Bugyotsuji

Myochin Munetomo 明珍宗友of Himeji also signed with this alternate 知 ‘Tomo’, i.e. 宗知 according to Sasama in Shin Kacchushi Meikan, pp. 246~247.

No idea Bruce, but by WW2 Japanese had long been all over the world.

These remind me of the chainmail windows in some koté armour sleeves. Can't remember the right expression without going and looking it up! 籠手鎖模様甲冑枡形 - 検索 画像 (bing.com)

Cockscomb knots, from Stephen's link above.

Dang, should’ve got that! Ansei…

You reckon thse were not done by Japanese? Twining, braiding or plaiting？

Bruce, Kumihimo or himo-musubi？

Here is the entry in the Meinertzhagen Card Index (MCI) on Netsuke in the Archives of the British Museum. And here is mine, quite different but with some common stylistic elements I felt.

Just getting my hat and coat...

Yes, beautifully written, Seikō, I reckon. 静孝 The MCI lists this artist under 'Shizutaka (Sei-ko)' with some notes suggesting 'Okawa school' etc., on p.739. P.S. My figure which I thought looked similar is signed 静之 Seishi. Perhaps then it could alternatively be read Shizuyuki...(?).

Really hard to make that out...

I was going to suggest with a degree of uncertainty, Miyashita 平Hiramasa, but Okan's post does lend some credibility to such a reading as the character 平 was in use by the Miyashita line. (?)

‘Minty’ should warn you. https://www.urbandic...efine.php?term=minty

If you are going to try and narrow it down, look at the cold chisel work for the Kanji characters and compare that to other known examples. The stroke style of your 船 fune in 長船 Osafune for example, is particularly interesting/idiosyncratic. PS Because there were up to 60 Sukesada over the centuries, and yours lacks a date (which would have helped), do not hold your hopes high, but rather use this as a fun exercise.

The only way it would work is if there was another character after Mitsu, e.g. Seki Mitsu-something, but despite the messiness there, it doesn't look like it. The top two characters are cut so clearly...

Looks strangely like 関 Seki...

Yes, real talent there. Davis, is there a Mei under the chap kneeling on the left? He is quite similar to something I have.

(Couldn’t find any link between the themes, but holly and fish-heads were used to ward off oni at setsubun.) The other side look to me like spiritual and decorative ‘nyoi’ representations. Heavenly clouds. Ruyi in Chinese. Wiki quote: “In Chinese art, ruyi scepters often appear as attributes of Buddhist saints and Daoist xian. The god of prosperity Cai Shen 財神 is often depicted holding a ruyi. Stylized repetitions of the shape are incorporated as a motif in the depiction of heavenly clouds. Ruyi symbolize achieving prosperity in fengshui practice. “

Yes, the value of these is usually in the Koshiraé as opposed to the blade inside. By the way, the portable chest/box with Mon may point to a Sankin Kōtai procession to or from Edo.

Already mentioned in Happy New Year, but yes, and it’s still ongoing with repeated aftershocks. The center of Wajima is on fire, and there are collapsed houses, cut roads, office buildings which have fallen over etc., but the real damage will be become clear when it gets light in about seven/eight hours. Poor people there who have to spend the night outside on higher ground in freezing weather.

Just for reference…

Guessing it's a 'michi-no-eki' rest stop for a smoke, have a bento, with change of kago porters perhaps, with locals selling their wares, on one of the old paths, such as the Tokaido. PS No need to worry about ivory. These are probably stag antler.

日本刀販売品刀装具　枝梅図鍔（鐔） 銘　慶應四辰歳　余月作之　應需中川一的鏨 (choshuya.co.jp) More likely Nakagawa Hoen? (There was also a Kinko called Okawa Hoen 大川芳園) Barbarian ships often had a parrot or two aboard, and the Japanese certainly looked out for exotic themes.