md02geist

Thanks Barrie that's fantastic info. Wonder if it has sentimental value to someone or maybe they used it as a practice piece to work on designs? The added designs are quite nice quality in my opinion. Kinda neat to find niceness quality somewhat intricate design on such a plain basic iron tsuba. A nice duality.

Guys. I'm aware. I'm tech savvy. Not tech stupid. Please refrain from any more comments on picture orientation they sideline the topic at hand.

Incorrect. They show up perfectly on my phone and when taken the orientation was perfectly set. Give me some credit here.

Please forgive me I have no idea why the forum keeps turning my pictures sideways.

Won this tsuba a while back, in one of the board raffles. Lucky me! Anyways was wondering what y'all thought of it. Love any input you'd have. It is wakizashi sized. No interest in selling it, just wanted some input and commentary

Muneware is correct.

Welcome!

Thanks Ray. That makes complete sense; not sure why I didn't consider that angle. Still learning! Shame to see a sword have that occur to it. Clearly it effects the value, too.

So I ran across something while perusing Aoi's site: https://www.aoijapan.com/wakizashi-kane-ikakire-gold-inlay-signature-july-25th-kyoho-5th-kuramochi-anzaemon-ryodan-saidan This blade specifically says "but we can't find hamon for some reason." Am I misreading the high-res pictures? I swear I see a hamon or what looks like a hamon, right up until it hits the kissaki. Is that just an angle of light thing? Forgive me if this is a dumb question.

Wow is right. That kanteisho is some nice icing on that cake too!

Thank you all for your wonderful assistance. NMB people are very helpful! I appreciate the time you all took to point me in the right direction.

Hello all, When commissioning a new tsuka, having a new tsuba etc fitted to a blade and the like, or having a new saya or shirasaya made, generally who have you all found to have good service and be reliable? Say if in the future I find a themed set I like for a blade I possess that either doesn't have fittings or has sub-par fittings, where are some honest places I could go to have the set fitted etc? It's not something I'm doing now, but I want to know where to look in the future if I do wish it done.

Thanks Greg! I was like "I don't think anyone said anything inappropriate?" lol.

This had more comments on it that seem to have been deleted...?

Yes I'm aware of be steps but didn't know if two Smiths would ever work on the same blade like that at once. It did seem far fetched but just mulling over ideas. Thank you for your input!

Wonderful information, thank you Ray! I find the pattern to be very interesting!

Decided to go ahead and pick up another Yari while I was at it with the new Katana. Sue Seki Yari (Hozon), almost a 16" blade. Nice sturdy sankaku yari in good polish with a cool hamon. Interesting how the hamon is unevenly done; stylistic thing or sign of it being worked on by two people at once to rush production, or what? Any idea? Just shooting in the dark here, perhaps I'm wondering at the importance of something that really has no importance.

Yep already mentioned this. Thanks for pointing it out again though I'm sure not everyone saw my post but there are a lot of people who could use this book!

Certainly nothing wrong with appreciating all different varieties. I have a soft spot for tobiyaki!

It's funny you mention seeing papered swords swapped from Mihara to Aoe or back and forth; I've actually seen several examples of that just in my shopping. For instance a sayagaki will say Aoe but the NBTHK will call it Mihara etc. Seen at least one knowledgeable vendor openly question the attribution as well stating they felt it was the other etc. By the way you are right about the Mihara sugata; I too have never seen a Mihara with a poor sugata (of course my experience in looking and searching I'm sure is not as extensive as yours). I have my eye on one or two other Mihara blades as well, they seem to draw me in each time I see them. Like I said they have a lot of that functional elegance to them generally without super flashy hamons, etc. I don't mind the flashy stuff but to me true beauty lies in simple elegance. At least at this point in my journey! lol.

Thank you very much. Interesting choice of decoration; I looked up the symbolism on it and it seems to refer to fertility, child birth, etc. They seem popular enough that several of you were able to reference it without any issue; any idea why these might be used on a sword? What would they represent to a warrior? Praying for many sons etc fertile lineage or something? Just mulling over it. Maybe someone just really likes pomegranates lol.

Good for them! I hope it works out for them. I really like Aoi, they have had fantastic customer service in my limited experience with them.

That seems to be a really good direction to go.

Anyone have a guess as to what the heck the menuki are? https://www.aoijapan.com/img/sword/2016/16683koshirae.jpg

As I understand it the two were neighboring schools too, and share some similarities.