Alex A

Cant see, Mino Kanenori? Hamon looks Mino.

Chunky at 3.30cm and 0.8 thickness. In that respect find it a little unusual that the Hamachi appears worn. Again, maybe intentional along with the lack of mei and two ana, as in reproducing the shape of an old works. Think the main reason for cheap price was simply folks like signed swords, especially Shinshinto. Seen Naokatsu katana which are unsigned going relatively cheap. It has Hozen, for some folks that's all a blade needs.

Tobiyaki Though does appear unusual. In that some appears to be joined and some isn't. I quite like it, different. https://markussesko....tei-3-hamon-boshi-1/ Ps, it is close to the edge, usually the result of seeing quite a few polishes. Tell us more about what you know about the blade, might make it easier.

It was good value for money, you cant get too picky when you want a Naotane for that price, They mention slight rust on the edge, looks like nothing to worry about. That's what i see in one of their images. (stain)

Peter, i forget, sometimes go around in circles with this hobby. Reading the article made me remember about the school copying older works. I should know as studied Naokatsu etc. Maybe intentional. Cheers

An owner will always be left wondering why it was unsigned. Some can live with that, some cant.

As a neutral on the topic of armour that knows nothing really. I find the level of some fakes so impressive that i wonder how you guys can ever tell the difference, I'm not talking obvious fakes. Then on top of that there are antique that are restored to the point where its seems hard to tell the difference To such an extent my enthusiasm for the subject as gone from 100% to zero and now have little interest in purchasing anything armour related. Seems a lot of disagreements over certain aspects. Anyways, just thoughts from an interested reader.

Its weird that consistency never gets a mention. in all the time I've personally been interested in Japanese swords I've seldomly seen it mentioned. Folks go on about top level smiths and their swords without ever talking about consistency. The penny only dropped for me in this last year regarding consistency, that's because i looked at one particular smiths blades over and over again. You see so many that you pick up on what were good, bad and average blades for a smith over his career. Who knows, perhaps even an apprentice was responsible for the bad ones. This leads me on to the Japanese value system http://www.sho-shin.com/value.htm Sometimes you see a smith marked as average (chu-jo). You see blades marked as excellent blades by sellers and such blades are in high demand and sell fast. You ask yourself, why Chu-jo ? The reason.................................................CONSISTENCY. They made too many that did not make the grade and no doubt there are reasons for such blades, Those that created the rankings have been in the position to study more blades This is so important to get your head around, it never ever gets mentioned. Cheers Paul. The lack of comments already......... confirms.

First thoughts for me were what a great way to hide Hagire.

Aye, very consistent. In style too. Raised an eyebrow a while ago when i saw this sword in Midare. https://www.aoijapan...kubetsu-hozon-token/ First thoughts with that school are Suguha and Konuka, not forgetting the likes of Tadakuni etc. Good quality control in that camp. Never see a bad one, just overly polished or suriage bringing the price down.

Not so much as a thanks, to anyone. You did not listen. My last piece of advice to you is ask the seller to provide proof from the NBTHK.

4th generation here, no doubt you seen it. A MASAHIRO WAKIZASHI « Unique Japan Would see about getting the papers confirmed with NBTHK. Read a few times that this is not a straight forward task though. Need a real clear shot of the mei, come to think about it and sword. Some info Masahiro - MAS176 | Nihonto Club This is all best done BEFORE a purchase. Just to add, comparing the mei. From what i see, im not liking the comparison.

Hi Nathan, its always a concern when you think something don't quite fit. You say "most" have Hizen, did you see mei without ?. Don't have time now but I'm sure others will check the books. You need to check that the work matches that of the smith at that time, shape, nakago, hada, hamon etc etc etc. Anything a miss could be an indicator of gimei. The price seems cheap, that's my concern at the moment. As this come from Japan ?

I didn't know he would be known, just thought it was some geezer on the Youtube Luckily, his vids for me finish with cleaning and polishing bronze.

I will leave this here for anyone that has antique bronze barrels. Cannon turned up today, jeez bronze is heavy for its size. Kind of relieved it didn't turn out to be brass lol. Anyways, did have some light Verdigris around the end of the barrel. A tip off the internet was to brush with a soft bristle tooth brush and tooth paste. Went super light, checking i didn't remove patina whilst at it. It worked, up to others whether to do this or not. Finished off with Ren-wax. Took before and after pics in daylight. Looks beautiful back on the carriage in the house. Dark chocolate patina with a shine . Video helped a lot.

A video about cleaning and polishing bronze. Ok, we are not talking staues but it gives an idea He mentions a few types of wax, thinking i will stay with the Ren-wax. Would research further before using any other type, just being cautious.

Aye, expected high end fittings for that price.

Its a lot of money for a piece of parchment. At that price i would expect better provenance

Barrels 10.5 inches (if seller has measure it right) . Each one i buy gets bigger, working my way up lol

Another interesting advert from the Lanes. https://www.thelanes.../shop.php?code=24245 How they base their prices is their business but the only way i can fathom it out is that they take a look at what else is available in the UK, then look at prices over in Japan. Without considering lots of other factors, polish, papers etc etc.

Pulled this off the internet............. Experts recommend cleaning antique bronze using the gentlest approach possible. This might be dusting, wiping with soapy water or – at the most – minimal polishing with a mild abrasive. You should also finish with a layer of clear paste wax to keep antique bronze looking its best. Use whichever of these options best retains the natural patina. Verdigris, which is easily identified by its turquoise color, is a natural occurrence when bronze is exposed to moisture. You'll recognize it from the facade of the Statue of Liberty or markings on some old pennies. In some cases, the color is desirable, but more often, cleaning verdigris from antique bronze is essential. Doing so is possible using DIY methods, but if your antique bronze item is especially valuable or you care about its resale value, it's best to consult a professional before tackling verdigris removal.

Hi Piers, yes, i agree about folks removing patina from gun barrels. I hate it, personally wont consider buying anything that has been polished. I will explain. Bought a little antique signal cannon and by the looks of it, it has been sat in a shed or attic for a hundred years or so. Its not Japanese, but the same would apply as im just talking about caring for antique Bronze gun barrels The owner said there is green on the barrel, im assuming she is talking about Verdigris. Anyways, i plans on sympathetically restoring it back to life, will add some more pics in the arms thread. Will look up how to clean antique Bronze without removing patina. After that im assuming places like museums may well just use Ren-wax and leave well alone. I need see the "verdigris", may be something and nothing, just don't want it getting worse.

Hi Piers, Antique western cannon, i know you have the Japanese bronze cannons and was wondering what folks use on them.

Late to the party here but curious to ask a question. Used Ren wax a lot but i find it makes everything dull, even though it protects. Anyways, my question is. What do folks use on Bronze barrels with nice old dark brown patina?. This just a job for Ren wax?

Seems to be a lot of average blades around these days with TH TH don't feel as special as it did 10 years ago.