ROKUJURO

Dennis, I would not be so negative about this one. The SHIRA SAYA and the HABAKI look original to me, and the blade may just be a tourist item from the early 20th c - plain steel, possibly with no HADA and HAMON (that has to be verified), but a TANTO. You decide about its collectability!

Bruno, we have a member here at NMB named Garbutt. Perhaps there is a relation and you might get some direct information.

Peter, a very nicely executed TSUBA! Key fret and basket-weave pattern in seemingly good quality! Do some internet research with these keywords, there are some TSUBA to look at and to compare! (http://www.nihonto.com.au/html/tsu232_shakudo_basket_weave_ts.html and others)

Dave, better (focused) photos are necessary to see details. The MENUKI are difficult to see. The quality of the parts would be a factor for me. The FUCHI can easily be taken off, so have a look into it and see how it is made. In case it is machine-made from thin sheet metal, you might want to look for genuine handmade items unless you are satisfied with just a decoration piece. Besides that there are no strict rules how to combine TOSOGU parts, as has been discussed here on NMB lately. It is more a question of personal taste (and money, of course!).

Luca, the fact that the inlays did not all stay in place and the more refined shape of this TSUBA lead me to believe that this was a later than MOMOYAMA production. Some "better" MOMOYAMA HEIANJO TSUBA I have seen, were carefully made and had their inlays very slightly raised above the surface level. Also, their shape had a tendency to the more simple side (round or rounded square) and no MIMI. I am afraid I cannot offer a competent KANTEI on this one, so all my assumptions may well be wrong.

James, this is probably an early EDO JIDAI item, executed in KAGA ZOGAN. The brass inlay is level with the iron ground, so perhaps not HEIANJO. Design looks like KARAKUSA. This was a nice TSUBA, but it has lost much of its inlay, and it has a bad dent in the MIMI. These KIZU are not good for the value and collectability. The heavy corrosion has nothing to do with normal use; the TSUBA was neglected at one time in its life.

John, to add an answer you did not ask for: the design may be called AMIDA YASURI ME, although no file was used, as you have remarked. The 'net-effect' is indeed stunning! You wrote that a layering from forging is visible, so I guess that it is an iron TSUBA. My impression is that it is a late EDO JIDAI item and it is quite skillfully made, so not your everyday AMIDA YASURI ME TSUBA.

To my eyes this looks like a legit blade that has seen a lot of corrosion and some non-professional grinding (with little success, but with material removed in the wrong places). The bluish tint may be the result of an anti-corrosion treatment. Some products can leave a very thin film which might look bluish in a certain angle.

Reminds me somewhat of so-called SHINGEN TSUBA.

Julian, judging only after the photos, your blade does not look like a water-quenched one. I hope your post is not encouraging others....

Grev, it is not a good photo, a little out of focus. In most cases, these KANJI are written by the craftsman who made the TSUKA.

It is probably the secret of Strebel.....

Geoffry, I cannot read all, but it looks like a MINO smith: XX no KAMI FUJIWARA KANEYASU. Other members will know better.

The desert SAMURAI has an obvious problem with handling blades properly - and with his language: .... I am fairly certain he got the sword for the soul purpose of making me green with envy..... Really funny mistake!

C. Lewis (what is your first name please?), the SEKI blade is signed KANE XX. The other one seems to read TENSHIN (may be read differently) in TACHI MEI. The date is SHOWA 22. I cannot say if this one is a genuine Japanese blade.

Thomas, the NAKAGO reminds me of SOSHU, if that is of interest..

Regedit, welcome on the board! Please sign all your posts with your real first name plus an initial, as requested here. The photos are not clear enough/bad angle, so the signature is difficult to read (perhaps not Japanese). It might be a war-time blade, but the NAKAGO and the HABAKI look wrong to me, so it could be a replica/faked blade as well. TSUKA-ITO is not original.

Dale, I think I have seen this design (O-TSUBO; big storage jars) before in a KO-TOSHO or KO-KACHUSHI TSUBA. It is difficult for me to make a statement on the school; I don't think this one is so specific to relate it to one. For my old eyes it is the complete loss of patina - probably the result of a steel wire brush treatment - which makes it look so new or 'cast'.

Loyer (is that your real name? If not, please sign all post with one), your are better off when you post your request in the "Wanted to buy" section!

Hacsek (is that your name?), it depends on what you want to own. This one is not a traditionally made sword, so you have to compare with militaria items. There are collectors of these as well who might be interested in the good condition of the mountings. Age is not a factor - an excellent GENDAI TO might cost much more that an EDO JIDAI sword from a lesser smith or in not so good condition. This KAI GUNTO is a decorative item in good condition, but it is not (as stated by AOI ARTS) a true NIHONTO. The value is - as always - related to its desirability by the collectors.

Tom, the TSUBA is a genuine one. The whole looks a bit assembled, as the mounts are from different times and sources. The brass HABAKI is probably a later addition, the TSUKA looks like military, as does the SAYA. It is difficult to state something substantial on the blade. I have the impression that the blade is sharpened down to the HABAKI, so there is a slim chance that it might be a pre-war one, but the condition of the blade will make any judgement difficult, even with better photos. If possible, show the blade to an expert or a NIHONTO club near you.

James, are you sure it is a TSUBA? It looks much more like a SEPPA, but there is no way to compare the size on a photo. The material reminds me of German silver (a copper/nickel/zinc alloy), but I am not sure it was used in Japan.

Rodriguez, I can't read the characters on the OMOTE, and I am not sure that they have a meaning. They are probably not from the smith's hand. On the photos it looks as if someone had messed up the (MITSU-?) MUNE. I cannot comment on the polish; no photos of the blade itself.

In former times, horsetail was used as a mild abrasive because of its content of crystalline silicon dioxide, especially for pewter kitchenware. Hence the name "Zinnkraut" in German.

Ford, actually, TSUKUSHI is not exactly a fern (although from the basic family and a similarly old species), but a horsetail (EQUISETUM ARVENSE). I like it a lot, and it seems indeed skillfully made. Thank you for showing these special MENUKI!