Marius

Two exapmles of really good tsuba. Also google Hirado tsuba - often made from btass (shinchu).

Jussi, I agree 100%. Modern steel wins. However, comparing modern pieces to antiques is not fair. We have a body of nihonto, ranging from 1100s to 1800s and within that body we can make comparisons. Ideally our comparisions should be free from romantic notions of age and history. However, any comparison is impeded by the simple fact that while you can (though nobody will condone it) destroy a shinshinto piece in an extreme test, you won't do that to an Awataguchi sword (for obvious reasons, value being the most important one). The criteria of samurai who depended on their blades quality are still valid as they were in the 14th or 16th century. We just can't test them.

Jussi, that is an excellent advice for people with lower budgets. But with $25k you can buy an excellent sword, which will be a good investment. After you have it, your knowledge can grow up to the point where you can appreciate it. Also, and forgive me my bluntness... most of us (I am not an exception, of course) have not the faintest idea what a good sword is and why it is good. Yes, we are self-styled "experts" admiring a "wonderful hada" or this or that hamon and this or that activity (the more kinsuji the better, etc). But when it comes to judging the quality of steel, we have no clue. How many times have we heard something like "this is a wonderful hada" and "that is an excellent hamon" and "many activities, with profuse this and that". While hada and hamon seem essential for kantei and activities are interesting, it seems that it is in fact the steel that matters. Like in Yasutusgu retempering Kamakura masterpieces and wondering why the retempered swords came up better than those forged by himself (a legend, for granted, but with a grain of truth). Please, don't ask me why so many Kamakura swords are masterpieces. I have no idea. Must be the steel, no? For it's certainly not the hada or the hamon, by which we judge "quality". Now, I am waiting for the flak, apologies for hijacking the thread.

Aoi won't offer the advice that Darcy will offer. With that budget (especially at the higher end) Darcy is the choice. He has a stellar reputation and knows his stuff. He will advise you on the resale value.

Ad 1: not bad. just undesirable and adversely affecting market value. Not ruined, just altered, with lost signature (if there ever was one). Ad 2: It is not a must. See above. Ubu is always desirable, the older the sword, the more desirable it is. The younger the sword the more undesirable if o-suriage. Read this, if you have not: http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/O-suriage.html http://www.nihontomessageboard.com/articles/Suriage.pdf http://nbthk-ab.org/Standards.html

What Henry thinks is fire scale is evidence of folding, as far as my weary old eyes can tell

Do not raise your hopes Ben. It was put on eBay. It is out of polish, so workmanship cannot confirm the mei. The seller said gimei (good chap, unlike many others). Shinsa will say gimei. That's what you must prepare for. And shoshin is what you can hope for - a jackpot, basically In any case, it is fun and let's see what Andrew says after he makes a window. Keep us informed, please

Guys, eBay is full of this scum. Then again, so are most banks and other financial institutions.

What do you mean by sending away? In our world, if the NBTHK says ko-kinko, it is ko-kinko, even if it is not. And it is nice enough, so as long as you have not paid too much, you are fine. If you think of creating a set, I have bad news for you. Adding a tsuba with namazu to this namazu f/k won't make the two parts a set (actually, I am not sure if the fish on your tsuba is not something else). Adding a plain iron or iron sukashi tsuba will create a pleasing effect, IMHO. Hit the "Uchigatana no Koshirae" book to see what has been mounted with what.

The NBTHK is known for its rigorous process of reasoning, which is also rigorously secret, as they won't give us any clues it in their papers. The NBTHK shinsa has made some Solomonic verdicts such as a "tachi tsuba" attribution (no period indicated) to what appears to be a Nambokucho/early Muromachi yamagane guard or a "Higo tsuba" to what appears to be Jingo or Hayashi (Curran knows the latter case). Such attributions are harming the NBTHK's reputation when it comes to tosogu. The fuchigashira is an Edo product. If that qualifies for ko-kinko, so be it.

Jon, Yes, Bizen or so it looks. Kagemitsu? Remains to be seen. People with a good meikan can help you. Problem with boshi? You mean kissaki - the tip is broken, but a polisher can fix that. Make sure there is boshi (hamon in the kissaki), otherwise polishing would not make sense. The koshirae is late, but nice. Excellent purchase, well done!

My pleasure, Sergei IMHO not too old (late Edo), not too good (average iron and uninspiring inlay). Yes, some seem to be crests. Ascribing them to families makes no big sense as these are not tsuba made for daimyo. Many mons with a nice index: http://www.tozandoshop.com/v/vspfiles/kamon/plant1.html

I guess the question was: "What do you think about my two tsuba? Are they old? Are they good?" Etc.

What I see in daimyou's pic is spider rust. Shinae are indeed cracks, but they run parallel to each other. Take a good pic and we'll take it from there. If you don't have the sword in hand, nothing we can do, but you can safely assume spider rust.

Oh guys, come off it. Patrice expressed his love for simple unadorned tsuba. Study the iron, Patrice and enjoy your tsuba. I like such plain guards, too. Your picture is bad, BTW.

And many thanks for the Futagoyama tsuba I bought, which turned out to be better than in your pictures

Gents, Thomas, (his nick: Leporello), is selling some good tsuba here. I bought one from him. My experience was great. He is s friendly guy, and the tsuba turned to be better in hand than on his pictures (Thomas, please do something about it!). I am very happy and wanted to share this excellent experience).

@Curran Of course

Gokaden is a Hnami construct. Useful, but don't get hung up on it.

PM re #3 sent

watch for snow flakes (symbol of winter) combined with the three friends of winter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Friends_of_Winter

Snow = yuki. Look at crests where the name contains "yuki" http://www.tozandoshop.com/v/vspfiles/kamon/nature2.html#Snow Snow goes together with other things, like bamboo, etc.

I can teach you nothing, Ed, I am afraid, because I am a moron. Shoami is a grab bag, so if you must have an attribution, it is as good as any The hitsu ana are normal. The sukashi walls forming the hitsu ana may represent snow flakes.

Iroe would be atypical for Owari. The motif alone is not enough to make an attribution. If in doubt, go for Shoami and you can't go wrong Nice guard.

You need to see it in an ubu and healthy tachi from the Kamakura period.