ROKUJURO

Grant, while sparrows are usually linked with bamboo, the scene might be of a hawk looking for a meal. In the internet I found a description of a HASEGAWA TOHAKU painting of that same theme, a few lines of which I have copied: .......If you are a sparrow or a mouse, what could be more frightening than the shadow of a hawk or a falcon hunting overhead? Even a hawk sitting on a branch attracts crows and jays, which try to scare it away from their families and their nests. Hawks, falcons, and eagles are powerful birds. Many Japanese artists of the Edo period created their works for powerful men — the wealthy and mighty nobility and warriors who ruled Japan. These men saw themselves in the hawk’s ruthless strength. Some warriors trained falcons as hunting birds or kept them as symbols of military might. They avidly collected Chinese paintings of hawks to decorate their homes....... Maybe that is of some interest to you.

Grev, that is reallly a nice one!

Ben, the NAKAGO looks carefully made, but the HAMON lets me believe this blade was oil-quenched. Unless there is a defined HADA to be seen, I don't think it is a handmade blade/GENDAITO.

Help is difficult as it does not look like Japanese or Chinese. Please sign all posts, if Giloth is not your real name.

What about strip, bar, or ligament?

I would simply call that the plate (or TSUBA blank, if it is related to a new manufacture of a TSUBA).

Neil, on the photo, the NAKAGO looks indeed like late KOTO or early SHINTO, but that is all I can say. Better (close-up) photos may yield more hints, but without polish to reveal HADA and HAMON properly, it will be difficult to evaluate.

Google knows Paul Martin: http://www.thejapanesesword.com/profile/paul_martin.html, and he is a member here at NMB (No. 56).

I don't think so.

Chris, the picture you are showing is the "Rattenkönig von Hameln" who is not typical Japanese, nor is the flute. On the TSUBA the place for the signature on the SEPPA-DAI is partly taken by the TAGANE. An original MEI (can only guess TOSHI TOSHI) would have been only partly visible, I think.

Chris, second one: I would not believe in the MEI as it looks as if it was done at a later date after the latest TAGANE marks. The scene might be a hunter with a dog, imitating birdcalls or something similar (the hunter, not the dog).

Marcos, for your information:

Greg, looking at the MEI, it is not a KATANA but a TACHI.

Rob, that is probably a misunderstanding. The comma let me believe it was a general question, but you were referring to the use of KEN after the introduction of curved blades. Sorry! I think it is comparable to the use of sabers (19. century) in the West while guns were already in use for a long time. They were probably more a belligerent symbol than of real use as a weapon. In Japan, the KEN has an additional religious meaning.

In the contrary: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_sword

You could write an ad in the "Wanted to buy" forum or you could ask Paul Martin in Japan to help find your accessories. They are made in different qualities for different purposes, e.g. YABUSAME, theatre, festivals etc. You could also buy originals/antique items which are being offered at special antique dealers First step in YABUSAME is KYUDO practice (without horse)! Please sign all posts at least with a real first name plus an initial, so we can address you politely.

Bruno, this is a nice FUCHI/KASHIRA set, but my first thought was that if it is not THE TERUHIDE, then it may well be an attempt to fake his MEI without ever having seen the original (MEI).

I know, Stephen, I have seen them many times, and at that time, I bought nice old blades in GUNTO KOSHIRAE for ridiculously small sums. I think, modern militaria will always have their ups and downs depending on temporary hypes, but generally their prices are more dictated by scarcity. A genuine NIHONTO always had a very high value, even when it was newly made. Most if not all of them are unique and cannot be replaced by a similar one, which is quite different in comparison with militaria..

Neil, I am afraid there is no hope that industrially made items will turn to be collectibles of real value in the future unless you expand it to a time when our civilization is long gone, and those swords only remain in very small numbers.

Jason, whatever it is - if you look at the signature, it is probably an oil-hardened WWII blade - the KISSAKI had been broken off and an amateur tried to reshape it with wrong tools and methods. So don't buy it unless you see any reasonable thought in owning it.

The out of focus pictures do not allow a final judgement, but I think it will prove to be a standard WWII blade, oil-hardened and with no HADA. The HAMON is not really GUNOME MIDARE but of the often seen irregular TOGARI type from SEKI. The overall condition seems to be quite good, so it might be interesting for a militaria collector, but not for NIHONTO collectors.

As far as I know, these SENTOKU pieces are all single cast in their basic shape; that is how the metal has to be processed. But the main work of modelling follows then and requires a lot of artistic skills. I have seen a number of these snake TSUBA and I never found remains of simple serial casting. Ford would be able to confirm (or correct me).

Michael, that depends a lot on where you carry your TANTO. Outside of your house it might prove to be a problem....

Steve, although I am not a NIHONGO expert, I have the same impression that it could be KANEKIYO.

Markus, while I have to agree on the SHO and on the last KANJI (KIYO), I don't see the second SHO/MASA. Can you please explain?