technically long sword at 2 shaku 0 sun 8 Bu (for example) and classed as a katana by the NBTHK, would be thought of as a Wakizashi in the Hizen Kaji and would therefore have the signature on the "wrong" side for the average collector who uses 2 Shaku as the cutoff! The sword referenced above (4th Gen) is ubu at 2shaku 3 sun 3 bu --- so not in the questionable zone of 2 shaku 1 sun, in fact, way outside this zone.. Never say "Never" when it comes to swords! Cheers, Rog

Being a diagnosed dyslexic myself, makes this stuff pretty challenging. Even keeping word order and spelling straight in English can be rough. I usually reread my posts 5-10 times before I finally catch mistakes that other people notice almost immediately. Sometimes I don't even see those mistakes until I leave and come back with a fresh perspective. It gets even harder when kanji are involved, especially counting strokes. A lot of that comes from just not being familiar with another language, but it still takes a fair amount of effort. I've done it before, but I don’t really like using dyslexia as an excuse, because it’s just part of my everyday life. It’s very common, and most people who have it don’t even know, and those who do, often don't lean on it like an ailment. I literally don't even know what it's like to NOT have dyslexia . As I understand it, there's varying levels severity with dyslexia, so I must have the more common mild version... So it may be the cause for mistakes in spelling here and there, but it's typically no biggie. It makes me a slower and more careful learner, and I think that's a good thing. I even read slowly, which is how I was flagged to then be diagnosed while I was in school. I still have to google MENUKI and MEKUGI half the time, so I don't mix them up -Sam

Well I am tad early with the answer but as I am not sure about my day tomorrow, I think I will post it today. Thanks for everyone participating and I hope it was fun. The sword is indeed now mine and I knew the attribution when getting the sword. I did not care about the attribution at all, I just wanted the sword because of size & shape. NBTHK attributed the sword to 伯耆守信高 Hōki no Kami Nobutaka. I would assume that they see this as 1st gen Nobutaka and possibly a Keichō-Shintō sword from very end of Muromachi to early Edo period. Nobutaka is seen as one of Owari sansaku, one of three Owari masters, so he is well regarded smith. However when such a mumei sword gets attributed to Edo smith it kinda demolishes the value. I have seen few nice mumei swords that I thought were Nanbokuchō swords that got NBTHK papers to Hizen Tadayoshi. I happened to see Owari special exhibition at Nagoya Tōken World last summer, back then I didn't know much about Owari smiths, and to be honest I don't know too much now either. I have found few Edo period wakizashi by Nobutaka smiths that have very wide sugata but so far I have not been able to find a reference long sword with very wide sugata. Most of the katana by Nobutaka smiths I have been able to find are just normal early Edo sugata. This was the sword at Nagoya exhibition, by 3rd Nobutaka: https://www.touken-world.jp/search/13753/ I do admit the hada and bit "featureless" hamon might be actually quite close to work on some of Nobutaka line items I found online and in books. However I think 1st Nobutaka work would be better than on this mumei sword. I personally would think like many did in this thread that this would be late Nanbokuchō to Early Muromachi sword. Naoe Shizu would of course be maybe the most optimistic outcome that I can think of and something like Mino Senjuin I could easily see, however it seems I am way off in time. This sword was sent to NBTHK by a small sword dealer at the end of 2024, and I would believe they were not too happy with the attribution that was given out. You get attribution like Naoe Shizu you are very happy and it is a valuable sword, you get Edo smith attribution and the value sinks really hard. I know this was bit of a curveball as it has been for me too. I think all discussion is welcomed and would be also fun to have some discussion, as unfortunately we cannot view and discuss the items in person.

Konichi Wa. Sundays are for sword cleaning 🫧🧽. Many North American antique collections are found in poor condition due to the lack of awareness on what it takes to keep steel pristine - following the ritualistic cleaning of swords by our predecessors. Pro tip: use a mineral oil specific for carbon steel, like for example Yoshishiro brand oil; it protects the blade and other parts of the steel from rust. Mineral oil is colorless, odourless, and you should regularly clean your blades depending on how often you are studying/exhibiting them. As a rule of thumb I will maintain mine every two to three months, as that is how often our Toronto Token Kai (Sword Club) meets, where I serve as director. I begin by wiping the old oil with a microfibre cloth, and then use rice paper to apply a thin, fresh layer of oil on each sword. This method ensures that the artifacts in our care are preserved for future generations. I also commit to this process out of respect for Japanese history and as a meditative practice. These swords left the battles long behind, and the onus is on us to preserve them for their eventual return to the shrines of glorious Japan. 🇯🇵

Back in 2009 the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York held an extraordinary and important exhibition called the Art of the Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armor, 1156-1868 [Held from October 21, 2009 to January 10, 2010]. The reason it was so extraordinary is because; One, this exhibition took over ten years to put together - in large part due to the incredible efforts of the organiser and curator Morihiro Ogawa. And secondly, the Japanese Agency of Cultural Affairs allowed over 200 works of Traditional Japanese Swords and Armor including 34 National Treasures, 64 Important Cultural Properties and 6 Important Art Objects from over sixty collections to leave Japan for the first time to form part of this one time exhibition. As an exhibition it was unparalleled to have so many important works from so many museums, shrines, temples and private collections in one place, even compared to anything ever done in Japan. As part of the exhibition, as is common practice, the MET released a catalogue of the exhibition by the currator of the exhibition, Morihiro Ogawa. The catalogue is over 368 pages and 16 years on from the exhibition is still available for sale, in its second print. You can still pick one up a first edition second hand, but a new copy retails for around $60 in paperback and over $200 in hard cover. Recently, I found a link to a free PDF copy of this catalogue on the MET's website: https://www.metmuseum.org/met-publications/art-of-the-samurai-Japanese-arms-and-armor-1156-1868 As a collective English book on the history of the Samurai and their omote dogu or "external equipment", explained through Japanese National Treasures and Important Cultural Objects I think it may be a first and is certainly second to none. With the bright photos and explanations for each piece I think it is a fabulous thing to have for reference (and enjoyment.) This in my opinion is one of the more important exhibitions and books in recent times on the subject. Grab a copy whilst the link still works.

My Tomita Sukehiro is a sword with a flamboyant hamon. It has some scratches and would benefit from a polish. However there is a lot to be enjoyed without. Date: koki ni sen roppyaku ni nen gatsu (1942) Nagasa: 68,58 cm Sori: 1,27 cm Sukehiro was trained by his grandfather Kato Sanekuni and worked as a Rikugun Jumei Tosho during WW2. He was rated 1 million yen. This sword is in need of a New home. It is priced at €2100,-

Happy New Year everyone, I just wanted to share an update that I have started to post new video content after taking a long break from filming. Please do check my channels below in the coming days for updates and new videos. https://youtube.com/@swordsofjapan https://www.instagram.com/swordsofjapan Please email me with any questions, or for videos you might like to see in the future. Best regards, Ray

Quite entertaining, especially for novices who don't know much about Nihonto.

Dear fellowship, First of all - best wishes for the New Year. Secondly - my latest and newest acquisition that found its way into my modest collection through an item exchange between a collector friend and my self. Iron Tsuba, 8,5 cm x 8 cm x 0,5 cm, intricately carved, open work and with different inlays of metal spanning gold, silver and copper. Mei: “Kosyu Hikone Jyu Mogarashi Nyudo Soten Sei” (earlier translation by: Kazushige Tsuruta - who believed the signature genuine in 2015 - judged from photographs by previous owner). My photographs are NOT in any way professional sorry… Any comments are as always welcome. /Soeren

Should be this item https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/24617

The mei looks Sukekane to me. 備前國助包 - Bizen no kuni Sukekane

Hello everyone: As many know, swordsmiths change their mei for a variety of reasons over time. RJT smith Kanehide was no exception. But since there has been no readily available study on these changes, I've compiled as many examples of Kanehide's mei as I could find - 76 to be exact. That's not to say there aren't others, however I believe the sample is large enough to paint a definitive picture of his changes and when those changes took place. I'm including the first two pages of the study here in (low res format) for those interested in just the conclusion. The entire study, which includes an extended biographical background and all of the collected samples plus references, has been submitted to Brian for approval and inclusion in the downloads. In the meantime, if you are a fan of Kanehide, have a general interest in RJT smiths, or are just interested in smith mei changes, please enjoy the short read. Respectfully, John C.

I have a single signed Echizen piece with a similarly constructed seppa-dai: Certainly uncommon for pieces from this area, though, so not suggesting yours could be Echizen. Damon

Hizen is a good call, in my opinion.

Back in 2017 there was a discovery by Yoshihara Hiromichi of the oldest sword book, the The Mei Zukushi from 1351, discovered in the Saga Prefecture Library. This book was discovered on some of the the back of the 277 pages from the Ryuzoji family Documents. In 2021 the documents were restored and put on display - the above video was released then. Here is the original article written by @Markus back in 2017: https://markussesko.com/2017/12/26/the-new-oldest-extant-sword-document/#:~:text=The Mei Zukushi is dated,to reward allies and vassals. The links to the documents and transcripts in the article no longer exist as such I have also included the link to the documents in the Saga Prefecture Library: https://www.sagalibdb.jp/komonjo/detail?id=60657 for future reference.

We must distinguish between the oldest physical manuscript copy and the oldest content. The oldest manuscript copy of the Ki'ami Bon Mei Zukushi is from the early Muromachi period.

Both 来助 and 求助 are old-fashioned names, but I think that both could be possible.

This is awesome news Ray! I might have said it before but you have so good voice and presentation it is a pleasure to watch the videos.

Connor, Don't be bothered by the fact that the signature is gimei. It was a well known practice as long as they were making swords. Samurai, as well as Shoguns, have been known to treasure a sword while knowing it was gimei. As for your fittings. This sword could have been brought to the war by it's owner, refitted with the wooden saya (scabbard) for the field. It would have been covered by a leather cover. They are often lost over the years. Many were donated, or bought up by the military in drives to meet demands of the war effort, then refitted in varying degrees and sold to new officers. Yours looks to have kept the civilian tsuka (handle). Cannot tell if the tsuba (hand guard) was kept or a military one put in its place. You can see an example of how it might have looked: They were also refitted fully with military hardware: There are ways to restore your sword and make it look nice, or you can keep it as is. Either way, please read up on how to take care of it: Japanese Sword Care - Japaneseswordindex.com

靖國神社謹畫 – Yasukuni shrine respectfully paints. 靖國奉賛會美術部謹製 – Made by the art department of Yasukuni shrine support association

前田泰宏 - Maeda Yasuhiro

Happy New Year all. Reviving this topic from mid last year as I wanted to share another piece I acquired and how the information provided in this thread helped me make an informed decision. The Nebikimatsu theme was completely new to me and members of this wonderful forum helped crack it. So when I came across this piece described as "feathers," I immediately recognized what it actually was...and was quite thrilled as it appears to be very rare motif in Echizen tsuba. It's fitting that the theme is associated to the new year, and if you are ever in Japan over the new year period, you will definitely see the pine decorations on display around shop entrances all around...like this massive one I found outside a Seibu in Fukui City on my most recent trip. Wishing everyone a great 2026. All the best. Damon

Revisiting this thread as I just discovered Washida may be the source of my Tsuba.

三善長道上□ - Miyoshi Nagamichi shortened (this?)

All judgements rendered in 1970s had a tendency to be optimistic. Today's judgements are often pessimistic. It ebbs back and forth, as it usually does. There is some tendency in nihonto community to see the "green to modern" papers transition as a seminal and unprecedented event, but in my experience this is hardly so. My grandparents both collected at reasonable level (violins and firearms respectively) and many relatives wrote "papers" of their own. One had to change his signature entirely, realizing he missed a very prominent series of fakeries. So he disavowed the old signature on such pieces and would generally indicate the need to rewrite other appraisals because the research had advanced in the meantime. But after being burned with those fakes, and more concerned at this point with his reputation, his late writeups have acquired a reputation for being very conservative to the point few actually opted for the "new signatures". In the end blue papers are upper grade judgements from an optimistic period. They can be off, but seldom really raise eyebrows. Koshirae judgements quite frankly have a tendency to be insufficient to begin with, to the point of listing the motifs and not really qualifying who and when made the piece... Also, a very strong contributing factor is that for high value pieces an attempt to repaper would be natural and therefore "green and high value" is a red flag not so much because "all green were bad", but because the "good ones" were repapered... Which in case of koshirae with no specific high value attribution brings a question - what exactly would one expect them to be repapered to? Its often a very generic attribution, blue simply means the piece earned some respect...

A little correction, 梶の葉 – Paper mulberry leaf/leaves

A curious example on a Fujiwara Kanenaga sword where a Mon has been engraved on the blade, authenticity unknown:

Kane…(?) 兼

It is a modern Chinese fake

Thank you all very much for your help - This truly is a weird guard [I have shown it long ago] It has two "prongs?" that project out in front like european sword breakers - just weird, so right up my alley

I made a purchase! I made a 3.5 hr drive and viewed multiple swords in hand at a member of this forum's home. I ended up purchasing a 26 inch Daito papered by the NTHK-NPO in 2019 to 7th generation Masahiro 1573-1590. But the blade has the potential to be much older. According to Soshu Den Museum records. Masahiro did not sign as such after 1553. When he took the name, Tsunahiro. The form, length, and grain patterns and activity do not really match later Soshu works, but earlier. The nijimei signature is, as well, non existent in Tensho Masahiro swords. It has a partially polished out Buddhist prayer horimono. A previous owner (whom sold this blade on this forum 5 years ago). Thought the horimono might have been engraved in late muromachi period. I am under the impression that the NTHK-NPO may have classified it as a 7th gen. Potentially due to having lack of reference for anything older. And chose a "safe" designation. I checked Soshu Museum's records. The mei, as well as the forging patterns they desrcribe. Do line this sword up better with 2nd generation Masahiro (1393-early 1400s). Or something made in the 1400s. I would think the Japanese NBTHK would have a far better reference collection to nail down the date better. But also, I not doubting the NTHK's expertise. Just curious why a Masahiro blade would get made in such an old style, with a Mei that hasn't been used for generations, in Tensho? Maybe special ordered that way? There are a few ware up front. Which would knock it down a peg or two. Some signs of use. And it has a few smudges that may polish out. But overall, I am very happy with it. Late 1500s or late 1300s. It's is a very nice work. And a great first blade *i may add some more photos if interested.

Yes, there was a Koshosen Nagaharu Kinko around Bunkyū, who was Shuei of Kyoto Gosho.

Tsuba signed « Ichiryu Tomoyoshi » – 一柳友善 Late Edo Ichiryû – Mito school Kinko Meikan rank : Ryoko / Joko This beautiful katana-sized tsuba is made of shakudo embellished with gold and silver accents, on the theme of the unryu dragon. The work is very fine and of high quality, with a beautiful relief and many details. 7,9 x 7,4 cm 2500 €

5-3 Kiri Mon. After derusting I discovered that each paulownia ‘imprint’ is carved out in fine detail, not merely stamped. Three on front, two behind. Detail

Yes, that is one of the crude theories, but it is ridiculously unlikely when you think about it. I am working scientifically on this TEKKOTSU subject and hope to be able to present results in the near future.

It seems to be a nice sword with very strong masame. If trying for Tokubetsu Hozon, I would submit without the old paper from blank beginning. As the NBTHK has attributed it to Sue-Hoshō they see it as a Muromachi era sword. By default it would be that mumei Sue-Hoshō can only achieve Hozon level. There might always be an exception but so far all 17 NBTHK attributed mumei Sue-Hoshō that I have data on are all Hozon, even though some of would be good quality. Please send us pictures after Woody has worked on it.

yes Woody Hall will do an amazing job with it. He has a very beautiful and unique style thats far better than anything that comes from the dealers in my opinion. It looks like you might only need a shiage togi . You might want to consider a slight kissaki shaping as it looks slightly mishapened but there s really nothing wrong leaving it the way it is. He s the only togishi I ll send my blades to and he has done a number of shiage togi for me. Each blade came back looking like a juyo sword lol

Pointless giving it to any museum. They are not scarce enough to be unavailable if they want one, and most museums let items rot in the store room. That's the best way to make sure an item isn't appreciated. You'd be better off keeping it, or selling to a collector where it would be appreciated and preserved.

Yes, it's one of the few remaining examples of what folks in IT diplomatically refer to as "the Geocities era of web design." It's a historical artifact in itself.

This same sword appeared on the forum some months ago;

I'm considering updating the forum to the latest version, which is a complete revamp of the current software, and has been in development for a number of years. I'm currently trying to raise the $600+ that would be needed to get someone to assist, as it is a huge update with lots of new features and benefits. Frankly, we'll have to do it eventually anyways, as this version 4 won't be supported forever, and it will allow us to improve a lot of things. That aside, I don't have a date yet when we will do it. But there is one thing that I need to warn all members about. Most forums nowadays, across most platforms, are moving away from logging in using your username. This is because usernames are visible to everyone, and it is a security risk when hackers etc use various methods to run common passwords etc. The modern convention is to have everyone log in with their registered email address, and their usual password. This is because emails are not visible and are far more secure. So I am putting this out there now, so that people can start transitioning from logging in using their username, to logging in with their email address. YES...I know how many people can't remember their emails they used, or have changed it by now. Hence why I'm giving everyone plenty of warning to see what your email is here, so you can use to to login. Or update it if you like. Your forum email address is in your profile. You can find it here: https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/settings/ Make sure you know what it is, and probably best to make sure you know what your password is, or reset it if you don't. For now, you can log in with your username OR your email address. But eventually that username won't be a login method. Your username will display as it does currently, no changes there So please start transitioning over, and post here if you have any questions.

Hi Nick, What Ray said, and here you will find care & cleaning, which you should read twice. https://nbthk-ab2.org/sword-characteristics/ Grey And if you have a bunch of questions and would appreciate talking with someone who is not an authority but has been at this for 40 years and won't try to get you to sell the sword to me, feel free to call sometime. Grey 218-340-1001 US central time

Hello Richard, As far as the tanto is concerned: The jihada makes a rough and rustic appearance in hadadachi-style. With this lack of elegance I would not consider it an old Yamato-work. The jigane is open and flowing itame with some mokume interspersed. Masame is basically visible in the point-area. Without seeing the blade in hand and shooting from the hip I recommend to search further in the area of Etchu Uda. reinhard

Modern generation...instant gratification and everything handed on a plate. You get used to it. Many of the people are innocent though...some sign up and forget their details to come back and say thanks. Some just assume it's implied. I try give them the benefit of the doubt. But yeah...it's common everywhere online nowadays.

The mei is 義重 not 嘉重. AI search is not a good tool for researching Japanese swordsmiths. These tools will hallucinate and give you the information that they think you want (correct or not). I would recommend Markus Sesko's swordsmith compendium for researching swordsmith bios. https://www.lulu.com/shop/markus-sesko/e-swordsmiths-of-Japan/ebook/product-1zk9mrzq.html?page=1&pageSize=4

Somehow I have lost the registration card for a precious wakizashi. In order to get a new one issued there are some hoops through which one has to jump. 1. Contact the education board of the prefecture where the original was issued. Tokyo in my case. Pray you have a copy of the original. Pray you originally registered yourself as the new owner within 20 days of purchase as the law stipulates. They send you the forms to fill out, which you send back to them. 2. In theory they then contact the education board where you live and request a sai-hakkō be issued at the next sitting of their committee, whenever, wherever. 3. You bring the blade at the agreed place and time for inspection, which usually takes a full morning, pay your money for a new card. ¥6,000(?). In order to get past step 1 above, however, they have requested that I go to Police Headquarters and file an official ‘lost’ notice and collect a number code. So I went to the Police station and was advised over the phone by the authorities that if there is a possibility that it’s at home and I’ve misplaced it, in a sword bag or down the side of a drawer, then they cannot issue such paperwork. They would need to know that it got lost out and about, going to the Togishi for example, and I would have to state when I last saw it. I do not want to involve the Togishi in this as ultimately it’s my responsibility and not his. He told me does not have it and I believe him. Feeling stuck between two branches of government, I took the bull by the horns and went to Police HQ with all my paperwork and the forms from Tokyo, and begged them to help me out. Finally they have agreed to issue the vital number for me! Happy Christmas! This has taken a month so far since I first phoned the Tokyo Board of Education. Now I fill in all the paperwork and send it off to Tokyo for a new attempt at Step One above!

Here are some promised photos, and and