Marius

Eric, I understand you are unhappy with the statement that this blade is likely gimei. If so, submit it to shinsa (just joking). If you are happy with it, good, just enjoy it. That is what this hobby is for Before you comment my statement as an exaggeration, please read it: "99% of signed blades AND coming out of Japan AND via eBay or other online sites. That narrows it down, no? Of course you are free to think you have a shoshin blade (one with real signature) but if you want to collect and study nihonto, deluding yourself is probably not the best way to go. BTW, do you now the saying: mumei cannot be mumei? This means that ANY genuine nihonto that has no fatal flaws and is in an acceptable state of polish, will get an NBTHK Hozon. And yes, there are masterworks which are mumei. Nobody has made the suggestion here to remove the signature, or am I missing something? Again, just enjoy it for what it is. And a word of advice, as you seem to be rather new to this wonderful hobby. You might want to: 1. spend the money to buy books 2. study good swords in hand (going to Japan, to shows, et) 3. learn from other collectors (many good and knowledgeable people out there) After a while you will move up in your purchases, if money allows (this is not a cheap hobby). Oh, and please avoid statements like "forged almost perfect". You are not at the stage yet to say anything more than that you like a sword (neither am I, for that matter, after 15 years of collecting). Please accept it as friendly advice even if it sounds a bit patronising and harsh. Humility goes a long way when you are a "newbie".

Grey, The Masahiro on your site is a bargain. One of the top Hizen smiths and a TokuHo for that price? Someone should snap it up.

And an excellent resource on "namban" tsuba (regrettably, on Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/Asian-Export-sword-guards-and-Nanban-tsuba-564035753684007/

And old thread regarding casting: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/7939-the-last-word-on-cast-iron-tsuba/

Here: http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/shaping.html

Chris, a short and succinct description of the nihonto market. Thank you

Eric, It was a good buy, no doubt. You have a real Japanese sword which has't cost you arm and leg Keep in mind though that you have bought this wakizashi on eBay, from a Japanese seller ("katana-boutique"), who sells tons of low end swords. You have to assume that for those $500-600 that you have apparently paid it is gimei (fake signature). Your sword has a signature of a rated smith but no NBTHK papers so it is almost certain it is gimei. This is not tragic as 99% signatures on unpapered nihonto are fake (correction: og unpapered nihonto coming from Japan through eBay and other online sites). But you haven't hit the jackpot and you should be aware of that.

Not a mess. They are shameless crooks abusing their position. Their exchange rates are robbery.

Yes Barry, you can

Curran, The Japanese banking system is outdated. But I guess if you get the correct branch cod, account type (futsuu etc) and account number, all should go well. I have done several transfers to Japan, never a problem. It is also important to provide the recipients name in kana.

Pictures are by Kojima san. I have no idea how he manages to capture such detail using his prehistoric camera (a simple low resolution camera, nothing professional, mind you).

I use them a lot, excellent. I avoid PayPal, I use it only to pay for eBay purchases (small fry).

BTW, as this is unsold, let's move it to the trash bin or to a section, wherever it seems more appropriate Thanks Brian

Trust me, it is not "a little" blade

Hi Rohan, it has a standalone habaki.

Well, I think this is is utterly unnecessary, but I wanted to express my thanks to Jussi Ekholm here. Got his sword today, carefully packed and looking better than in the pictures. So if you buy something from Jussi, you are guaranteed to be very happy. Thanks Jussi!

Forgot to add - this comes in shirasaya with Kojima san’s sayagaki. I never had the oshigata.

Here is another tanto by Hiroshi Kojima the 4th Noaohiro of the Taikei Naotane lineage. This tanto is another one which shows the results of reshaping and repolishing a blade. Let me assure you that the results are nothing less than stunning. This is a beautiful tanto in superb polish with tons of activities, and a beautiful utsuri. I can assure you that despite the reshaping this is a solid blade (not as solid as the other one I have offered a few days ago). It reminds me of the best tanto of the Kamakura period. If interested, ask me for dimensions, but nagasa should be about 22-23cm, kasane at least 5mm, maybe 6mm. Explanation: by "grinding" Kojima san means shaping with polishing stones. Kojima san has polished this tanto himself - he is a very competent polisher who does excellent sashikomi and dislikes strong hadori. This tanto is in sashikomi Again, allow me to refer yo to Kojima san's website where he describes the story of this blade: http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/K-un2.html This excellent blade is yours for: Withdrawn Payment schedule is possible, and as always this item comes with a simple return policy: if after a 3 days inspection period you decide that you do don't like it, you can return it for a full refund minus shipping cost, no questions asked. If unsold, I leave it to Brian to delete this thread or move it to the Nihonto discussion as he has done with the previous one: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/27615-naohiro-4th-hiroshi-kojima-experimental-massive-tanto/

"Grinding" is Kojima's way to say "polishing away steel". I have seen him shaping his swords - he is working with the tools of a classic polisher and of course with loads of water.

I tend to be mercurial, sorry, so... the tanto is no longer avaiable. Brian, can I kindly ask you to move this topic to whatever section you deem appropriate or just to delete it? Thank you

Allow me a few words about the maker of this tanto, Hiroshi Kojima, the 4th Naohiro... I have known Kojima san for years and I regard him as one of the most open and helpful Japanese sword smiths. His only wish is to make swords and spread sword knowledge. He shares his sword knowledge willingly and teaches to focus on steel and its particles. He does not care about recognition, he plays down his own knowledge and his sword making skills in a way that reminds me of the best English traditions (those who know true Englishmen will know what I mean). He is not a Mukansa and will probably never be one - he simply does not care about it. He loves his work and that is sufficient for him. Kojima san is always keen to experiment - two years ago I have studies a sword by him that was folded only three times and quenched/tempered without clay (it came out with an amazaing saka-choji hamon). This tanto in its current shape is also the result of an experiment. Kojima san appreciates simple, functional swords, even if they are no masterworks. His own swords are functional, too. He does not try to emulate any particular style, but his daito are usually tachi with a rather tight steel full of ji-nie, a flamboyant choji hamon and utsuri. If he makes a sword in the style of early koto, his steel is not so tight anymore. He is the last sword smith of the Naotane lineage - I cannot imagine any candidate who would have the talent, patience and humility to go through a full apprenticeship at Naohiro's. I own a few swords made by Naohiro, including this interesting tanto. I have bought it to study the effect of polishing on steel activities, but also to analyse natural choji in comparison to designed choji (in this case I used a gorgeous Chounsai Tsunatoshi tanto as a benchmark for designed choji). Now it is is time to part with it. Being lazy as I am, instead of taking pics and writing a description I am referring you to a webpage on which this tanto and its origin is described. It is a fascinating story. Before you jump to the page, please let me tell you a few words about this tanto. 1. It is what people tend to call a "cleaver". It is absolutely massive in hand, very broad (motohaba of 3cm, that's 1.18') and still thick. 2. It is in beautiful, classical polish which does shows the steel and hamon very clearly (on one side the choji remind me of Ichimonji). There is utsuri, as in most swords by Kojima san. 3. It is unusual and ideal for serious study. It is with a friend now, who is studying it. 3. It comes signed and with a sayagaki by Kojima-san, which describes its history in somewhat poetic words, AFAIR. So, here is the link: http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/effectofyakiire.html This tanto is yours for withdrawn (includes shipping to EU and US, but charges are extra, payment schedule possible). Return policy: 7 days inspection period and if after that you don't like it, just return it for a full refund, minus shipping costs (a purchase with a payment schedule is excluded from this guarantee, but we can work something out also in such a case). If it remains unsold for a couple of days, I will ask Brian to move this thread to the nihonto discussion section, if he deems it educational enough. So posting it makes sense in any case.

Sylvain is from France, Emma. Look under his avatar

Patrick, remember, I am a nincompoop But whatever the opinion, you have a cool tsuba that you can enjoy, and that is what it is all about Of course, attributing is fun, but let us not become obsessed with it.

Do not count my "voice" as ko-Shoami - I simply do not know. We are not shinsa, we do not have to come up with more or less irrelevant attributions, we have the luxury of saying "no idea". Please just enjoy your tsuba.

Gentlemen, Kanayama is just an appellation. There are no sources, no documents regarding this "school", which is nothing more than a group tsuba sharing some common characteristics (thickness, compactness, pronounced tekkotsu, representing "tea aesthetics", if you will). You can call this what you want (I'd call it a very nice sukashi tsuba), but it does not seem to belong to that group and it does not match Kanayama as described by Sasano, Torigoye or Okamoto. When in doubt, go for (ko)Shoami