ROKUJURO

Alex, The answer to you headline question is no. And yes, it would be nice to have one included in the costs (in English, French, German.....), but the Japanese experts probably won't offer one, so you have to have it translated yourself or learn Japanese. The bone doesn't run after the dog......

Carlos, photos only allow to give an opinion, but cannot replace seeing the item in hand. The signature looks like UJINOBU. There were some smiths around late 16th century with this name. If you look for UJINOBU in the internet you may find items for comparison. There is a nice one at AOI for sale, but the signature is different. I don't know what you have there and I don't know if the WAKIZASHI is worth 1.000.-- The age is not important, but the quality. Please buy a few good books and read them before buying a sword!

Steve, the value of a TSUBA or a blade does not depend on what your interest or your competences are. There are aesthetical and artistical qualities plus the state of preservation that make for the appeal to the connoisseur and/or collector. Age is of little importance if quality is not present. We can only express a more or less educated opinion depending on the quality of the photos shown, but even then, it's not the final word unless you can see the item in hand or have a SHINSA panel look at it. Your TSUBA has very probably nothing to do with the blade. In the SAMURAI era, the mountings were frequently exchanged following etiquette requirements, changes in taste, or even battle damage. After the SAMURAI era, often decorative parts of value were cheaply sold because many SAMURAI lost their income and needed money. So you will never know why your blade was combined with that TSUBA. But nevertheless it may be a good idea to show your sword to several experts to get a consistent opinion or even evaluation on the basis of the actual market situation. All the best!

Steve, there is no close-up so there is not much to see in detail. How thick is the material at the SEPPA-DAI, how thick at the rim? The design looks like TOSHO. It may be from the beginning of EDO JIDAI, but it is difficult to judge because of the corrosion..

Jean, was that only NEKO GAKI or did the cat eat the other nine fingers? In any case fast and good recovery!

I did a quick search in the internet. Might that be him? Schütz Heiner Klingnaustrasse 5, CH-4058 Basel Telefon 061 692 24 55

....and as there were three blades, they had a big fight over the third, in which they killed each other which is why you don't see them so often.....

Hilarious! I was almost sure that MASAMUNE had European roots, I felt his genetic heritage in my hammerhand! Luckily, his fingerprints were in the records for comparison! He was really ahead of his time!

Michael, what is a match? We have been discussing this in another thread on NMB recently. Flowers on a SHIBUICHI FUCHI and KASHIRA might perfectly go with an iron TSUBA depicting insects or other animals, depending on the time of the year. It depends on your personal taste and your feeling, Studying Japanese myths and tales may give you an idea of what is seen fitting in the Japanese soul and understanding. But you may also go your own way - it's your sword! Sometimes a well made but plain TSUBA without decoration can underline the rest of the KOSHIRAE.

Do I see SHINAE in the BOHI of the e-sword blade? Or is that MUNEGIRE? Have a close look at the very good photos!

Here you go: TSURU HAYASHI TSUBA.doc

Yes, that is MISHIMA technique. In detail, the design can be incised with sharp tools, but in many cases, e.g. in mass produced pottery ware, the design was stamped in the still soft clay body. It was then filled with (mostly) white slip with a soft brush. After drying to leatherhard condition, the surface was scraped with special tools (KANNA) on the wheel until the design was clearly visible on the surface. It was only then when a clear glaze (or a Celadon glaze) was applied. The HAKEME technique works in the same way: slip was brushed on with a soft brush, and a clear glaze was applied after drying. The age of the bowl and its provenance can be determined by spectroscopic methods (Mössbauer).

Grev, while I like the design of your TSUBA, I have tried to magnify the stripes of the tiger without great success. Perhaps you can look at them with a magnifying glass and see if the golden stripes are painted on or inlaid. They could have also been applied by KINKESHI (amalgam) technique. This might be a hint to relate the TSUBA to a school. You may compare the technique watching Ford's video 'In search of KATSUHIRa's tiger'.

Grev, that is a really nice TSUBA and I understand that you are researching the background! What are the dimensions? Looks like a big one! Concerning the TENSHO symbols: I have heard that their form can be individual to an extent, so it can be difficult to identify them.

With the HAMON turning back in KO-MARU, I doubt it was a NAGINATA.

Bob, to me your bowl looks like some modern KARATSU stoneware CHAWAN I have seen. The 'shoe shape' was indeed used first by FURUTA ORIBE. Your bowl was made on a wheel and then individually 'distorted' by hand. The poem was inscribed in a background of white slip in HAKEME technique, first used by Korean potters.

Geraint, I would not be surprised at all if Robert's TSUBA was a low grade SANMAI construction. Some details let me think so. I don't think it shares similarities with the KYO KINKO. Of course I would love to own all the rest!

Grev, it is TENSHO. We had this subject here on NMB a short while ago, if my memory still serves. (https://www.is-hanko.co.jp/shachi/tensho_check.html)

MIDARE. It is certainly a translation/foreign language problem plus the repetition of texts with mistakes at AOI, but I have seen worse.

Brian, at a width of close to 4 inches, it is probably a HOCHO, a Japanese kitchen knife.

BaZZa (what is your real first name please?) This is a fine example of a high quality SANMAI TSUBA, the 'Rolls Royce version' of one! As it seems, both sides have been decorated individually and differently, and then fixed on a base plate. Some SANMAI TSUBA that I have seen have two equally decorated sides, impression molded from thin metal sheets.

Rob, sometimes the decorated outer layers were fixed with rivets which can be seen in the SEPPA-DAI. Many of these TSUBA have a FUKURIN (rim) to fix the sheets, but in your case they seem to be soldered. It may be difficult to tell a production date. Some were very late and mass produced tourist pieces.

Kevin, could that be some ....MITSU from the ICHIRYU SAI? There was a MASAMITSU, so might be a relative or DESHI.

Luca, I am sure you don't need fossilized ivory! You can buy mammoth ivory from knifemaking supply shops, but I have found that in most case it is too brittle. If staghorn is too soft, cattle bones are quite hard if they are degreased and dried properly. In some difficult cases, soft metal tools (copper and brass) can help on iron TSUBA, but they may leave a metallic residue which has to be removed afterwards. Best of luck with your project! Let us know about your results in a few years!

Mick, I have the impression that the warrior on the TSUBA is not at all similar. He looks more like a HEIAN JIDAI SAMURAI to me. But I am no expert in this field.