Bugyotsuji

Did you add the highest price you would willingly go? Someone is willing to go to 100,000, right? Did you read this page? http://www.sword-auction.jp/en/howtobid

The starting bid is 50,000, and two people have bid so far...? The bidding increments are 1,000 JPY, so the present total is 52,000? Apart from that, no, I do not understand how their system works. (Nice menuki though!)

Looks like Shibuichi to me too.

Many thanks, Greg. It has been hard to keep this thread honest and dispassionate. Naturally as a pensioner I have these inner expectations and urges to own a big name smith's creation without splashing out on a full-length tachi or katana, and sadly that has probably shown through my over-eager descriptions. So, just as long as I can remember to use these blades as study pieces, and remove myself from subjectivity, then a goal of sorts can be achieved. And regardless of any other factors, I must confess that I do love them. I think I will take them both along to our next sword meeting as extra material. The members here do like a bit of amusement on the side, and they know me and how I like to bring unusual things along! (At the last meeting some of them were fascinated to see for the first time a Koshi-ate leather pad once hung to protect the Tachi saya from banging against the hip. Neither did they recognize the donut-shaped Tsuru-maki hanging from it.)

Alex, in the absence of anyone else taking over, I'll start the longer one. The mechanics of bringing it up on screen each time and then making it disappear for each phrase defeat me, so in the absence of efficiency I will take it slowly!. No. 5970 Mumei Sunpo: (length) Koshirae: Shira Same Cha Ito Hishi Maki Gara, Fuchi Kashira, Shakudo Takabori Iro-e Nami Ryu no Zu, Menuki Shakudo Yo-bori Iro-e Tatsutagawa no Zu, Tsuba, Tetsu San Ji Marugata Ryo Hitsu (Ki-no-ko)Take no Zu, Mei, Taku-uchi Saku Kinsei (between Meiji and WWII)

Yes, I have moved kiseru backwards and forwards (to Europe) over the years, but always in my own luggage. I suspect your collection is very special and you do not want to take any risks. Mine were all silver kiseru, of no great artistic/historical value. They usually stink of tobacco, which would surely not attract sniffer dogs. Good luck, and please keep us updated.

Whoever does this for you will have to set aside some time to do it. Would you need 'translation' of their meanings, or are you happy with a Romanization of the Japanese terms? The paper on the left for example says: "Ichi. Katana Koshirae. Cha Ichime Ji Nuri Dai-Sho Uchigatana Koshirae. Shoshin" Percentage of confidence, 98%. (Give or take a kanji)

Yes, smoked bamboo, as for swords, makes the best Mekugi pins, unsmoked next best! Brass was and still is used but for some reason they tend to work themselves loose with usage and get lost. My regular army gun still has one left of the brass mekugi... :8( ....

Jumping back to the first Kama for a minute, ie the Minamoto Nobuyoshi with a Yokote starting this thread. Yesterday I was at the local sword meet when a young (?) lady brought out a katana in gunto leather saya and asked the sensei to check it out for her. It was among her father's belongings and she needed to know if it was worth keeping. I heard my name being called out and walked over to see. "Look at the registration card!" they said. Brand new, it said 源信吉 "Minamoto Nobuyoshi" in clear black writing...! He drew out the rusty blade and they managed to get the tsuka off. Frantically I dialled backwards through the phone to find a comparative shot of my nakago. Sadly they were different, but now I can cross off another Nobuyoshi, bringing me ever closer to the truth! (The katana was probably Kanbun/Enpo Kyoto/Yamashiro (Kiku mon) Takai Echizen no Kami Minamoto Nobuyoshi, the Yasurime being typical? Takanoha.)

Modern US cent = 19.05 mm, so we are looking at what is generally called a '10 Monme' Shizutsu or samurai gun, although more strictly speaking yours is around 12 Monme, a big bore. The mon looks like Hi-no-Maru Ohgi, 日の丸扇 , in a diamond(?). PS If you are using a smart phone, go to the photographs and edit them in any little way you like, light, size, contrast etc. Then push 'done'. This will fix the orientation, and stop them swiveling round annoyingly when you post here.

Thank you for posting your gun. It is fairly generic, displaying no particular characteristics of gunnery school or region of manufacture, but a good solid gun probably made well before 1850. The date on the (stock/butt/barrel?) will be the general round-up and registration date at the beginning of Meiji, the 'Jinshin Bango'. The photos are upside down and the pan lid is on back to front, with a too-short hinge pin! The back of the serpentine should catch on the little 'crab's eye' that pops out of the lock plate upon release of the trigger. It may be a bit sticky, so the serpentine cannot lock back as it should. (Pulling the trigger should cause the eye to retract, so the serpentine can fall.) When you say a 'penny', you must mean a US cent, but how wide is that in cm for us world-wide brethren? Were you able to remove the Bisen breech screw? How does the pan look inside?

粟田口 近江守 Awataguchi Ohmi no Kami, Genroku, Settsu

With that one photo it is hard to say. If it is not one of the thousands of fakes, (perhaps 9/10 are younger than Meiji), then it could well be over 130 years old. Might be nice to get a tsuka maki wrap done and add a tassel.

Agreed. I missed it too. Wonderful things are uncovered!

Post Scriptum. "It is a question of stroke-cut directionality, indicating individual writing style."

Good point. Actually we found a spear or two, but he was comparing this one with sword tangs. This kama has a wide tang though, with very similar dimensions to a Katana, so probably not a restricting factor. Now you have got me wanting to double check that! I'll ask him tomorrow.

Good point Malcolm. 日月 Jitsugetsu, = tsukihi the passing of the days and months. Or the sun and moon design in for example the Emperor's flag, jitsugetsu no hata 日月の旗

Unusual design, certainly. Almost Tachi tsuba, almost Namban. What size is it? The nakago-ana suggests a very thick kasane; one hitsu-ana is tiny!

Brian, can you rephrase that?!

No, but I probably know someone who does. There is one at the Osafune Sword Museum which they use to illustrate skin steel and heart steel in the blade cross-section. The spear tip mentioned above:

It's the word usually used when describing hamon that reach or cross over the shinogi line. Adjectivally used it would be a 'Shinogi ni kakatta' Hamon. (The flowery phrases were just general illustrations of usage that I was trying to come up with for you!)

Just had a look in the dictionary and was shocked to see how many subtly different examples were given. "Catching on", or "caught across" the Shinogi...? The shadow of the earth could be 月面にかかっている "partly covering" the face of the moon.

There are different Kanji for for the same sound Kakaru depending on meaning, Ken. EG "Kakarinasai", Shigoto ni kakaru means 'Get to work, or start!" In the shinogi case, I am sensing hikkakaru, like something being caught on branches, reached or partly crossed over. Need to check which kanji is which!

Thanks for the info, Jean. For Ken. In Three-blade fighting style, in "One Piece" Zoro apparently carries the third blade in his mouth. See end of first paragraph. Quote: "Zoro is uniquely known as an expert of Santōryū (Three Sword Style), where he wields a third sword with his mouth in combat. Throughout the series, his primary sword is Wado Ichimonji, a sword that he inherited from a childhood friend, and is frequently the sword that he wields in his mouth." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roronoa_Zoro For the cartoon background: ,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Piece

Just had a chat and was assured that the normal phrase is that the Hamon is 'Shinogi ni Kakaru' (kakatte-iru, etc.).