Geraint

Dear All. Iwonder if the image of the jar is not a sake jar and the strange joiner not a gourd? If that is the case then perhaps the design references this. https://lordsofthedrinks.wordpress.com/2018/01/28/the-Japanese-folk-tale-of-the-sacred-white-sake/ Seems a pleasant fancy if not the right answer. All the best.

Dear Mark. Is it possible that you migt have slightly missed the point of this thread? Basically it is Bob sharing his rather wonderfull collection with us all and where others have posted it is to add to the discussion about those pieces. I am sure we could start a thread where we share our favourite piece or our recent acqusitions. All the best.

Dear Tlongnaws. Welcome to NMB. There is a thread here that might help. All the best.

Glen. That last one you posted is pretty much a dead ringer for mine; seppa dai, shape of the ryohitsu, tendril design and so forth. Also the first one, having signed examples is interesting and from what I gather rare. Thank you for posting these. All the best.

Dear Peter. In answer to your first point here is a tsuba that I believe to be of Japanese manufacture. There are slight asymmetrys to the design in that the dragon on one side seems to have a pearl in it's mouth and the tendril that forms the inner mimi turns into the body of the tsuba. The material is shinchu or sentoku, the seppa dai is the classic Namban design and the ryo hitsu are original to the tsuba. The stylistic features and the undercutting on the lower half of the tsuba are quite typical. All the best.

Hi James. Welcome to NMB. For information about this smith see here, http://www.nihontocraft.com/Mishina.html As you will see he is well documented but just a word of caution, the signatures on ko gatana, i.e. the blade, are usually held lightly as many of them are clearly not made by the person whose signature they bear. Enjoy the journey! All the best.

These are really not my field but I think the give away here are the nice shiny file marks where the new mekugi ana has been drilled. Only shows in the one photo. All the best.

Dear Jace. A large shinshinto katana with an o gissaki in nice original mounts, spotted many years ago as I was cycling past an antiques shop I knew. Groaned and pulled over on the basis of, "Well at least I can have a look!" Went in and drew the blade out a little to see a sticker, yes, on the blade, which said £30. Force of habit more than anything else, I asked if there was anything they could do on that and to my surprise the owner said he could do it for £28. With trembling hands I wrote the cheque, knowing that it would make me over drawn, first and last time for that. Next problem was cycling home with it. I still have it, papered now to Inshu Kanesaki. Iron mokko tsuba, gold foiled habaki and seppa, shakudo fuchi kashira and menuki of samurai fighting in boats. All the best.

Dear David. Usually Japanese swords are measured from tip, kissaki, to the machi, the place where the tang begins. If that is so then I have a hard time believing that this is 23 inches long! All the best.

Dear John. Thank you for your input on this one. The more I look and fondle it the older it feels. I'll do some more digging. All the best.

Dear Roger. Imagine inlaying a piece of iron into the surface of your tsuba but rather than making it thin and flush with the original surface, you make it thick so that it stands proud. you can then carve the raised inlay. All the best.

C'mon Piers, stop teasing and show us the polished yari! All the best.

Dea Michael The first exmple is lacquered leather to match the saya colour. @Charles I don't think baleen, that presents as thin, slightly shiny strands, often found on tanto koshirae. Looks almost like a plastic. @Adam, I really like your tsuka, certainly looks like leather. I have two wakizashi mounted in rather similar ways, the one I posted I am fairly sure is leather, but lacquered. The other is more of a puzzle as on close inspection I think I can see a grid pattern under the surface so perhaps a thin leather wrapped around a woven tape for greater strength. Enjoying this thread guys, keep them coming!

Dear Michael. There are a huge range of styles and materials used for this, just when you think you have seen them all another pops up. I'm quite partial to this style. From your desvciption it sounds as though what you are seeing is plainer than this, as Mark suggests a scren shot will help. All the best.

Dear George. As you know opinions based on images are not likely to be consitent here but for what it's worth I think the first one is probably right based on workmanship and the koshirae is/will be nice. The second is also interesting with orikaeshi mei though I can't see enough to be convinced about the mei. The rustic koshirae I also find interesting. The last one, as Domink suggests, is the big question and if rght worth full restoration without a doubt. If you look up Inami Hakusui you wil find out all about him but thought eh paper work is nice to have and should stay with the items it is not regarded as conclusive. Love to know how this story ends, you sure have a knack for finding interesting stuff! All the best.