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Geraint

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Everything posted by Geraint

  1. Hi John. I am guessing other than this one? http://www3.telus.net/sword/sword/index.htm/MyWebs6/Yoshimas.htm All the best
  2. Looks right to me. The Inshu Kanesaki smiths are a little difficult to track down it seems. There is a tendency for them to use the Kanetsugu mei early in their careers before using Kanesaki, it seems. Have a look at this one, http://www.nihonto.us/INSHU%20KANETSUGU%20KATANA.htm I think this one would be before yours but the later Kanesaki smiths seem to have produced hamon that show their Mino origins but in rather restrained style as far as activity within the hamon goes, whereas yours is much more interesting from that point of view. As far as I have been able to discover the school begins with Mino Kanesaki in the very end of the Muromachi period. He seems to have moved around a little before settling in Inaba. The lineage then runs through to the Meiji period. Not directly connected to yours but the same school see this one, http://yakiba.com/Kat_Kanesaki.htm If you find out anything more about them I would be keen to hear it. I have been looking into them for some time. All the best. Promise I'll stop soon but here is another one of the lineage, http://www.to-ken.com/full.php?article=sr000090&type=swordRegister
  3. Hi Harvey. Congratulations, you must be pleased. I take some comfort from the the assurance that there was something good in the blade. The big question is to whom or to which school did they attribute it? Enjoy yourself. Geraint
  4. Hi Chris. The demarcation is at 24 inches or approximately 60 cms. At or above is a katana, below a wakizashi. There are subtleties but this is the general rule. That's measured from the tip to the mune machi. So if the length you quote is from tip to the machi then it is a katana. Looking forward to finding out what happens at shinsa but whatever the outcome enjoy the sword. All the best.
  5. Hi Bob. I'm thinking that would be sosho....? Whoever got this one did well I think, from the photographs on the site. All the best
  6. Hi Ian. Glad this turned out better than we all feared. All the best.
  7. I agree with Brian, black horn is the way to go. Would like to see this one. All the best.
  8. Dear Hamish. As in Kamiyoshi, Hirata Hikozo, Jingo? I think Higo school is a bit of a generalisation with too much variation between them to class as one thing. All the best.
  9. Hi Guido. 20 years, but the blink of an eye in this hobby! All the best.
  10. If you have not seen this link it might be useful. http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/tsuba/tsubaid.htm All the best.
  11. Well there you are, I just messaged you with the same offer. How good is NMB! All the best.
  12. Dear Thibault. Not too difficult to do yourself if you have the tools. A thin leaf of spring steel and a brass rivet are all that is needed. Failing that it might be worth asking here: http://www.guntoartswords.com/ All the best
  13. While most of these are pretty bad there is a range of quality with the best being superbly carved. These are not at that level but they are better than average. Have a look at the blade of the second sword, surely a true Nihonto. All the best.
  14. Looking again, (Isn't it frustrating sometimes, having to do all this without the thing in hand?) I wonder if the line is in fact an accumulation of dirt around the location of the seppa. Worth some gentle attention with some bone to see if it yields. All the best. Geraint
  15. Hi Ron. I think Brian is right about the seppa outline. Have a look at this one on Grey's site, http://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/holbrook-tsuba/h353-saotome-tsuba Perhaps an early plate with added work. I really like it by the way. All the best.
  16. Dear Steve. Forgive me if I am stating the obvious but this is a nice package. Pierced tsuba with a company mark, the full set of seppa, family mon on the kabuto gane and what seems to be a sword remounted in a combat saya. While this may not be the most fabulous sword in terms of Nihonto it is a very attractive package as an example of the sort of history you are interested in. All the best.
  17. Geraint

    Nanban Tsuba

    Hi Jason. Gama senin with a toad. Nice example here, http://art.thewalters.org/detail/35169/tsuba-with-the-chinese-immortal-gama-sennin/ You have to look at the back to find his toad. All the best.
  18. Hi Ryan. The very long kerakubi does suggest Muromachi jidai. The images are not really clear enough to see what you are buying and then of course there are the issues about polishing. To compare have a look at this one, http://www.aoijapan.com/yari-mumei-unsigned-3 Once you set polishing costs against the purchase price you will have an idea about what you want to bid. Have fun.
  19. Hi Axel. If you click on this link and scroll down you will find two more. http://www.aoijapan.com/fittings/tsukaothers You might find the comparison between them in terms of quality and price informative. All the best.
  20. Dear Eric. I fear your translation may be an uphill struggle. From the images you provide the blade shows signs of being non Japanese. Best guess would be that it is a Chinese copy. Have a look at the quality of the tang on Japanese swords, ignore the signature for the moment, just look at the accuracy and quality of finish on genuine examples and you will see what I mean. For very good photographs have a look at some on this site; http://www.aoijapan.com/ Sorry to be the bearer of bad news for you. All the best.
  21. Barry? And just to say that no attempt to polish the blade would be a good idea in any sense. No, no no.
  22. Dear John. No answers but some thoughts. First, small yari on very short poles are usually called kago yari and reputed to have been for use in palanquin. There is a wealth of documentary evidence for naginata in use on the battlefield and surviving early naginata. I suspect that the tradition for them being women's weapons is an Edo development and even then not entirely the case. I have formed the opinion that the rather short and sharply curved blade with an enlarged tip, (Tomoe sugata?) is intended as a weapon for women but there are some quite late naginata, shinshinto, that were clearly never intended for this given their size. I suspect that for women the shaft would be a little shorter and possibly allow for their use indoors in certain buildings. I also recall a reference to polearms mounted over the door in a preserved samurai home. There is the Knutsen book available on polearms. It has much to say from a practical aspect regarding their use but is sometimes frustratingly short on the information that one would like. All the best.
  23. Seems that someone did well on these two.
  24. Looking forward to hearing how this one turns out Stephen! All the best
  25. Geraint

    New Choshu Tsuba

    Hi Bruno. That is a really interesting tsuba. From your images it appears to be a shinchu plate with the Hoo bird inset into it and a fukurin, also in iron. Is that right? Not something I have seen before. Thanks for sharing it with us. All the best.
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