Vermithrax16

Very sorry for your friend. All my best.

Excited about the set of menuki to pair with the dragon tsuba. The shapes of the flames are matching, love it:

Would love to see !

Danny at Nihonto Craft has a nice Ko Uda example (I think it's still for sale) which is great example at a lower price point. A lot to like in this package, sword, paper, sayagaki, nice habaki: http://www.nihontocraft.com/Ko_Uda_KatanTH.html From above, I agree that one cannot visualize many activities from bad photos, I do believe you can see most that are important from GOOD photos. EDIT: And if a member here has this one and was ever looking to move on from it, you would want to contact me: https://www.aoijapan.net/katana-mumei-kouda/

With 2 hours left the relisted sword in question has 28 bids and is at 301,000 yen.

I posted it, so what I loved: - almost intact shape - wildly healthy - jingane is excellent - not flashy or wild, just looks mean and evil - early Juyo sword is pretty cool I always check out Ko-Uda listings whenever they come up, and this one is one of the best over all swords I have seen. Everyone is different, no worries Marius. I think I have let slip my general disregard for Bizen works a bunch of times. Surprised I was not banned

I am not in love with Bizen works either, so that makes us insane I guess!

I don't see it listed anymore Bob, but I think it was around $30k

Ray, your memory is amazing.

I am sure they would provide some if asked.

Love Ko Uda swords and this one at Sanmei is a real dandy. Well worth a look: http://www.sanmei.com/contents/media/H13186_S2066_PUP_E.html

Great find, thanks Pete.

Not a mei expert but Ray was right to be cautious. Reference provided below:

LOVE mokume tsuba but never seen this kind of color work. Wild.

Excellent!!! Keep us updated. Love these kinds of shares.

Jean's masame sword is an excellent example of this very discussion.

A Kotaishi Denka Otanjobi Kinen Osaka Junin Gassan Sadakatsu Kinsaku (Kao) made in 1933 is worth a look: https://www.aoijapan.com/katana-osaka-junin-gassan-sadakatsu-kinsaku-kao/

Another to look at: http://sanmei.com/contents/en-us/p2028_太刀%E3%80%80銘%E3%80%80友成五十六代孫横山祐成鍛之%E3%80%80戊申嘉永元年八月吉應需%E3%80%80天国写刀%E3%80%80附）黒石目地塗鞘打刀拵.html

Seriously! He is my rabbit hunter

New rabbit menuki (thanks for the heads up Stephen!) match very well with a Shoami Hare theme tsuba I have. Really happy with this matchup:

Great input all, many thanks! Plenty to follow up on. Excellent.

I know just enough about swords to be, in my mind, mildy informed. Just getting a grasp on tsuba. On menuki? No idea at all. But when the wife sees a set on some site she looks at and says "don't you like silver fittings?" you just embrace the situation and buy the set. I think these are real silver (long experience with old coins) but no idea if they are old, made yesterday etc. Any feedback is appreciated even if it's bad. No worries at all.

This is wild! Thanks for posting.

Hello Ed! A fellow Bay State member! My advice would be to submit to the NBTHK in Japan for Hozon/Tokubetsu Hozon papers. You will most likely need a contact to arrange that for you. Price runs from 200-400 dollars US. Other fees may apply. No idea what you have, but Juyo submission will be more. Time? Well, be patient. From submission through a contact to result can be 2-4 months. Return of item longer, and the actual papers, all in all, a year is to be expected.

Side by side comp via Paint. That said, last 2 years have seen many swords/tsuba get NBTHK papers from reference sources I clearly have no idea about, so you just never know.