ROKUJURO

Brian, the shape, the steel, the overall appearance and the price make me believe it was a MUMEI MASAMUNE NAGAMAKI before!

Yes, definitely! Leave it as it is!

Matt, the NAGASA is given in centimeters which I did not see before. So if the blade is indeed 64,5 cm long, the paper might be correct.

Gentlemen, this is a problem of minimal technical understanding and respect, and I have the impression that many people today just don't care. I run a knife-shop with display tables, and I take part in knife-maker's exhibitions. There are always some nice and visible signs lying on the table asking to take the knives by the handles and please not to touch the blades. People just don't understand - when I see somebody touching the blade I inform him or her that the steel is not stainless. You would be astonished by their replies: 'I wanted to check the sharpness' or 'I am careful'. The best reply is always 'Yes, I know'. What can you say?

Mariusz, I don't quite see why the motiv should be standing on it's head when mounted on a TACHI with the NAKAGO ANA rotated by 180°. On the other hand I agree that TACHI and HANDACHI were typically equipped with TSUBA in traditional AOI GATA. It was just a thought as I did not find an explanation for these rectangular NAKAGO ANA which I have seen quite a number of. I don't know how strictly the rules of putting together a KOSHIRAE were to be followed in the olden times. Perhaps it was only a matter of money or of personal taste to some SAMURAI?

Henry, seeing your beautiful YAGYU TSUBA, I had the impression that it could have been mounted on a TACHI. I include a photo of a CHOSHU TSUBA which had probably been misused as keyhole. Regrettably, these things happen!

Jeremy, if you have a close look on the TSUBA: on the photos it looks quite crudely made. The TSUKA-ITO (cotton?) is wrapped in a wrong way: in case this starts to become loose, the whole thing falls apart! Maybe someone has 'combined' parts to present a complete package.

Matt, I think they are nice but they seem to be cast copies.

Maybe you could tell them that your 'old' personal E-Mail is cancelled and you did not receive the invoice?

Simion, thanks for showing this interesting DAISHO! It might be difficult to name a value just from photos as a lot depends on the signatures as was said already. If the blades are without flaws, this pair might represent quite a few thousand bucks, but the market is difficult - the real value is what buyers are willing to pay. Two remarks on your description: NANAKO is not an alloy but a surface treatment (fish roe). The lacquer seems to be AOGAI (HALIOTIS sea snail), not NASHIJI. The latter term is mostly applied for lacquer with gold, silver or tin powder.

I will give it a try: MINAMOTO MICHIHIRO SAKU might be the last four KANJI, while the first may be SEKI.

Design may be hop plants.

As I am a man with a hammer I would like to make a comment on this. What is described here does not look like hammerwork (TSUCHI-MEI-JI) but is perhaps best described as ISHIME-JI. Depending on the shape and weight of a hammer (or additional chisels) you can produce shallow or more pointed indentations down to minuscule stippling marks but it will look quite different from this TSUBA. On the photos this surface - if not produced by a combination of stippling and a chemical treatment or long term corrosion - looks very much like cast in a sand mold. The MEI could have been done with a dull or rounded chisel, but I don't know if this was a usual technique.

Michael, in my eyes, the TSUBA is just crap, a recent machine-made copy.

Heiðar, do you really mean the KOJIRI or did you think of replacing the KASHIRA? KOJIRI is easy as you can make them yourself from water buffalo horn. It is perhaps not so easy to make it fit as perfectly as a Japanese craftsman could do it. Replacing KASHIRA means new TSUKA-ITO and a TSUKA with the right dimensions.

Justin, there are certainly some addresses to visit. Maybe you should inquire at the NBTHK European Branch for informations.

Sounds like a long struggle..... :D

Gentlemen, I would appreciate some help in locating a school or even a maker of this TSUBA. I think it is a very late EDO piece. Thank you in advance!

YAZUTSU, not Yazatsu.

Barrie, as far as I know there are three main types of quivers which were used by the SAMURAI: SHIKO, EBIRA, and UTSUBO. Yours is an UTSUBO. The general term for an arrow transport container as used in KYUDO is YAZUTSU. Just in case you are not aware of: In an UTSUBO the feathers are up (for protection) and the YANONE are held by the little grid at the bottom of the UTSUBO.

Andreja, these swords are made by people who have never seen a Japanese sword close enough to be able to copy it, and they are bought by people who know Japanese swords only from bad movies. So everything fits fine, I think. Scratches are generally not a safe sign of being genuine and Japanese, and 'old' is not a precise term in connection with NIHONTO. Can we agree that it is a sword? Then that is all you can say about it.

I did not write: As an exception,...... :D

Chris is right on this one, it's not old and as far as the pictures allow a guess, it has not been used much. A good way to find out about the signature would be to ask in a Japanese KYUDO club or at a YUMI manufacturer's in Japan.

Probably HOTEI by MASA.....?

Paul, welcome to the NMB! Feel free to show some of your items if they are related to NIHON TO!