Geraint

Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZw35VUBdzo All the best.

Dear Peter. Speaking as someone who has just a week or so ago picked up a friend's sword and gone, "Wow! Nice menuki" I would agree with Chris. Love to see the results when it's done. All the best.

Dear Roger. Don'y get too excited about the price but see here fro some information on your tsuba. http://www.shibuiswords.com/EDLkoikeyoshiro.html I have seen the suggestion that the shape of the hitsu ana on yours suggests an earlier tsuba. All the best.

Dear All. If any of you has the catalogue of the Festing - Backhoff sale in 1993 there is a very similar tsuba described as, "Of oval form, with slightly raised rim, carved in relief with breaking waves, inlaid with scattered fans in cloisonne enamel, the rounded rim with karakusa in shakudo hirazogan." The description goes on to add that the cloisonne elements are clearly a later addition. Apparently the tsuba had hakogaki by Kazutaro Torigoe attributing it to Nishigaki Kanshiro II. They also give references to Tsuba Kanshoki p 163 and Higo Kinko Taikan p 241. I don't have either of these volumes. I think you need to show this to someone who can advise but I agree that this one should probably get it's own box and perhaps a trip to Ford for some professional restoration. All the best.

Thanks David. I like it! Seems you should be looking at the Sue Koto Kanesaki smiths. Wouldn't it be great if you could tie this to the one who founded the Kanesaki line in Tottori? All the best.

Hi David. I for one would love to see images of the whole yari. Interesting starting point for your research is here, http://to-ken.uk/onewebmedia/UK%20Sword%20Kanesaki.pdf All the best.

Dear James. In many cases the sword will have been cleaned before viewing, thus removing the oil. In any case much better to be safe than sorry, simple precautions prevent costly accidents. All the best.

Dear Stephen. I know where you are heading with this but for this sword there are NBTHK Hozon and NTHK Yushu saku papers. Here it is, https://www.aoijapan.com/wakizashi-gold-inlay-kin-zogan-muramasa/ So suriage with kinzogan mei and still a fair old heap of change for 3million yen. All the best.

Dear Didier. Almost every rule or guide for kantei should include the word "usually". The narrowing above the nakago and the worn machi are a sign of the number of times a sword has been polished but a well used sword might acquire these in quite a short time, or a neglected one that has been rescued. A treasured piece might survive for many years with few if any polishes. (I once convinced myself that a Nambokucho Aoe daito was Shinshinto for the same reasons.) Similarly katateuchi is a specific type of sword from a specific period and not simply a matter of length. There are numerous guides to the lengths of swords relative to time periods but once again there are exceptions and variations galore. All these things make it frustratingly difficult to identify a sword when it is mumei and ubu but I always console myself with the thought that this is what makes this study so fascinating. I suppose it is also why kantei sessions are generally run with blades that are typical of the smith and period. Enjoy your sword. All the best.

Dear Brandon. Welcome to NMB and thank you for sharing your excitement, it's always a great time when you get a new sword. If you click on the FAQ link at the top of the page there is some guidance on caring for your sword. You are correct in your translation of Yukimitsu but with just the name it will be a difficult task to narrow it down to a specific smith. Enjoy the sword and may it be the first of many! All the best.

Dear Jim. This is a civilian sword from a period earlier than WWII. It is a wakizashi, the name for a sword under 24" in length from tip to tang, and it is in handachi or half yachi mounts. The side knife is a kozuka or little hilt and a kogatana for the blade. We all want to know what is on the nakago or tang. Just above the guard there is a small peg that passes through the hilt. If you can use a blunt instrument to push this out, have a look to see which side is larger and push toward that, then you should be able to disassemble the sword, taking note of the order in which the fittings come apart. If you can then get us a photo of the whole blade and one of the tang then perhaps we can help some more. All the best.

Dear Yuri. What made you buy this? Have you ever seen a habaki like that? During yakire the blade curves first forward and then back to form the lovely sugata we all know. Now imagine if a part of the blade had lost it's hamon due to over heating. What would happen? The sugata of this blade is unnatural, a very peculiar straightening from the mid point to the kissaki. Even if you find a continuous hamon and spend the money on a polish you are still going to end up with a blade which has no grace. Sugata first. If you want to remove the habaki several kettles full of boiling water, each followed by cooling in cold water will help but I don't think you are going to be delighted by what you find. All the best.

Dear Ken. I wonder if the rounded segments are original and the rectangular sections were cut to allow the insertion of soft metal cut to shape for kodzuka and kogai? I cannot recall seeing these shapes as they stand anywhere else. All the best.

Dear All. Just few random thoughts sparked by Jeremiah's post. I do agree that a well done mei has a beauty all its own. The calligraphy is distinctive between different makers and one can recognise certain styles from certain hands, e.g. Chikuzen Moritsugu, Shigetaka and so on. However a mei on a nakago or a piece of tosogu is not the same as a signature done with a pen or pencil. I "sign" my work and while the size varies depending on the size of the piece there is a consciousness about the cutting of my "mei" that puts it on an altogether different level to the scrawl that is my pen signature. The mei is a part of the craft, it is carefully and skilfully executed. Of course the content can vary for a host of reasons; new honorific, adoption of a Buddhist name, change of place of work, new name based on kanji taken from a superior's name and so on. With some smiths there is a conscious change of style to take into account; kaku Tsuda and maru Tsuda for example. My basic point remains, there is a deliberate and thoughtful approach to making these marks that is absent from our signatures. I am sure that we have all at some point in our collecting history had that piece which is, "signed by a really famous guy", and that we have all clutched at the straw, "well my signature has changed a lot over the years", in defiance of the evidence that our beloved piece is in fact gimei. However I think we need to separate any association between our signatures and the crafted and often beautiful mei on the works we love. All the best.

Hi all. This motif is usually described as a south sea islander hauling a branch of coral. All the best.

Dear Steven. I find this an attractive sword, I enjoy this sugata and it is in good polish and papered. I would anticipate that you will find much to learn from close examination of the blade and researching the man. It is also from an interesting smith whose influence was quite widespread in the early shinto period. While I am quite sure that Ray's advice is correct, perhaps in the longer term when you find a better example I would be happy to take this off your hands. All the best.

Dear Bruce. That sword appears to be a civilian sword in Tachi koshirae, not so? All the best.

Dear Yura. Well it's a katana in very ordinary koshirae, the yasurime in the area of the mei look suspect, the condition of the nakago also raises concerns. All of that is before we start examining the mei and I don't think that is going to change my opinion. This would not be a sword I would buy, certainly not as a Muramasa. Others may have different opinions. All the best. And just to add Google translate has turned the shopping basket icon into one that says, "In Garbage".

Dear David, You realise that both are rustless steel I'm sure. (Either that or Number 1 has had some serious recent work done to it.) As already suggested I would go with number 2 if you want to jump on these but the price seems a little high to me, any room for negotiation? All the best.

Dear Pat. The advice is good, do not buy this at any price, owning it will upset you as you grow to know more about these wondrous things. There are many links on the tool bar at the top of the page that will allow you to see what is possible and why we are giving you this advice but for a start try here, https://www.aoijapan.com/ I would also recommend that you join the Token Society of Great Britain, one of the meetings will teach you a great deal and hopefully really get you interested. You are a fair way from Cornwall but if you ever get down this far get in touch, you'd be welcome to look at some stuff if you are interested. All the best.

Dear Dwayne. Pietro is quite right and be aware that they are pressings so as part of a collection they are overpriced, removing the blades will not make them suitable even as replacement kozuka in koshirae so the question is do you want some cutlery? If so then I guess the value is up to you. All the best.

Dear Carlos. If your reply indicates that you have given up the idea of making your own koshirae then this comment will be of little value. However in general terms the exercise is one which will teach you more about what makes a good koshirae than you can learn elsewhere and underscores the subtleties and complexities of what a lot of people assume is quite a straightforward process. Given that traditionally several craftsmen would be involve, each of whom will have served a lengthy apprenticeship then the task becomes a little daunting. Doing it at all is a challenge, doing it well is another matter entirely. Both books mentioned are recommended, though I found The Craft of the Japanese Sword a revelation when I first encountered it. The later work that Grey mentions has much better photographs for the most part but nether work deals with anything other than shirasaya. One book you should have is Thomas Buck's book, The Art of Tsukamaki and his website is work some study. While Brian is absolutely correct to say that specialist tools are used in Japan for this process it is quite possible to do with Western tools if you are skilled though you will need some patience. As your wakizashi has shirasaya in which you will continue to store it for it's preservation then I don't think any harm should come to your blade. You will want a tsunagi to hold the koshirae together. Two absolute rules are NEVER use any kind of abrasive paper on the inside of the saya, detached particles will wreak havoc on your sword, and DO NOT be tempted to use modern adhesives, a little too much squeezed into the inside of the saya when clamping can cause damage. Whatever happens you will end up with a European koshirae which will not add to the value of the sword, if anything it will make it harder to sell. You will certainly never recover the money you will have to spend on fittings and materials let alone your time and skill. In short you will be paying quite a bit to learn a lot. All the best.

Dear Mike. I'm not sure what you hope to get in the way of opinions from this rough oshigata. Is it signed Kunitomo? Well you already know that from your own research. Not sure if this thread is any use to you. http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/6553-kunitomo-shoshin-mei/ All the best.

Dear All.l. While whatKirill suggests about getting rid of all but a few high quality blades makes a great deal of sense from a collecting point of view there are some problems from a museum perspective, at least in the UK. Our passion is for a rather narrow subject, albeit one where there is a significant and I think unique national infrastructure in it's home nation. I am unaware of any other country that has several internationally regarded organisations issuing certificates of authenticity, local and national groups meeting for disciplined study and a significant body of literature about its national weapons. Most curators have an area of expertise about one small area of the collection put in their charge and often display a degree of disenchantment with other things that do not fit their own interest. I think that most members of the general public would imagine that museums are places where the ultimate care and attention is paid to each precious object, with exceptions this is not the case. From time to time we hear of curators publishing papers on the conservation of specific groups of objects that read more like a DIY guide to destruction to those of us who understand care and preservation from a collectors perspective. I believe Dave Thatcher recently posted something on these lines with regard to armour. So given the theme of this thread let me posit a situation. Suppose that I have a collection of which I am quite proud and wish to see secured for future generations and I contact a well known local museum to offer them this collection. In my mind I can see this collection being tastefully and securely displayed with a small (ish) label acknowledging my generosity, good taste and expertise. In the negotiations I make sure that the museum has the expertise that I am relying on to take care of my babies and they assure me that they do. Time passes and so do I. So does the one person in the museum who knows anything about Japanese swords. A new curator is appointed with a great background in arms and armour only he has achieved his fame by publishing on the history of the bayonet in 19th century Europe and has developed a curatorial method that insists on burnishing blades with fine steel wool on a regular basis, never, ever removing fittings and applying a liberal coat of a potion based on linseed oil to all organic hilt materials and fittings. An extreme example and to be honest my babies would be at much greater risk of damage through neglect. I would strongly advocate Kirill's later suggestion. If my collection goes to our local auction house and is featured in one of it's Asian Art sales then an international audience will be able to show what they think and while the collection is likely to be dispersed then at least it will go to those who made the time and effort to acquire them. All the best

Dear Jon. Please add your name to your posts, you can set this up in your profile. Oh, and while your'e about it some pictures would be a help on this one. All the best.