Curgan

Excellent piece! Spot on for my taste. Could you please post a close up of the birds?

+1000 Chris both for what you said and for the way you said it...

The reason we do not have that many mass-producted (and not that well made) swords from older eras is that they were used (and ruined) in battle. In WWII they carried swords just to make an impression as they are useless in a modern war. This means many of them survived. just my uneducated 2 cents... PS I would be glad with any sword, even one with hagire, because I have to travel abroad in order to see Japanese swords and fittings...

Nice! I find the trunk of the First tsuba very appealing. Thanks for sharing!

Bernard, you are lucky enough to have a great collection for study, clever enough to appreciate it and fortunate enough to have found the NMB I envy you and thank you for sharing! :D

Still a nice tsuba though (although I am a bit positively biased with soft metal )... BTW how would you repatinate a kinko tsuba?

Sorry John, I missed it totally (although I enjoyed very much the rest of your posts). Indeed I am looking for large shakudo plate with gold peony, or "panels" with a floral theme (a plum tree maybe)... Once again you have my sincerest thanks for your patience and I reserve the right to return the favour when you visit Greece...

Hi John, did you by any chance notice any large kingo botan tsuba?

Thanks for the pictures! Eating with friends among all those nihonto... priceless

Hopefully there will be a pictorial tour of the DTI sometime later, wont it? I am sure there will be one, otherwise this post is a sadistic torture for the rest (and less fortunate) of us who can't attend... :D

Thanks for the link!

Could you please Chris post this last picture at higher resolution? The blade seems fantastic

Thanks a lot John. The larger pic is at this link viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7183 You where the first to help me with the kantei on this one. Maybe you 'll be the one to spot it's mate?

Just in case someone spots a katana sized tsuba that would make a matching pair with the one in my profile picture viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7183 I 'd appreciate a PM and seller's contact info. Have fun at DTI and please don't forget to take pictures for the rest of us!

Excellent thread and advice Jean (especially the ask before you buy advice). Join a nihonto club and visit nihonto fairs is the second most important advice to me (can't appreciate them as you should, if you have one at a 1000km radius).