Spartancrest

You might find them on-line? They are a Chinese company [of course!] Anko is a K-mart "brand" there are a few lookalikes but they have sectioned interiors which are not useful for tosogu. not as practical as the draw string version. https://www.temu.com...&refer_page_sn=10017 Stephen you can get a velvet lined one from within the US for considerably more money https://shoptiques.c...y-travel-case-velvet I will happily stick with my $9 versions

I was having a look around our local K-mart and came across these today. https://www.kmart.co...ALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds A nicely made round "suede" look case with a draw string cover - They easily fit a tsuba up to 82mm in diameter and offer great protection. The two clips under the lid could also be used for menuki. At $9 AU They are far cheaper than a Kiri box, of course not as traditional. Though from the images of some old Surimono, Kiri boxes were not the only way tsuba were stored. [Just a little 'post Christmas' shopping I bought out the local stock ]

I don't know if this belongs in tosogu or over on nihonto - not really either? I just came across this "Helmet breaker" https://www.jauce.com/auction/g1119004160 Now for something designed to give a hefty whack or designed to deflect one - this screams out to me to be rather designed to break at the first time it was used. Any comments on the structural integrity of such a "decorative" tool?

Something not as ambitious https://www.jauce.com/auction/l1118849583 Mother of pearl inlay?

This is selling again https://www.jauce.com/auction/t1118726205 or https://buyee.jp/ite.../auction/t1118726205

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haliotis There are at least seven "abalone" species in and around Japan.

I just had a weird thought - [most of mine are weird] - What vibes would be given off, if by chance we place two [or more] rival samurai clans' tsuba side by side in a display or within the same close proximity in storage? [my guess is not much] but it is a thought that for some, the closest the two rivals would have been "together" before, might well have been when engaged in conflict and battle.

Nothing specific, they don't relate to "past lives as a Samurai" just bad or good personal events in the usual "makes sense at the time but not possible in reality scenario". [This all started when I read a book sent to me by Dan about a tsuba that gave visions of the past to a modern exchange student visiting Japan from America - so it might all be subliminal. Perhaps Dan can remember the name of the book and who was the author?]

"I would have given you all of my heart, But there's someone who's torn it apart. And she's taken just all that I had, But if you want, I'll try to love again…The first cut is the deepest"

Well if we are being weird for Christmas - I sometimes go to bed and balance a tsuba on my forehead [Omote side down] and try to block out any distractions, after a few minutes I remove the tsuba and go to sleep. Some tsuba give me pleasant dreams whilst others give me nightmares. This seems to repeat if I try the same guards a few weeks later, so I have "respect" for the ones that give me nightmares and don't try them out more than once nowadays! [I don't bother with known cast guards - I already know they are a nightmare!

Use of a large tachi tsuba as a Maedate [Helmet crest] sorry the image is rather old and poor [not sure if the tsuba was "real" or just intended to look like a tsuba]

Do modern netsuke count? https://fujiyasubook...fc15c19c455ce628a135

Modern "netsuke tsuba" Hey we all have phones and keys. https://fujiyasubook...f41ce1fb4c130018bd0c

Well it looks like our old friend the backyard blacksmith has seen my bird in a frame and copied the design - https://www.jauce.com/auction/h1117986566 or https://buyee.jp/ite.../auction/h1117986566 And I thought mine was bad!

Guess I shoulda put a ring on it! https://www.studioba...-products/tsuba-ring netsuke

Three slightly different cast nanban in this pattern - Beaded edge like mine [most common], different pattern on the seppa-dai [second top left] and plain round mimi [third, forth and fifth top row left and one, third from the left bottom row] Dozens more getting about, they turn up every second week - some with more damage than others. There is also a modern company still making the same design for practice swords [third from the right bottom row] https://www.barringt...butterfly-tsuba.html [my image is far clearer and enhanced] Some crazy prices being asked - I think mine was all of ¥750 https://www.worthpoi...rfly-wakizashi-tsuba https://www.jauce.com/auction/q1114141529 https://www.jauce.com/auction/o1110424520 two smooth rim versions

One of mine, a casting - this design also has examples with cracked and missing antennae on the butterflies. These might have cooled off too fast.

A Hagiri is a crack or break in the Ji. So would a crack in the rim be called the same? http://www.jssus.org/nkp/hagiri.html

Jean, a possible inclusion then? The 45 degree overlap may just be coincidence, a later repair?

I believe the rim was "lap welded" as in this example found here https://tsubakansho.com/tag/mimi/ It may have separated due to moisture over time or some impact. The image has been enhanced from the rather dark one in the link.

https://www.etsy.com...-hair-pin-of-bone-17 This looks well made - no idea how big it is though.

Denim "clutch bag" https://www.furusato...detail/34207/4749080

https://www.jauce.com/auction/d1117154519 Moustache cast tsuba has been a replacement for a missing Seiriuken Eiju. https://www.jauce.co...0627f2usd4192078.jpg