Shugyosha

Hi John, It does look similar to this kanji: 重 It’s normally read “shige” in the context of Japanese art names but is normally used with at least one other character to make a name. Here’s a link to an on line dictionary for its meaning and other readings: https://jisho.org/search/重 %23kanji

My pleasure.

Good morning Gwyn, Here's the remainder: 六段に列する - Rokudan retsu suru - Achieved the rank of 6th dan 令和七年二月二十三日 - This is the date, Reiwa seventh year, second month 23rd day The names of the Chairman and Chief Instructor follow: 会長 - Kaichō - Chairman 草原克豪 - This is the chairman's name so the reading may be different to this but I'll try Kusahara Katsuhide 首席師範 - Shuseki Shihan - Chief Instructor 大石武士 - Again a name but I'll try Ooishi Takeshi 第一三二五号 - Dai ichi san ni go go - number of the certificate, Number 1325

Hi Ed, I'm not sure about the "kuni" as whatever is inside the enclosure in this kanji is obscured, with the name I've gone for "Sada" but it might be "Sane" (真) and also the number of the month (I think I can see eight) so I have: 大国住貞改文久二年八月日鍛之 - Okuni (or Daikoku) ju Sadamasa Bunkyuu ni nen hachi getsu hi kitau kore At Okuni, Sadamasa forged this [on] a day in the eighth month, second year of Bunkyuu (1862)

Hi Gwyn, roku dan is very impressive - congratulations that’s a lot of hard work. I’m on European time at the moment - if no one has stepped in overnight I’ll have a look in the morning.

Hi Mark, I can't tell you much other than the date is the 18th year of showa: 十八 - Ju hachi nen so 1943?

Hi Gwyn, I've taken a punt, better linguists may tidy up my attempt: 証 – Akashi – Certificate 貴殿空手道修業に – Kiden karate do shūgyô ni – For your karate do training 心身を尽し技精巧にして – Shinjin o shishi waza sei kô ni shite -With all your heart and soul 円熟の域に達する – Enjuku no iki ni tassuru – Having reached maturity (borne fruit?) 茲に 師範会の推挙に依り - Koko ni Shihan kai no suikyo ni iri – Here (given) with the recommendation of the teachers’ association. It sounds pretty impressive Gwyn, did you go to Japan for a grading to get the certificate?

Hi Chris, 奈良正長作 – Nara Masanaga saku. Made by Nara Masanaga.

I do find that design very pleasing - some nice tsuba there.

Hi Brian, I think the show is only annually but there’s the North California sword society that has a (mostly) monthly meeting: https://www.ncjsc.org

Hi Jake, This is the one signed Yoshiomi, it has the Nagoya Arsenal stamp and is dated November in the 18th year of Showa. The fittings look better than standard gunto fittings and the tachi mei also adds interest. I’m still not 100% sure that the two sides of the tang photographed are of the same blade: the colour is different and the hand of the inscription doesn’t match for me, however, I’m not a military swords guy but these gentlemen can help: @mecox @Bruce Pennington @PNSSHOGUN

Hi Jake, You might want to start a new thread for each sword and include more pictures than just of the tangs. At first blush the look like a mixed bunch: 1. Maybe a late wartime blade - it has a Showa date and the signature is done in the chippy style of the time. 2,4,5 and 6 look like fakes. 3. Looks like two different blades but it or both could be genuine wartime blades - one has side has a stamp (too small to judge on my screen) and the other is dated to Showa 18 (1943). Signature looks like Yoshiomi and is signed tachi mei which might make it more interesting: 7. Might genuine and might be old but could also be an outright fake or a younger blade with a tang made to look like something older. All first impressions based on tangs alone, for something more definitive I think you’ll need to post more and better photos.

It might be an allusion to its cutting qualities in that the object cut falls with the same motion as snow slides from a sleeve. I don’t think my description does it justice but you can perhaps imagine a frictionless separation of two objects that have been cut by something really sharp. I believe I’ve read of another sword’s cutting qualities being described as cutting “as snow slips from a gate post” and another in the same way that a dew drop slides from a leaf. It may have been in a Markus Sesko article but I’m stretching my memory. Here you go: Sasanoyuki- like snow from a bamboo leaf, sorry I conflated two ideas. https://markussesko.com/2014/02/18/cutting-ability-nicknames-of-swords/

There’s the mountain kanji in there to give …sansui zu but Chat GPT does seem to be getting better.

Hi Sky, The only thing I would mention re the ko Mihara blade is that Aoi’s oshigata hints at utsuri but I can’t see it mentioned in the setsumei (but I’m on my phone and am prone to errors) so that might be something to look at if it might be significant for you.

I read somewhere that his swords and armour were buried with him but it’s a bit of a distant memory so I may have imagined it.

Excellent post Lukrez. I suspect I’m completely unqualified to comment on this thread (but as usual I won’t let that stop me) as I seem to have reached a point in my life where nothing generates a feeling of awe or wonder any longer and I think any kind of masterpiece should do that. Obviously that is totally subjective but I think a masterpiece in any media needs to leap above the run of the mill but I’m struggling to see anything more than “nice” at the moment.

I’d be tempted to leave as is. It looks like there’s already something close to a break in the ito so it’ll need a re wrap if you want to do that. Maybe save it for then and give it a clean at that point? Moisture and old thread doesn’t sound like a match made in heaven to me and I think it would be hard to keep the ito dry whilst working on the same alone and, as Sam says, you wanted an antique right?

I’ve had a tanto with koshirae where the mekugi was made of metal in two parts with a head on each side forming the menuki. My understanding also was that the menuki had a function in terms of padding out the tsuka in longer swords to aid with grip and they are normally offset for that reason. Also that what was purely functional became more decorative over time.

Hi Jean, This might be a bit tenuous and this subject is very much yours rather than mine, but the term oroshigane can have the meaning "blown steel" so maybe a reference to him using this process rather than a tatara to make his steel? From an article by Markus Sesko: "At this point, you may ask yourself, what does the very term oroshigane actually mean. I mean, gane is clear, it means “steel”, but oroshi? In our case, the term oroshi is assumed to come from the term fuki-orosu (吹き下す) which means “blow down upon,” and was probably chosen because it resembles the way the smith blows air into the prepared steel/charcoal arrangement for the oroshigane process in his furnace. Strong and dangerous winds blowing down the slope of a mountain are referred to as oroshi as well, written with the character (颪), which has to be taken literally so to speak, i.e. “down” (下) and “wind” (風)." https://markussesko.com/2018/09/30/oroshigane-mentioned-in-signatures/

Hi Jay, Welcome to the forum. From what I can see (on my phone with old eyes) it doesn’t look like a modern copy. I’d suggest maybe 19th century, made for the export trade, but not cast. It can be difficult to kantei tsuba based on design alone as there were books of designs circulating and popular ones were reproduced. There’s some nice carving there and I hope you enjoy your new tsuba.

Thanks Uwe, got it now!

Steve, To give a clue - first two characters = province; next two = place name ( I’m struggling with this) usual character to indicate what is above and then smith name. Also, for an extra clue, check which side of the tang it’s signed on. Edit: the nakago mune has been shaved so it’s a bit tricky to read.

Hi Nick, Sorry, I can't help directly but if you drop the Token Society of GB a line they'll be able to put you in touch.

Hi Colin, thank you. Wow that is really lovely and very well done - there's a ton of work gone into that. I'll be interested to see who the maker is as it looks like you've snagged a good one there.