Geraint

Dear Joan. Looks like "Takada no ju Kunihisa". Can we see the rest of it please? All the best.

Really not sure about the first kanji but I think the second is saki. All the best. Edit, John beat me to it.

Dear All. Just to keep the thread going. All the best.

Grey, those are stunning, I'm surprised you were able to let them go. All the best.

Dear Peter. Well that is interesting, the iron plate for the kodzuka and the design is something I have not seen but rather like. I have also not seen that style of inlay on the kogatana though I do have one with a gold inlayed mei in the hi. Looking forward to what others have to share. All the best.

Dear All. Late to the party but I have just come across this one. Signed, Yamashiro no kuni Nishijin no ju Umetda Tachibana Shigeyoshi. Ex Behrens no. 2268 Ex Boyle. In "Only Fittings", Sydney Moss, 1996 All the best.

Dear Steve. It is indeed and interesting sword and looks like a re purposed naginata. In hand are you seeing a thinning of the blade toward the mune and what happens to the boshi? All the best.

Wow Bruno! That is gorgeous. Thank you for sharing the images. All the best.

Dear Bruno. That looks like a nice koshirae. If it were mine I would be quite happy describing the kozuka as Kaga zogan rather than Umetada. A series of small insects on a shakudo or shibuichi ground is pretty typical of the work. Interested to see what others say. Any chance of some photographs of the rest of the koshirae? All the best.

Here we are. https://www.aoijapan.com/tsubafunada-ikkinkao/ All the best.

Dear Georg. You refer to the dragon tsuba as having signs of heavy use or damage. What makes you think that? All the best.

Dear Peter. The handle is covered in what is usually called same, a species of ray skin. Lots of information around on this subject. If you haven't already discovered how to care for this sword going forward then the links at the top of the page will take you to this guide, http://www.nbthk-ab.org/swordcare.pdf Please feel free to ask any more questions as you continue your research. All the best.

Dear Peter. The mei reads Echizen Kuni Kanenao. Probably Echizen Seki smith from Shinto times. Having said that I can't find a smith listed with this mei so worth checking the last kanji. Ahh! Maybe Echizen Kuni ju Kanetane. Compare here. https://www.aoijapan.com/wakizashi-echizen-kuni-kanetane-first-generation/ All the best.

Dear Piers. Firstly, I think you are absolutely correct in identifying this as a late Shinshinto work, although you don't give us the nagasa, the sugta, the kasane and the feel are all indicative of that. Jean is also spot on though perhaps understating the case. Mino smiths moved all over Japan in the Shinto period and many carried on with the work style. Echizen Seki and Inshu Kanesaki school for example. From what I can see I wouldn't have called the hamon sanbonsugi however, perhaps more togari gunome, which still has a Mino feel. I think a number of smiths got a bit lost during the Bakumatsu, perhaps those just starting up and not yet enjoying a reputation in particular. I like the koshirae. All the best.

Dear Bruce. Matsuda Kanetaka possibly? All the best.

Dear Matt. The false beard is a straw rain cape, and the rest, well look up Daikoku and his attributes. Enjoy. All the best.

Dear Matt. Nice one! The takanoha yasurime and the togari gunome point to this schools Mino den roots. Most sources suggest the original Inshu Kanesaki moved from Mino in the early Edo period and the lineage continues until he very end of the period. Enjoy! Just to add, this one popped up on Aoi. https://www.aoijapan.com/wakizashi-inshu-ju-kanesaki/ Interestingly it does not have the pronounced takanoho yasurime and in this regard is more typical of the school. All the best.

Just to echo what Gwyn has said, I have bought several items from Kevin over the years and apart from one delay when he was moving it has all been good. When my daughter kindly bought me a sword bag as a birthday present he even added a fusahimo to the order. I imagine that ordering supplies from Japan has been an issue recently but if in doubt drop him another e mail Vaughan. All the best.

Dear Alik. Well, the first one at the moment seems fairly ordinary, don't do anything to it except wipe the blade down with a little light oil at the moment. Forgive me if you know this but you should never touch the blade with bare hands, only the nakago, (tang). The second is fare more interesting and you should go carefully with it. Ideally a member here will be within reach and will be able to give you a more informed opinion from and in hand examination. To start with it is a nice shape, the large kissaki, (point),is often found in Shinshinto swords. The signature is of a very good smith and the cutting test makes it even more desirable. Now a caution, big names are often faked so don't give up the day job just yet. It is in it's civilian koshirae, (mounts), which still has the kurikata and fittings protruding through the leather combat cover. If these are your first two Japanese swords then you have done well, we look forward to seeing what happens with that wakizashi. All the best.

Just the one, a rather typical small sized example.

Dear Katran. Do please add your name to your posts as we all do, you can do that automatically in your profile. I have purchase from this site and was very pleased with the transaction if that is your question. Jussi has just offered two comparators, the sword in question has everything going for it, good polish, shirasaya, good papers, nice koshirae and an interesting signature as well as being by a very good smith. What's not to like? All the best.

Welcome Ankh and Alik. Ankh, you have our sympathies, stick around and don't be afraid to ask questions. Alik if your swords are military then post them in that section, by the sound of it they might both be better off in the Nihonto section. We will look forward to seeing what you have. All the best.

Dear Robert. Well, I'll bite. Hirado Kunishige school. As you say some typical features and some not so typical. The piercing is unusual, as is the sense of squareness of the mimi. Also the carving in the panels on the mimi. Looking forward to what you are going to tell us on this one. Reasons for: Moko gata in shinchu, Namban type seppa dai, both hitsu shaped for kogai, raised mimi with carved cartouche, carving lower than the mimi with textured border, peony decoration, style of carving...........

Hi Barry. Welcome to NMB! I can't make out the first kanji on the tsuba but the second is kyu or hisa. What do you understand the signature on the sword to say and why do you think it is probably gimei? What are the rest of the fittings like? All the best.

Dear Don. I surely hope that you are in for a nice surprise with this one. Tell me, did you see it in person? All the best.