ROKUJURO

I think I can see some European/Portuguese influence in the design.

AH SO DESU KA!

It is old Babylonian, but as the images are upside-down, I can't read it.

My lady's TSUBA - second is a copy, not "THE" original.

The TSUBA (photo is upside-down) is possibly depicting broadleaf plantain (ÔBAKO / Plantago major). I like the innovative fixing of the KASHIRA with a slotted screw.

Oh no, not again!

Mike, to me, this TSUBA looks cast with the SEKI-GANE being probably the same material as the TSUBA itself. If I am correct, you may brush the TSUBA clean with a steel-wire brush and oil it, before you sell it on.

Of course there are TOSOGU artisans in Japan who make beautiful SEPPA on demand. And there are NAMIKAWA HEIBEI for those who want cheap ones. But you won't get nice ones for the price of those press-molded ones, obviously. It is a very small market, so no way to produce them in numbers unless you have to equip an army! Those leather shims are not authentic, they are just a short-term measure to prevent rattling.

Thank you Dale! I made a fast and rough calculation of the sizes, and in case a 300 mm TSUBA was indeed related to the blade length, 240 cm would already be enough (if an 80 mm TSUBA fitted a 650 mm blade).. But drawing/unsheathing such a blade in battle must have been a real hassle!

I would like to see a size fitting blade for that TSUBA!

In the meantime, NEVER touch the blade with your bare fingers!

HI Amie, looks like a nice blade! Signatures are chiseled vertically (tip-upwards) and images should be oriented accordingly so they can be read easily. Try again with better photos on a dark background, light from the side, shown as cut-out, so very little background is to be seen. HABAKI should be removed. The MEKUGI (peg) you use is not original. It should be a bamboo one, not metal.

Nazar, if I had doubts about an item and the seller, I would not think of a purchase.

How much do you want for the bowl?

John, Tempering is YAKIMODOSHI, hardening is YAKIIRE. Hardening of carbon-steels is always around 800°C, tempering at about 200°C.

And there is still another aspect: There are many defective blades flying around for almost no money. They are not necessarily broken, some have big KIZU like FUKURE or HAGIRE. To make them saleable, they are sometimes cut down by sellers to look like TANTO, and with a strong concealing HADORI as in this case, they end up on the market. That is probably not done only in Japan. As Piers pointed out, the KISSAKI has a wrong shape, and this could also be the result of a "western" repair attempt. The idea of a family heirloom is always a bit romantic, I think. Probably rather rare considering Japanese sword laws.

There are two videos by Ford Hallam on SEPPA making on YouTube: That might give you an idea how much work is needed to make one. You can also buy them cheaply from Artur: https://www.flickr.com/photos/artur_drogamiecza/albums/72177720312908466/ And of course you could try your hands on making your own. No witch-work, just practice.

The text is not always correct in this video. The images show that the smith is combining a billet of four parts, so it is HON SAN MAI construction. In the spoken text, it is described as SHIHOZUME. Similar to the above, but with an extra part in the back (MUNE).

....or BENKEI?

Steven, it might be a good idea to post your request in the "WANT TO BUY" section instead of here. Make better photos (dark, non-reflective background, close-ups etc.) so details could be seen.

This thread belongs in the military section, I think.

Tony, in case poly-acryl (as base for rust converter) was involved, you won'get much success with solvents. It is a stubborn stuff....

Hi Tony, that black stuff looks like a chemical rust converter to me. Some of these turn into a black, paint-like condition after drying. The shrinkage cracks - especially on photo no. 4 - would support that. I suspect, a former owner/seller might have messed with the barrel to cover up corrosion damage.

I am willing to have another workshop probably in spring next year. Minimum 2, maximum 3 participants.

There are no "standard" TSUKA. As you say, they may look similar, but they can vary internally, and the MEKUGI-ANA positions may differ as well.