Grey Doffin

I wasn't suggesting that this be sent to David for new tsuka-ito. My thought was that he could patch in the small missing piece, which would improve appearance and help to stabilize the original ito so more doesn't come undone. Grey

I agree totally with Barry; David is the obvious choice for this. You should be able to find him in the links above. Grey

Since both are WWII era and probably showa-to (as opposed to a handmade gendaito), both are over priced. You can do better. I suggest serious study, online, in books, and at shows, before you buy a sword. Grey

I will be there and since I drive to this show I can bring books with me. Anything on my site you want to see let me know. Grey

I agree with Rivkin: either very low quality Japanese or recent Chinese fake. Look closely at detail; it doesn't hold up. And regardless where & when it was made, everyone should strive to collect better. Grey

Hi Oliver, Here is a link to a care and etiquette site that will tell you how to keep the sword: http://www.nbthk-ab.org/Etiquette.htm And for the time being, until you know a lot more about Nihonto than you now do, resist all urging and any inclination you have to get these restored. Proper restoration of the sword will be expensive (improper restoration will be a disaster) and you don't know enough to appreciate the work or keep it pristine. Restoration isn't necessary and does nothing for preservation; the sword is fine without it. Keep a light coat of oil on the polished part of the blade, handle it properly, and maybe someday in the future you'll want to do more and you might even know what makes sense then. Grey

Hi Wieble, The video is too small for me to see the signature on the sword well enough to answer the question. Post a larger pic and I'm sure you'll get an answer. In the mean time, make sure there is a pin in the hole through the handle and tang of the sword. Without the pin the blade can slide down inside the scabbard and break its point. What I can see looks right. Grey

This can always be made naginata naoshi if the boshi is too compromised so the broken tip won't be fatal. I'm nearby in Duluth if you need someone to show this to; feel free to get in touch. And now back to the tourney. Tied 3 - 3 going into the 3rd period of the championship game. Grey

Hi Gordon, Well done saya-gaki will probably add more value to your swords than the saya-gaki will cost you (as long as the swords are already in Japan) so I think it makes sense if you can get a qualified person to agree to do it. Of course, it makes a difference who does it. I know Mr. Tanobe, who recently retired from the NBTHK, does saya-gaki and does it very well. I don't know who else does; anyone know? I think a saya-gaki done by someone without Mr. Tanobe's standing in the community would be a mistake so choose wisely. Grey

I agree. Buy books and study hard. This is an obvious fake. The more you know before you buy a sword the better job you'll do at it; at your current level of knowledge you are very likely to waste your money. Grey

While if may be difficult to know if a paper is a counterfeit (although I would guess that fake papers are quite rare), it is easy to know that this paper is not. Tsuruta-san would never offer a blade with a counterfeit paper. It pays to know who you are dealing with. Grey

I'll be there with all swords and kodogu from my site, and some of each that haven't made it on the site yet. If any of you wants a book let me know and I might be able to fit it in. Grey

Not only is it welded on, it is welded on backwards. Grey

Hi Oleg, Look closely inside the sukashi openings. If you see a flange of metal, that is from casting and this is a fake. If that's just accumulated dirt this may be a real tsuba, but one of relatively low quality and value. Unless someone else knows better. Grey

Hi James, Robert Benson in Hawaii is a properly trained polisher (see links above) and if you sent your tanto to him he could tell you if he thinks a polish makes sense, and if he says yes he can make it happen. Shy of that, you're welcome to drop by and I'd be glad to take a look for you. Don't be in a hurry to get this polished. There is nothing wrong with waiting and the more you know when you do decide, the better the decision you'll make. Grey

Welcome to the board Douglas. Enjoy your time spent here; the board is a great reference. Grey (near neighbor in Minnesota)

Hi Ray, Matahachi is a zokumei (alternate name?) of Dotanuki Masakuni, which is the only Dotanuki smith to make it into Fujishiro's Koto-hen. Oshigata from Nihon Toko Jiten (no idea why the computer rotated it; sorry) and Yumei Koto Taikan are below. Looks interesting. Grey

Hi Stuart, This appears to be the usual, not traditionally made military sword: nothing special. The marks on the handle are mostly inventory numbers. With a wooden jaw vise and gentle flexing you can remove the bend in the blade. Grey

Maybe Haru? Grey

I agree with Barry, You need some good books with lots of pictures of quality tsuba; you need to study before buying or you'll waste your money. Grey

Hi Petr, Just to reinforce what has already been said. This tanto may well be something special if restored by someone with proper training and it may well be scrap iron if restored by someone else. There will be little room for error; the blade has been polished down a lot already and there are chips in the edge that require careful and studied attention. You don't have to get this polished; it isn't necessary for the blade's preservation, but if you do have it polished make very certain that the polisher has been properly trained. I need to attend the same garage sales you do. Congratulations! Grey

Hi Filipe, There is a post in FAQ above about relative new comers and their wish to own and have polished and mounted their sword, and why it often doesn't make sense. You should read it. Now would be a great time in your collecting career to spend serious time and maybe money in learning. Attend shows, read books, look closely at everything available, and ask questions (and then reread those books). The more you know before you buy the happier you will be with what you bought and you'll be much less likely to spend foolishly. Grey

Thanks Ray, So Toshiyuki is the smith; who is Masanobu? Grey

Hi guys, Can I get help with the sword below (which might be for sale)? I get parts, like the date (Tenpo 6) but some of this has me stumped and I could be wrong about the rest. Thank you, Grey

I've been wondering about how the saya was made. Traditional construction would lead to a problem called short grain and the saya would break easily at either end. Seasonal wood movement also would be a problem. The work around is to use bent wood or even better, bent lamination. No matter how it was constructed, it must have a sloppy fit to the blade to allow for movement and drawing/withdrawing in use. Quite impractible and, I think, a bit ugly. Grey