b.hennick

Cut down - - suriage,

O suriage is used when so much has been cut off that no signature shows 

Ask Markus Sesko as he is a professional translator.

It seems expensive for a tsuba that has so many missing inlays of brass. I would expect far better condition for that price. To me there is far too much going on and even if it had all its original inlay I would pass on it.

Yes the yari has been shortened and used as a tanto. They are fairly common. 

Welcome! It is easy to get caught up in terminology. Take things slowly and ask will slowly become meaningful 

I was happy to see that you had measurements and I didn't have to wait for things to be measured. The prices were good. I was not sure what fees were added for your services. 

About 40 years ago a dealer bought a Japanese sword collection. I bought 7 swords and my friend bought one. We paid almost the same price. I studied all 7 and learned from them. I ended keeping only one of the 7. I bought the one my friend bought several years later. There are many roads to take. 

Hi Jon 

There are several people in the forum who practice iaido and related arts. They all tend to be helpful. 

Ask Grey. He will find you  what you are looking for. 

Try Grey Doffin tsuba and books. 

Welcome! There is a lot to see and a lot to learn. Congrats o the first sword. 

Welcome Ake! You will enjoy some of the discussions.

Congratulations! Excellent first effort in the competition. I'll look forward to next year's competition and your increased success.

As I read this I thought George must have written this. Before looking at the photos I scrolled up and confirmed my guess. George, you do a wonderful job. The breadth and depth of your knowledge are so impressive. Your contributions here and in other places are greatly appreciated. 

Rokusho 28 and 34 if you can get them at that price. Great photos. 

Hi Piers could the tsuba be a part of a daisho with the other tsuba having the characters for Ayoyama?

One club member asked if there would be a preview. I thought that there would not be one but I did not confirm that with him.

Hello fellow forumites:

I have a tsuba signed Kaneie and Yamashiro no Kuni Fushimi no Ju.There are two characters on the upper right side that exist because the material has been removed from the area around the characters. What do those characters mean? 

Good luck with this venture. I will pass the information to people in my club.

Sandpaper should not be used on a scabbard or handle (saya or tsuka) as the sand grains can fall inside and later scratch the blade or tang. 

Welcome Gerald! You will find that there is a lot to learn.

Both are quite nice. The asking price is cheap when compared to a tsuba. But one cufflink isn't too good. 

Thanks for the great analysis. I will look at shingen tsuba differently now.

21 hours ago, Matsunoki said:

probably never re-polished. 

Do you see ubu? Look at the sharpened edge near the habaki. If that area is not sharp then the area was not edge. If it is only dull a little and only near the Machi, the sword has not been polished many times.

Hi Chris:

I have been a collector for a long time. I guess that I am old-fashioned. I carry a fountain pen as well as a ballpoint pen. The ballpoint also has a built-in stylus and becomes a cell phone stand. So although old-fashioned, I like new things too.