ROKUJURO

Pietro, I have the impression that the painter did not look closely at the way the TSUKA-ITO is done.

Greg, files are made to work in 'push-motion'.

Jean-Pierre, you don't use a file vertically in this case but horizontally! Any dust can fall out, be vacuum-cleaned or brushed out. A file is always better than sandpaper.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwRL-gETDmM https://ejmas.com/tin/2005tin/tinart_forbes_0105.html

Chris, this is called IRIYAMAGATA JIRI. Typical KAGA NAKAGO looks like this: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/26827-signed-and-dated-katana-by-kaga-masakuni/

....and I like the YAJIRI! The KEN looks like a simple votive offering and not so much like a weapon.

Dean, I think I can see OKA 岡 plus some numbers

Thank you, MORIYAMA-SAN! So it reads GETSUMITSU, but the NAKAGO does not look like late 13th century.....

Ed, a basically similar technique is used in GURI-BORI. If you look that up you may find TSUBA as well as FUCHI-GASHIRA items.

I read BISHU OSAFUNE no JU NORIMITSU

As Ford mentions, URUSHI may be a problem. In many TSUBA, the metal plugs in the HITSU (ATEGANE or UME) are glued in with URUSHI. All depends from the temperature, so it's difficult to talk about the hazards when you don't know exactly how hot the TSUBA were.

Logan, I cannot believe that members here might be afraid to post a critical comment. But you are certainly correct with that insightful look at the tradition and long learning processes in the crafts of the Japanese sword.

Logan, reading your comment, I can only say that you obviously lack the knowledge and experience in this field. Yes, a good woodworker may be able to make a raw TSUKA or a SAYA, but making it the original Japanese way is a completely different thing! While a SAYA may 'only' fall apart or scratch the blade, an incompetently made TSUKA is a potentially dangerous thing and may lead to the 'House of the Flying Swords'! There are seven different expert craftsmen involved in making a Japanese sword, and I think it is over-self-confident to believe that any craftsman in the West could do the same. Experience in this field is a main factor.

Jean, you have received an e-mail for No. 36

Gang Wang, please try again in the 'Translation' section. More expert members might see and identify this. Looks like a GENDAITO, but of course we need to see the full blade without HABAKI.

The "MEI" could be a 27 standing on its head.

Yura, may read KANEMITSU. The photos do not allow an assessment if GIMEI or SHOSHIN, at least not for me.

Yura, ONE photo please of the NAKAGO, vertical, with light from the side!

What did you find out? I think I can read KUNIHARU 圀 春

This thread should be transferred to TRANSLATION.

A papered AIZU SHOAMI TSUBA with a similar theme: https://www.aoijapan.com/tsuba-mumeiaizu-shoami-2/

.....The plate does exhibit this very nice gradual and uniform thinning from the rim in towards the center, which I imagine was not easy to do.) Michael, while good iron TSUBA are indeed not so easy to make, as design and craftsmanship have to be on a high level, giving the plate an even or tapering thickness is not so difficult!

Perhaps http://www.thejapanesesword.com/services/swordsmiths/Ehime/ehime.html

Usually HEIANJO inlays are brass/SHINCHU, but I have seen some TSUBA with a few copper inlays as well. This is the first for me that seems to have copper only.

Barry, in principle, yes, but it seems that we have here a well homogenized iron, so the patination process does not reveal a crystalline or other structure as we might see in MOKUME TSUBA. The nature of TEKKOTSU is perhaps not what we are thinking it might be - I am working on that. TSUBA are not hardened like sword blades and thus we should not expect Martensite particles to protrude from the surface.