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ROKUJURO

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Everything posted by ROKUJURO

  1. The "twisted rope" design MIMI is also seen on TACHIBANA TSUBA, I think. Your TSUBA is small, but it's a good one!
  2. Looks cast to me, possibly copper. Certainly not bronze. In my opinion, it is not so pretty.
  3. Matteo, it is really difficult to make a judgement with photos alone! There are SHIN SHINTO blades which were made to look older - I once owned one. But this may only be seen by an expert/TOGISHI. Usually, SHIN SHINTO blades are not often shortened, and your NAKAGO (not Nagako...) does indeed look convincingly like KOTO, or at least not typically SHIN SHINTO. You could also look at the MUNE of your blade. Is there a considerable material loss from polishing, compared withe the NAKAGO MUNE? But even that could have been faked!
  4. The left/first TSUBA is cast and has some missing inlay pieces. The last TSUBA is cast as well, but has some decoration done later. Not collectible. As Brian says, low to medium quality and condition.
  5. Jeremy, there are certainly some SAYASHI outside of Japan, but why don't you make a TSUNAGI which you could send anywhere without risk? You could even make a metal one if required.
  6. It is good to leave it here. It may prove to be educational for novices, and it can be helpful for seasoned members to learn that some new sword lovers just don't react in a rational way about their new "treasures".
  7. Dan, if you want help from the experts here, they would need - pictures of the NAKAGO (tip pointing upwards) and of the naked blade - taken directly from above - with light from the side - well focused - against a dark background to get a good contrast and presented as cut-out
  8. David, there are some tricks to improve the readability: post pictures of the NAKAGO - taken directly from above - with light from the side - well focused - against a dark background to get a good contrast and presented as cut-out
  9. I'd even like to go a step back. I did not see more of the blade than a bad HORIMONO - it is not even average. And with all that COSMOLINE on it, I did not see a SHINOGI, a HAMON or something like HADA. I saw some dirt in the grease - or was it corrosion, or KITAE-WARE? In my eyes, there is a chance that Andrew will take the sword for a (medium good) joke!
  10. Matt, besides the fact that the BONHAMS photo is not very good in magnification, the HORIMONO quality is not comparable. And in addition to the carving work, you have to consider that the HORIMONO changes with every polish! Please sign all posts with at least your first name plus an initial. It is a rule here. You can also show your name in the profile under 'location' instead of 'footslime'.
  11. It seems it is one of the cheap TANTO that were made for the war. They are often called 'pilot TANTO' or 'SEPPUKU TANTO'. They look quite nice when in good polish as yours is, but the NAKAGO is very crude, compared with that of a carefully made TANTO of the SAMURAI era. Anyhow, a nice find and a good story! There is probably no KOSHIRAE but a simple SHIRA SAYA?
  12. Thank you Piers, I misinterpreted your post.
  13. Bruce, these are probably different smiths. The left-side NAKAGO says OKADA KANESADA if I am not mistaken. Not script variations of the same smith.
  14. Jeremy, the man to ask in Australia would probably be Andrew Ickeringill. https://touken-togishi.com/
  15. Piers, this might be the wrong place to discuss it, so a moderator might want to move it to a better section. But anyhow: I am surprized to read about an intentional 'loose' fit of the TSUKA. That would contradict all my technical understanding of this subject. As far as I know, a blade's NAKAGO has to have a perfect and secure, three-dimensional fit in the TSUKA for safety reasons. It is - at least in my understanding - not the MEKUGU that secures the blade, but the tight fit. The MEKUGI only ensures this, but there should be no physical load on it. With a good TSUKA, you can hold a sword upside-down without MEKUGI! I have always been warned to swing a sword the TSUKA of which is old, shrunk and possibly splitted. I have also learned that in the SAMURAI era, TSUKA were often replaced, as the life of the warrior depended on the functionality of his sword. Is that outdated knowledge?
  16. James, welcome to the NMB forum! In case you want to post more photos for clarification, and to get the best support from the experts, it would help to post pictures of the NAKAGO (tang) - tip pointing upwards so we can read without breaking the neck - always directly from above - with light from the side - well focused - against a dark background.
  17. ROKUJURO

    Tsuba

    Murray, I have no special books on swords so I ask if there is a KANEYUKI (probably not Keniyuki) in the SUE ENJU school? ( https://nihonto.com/enju-school/ ). Your TSUBA is obviously cast and not in good quality.....
  18. Gwyn, stainless steel blades cannot have a genuine HAMON as they cannot be differtially hardened (traditionally done with clay application). However, I have seen these blades with a decorative artificial HAMON, produced by special grinding. Looking at the close-up photos, your blade seems to have had some superficial corrosion (especially on the NAKAGO) which leads me to believe that it might not be stainless steel. More and better photos may confirm that. And to get the best reading/translating support from the experts, it would help to post pictures of the NAKAGO - tip pointing upwards so we can read without breaking the neck - always from right above - with light from the side - well focused - against a dark background.
  19. Hi Tom, it is a WAKIZASHI (not Wakazashi). To get the best reading/translating support from the experts, it would help to post pictures of the NAKAGO (tang) - tip pointing upwards so we can read without breaking the neck - always from right above - with light from the side - well focused - against a dark background. Now that you have the translation of the signature, you can search the swordsmitn in books or online and find out the possible age of the blade. But please bear in mind that a MEI (signature) does not necessarily mean that this respective smith made your blade. Often, MEI are faked for different reasons and can only be considered genuine in case an expert team (= SHINSA) has confirmed this with a certification paper (ORIGAMI). Otherwise, have fun with your sword!
  20. Piers, I am not so sure about that, unless there was water, dirt, or corrosion trapped under the SEPPA, and these could indeed move a lot. Usually, SEPPA made of copper or brass should be softer than iron. In case this 'metal removing by friction' was frequently observed, we would see faint signatures on older TSUBA on a regular basis. What do you think?
  21. Sten, you don't like the antique ones which are for sale here on NMB and elsewhere?
  22. Yves, this is best posted in the TRANSLATION section. And to get the best reading/translating support from the experts, it would help to post pictures of the NAKAGO - tip pointing upwards so we can read without breaking the neck - always from right above - with light from the side - well focused - against a dark background.
  23. Adam, a lot depends how the TSUBA was stored. In a dry place and no temperature change, it will remain intact for hundreds of years. The initial/original patination is a protective layer and can preserve the TSUBA perfectly well.
  24. A selected piece of KEYAKI would have been nice as well, I think.
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