Alex A

I came across this tsuba a while ago on a tsuba hunt, Peter pointed me to it, i really like it, pity the nakago ana was too small , it is strange, thats what i like about it Alex.

Shoami? Alex.

They look too good to me too, I wouldn't change them. Alex.

Michael, think if you had paid 5000$ plus dollars , ebay is not the best place to buy nihonto, especially for beginners. You have been lucky here, the blade is worth the price. Alex.

On a good note Michael, at least its a real folded blade and not a chinese copy, 800 euro i dont think is a bad price, maybe good for the martial arts guys, obviously would need a new tsuka. Alex.

Pure solid silver and gold sound good to me :D. Pure silver was more readily available in old times (im sure someone will say it wasnt pure, even then), the samurai where paid in silver bar (ichi bu jin), i have a few here. These days everything seems to be 925 silver, copper added for strength, not sure what they add to gold these days. Alex.

Im presuming modern habaki are made from sterling silver, 7.5%copper is added. Alex.

Hi Jussi, this thread from the start as been of great help to me. I cant comment on much but from what i know, 1st picture, first sword, similar to a sword further up in this post, an earlier sword, from what ive read. The other 2 look tensho, allthough the saya may have been relaquered at one point?. I would guess that the first sword on the 2nd picture isnt tensho, but momoyama, as you state, the other 2 look tensho to me. The rather short fuchi seems prominent on the tensho swords ive seen (finding one is a difficult), so does the hour glass shaped tsuka. As most of the pieces ive seen where laquered/shakudo it does give them a unique look, austere, is a word that as cropped up a lot, sorry to repeat. I think Grey may have a copy of the book you mention, id have it myself but now skint due to reading this post :lol: Everything does seem to be put in boxes though which i think seems to be a mistake, ive read iron tsuba where favoured, probably where for strength but there is was also a lot of shakudo and yamagane tsuba around in that period, so taking all that into account, there must be variations in this style. Every kind of material must have been used?, iron, copper, yamagane, bronze etc, in times of war materials can be lacking so i suppose a lot of the time its what ever materials you can get your hands on, aswell as the potential for mixing and matching parts from broken swords. So, in a way to try and some it all up is an impossible mission, but the basics are obvious from this post. Alex.

Hi Tobias, as i read your post i was hit with a certain amount of trepidation as this is what i am planning to do in the not to distant future :? Alex.

Cheers Chris, may be nice to have silver seppa too :D, not this year though. Cheers Grey, good news, ps, tsuba looks great on the sword, cheers. Alex.

Cheers Geraint, nothing was mentioned in the listing when i bought the sword which does seem a bit strange if it is silver. The sword was in shirasaya originally so it kind of went a bit unnoticed for a while. Alex.

I was wondering if someone would tell me what they think this habaki is made of, ive been told it may be hakudo (white bronze). I was hoping it may be silver, but thinking like that usually ends in dissapointment :lol:.

You guys, too much zinc :lol: Herman/Brian, great blades you have there (avoiding size terminology :D), im left feeling inferior :lol: I wonder, how practical would these large swords have been? Alex.

More oxen menuki, late muromachi/early edo, shakudo ko-kinko, nbthk hozen. Oxen seem a popular theme Alex.

Good question Bruno, I would assume non existant, of coarse I may be wrong. A nice tachi would look a lot better in my opinion . To me, these ceremonial western swords dont quite suit. Alex

Thats one long, and very stocky sword you have there Herman , be nice to see it next to a regular size katana for comparison. Alex.

Not too long, but chunky :D, next to a regular size kanbun katana. Alex

I have an hefty muromachi katana here 28.25", 1.312" (3.33cm) motahabe, and not much thinner at the pointed end. :D Alex.

Good result Alex.

I know what you mean Thomas . Please also be aware when buying kake , I bought one with an extra space by mistake, this then irritated me so much I had to look for a sword to fill it!, maybe this was a subcontious intention :D Alex.

The misses thinks I spend too much time as it is on this little hobby, that would be the icing on the cake! :lol: Alex

Ps, had a few friends round at the weekend who thought it was slightly amusing and a bad idea to leave the swords on display downstairs, potentially arming intruders. For the folk that do leave them out, I expect its crossed your minds too. Alex.

Oh, i thought from the title of this thread they where selling poor modern copies. Alex.

Glad ive read this, last week i was watching 2 sets of menuki on ebay (zen gallery) glad i didnt bid. How do they keep there 100% feedback rating?? Alex.

Ive seen a lot of small tsuba recently with large nakago ana, obviously fitted to a katana/tachi at one point in time. A lot of folk think its a strange look, I quite like it . Alex.