ROKUJURO

Mike, the blade itself does not look dangerously corroded, but someone has obviously sandpapered it, taking off material and rounding the SHINOGI down. Any metal removal on an old blade is a damage and a loss of possible "lifespan"! What is visible of the HAMON does indeed look spectacular! May I ask who the polisher is you will send it to? If he is traditionally trained, he will certainly take care of any corrosion issues.

The second is a TOROKUSHO, a government registration paper. Would be easier to read if oriented correctly, not lying on the side.

Mike, it is WAKIZASHI, not Wakazashi. Signature reads BIZEN KUNI no JU OSAFUNE.....Do not try to "restore" the blade, do not "clean" the NAKAGO! More photos of the complete blade without HABAKI - made on a dark, non-reflective background and presented as cut-outs, tip always vertically upwards - will help the experts to tell you more.

The blank of soft metal TSUBA is always cast with the exception of MOKUME GANE. Some are completely cast with decoration included, some of those are reworked then manually, and finished. A bunch of different techniques. Ford Hallam has often explained this.

The HAMON looks strange to me. I am not sure if it is traditionally made or artificially applied. The NAKAGO seems very evenly corroded which is unusual for such a young blade. Loose parts like a rattling TSUBA can be fixed with traditional Japanese methods.

Nicely focused photos made on a dark background for better contrast will be helpful.

Marcin, TOROKUSHO does not look at validation or authenticity. It is just a registration paper issued by the government. The NAKAGO looks perfectly UBU to me.

And use a dark, non-reflecting background to increase contrast. The above photos are not well focused, and this has nothing to do with the camera. Usually, good sword photos need some practice!

How do you see that Ray? For me, it is just a dark brown NAKAGO!

As far as I know, SHINSA is for traditionally made NIHONTO. These are unique, handmade items.

Thank you Bruce! Nice YAJIRI, they would fit nicely into my small collection....

It is quite a difference! But if it would be o.k. for your IAITO..... If it was for my sword, I would rather get a nice authentic TSUBA for little money

Charles, first question for me would be "Why did you buy them? What do you like?" No 1 is photographed upside-down, no. 11 might not be authentic.

Could also be a IAITO.

Emil, the Japanese SAYASHI do not use files for that purpose but specifically shaped rasps which work faster. These are available at NAMIKAWA HEIBEI if I remember correctly. I think I bought mine there. They come in different length for SAYA work as well. When you work on your TSUKA, be careful not to remove too much wood! You want a good tight fit in case you use your sword for TAMESHIGIRI!

In case you mean SHINGANE: that is usually not a tiny spot but a larger one. I think this needs better photos to be sure, if not holding it in hand (at that price....).

In this context, handmade traditional sword-blades are understood to be made from TAMAHAGANE. The steel of these would have been purified by forging, folding, and fire-welding a number of times before being forged out to its final shape. Traditional quenching in water and polishing without machines would follow. This applies to GENDAITO and SHINSAKUTO. There is no rule about the use of a power-hammer: You still have to hold the blade and guide the action, so this is not considered as "machine-made". It all depends on the situation in your forge: If you have no apprentices, the power-hammer will help with the raw work. There were several methods to produce wartime blades. SHOWATO are made from industrial steel without folding and fire-welding. As far as I understand, there are rare exceptions to this. Modern alloyed steel cannot be water-quenched without a high risk of cracking. Oil-quenching generates a good hardness with little risk of KIZU, but does not produce HATARAKI in the steel as we see them on traditionally made blades. There will be no NIE formations, and the HAMON is rather plain and without much variation. If you compare a traditional blade and a SHOWATO side by side, this will be obvious. What you like and find interesting is a matter of personal preference and taste.

It is probably the address.

I would avoid the 3-in-one oil. The DMSO would bring some sulphur into play, and this substance easily penetrates human skin, which I personally would not like.

Glen, "frost-bite" on TSUBA is possibly an often overlooked cause of damage. I could imagine a water-soaked TSUBA being carried a few times from KYUSHU to HOKKAIDO and back.....

Steve, we did not mention those TSUBA copies that were "legally" made with traditional techniques by apprentices and employed craftsmen in TSUBA workshops. Some had standard designs which were used over and over for long periods of time with very little variation. Your question on which TSUBA were chosen for reproduction should be formulated more specifically, I think. What copying method, what basic material, what decorative techniques were used? What period of time do you look at, and which was the intended market for fakes and copies?

Steve, with modern technology, almost any TSUBA could be reproduced, but of course simple designs are the favourites. TSUBA with inlay are copied rarely. Older casting technology (lost form) would not work with undercuts, so OMORI TSUBA are too difficult. Also, very fine details as in KYO SUKASHI are not so easy to replicate. It is a special market, and cheap copies (not UTSUSHI !) are mostly made for tourists or for those collectors who are not experienced or sensitive enough to see the differences.

John, a good portion of the anti-rust product might be phosphoric acid, so it definitely takes some material off the TSUBA surface. Not recommended at all on good TSUBA! The layered construction is nicely displayed, though. It would be normal for traditionally forged iron TSUBA from TAMAHAGANE or OROSHIGANE.

Glen, I announced it in February. No 3 D-printer involved, you will have to hold a hammer: