ROKUJURO

Josh, this one is probably a very recent (bad) copy.

Kurt, JIDAI means 'period' or 'age' (e.g. EDO JIDAI). The surface of your TSUBA looks a little coarse. You say it is carved, but do you see tools marks or traces of chisel work when you look closely at it?

ktanner, if you please sign with your first name we can address you politely. These swords were mainly machine made, at least that is my information. Restoring a TSUKA and replacing SEPPA and TSUBA is something you have to know about if you want to have an 'original' in the end and not a mere military wallhanger.

Enrico, my feeling is that there are no rules of how to start. Look at many good TSUBA (or pictures thereof) and ask yourself what you like about them. Looking at arts in general is not necessary related to knowledge, and you need not know schools and artists, materials, motives, and techniques to appreciate TSUBA. In the course of time you will find out what attracts you most and then you can start gathering knowledge and learning specific characteristics. Unless you plan to hold lectures about this subject, you can just enjoy looking at these little 'objets d'art'!

David, welcome to the NMB! The signature is easier to read vertically. It may be KANEKIYO, and the slanted YASURI ME may indeed be a hint to WWII production. To say more, we would need detailed and well focused photos of the blade. The NAKAGO is not 'well aged', but it is badly rusted so we can guess it was stored in a moist place. But please do not attempt to clean or polish it, you might damage it as happens so often! Please read the respective articles here on NMB about sword care, restoration and preservation.

Thank you, Paul! Good advice!

Steve, polishing is not just knowledge but mainly experience, and that takes time and commitment. There are indeed a lot of facts to learn but besides this you have to get a feeling of what is 'good' or beautiful in NIHON TO, as you wrote correctly. This was nicely illustrated in the SASAKI video. Teaching traditional crafts in Japan is mainly a possibility for the student to gain experience. He is guided by the SENSEI, but not taught in the way we Westerners are used to. That is the reason why even SASAKI-SENSEI confessed that he would probably never be as good as his teacher NAGAYAMA KOKAN. It is a lifetime learning process, and the results depend more on the personality of the polisher and how he was trained than on his knowledge I think.

Sorry, Peter, maybe I expressed myself a little clumsily. I was referring to physical data in comparison, and to some mental differences, very generalized. Westerners are used to working upright, and many (myself included) are having a hard time staying seated on the floor for a while, also in meditation. Genetically, Asian people don't have these problems. Is that better?

Besides what Denis said (plus being able to read and write Japanese as well), there are more physical and mental difficulties to overcome in an apprenticeship for Westerners. Japanese people (as well as other Asians) have a longer upper body and shorter legs in relation to Westerners, plus they are well trained to sit cross-legged. This makes it much easier for them to endure a polisher's working position. A Westerner may be able to hold this position for a while after some training (but not for many hours per day) but it soon becomes a pain in the ahhhh.....legs! Remember, it takes about 120 hours to polish a KATANA! Combined with this rather basic problem is that of mental endurance. Many Japanese people are able to accept the role of a disciple for a very long time; they are modest in their aspirations except for intense learning. They don't get easily bored by simple and repetitive mechanical work because they can hold good concentration and are highly committed. In general, learning by repetition is not considered boring in Asia. I don't think Westerners have genetically inferior conditions for a polisher's job, but I believe many Japanese may have an easier approach to it. And even if one can finish the long apprenticeship in the Japanese way, it is questionable if one wants to do it for the rest of his life.....

Bob, the TACHI you saw and those Lance provided are probably end of EDO JIDAI (19th century) as I read in the descriptions.

Bob, do you really mean blades with cloisonné or just the TOSOGU? It is not uncommon to see the latter with very nice cloisonné (SHIPPO) by HIRATA, e.g. http://images.google.de/imgres?imgurl=http://www.silk-road.us/hirata1.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.silk-road.us/hirata1.html&h=714&w=700&tbnid=ht_JbTzesRjDdM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=88&docid=g4_g-dn1-nRB9M&usg=__XyV3IPjFL67v7VjgAQqKdcHhZRg=&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiy-6mSteTLAhVFaQ8KHS0kA2YQ9QEIHjAA

Robert, this is an interesting one, and not the 'standard' design! Nice!

Josh, in case this blade is longer than 30.3 cm, it is a KO-WAKIZASHI in SHINOGI-ZUKURI form. Restoring such a blade requires knowledge; it is not so important to polish it until it is bright but to restore the shape and the lines in the first place. For that you have to know what you have! Don't try restoration at home, it will cause more damage than good. Keep it dry and oil it very lightly from time to time so that no oil gets into the SHIRA-SAYA. Don't clean the NAKAGO other than with a dry cloth.

Gordon, I can't really read Japanese but I don't see HIZEN TADAYOSHI on the paper. The other one is for the NAGAMORI. If I may give you an advice: Don't buy anything until you have aquired the knowledge to tell what is fake and what is genuine.

Following the description, it is a KOTO NAGINATA from the EDO period.....

Seems really interesting although chrome plating is not exactly the same as chromium oxide on the blade's surface. I can imagine that some natural electro-chemical process may have taken place.

Soflabrian, a photo would make it easier to help. And please be so kind to sign all posts with a real first name plus an initial as is the rule here.

Province is Toshû.

A standard shape in Southeast Asia. Look for 'Parang' in the internet, you will find many similar shapes especially for hacking knives.

Matt, you are probably right: some of the KANJI seem to be written in seal script. The way the chisel is used may vary; in this case I do not see any strange technique. The upper part of the MEI above the upper MEKUGI-ANA seems very faint or heavily corroded. I would like to suggest showing the blade to an expert. And if you don't mind showing the rest of the blade in detail as well; we are always curious to see and to learn......

Chris, you have a PM.

Jeremy, you should absolutely refrain from that! The TSUKA is old and cracked, and even if it was a cheap military item, you may not want to have it flying around in your rooms! In that condition, it is nothing to impress friends and the mounting is just good enough for a firm rest on a KATANA KAKE!

Most of these say HAMAMONO to me. The 'patina problems' seem to be a fine layer of lacquer chipping off. It may be a matter of taste, but I find none of these exciting. This depends of course on what you want to collect.

James, what is it that you are attracted by? I seem to see a blade with some corrosion on the edge, coming out of an obviously dirty SAYA, a polish that does not show a lot (maybe it's the photos), and a very, very simple TSUBA. HABAKI is o.k. I think. Signature is CHIKUZEN KUNI no JU KANE XX (KIYO or HARU?). I have no sword books to look it up.

The name is perhaps starting with HARU? The reading/pronunciation may be different as I could not find any TSUBASHI with name HARUJU....