jasper

Thanks Ian. I will probably end up selling it and have someone else restore it.

But if I know nothing about cars and buy a ford pinto, then pay thousands to restore it, I have waisted my time and money. Just trying to balance things out.

So now comes the choice in what to do. To balance the inital cost and repairs vs. the value of this armor when restored. I got a partial quote back on relacing the sugake odoshi and Shikoro but he could not estimate the lacquer repairs on the kabuto until he saw it. The repair costs seem ok so far, they are more then what I purchased the set for. A rare nerigawa kabuto does not always say that it would be of great value. I do understand the importance of the restoration but sinking money into it has to be justified. I have found a simular set for sale at around $7500 but I have no idea if that is a reasonable price, this is with a metal kabuto. http://www.samuraiantiqueworld.com/antiquesamuraiarmor36.html Any help again would be appreciated.

Here are some better pics.

Thanks everyone for the help. It has been very confusing trying to figure out this kabuto. I was thinking it was more of just added to the set for display as a cheap imitation to a metal helmet. I would imagine that making this shape out of leather would be very difficult, getting it exact to the same shape as you could form a metal kabuto. I would also think that this would have been more expensive for the owner to have purchased then that of a metal kabuto? Looking at it closer it does look like very dried out leather, kind of a rust color. I will update some closeups this evening.

It is hard to tell if it is leather. It is slightly flexable. It is not magnetic. The shikoro are magnetic and are much heavier. What other materials were used? Any recomendations on repair and costs? The shikoro need to be re-laced. Also need some of the kusazuri re re-laced to the Do as well.

More close-ups of the Do.

Anyone have any ideas about the kabuto? It seems very light. Most of the weight of the helmet is from the shikoro.

Not anyone yet, thank you! I was pretty excited when I first saw it and knew it's potential value right away.

I think that the Do' and Kote are original to each other and are not from the revival period as they have considerable age, but I could be wrong. The Do is made up of individual iron plates as are the kusazari, they are magnetic The sode seem to be the newest parts added and are not part of this style of armor as estcrh pointed out. That is why I think someone just added missing pieces to it over the years. I am missing one suneate and the menpo. This was one of the first examples that I found. http://tousando.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=armour&thread=3668&page=1#32730

I picked this up a month ago from an estate. From my research so far the Do and kote are 16th century and the other parts have been added on. It is in need of repair as some of the kuzazuri need to be re-laced to the Do. There are two smaller sections that are off completely. All of the kuzazuri are there. The helmet is confusing, as it is very light weight. It appears to be just a thin metal that has been laquered over. I would appreciate some opinions and some advice or repair.

This is a decent show for finding Showa and non-military blades. November 9th and 10th at the Pomona Fair Grounds. http://www.militariashow.com/

The only reason I would have it removed is if it were truly an early blade. I did not realize that mei removal was so expensive, that and a polish would run close to $5k, yikes. Thanks for the help and input.

I am not sure what is in the grooves. It was put on there well, it does not seem to wear off easily. I appreciate the input. So even if the gimei was removed it still could not recieve papers?

This is one of my pride and joys even though the signature was rejected at the 1993 LA Shinsa. Still unsure what to do about the gimei. I have had several opinions about when the sword was made. The shinsa team suggested it was a revival sword from about 1860. Others have said it is much earlier then that, 1500 or so. Judging by the nakago with flatened file marks and that it has 4 mekugi-ana, I would think that it was much older too. The shinsa team did judge the fittings, saya, tsuba, menuki and the tsuka. They recieved medium size papers, but dated them to to around 1820. I find that odd that the blade was made after the fittings were? Thought I would share some pics. Any comments are more then welcome.

http://cgi.ebay.com/VERY-NICE-Japanese- ... dZViewItem To me the fittings look correct for WWII era military mountings, but the blade really throws me. The nakago looks good, not so much the signature as it looks weak. Has a hamon, but the scroll work hides the other characteristics of the blade. There appears to be some hada. There is no yokote or shinoji-ji (makes it hira-zukuri?). So the scroll work fits with that style, it is not very well done in my opinion. So what was done to this? Is this at all correct? Or am I being fooled by a chinese import?

Two people must have thought it was something as it sold for $5175! Auction# 1775 http://www.rockislandauction.com/upload ... 06_408.pdf

The image sends you to a website then tries to install software on your system.

Thanks for the help. I would agree that my tanto is not a steak knife. I have another tanto that is simular to that eBay auction item and there is a big difference between them. -Rob

I know this gets asked alot on this board but I have never had a polish done and would not know who to trust. From what I understand there are only a couple people in the US that are good, the rest are in Japan. What is the typical turn around time for each? And if it goes to Japan should it go to the NBTHK while it is there? How are losses claimed by the carriers/polishers? Are they responsible? If I get the polish, NBTHK papers, Shirasaya and Habaki, I am into it of upwards of about $2000+. I only have $200 into it so far. I guess I need to figure the value of it once it is complete. No reason to invest $2200 into somthing worth only $1500. Any ideas?

I have found several smiths that have used the name KaneYoshi from 1300-1920. I am guessing that this is around 1700? Is this worth the cost of a polish? Can anyone tell if the steelwool scrub marks did to much damage or not? Thanks, -Rob

Can anyone help with the smith or is the mei just the school?

No signature on any of the fittings.

I have always had a hard time photographing blades. Sorry for the watermark too, I had that set accidentaly when I cropped and adjusted them. Unforunantly someone took some fine steel wool to this and it has scratched it up. I have used the pompom powder ball on it many times and it has helped a bit. The hamon is starting to show much better now. This is a thick blade, measuring about 7/16" thick at the habaki. Cutting edge measures about 11 1/4" Any comments are very much appreciated. -Rob

Can someone please translate this. It is a heavy tanto blade. Thanks, -Rob