Ramble

I'd be happy to send it your way--it needs a happy home!

I actually haven't tried until now. Since I didn't know anything about netsuke and I just heard about the new law, I thought I'd be proactive and see if I could find it a proper home with someone who'd appreciate it. Not trying to make money. I just like to see old things treated nicely and if I can find someone who would like it, I'd give it to them while I still can. And I am totally against the ivory trade as well. Destroying antiques seems a bit over the top, though.

So, I don't really collect netsuke but I found this tyke a few years back in a thrift store for two bucks. It's got a noticeable split on one side. Otherwise it's a cute thing. Since the rules about antique ivory are changing here in California in July, I was going to try and find this another home, or donate it to a cultural museum if it was worth their time to even take it. How would I find out if this is bone or ivory, and if so, does it even seem like something a cultural center might want? Thanks for any input!

Excellent! Not that it's terribly important for this gift, but I like to get as much info as I can for the art pieces. More fun that way. Thanks for the help, everyone! Dee

the seller had said they thought it was 'shyoami' which I thought was a spelling error. I was trying to look it up as 'shoami' and still couldn't see it. More practice for me, it seems. Thanks!

I've drifted around to the different links folks were kind enough to offer, trying to take my first stab at figuring out this mei. Problem is, I'm really, really bad at this, and the mei isn't all that clear. sigh... Methinks I need much more practice to see the writing on the tsuba match the writing on the sites. Apologies that it is sideways! I can't seem to right it. Any ideas what this lowly tsuba might say? This is the one I bought for the gift I'm making for a non-collector. I'm just curious and hoping to add to my woeful lack of knowledge. Thanks for any insight! Dee

Danas, I don't know if I'm just simple, but I like the first one- clean, yet I really like the little cascade of water and wisteria together. This is defnitely the type of tsuba I will probably start with down the road.

True enough. I like poking and comparing- I guess I shouldn't be surprised to see stuff like this on Etsy as well, though for some reason I only expected to find antique toasters... Don't worry, I'm not shopping. If I were, I actually like some of Lepoello's tsuba on the For Sale thread (specifically his #3 Aizu Shoami and #8 Choshu Tsuba) so I'll study up more and when my cash matches my knowledge, I can get something extra spiffy!

So, I sell greeting cards on Etsy, which means I'm always drifting around other folks' shops...and I came across this person offering a collection of tsuba, menuki and other fittings in a bundle. https://www.etsy.com/listing/289262335/collention-of-Japanese-samurai-sword?ref=shop_home_active_15 Even though I know Etsy dealers accept lower offers, having no spare cash and no experience with buying tsuba, I thought I'd just pass it along to other folks for their perusal. I'm not buying anything yet as I don't have enough experience not to buy shiny junk (except that rusty one I got for an art project... Someday...

Glad to find this thread- thanks!

Thanks for your input! I'm building a unique congrats art piece for a martial artist and this will work nicely. Hopefully as I learn more, I can find some higher-quality collector pieces for my own wall!

Hello! My name is Dee from sunny southern California, and I just joined today. I've been interested in all things antique since I was a wee tot (and have a fondness for rescuing old things, even if they might not catch someone else's eye- funny that way...) I'm very interested in learning more about Japanese blades and fittings, and hoping to acquire some nice pieces as my knowledge increases. If there are any good books for the rank beginner, I'm up for that, too. Look forward to chatting with everyone! Dee

Hello! I'm very new to collecting, having not picked up any tsuba yet since I don't know enough to invest in a decent piece. I'm hoping to learn quite a bit between the folks here and my own research, but in the meantime, I have a slightly odd request. I was wondering if anyone could tell me if this little tsuba seems genuine http://www.ebay.com/itm/29-OLD-IRON-TSUBA-Mountain-scape-Silver-inlay-Signed-SHYOAMI-82-8g-/172189202196?hash=item281746b714:g:u8wAAOSwf-VWWiMJ and let me add, it doesn't have to be a high collector quality as I am framing it as part of a gift for a friend who is not a collector. I know that ebay can be rife with fakes, so I figured I'd run it by people with better eyes-- The worn look is nice for what I am planning (and no, there won't be any damage to the item, even if it's just a low-grade tsuba.) Thanks for any advice and I look forward to spending more time on the site! Dee