ROKUJURO

Luke, there is a MEI, I am convinced, and I think I see KUNI as well. Maybe this is something for the specialists at a SHINSA session. In case you want to give it another try, please put the photos vertical (tip up) and have light from the side. A very nice KOTO (probably) sword!

Now I have tried to make a better photo of the MEI and replaced the first one. Does that help?

Bazza (what is your real name, by the way?), thanks for your comment. I had the MEI photo vertical, but it was turned horizontally in the upload. The camera has/is a problem with magnification. I'll give it another try but I am not optimistical for really good results.

Gentlemen, I am the happy owner of an arrow tip, but I can't read the signature. I even don't know if a one-KANJI MEI makes a signature. It is my first YANONE, so I am a bit at a loss here and ask kindly for support.

Sergej, it is a WAN-GATA TSUBA.

Paul, when you wear the sword in the airplane, make sure you have the correct YOROI and KABUTO on (no YARI and no horse please; it's not allowed in airplanes). Otherwise wearing a long blade would be too conspicuous!

Stephen, that is a good one in a good size and condition! JAKUSHI?

Max, it takes a good polisher about 120 hours to polish a KATANA blade, and to be able to do this without taking too much material off the surface and without changing the very special shape of the blade, he has to pass a very long apprenticeship. You can calculate about $ 100.-- per inch for a polish, if I am correctly informed. Any amateur cleaning or polishing attempt can damage the blade and increase the costs of restoration (if at all possible). If you look carefully at your TSUBA, you will find that the soft metal inlays have been partly ground away, leaving an almost worthless TSUBA behind. Very sad! To understand all this, we recommend to read a lot here in the archives of NMB and to look at pictures of high-end swords to get an idea of good and 'less desirable'.

Lukas, you are right: It is not easy to make a statement just from photos, but in this case I am quite sure this sword is not Japanese but a copy from elsewhere. The KANJI are not a MEI but a date (probably HEISEI 平成), punched in obviously with a kind of screwdriver, and the blade - although the photo shows no details - differs a lot from authentic blades. KISSAKI is wrong, and the MACHI do not line up. These are give-aways for cheap fakes. I hope you did not pay much!

The special sour taste comes from oxalic acid - not recommended, if you love your little kidneys!

USkragnut, please sign all posts at least with a first name plus an initial as is the rule here. It makes communication more polite. I have some problems with your NAKAGO. Better photos with light from the side would be helpful. What I think I can read is: NÔSHÛ no JÛ X TA KANE (TADA?).

That was a proposal I made already to Jean, and I think he will come up with something useful/ practical to print out. I will be there on Saturday and Sunday.

Well, I think we know how "polishing marks" look. No stone could ever cause these effects.

Scott, the quality of an item has nothing to do with the signature. Look closely at the TSUBA and ask yourself if you like what you see. If you are no expert, the most important step is to compare with high quality item from reliable sources. NMB offers a lot of material to learn from! Don't buy unless you know what you are looking at!

Ken, thank you for clearing that up. I know that these small torches have very hot flames, but as you said the energy output may indeed be insufficient.

Ken, there might be a possible different interpretation of the KIZU. To me it looks as if a big crack has been welded with a small torch as used in goldsmith's shops. The rounded 'discolourations', as you called it, are perhaps areas of added different steel from welding. The HAMON is probably gone in these areas, but optically maintained by heavy HADORI work. Just my theory wihout having seen the blade in hand, fwiw.....

Bernard, this is not an EBIRA nor another of the classic YAZUTSU! Very probably it is just a protection bag for the YA no NE, unless you find some cords attached that would have made it possible to carry the bag. Japanese Quivers.doc

Together with the not original TSUKA-ITO, I suspect that the different types of fish skin are a result of a repair attempt and not original.

Kaka7528, please sign all posts at least with a first name plus an initial, as is the rule here. You wrote:....What is it? Seems very old and condition is bad.... In fact, the blade is not old (400 years or more would be considered old), and in this field age is much less important than quality. As you can see the HAMON, the condition is not too bad, so please keep it that way without trying anything to 'improve' the appearance! If it proves to be handmade, it may have some value. Keep it very slightly oiled with thin mineral oil and try to gather information from our specialists here.

Daniel, I would be surprized to see NIE in a not properly polished blade. Perhaps you can try to show that in better and more detailed photos?

John, the SAYA surface seems to have been made in a kind of NEGORO technique. There is indeed some gold involved, but it is difficult to say if that is foil or paint. The KOGATANA is mounted with the wrong side in the KOZUKA. All in all. simple fittings in good condition - a nice package, provided that the blade is nice as well. We appreciate good photos of the whole blade without HABAKI and details like NAKAGO and KISSAKI. Enjoy your new sword!

This one indeed looks like KATCHUSHI (DEN CNC school) to me.

Arnold, that was my guess, as similar TSUBA are being offered online in large amounts from adresses of sellers in China. Do you have a better origin assignment?

Jean Paul, the MEI says: Made in the People's republic of China! And the age is probably about five years or so. You can clearly see that the MEI is not cut with a chisel, but stamped/die-cast like the whole thing. Sorry for you, but I hope the blade itself is of Japanese origin and much better!

Mark, First KANJI of first MEI is MITSU, but may be read differently. Third KANJI could be SHI (予) Second MEI looks like SADANOBU to me.