Tsubafan

that was fast! many thanks

Hello, could anybody help me find the blade's signature of this Tanto? Unfortunately, the first Kanji is not fully legible due to a posterior hole. it seems that part of the signature could be "X" KAWA JU KYO SAKU? Many thanks.

Hi Colin, thanks for the link. Pretty interesting !

I have read some articles on baleen wrap and can confirm this is the material used on my tsuka. Very good remark Robert! Thanks for pointing that out. Unfortunately some parts are missing… i paid 900 € for this set, I hope this was a correct price.

Hello, you probably meant Art Nouveau (c 1900) with its typical flowers and insects decorations. Art Deco is a later period (c 1920) with less decoration and more symmetrical designs.

Thanks a lot Brian and Grey. For what it is worth, the part of this set that I like most is... the Habaki !

Oops sorry my bad, typo error indeed. Yes I meant Hisamitsu ! There are at least 7 swordsmiths as per nihonto club index.

Here is my latest purchase, unfortunately the blade is in bad shape... is it a UNOKUBI ZUKURI shape? The Habaki and all other fittings are in solid silver with simple but nice Katakiri bori engravings. Mei on nakago seems to read HinaMitsu. Is there any ways to know which Hinamitsu swordsmith it could be (there are 7 generations of Hinamitsu) What about the Koshirae, you think Edo or Meiji? I believe there is a space for a Kogai or maybe a small Kogatana?

Thanks a lot Curran.

Merci Thierry. Thanks Steve and Curran. It is easier when the artist writes some facts like "based on Nobuie" or simply puts a date on the tsuba. Like this one, last one of the collection related to Nobuie (at least with a written reference, there might be others but I don't know yet): Mei should read: Kōka San Nen: Year three of Kōka (1846?) Uma Shigatsu bi: April in the year of horse Nobuie No Katachi o Motte: With the shape created by Nobuie Myōchin Kuninao Saku: Created by Myōchin Kuninao Size: 9 x 8,4 cms I could not find any info on Kuninao...

There is another "Nobuie" in the collection. Size: 9 x 8,5 cms Here it is:

Thanks Bob.

Hi Stephen, well thanks for the hint, those tsubas have at least something in common , they are all iron !

Dale, unless you are ready to make 20 000 miles to handle it, it is going to be difficult

Thanks guys for moving the thread and welcoming me. A bit more background on the collection might be necessary. It used to belong to a Japanese fellow who has lived in France. I believe he spent maybe 30 years collecting those. He has now passed away and I was able to buy the collection from his son. (around 35 pieces, there might be others to be found...) The collection is very heteregeneous (unless there was a thread in collecting those but I am definitely not in position of finding it as I am no expert in this field) and composed of some lesser known smiths. I will share some of them in the near future, the ones worth discussing ! Many thanks.