ROKUJURO

Omar, there are no simple rules of thumb. In SAMURAI times all this had to be made to fit the needs of the warrior, and the decoration had to follow the rules of court, in case he was a nobleman. Today we can choose from so many different styles of KOSHIRAE depending on era and use. There are three basic shapes of TSUKA plus several ways to apply the SAME and ITO, and of course the sizes of FUCHI and KASHIRA will depend on hand size and shape, length, weight and balance of the blade, and more. If I had to have redone TSUKA, SAYA or to replace KODOGU, I would discuss that with a specialized Japanese craftsman and trust that he would know how to fit everything to the existing parts.

Omar, the underside of the MENUKI says it all!

Richard, very good photos of a very pleasant TSUBA! Although it is a bit small, it is very desirable!

Eric, I sincerely hope you did not pay much for this WAKIZASHI? Perhaps you should ask here before buying! The KOSHIRAE is of course not complete, the TSUKA is not authentic; maybe there is an old one under the textile. I can't say much about the NANBAN style TSUBA or if it might be authentic. But the main thing is that the blade seems to have a bad HAGIRE (crack). Most collectors would reject a blade with such a fatal damage.

Yes, thank you! A good example! Now I need a piece of it for testing. Do you have a metal hacksaw?

Hi John, that is really a pleasant TSUBA in TOSHO style! Interestingly, KO-TOSHO and KO-KACHUSHI TSUBA are not known to show TEKKOTSU, as far as I know. But you are of course right that the appearance of the 'bones' has to do with the way the inhomogenous iron was forged. A fact is that in forging layered material, not the 'hard' (= steel) particles are pressed out but the soft, ductile iron. This is stuff to think about, I feel....

Grev, what if we stated that we don't know for sure or what if it is not 'hard iron' (= steel)? There is no research done in this field, and technically it does not make sense to me, even if all experts have similar conjectures. I hope to be able to clear this up in the near future, but I might need some help. It is a difficult subject and similar to the problem of Damascus steel. Everybody seems to know that Damascus steel is made from layers of hard and soft steel, but that is simply not true.

Matthias, congratulations! This is a nice AKASAKA style TSUBA I think, but a late one. The diameter is one that collectors look for, so very good from that side. The same is valid for the thickness; some AKASAKA were still much thicker. The MIMI looks a bit more 'solid' than on some older items of that school. The design is that of a boat ashore in the reeds which you cannot see. It is secured with a rope to an oar which is rammed down in the mud. As Geraint notes, the workmanship lacks the elegance we see in classic AKASAKA. It might be interesting to read what a SHINSA would make out of this.

Franco, two enemies can make a pair, can't they?

In its communication, the KENKYU KAI TOSOGU KAI (KTK) recently mentioned a possibility to have a convention in Germany in 2020. While there was no confirmation of that event, it might be a good opportunity to combine this with a SHINSA team from Japan.

Jason, please sign all posts with your first name. It is easy to do this in your profile. I cannot see the BOSHI of that blade properly, but it could have been made to look like a NAGINATA NAOSHI or UNOKUBI ZUKURI. It is not uncommon to see HI filled out with AKA-URUSHI. Sometimes it might have helped to conceal WARE or even KIZU in the steel.

Thank you, Marius! The problem about this very special subject is simply that many authors have little knowledge about metallurgy. In most cases, statements are made based on aesthetical criteria, beliefs and 'logical' observations. Of course we see with our own eyes that the earth stands still and the sun makes her way from East to West in the daytime. But fact ist, it is not true. It is the same with many features of arms and armour. Which one ist the best steel for knives? - a standard question of many customers. I am very skeptical about the competence of an author when I read: .....The metal is very dense and hard – likely steel.... Density and hardness are physical dimensions, and they need data and facts. High carbon steel can be soft if treated correspondingly. The problem is that impressions and assumptions don't help. They have to be supported by evidence, if you want to expand the given knowledge on a subject. In NIHONTO literature, I often have the impression that old remarks from 'renowned experts' are just repeated and cited without ever questioning their content. As I have some experience, knowledge, and the possibilities (but often not enough time and money which slows down the process) to do real research in a few limited fields, I am behind some 'secrets' which are no enigmata but just a lack of general knowledge. Would you like to help me? I need a few worthless TSUBA or pieces thereof with pronounced TEKKOTSU for hardness and other testing. This will allow me to support new theories of an old subject, and it will probably yield some surprizing results. Some books may have to be revised, I think!

Thank you, Ian, I know the story about YAGYU's TSUBA test, which might be seen as a hint that TSUBA have generally not been hardened which makes a lot of sense technically. What 'bones' (TEKKOTSU) are and how they are formed is another story - I am working on that feature, and I can assure you it is not by abrasion or wear that they show on a TSUBA! There is a strong contradiction in your description as cast iron is indeed highly carburized (up to more than 4%) in comparison to steel (up to ca. 2%) or iron (up to 0.22%). For my understanding of TSUBA production, I am not convinced that casting iron could have been a possibility

When the SHINSA says it is a HINA KATANA then they should know. As others, I would have seen this as a regular WAKIZASHI in nice HAMIDASHI KOSHIRAE. So have fun enjoying it!.

That sounds reasonable, but is this only a theory or is there any evidence for such a procedure?

No, rubber and silicone are more recent inventions. The clay/sand mold system is still used industrially today.

Chris, not talking about the rest of the KOSHIRAE, but owl and crow MENUKI could make for a fine pair, if they were from the same hand! TSUKA-ITO is not good, as was already said, blade looks fine so far. TSUBA seems to be from a HAMIDASHI or TANTO. KARAKUSA decoration is not unusual. More pictures would help to make up an opinion.

A kind of NI-MAI TSUBA?

TENSHO http://www.beyondcalligraphy.com/seal_script.html

NAOMITSU working in NOBUIE style?

Yes, Chris, you have got a real KANEIE! (in case the SHINSA says so).

It looks as if a Lt. T. HORI from some 15th unit was the owner, but that has already been translated..

It may be a language problem on my side that I don't understand. Do you think of phosphoric acid or similar when you say 'rust converting solutions'?

I am no expert at all, but I am interested to learn. Could the last KANJI be something like Special KANJI.doc Please excuse my clumsy attempt!

I am not a NAMBAN expert, but some have indeed been made in China, others were from HIZEN province.