Barrie B

Hi John, No.. clearly there are many tsuba that were made circa 1714 with Ryohitsu ana which is why I was trying to verify the Tokugawa Law. I have seen many tsuba with only the Kozuka ana present and these are clearly for Tanto or Wakizashi. If Kogai were supposedly banned from being worn on katana, then I too ask 'why do we see so many Katana sized Tsuba made with Ryohitsu ana? Barrie.

Hi George, Yes could be that.. Thank you. I do not know what they were, which is why I posted them here on the NMB (with its many members and large knowledge base), Highly plausible that the items could be Oar, Rudder and Poles (the Poles being used for ..?) As for the (Batman) frames or "cartouches", I have no idea what they are or represent.. Any idea about which way they would be orientated? Thanks.. Barrie.

Gents, Thanks for replying Thomas and Brian. Great articles about Menuki placement that we have all brushed over previously or read here and there, but great to read it again, so thanks for posting Brian. I was trying to get an opinion on what the motif was so I could place them the right way 'up' etc.. Thanks. Barrie.

Hi Ford, The book I quote from is a (photo-copied) facsimile of SOKEN KODOKU YOGU to MEISHO no KAISETSU (An explanation of sword fittings terminology) taken from the notebooks of Rear Admiral Edwin T Layton, US Navy, Ret. and other sources by Alan L Harvie. It is an absolutely informative book that I have really enjoyed reading. I would really like to know if these laws were actually passed (by the Tokugawa) and to what extent they were adhered to.. Barrie.

Hi Dale, I'm not an expert on Saotome, but that is a large Tsuba.. Needs a little a TLC as you say.. Would love to see it in hand.. Barrie.

Okay.. so no ideas on orientation; any ideas on the motif then..? What would the items (on the top of the menuki) supposed to represent? Thanks. Barrie.

Hi all, I have these menuki that I think are stylised Bats (?) and was wondering which orientation they should be mounted.. i.e which is the right way up and which one is the Ura and which is the Omote? Any assistance appreciated. Thanks in advance.. Barrie.

Hi Steve, I believe it is pine resin glue called Kasune; happy to be corrected on this. It is often used to glue menuki onto tsuka or kogatana into kozuka. Barrie.

Thierry, Great looking tsuba.. I love it. Thanks for posting. I wonder how big Saotome like this can get..? Stephen, Just checked my book and it states 3.36 inches.. I should have checked the conversion. Good pick up mate.. sorry I missed it. So did the Tokugawa expect Samurai to use 2 sun 3 bu Tsuba..? It was a relatively peaceful time (was it not?) and I would think that 2 sun 3 bu would be a less likely typo than 3.36"..? I personally like smaller sized tsuba on katana koshirae, and do think that looks more aesthetically pleasing (than large tsuba) on koshirae.. but that may just be me.. Barrie.

Hi all, I have read (and I quote): '...during the flamboyancy of the Genroku era [1688 - 1703] a sumptuary law was passed by the Tokugawa Shogunate in Shotoku 4 [1714] prohibiting the mounting of kogai or kozuka on the katana, and limiting the size of tsuba to 2 sun 3 bu [3.36" /6.97cm]...' The text does go on to say that: '… the exact wording of the Shogunate law regarding tsuba size has yet to be verified...' Saotome Tsuba are known to be large, but I have a very large Saotome Tsuba (probably made from a man-hole cover) measuring 104mm x 102mm x 6.5mm and I am curious to know if these large tsuba were made before this law was passed, or - as I suspect, just in contravention to the law; If this law was in fact passed, or even policed..? Anyone have any true evidence? My Tsuba may pre-date 1714, but I doubt it.. I am curious to know if anyone has a similarly large (or larger) Saotome that they would like to share? Barrie.

Kevin, Are you talking about specific names for types of 'Sageo' and 'Ito'..? Sorry I cannot help you there. We all need them, and I have bought heaps of Sageo over the years.. None custom made though.. That would be nice..! Perhaps you could invent your own style..? I am sure that if you are able to perfect this craft, then you will (and should be) very pleased with yourself.. I hope you succeed. Good luck with it. Barrie.

Seller does state they are modern.. And they look it too.. Maybe an Iaito koshirae being sold off perhaps…? Barrie.

Wow…! That is all I can say. Barrie.

I was going to suggest the V&A as well. When I went (quite a while ago now) they had a great collection of Tsuba and Koshirae on display. Unfortunately the British museum had rotated their Nihonto collection out for Asian pottery in the Asian section - when I was in London.. Still worth a look though for the other items. Barrie.

Checkering file.. They are definitely the go.. did a bit or research last night and I will definitely be chasing one of those up.. Wish I had known about them before.. Thanks. Good luck with whichever way you go Alex.. Barrie.

Hi Barry, Thanks; I'll look it up.. I have tried using needle files, but even they are too big and I am not accurate enough. Just like making Habaki, they are best left to the professionals I feel, although I imagine seppa are not the dream commission these guys are seeking.. I wonder if seppa were are trade of their own or perhaps the junior/ apprentice kinko makers were making them to develop their skills.. A bit like basic fitting when I did my apprenticeship. Anyway, thanks for the tip. Barrie.

Aftermarket cast seppa (and shitodome) are absolutely awful.. Often very shinny and obviously fake as well as ill fitting. I have tried making seppa from both copper and brass sheet without true success.. That is to say, I can shape them ok and make them a good fit with both the nakago and the fuchi or koiguchi, but I cannot for the life of me master the very fine detail around the edges.. As for gold or silver foil; forget it.. Thats why old seppa are worth their weight in gold. Unfortunately, unscrupulous persons swap out good tsuba for bad ill fitting or loose ones and sometimes rob the seppa and shitodome as well for a few extra dollars… I heard it mentioned here before about the 'old drop tsuba'... Anyway, my advice is to commission one of the extremely talented tosogu artists to make some for you. That way they would fit properly and look professional - far better than any amateur made set. Perhaps someone is making these as a hobby and has mastered a rope or key fret finish..? That might be useful. Good luck.. Barrie.

Hi Steve.. Hawley lists 18 Seijo, of which seven have the same kanji used here. I'm not so concerned about which artist (probably gimei anyway); I was just trying to research the mei.. Thanks for your assistance, Barrie.

Hi all, I am having trouble with this Mei.. I think it it is Seijo, but might it be something else…? The Mei is close, but I don't see the same strokes as Hawleys depicts.. Am I reading this correctly? I had a look in Markus Sesko's Signatures of Sword Fitting Artists as well, without luck.. Thanks in advance.. Barrie.

hahaa… yes there are a lot of gorgeous fittings in this thread (and others). Would be nice to have some sort of NMB picture gallery or something to view it all more easily… Its a lot of data to store though, I know.. Barrie.

Hi all, This set tells the story of a recluse who never went to town for over 20 years. He loved studying and writing poems. He claimed that he considered plum trees as his wife and pet cranes his children.. (The Art Appreciation of Japanese Sword Fittings by Shigeo Fukushi pp103). The Fuchi & Kashira have very fine nanako.. Looks a bit harsh in the close up, but to the naked eye looks really fine and even. Barrie.

Hi Ken, I would go with the mounted one.. Especially if the condition of both is fairly much the same. It is always nice to see sekigane in tsuba and know that they were once worn and used as intended. There are many nice kinko 'presentation' tsuba, but the classic kiku-mon Saotome are not normally in that category. I too think they look fantastic and would go with the (previously) mounted one, I think. Just my two cents... Barrie.

Yes, me too.. very nice indeed; I like them a lot.. well done. Barrie.

Rich, I have bought mine from Namikawa's.. http://www.namikawa-ltd.com/product-list/20 There are others I am sure, but that is all I know. He sells low to high range to suit budget and need.. Barrie.

Gentlemen, My two cents here.. Having a perfect 3D blank would be good I suppose, but the blank would have to be perfect.. This would certainly give collectors better piece of mind. Most craftsmen would want the item though, to not only fit the profile of the Nakago ana properly, but to also match the height of the nakago with the blank and and the profile/shape of the seppa-dai; especially on sukashi Tsuba. The height of the nakago blank is important because it should not impede or hide any of the Tagane Ato. Too low and it might look silly; too high and shadows will form possibly hiding important kantei points. It must look aesthetically pleasing, otherwise why bother? All of this gives the look of a floating tsuba with only the nakago and seppa dai touching anything. Of course none of this matters if the owner does not request a fitted seppa dai and/ or nakago blank and the tsuba is simply inserted/ fitted into a box like kozuka are. A good accurate tsuba blank that matches the mimi profile and thickness may be all that is needed in this instance. Anyway, I have attached some photos of what I am talking about.. Barrie B. Perth, Australia.