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Thanks Geraint! I agree, so sorry for the misinfo once again, everyone. To DRb 1643, the rules require people here to add their name (first and last initial, I think) so we can address each other civilly, thanks. There are people lurking here that will not only love to see such a fine example as yours, but are kanji experts and will know EXACTLY what the kanji mean. Patience will pay off here just keep bumping or send a pm to one of our Kanji experts. All the best to you as well, Geraint. I've missed y'all good people as I've been away from NMB lately.

You interested in nihonto in Kyo gunto mounts, German machine made blades, Japanese machine made ones, fringe oddity blades in kyo gunto? I have an old police lieutenant's sword with kogarasumaru shape (similar to naginata grinding but with a double edged section at the end) what I think to be Japanese made with oil quench. http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/20073-what-is-this-kyo-gunto-blade/Here is the link to the topic, in which hamfish shows a beautiful odd example as well; the go to resource for such blades is also discussed there. If you want the book I'm selling my copy for $80, just send me a pm!

Wow thanks for sharing! Surely the old crow shape (sorry been away and terminology isn't coming to me) is very rare on a navy dirk blade. I happened to have an old imperial police blade with the same shape and I treasure it. Sorry I'm no help. Damn the koshirae is immaculate! Edit: kogarasumaru is what the shape is called, in case anyone wanted to know????

AKA Medal of the fifth order of the grand rising idiot

To Rob, you don't have to be a hacker just a armchair detective will do, I think. Best not to push our luck, or rely on the eneptitude of others over our own preparedness. Gary is only relaying his experiences, I think. He has seen it happen, I bet.

To Ken Kata, your work looks amazing. I'm sure we would love to see more! Gary, thanks for the sobering reality check. Hopefully everyone who posts nice things here has good security!

In the safe. I have to keep an item or 2 out most of the time, to enjoy and brighten the place. Usually kept on the mantle above the fireplace, in front of Grandpa's American flag. The flag always gets displayed!

Nevermind

What happened to the kissaki? One side longer? Edit: ok Jean, it's due to photography error nothing more. 10-4 got it

Nice dragon! I like the prominent lower jaw making him appear to be relishing in whatever mayhem he about to deliver.

Arrived on Saturday... very happy with this one, as I spent a lot of time drawing/painting birds of prey so appreciate art depicting them. Also tsuba with animals is appealing to my tastes, or lack thereof! It has been recently screwed up by someone filing the Ana down to bare, and now the nakago Ana is pretty big for the small tsuba...

Quite nice! Love the black feather ends! He looks to be a tough protective Dad with his playful chicks. Thanks for sharing!

Good work and thanks for looking out Mr. Singer.

Thanks very much Jean! Definatly interesting info!

Mine is the first one pictured. The second one pictured is priced at 10 times what I paid (wtf)! The last one is Chinese garbage (no offense to the good Chinese people, but it looks like a angry bird cartoon character). Plase help with any info regarding symbology or just anything really regarding the tauba design or the piece itself. Thanks so much our good people for the help! -Grant

After reading Curran's remark, I'm re-guessing to say that since yours is so beat up it is hard to say for sure what the quality was originally, so yours has more chance to be genuine. Mine however, I still am calling it done by non-Soten school hands, and therefore gimei. If anyone disagrees, I'll sell my tsuba to you for a great deal to you ($300 + Shipping). Yes, I paid near twice that. Learning can be expensive. In martial arts, learning can really be painful!

Here is one with similar low quality workmanship seen on the numerous Soten school copies. You can see some Japanese characters (kanji) match. This one has been better preserved and may have a little more work done, but still I doubt both our tsubas signatures would be considered genuine. So I'm guessing late 18th or later Soten school copy, which time has been hard on and is now in poor condition. Thanks to Gabriel L. On this board for the following translation of my tsuba... Front: R: 藻柄子入道 Sōheishi [or "Mogarashi"] Nyūdō… (name of the mainline Sōten masters, often copied) L: 宗典製 …Sōten sei (…Sōten made [this]) Back: R: 江州 Gō Shū (Omi province) L: 彦根住 Hikone Jū (Resident of Hikone)

Very nice and unusual Brian! If it's shoshin then probably very rare. Wouldn't that be amazing if it has a gassan hada ( controlled masame or ayasugi), but these smith's could do many styles of hada, and this may be the less artistic and more weapon type homogenous hada. Either way, looks lovely to me! I would think polish would be affordable for such a small blade. I'll stay tuned. BTW, the hamon looks lively, as in water quenched; there is an interface of metals showing very well.

If I may pontificate a bit, and show support for this person's good cause... I used to poke fun at my wife over her passion for helping animals. You know, my thinking is that is just a western medicine, to treat symptoms (failing ecosystem and suffering animals) over problems (we/humans and our culture, are the problem). Anyway, the Bible story of lot says something along the lines of.. if there is one good person around, than the entire earth is worth saving. So now I support her in her fight for animals. Anyway, one can mentally equate animals to poor folks, in that it hard to survive in this world of poorly distrubuted resources, hate/fear, and vast waste of those who are in possession. Carry on with your good work helping those predators, as the ecosystem does crumble without them. Dr. Bleed is also doing his part in that he is shaping minds of the future, in enlightening students of our sordid past.

Ben, I'm sure your question is already answered but just in case... collectors call non-traditionally made ww2 blades "showato". These are the ones that the Japanese government considers solely weapons and insists they be destroyed upon location. However, some non-traditionally made ww2 blades are not destroyed but get legally registered as art/gendaito because the folks doing the registration are unsure or whatever (I have a katana like this). Some collectors and other artists here do appreciate so called "showato". They are still quite valuable, as history, engineering feats, art, etc...to many. Apparently in the war, the Japanese felt similarly about so called "showato," even seeing their own soul in what later became hated and destroyed. I think it is impossible to know exactly what kunimune (or his team) were thinking/feeling when they made it. My romantic side tends to think these must have been more than just simple products/weapons at the time. there is a lot this sword can teach you, if you buy into that sort of thing. best of luck!

Thanks Sabastien for the explaination!

A nice touch/effect, whether concave or convex, it does add a singular complexity to the blade. Maybe the smith is getting tired of his blades being faked, and thought this a good way to add to their mei. Seems like the effect would have a somewhat detrimental effect in that it removes metal from a critical force bearing section, and may also tend to wear the honoki inner Tsuka Surface slightly faster. But it is a tanto not a longer sword so my ramblings may be yet again, just More BS.. could be that there was an unsightly Fukure there and steps were taken to remedy that issue???

This blade doesn't really scream gendaito. The mei is haphazardly cut and what's left of the polish isn't showing signs of significant (if any) differential hardening. Still nice in its merits which are many, but gendaito not likely, I'm thinking.

Mount it then you won't have to see the gimei. It would be educational for Curran and/or Sabastien to continue. Like many that will read this, I lack ninja kantei skills, but have seen them in action so please, do go on...

The second one looks like nice work! How is the dragon on the mimi done?