Curran

That is about exactly where I find myself from year to year.

Laugh out loud. After 2020, I may no longer be certain the sun rises in the East and sets in the West- but it is almost certain that Scotland will move to be part of the EU again.

Very interesting menuki. Signature isn't correct for shodai or the rokudai. I don't have references for the other generations online. Maybe someone can check Wakayama for you.

Kozuka and tsuba still available. [--edited.] Last fundraising bump before the auction ends .

You don't have Wakayama?

The gold menuki and the ko-shoami tsuba are soon off to good new homes. -Still the NBTHK Kyo-kinko kozuka and the large paulownia Akasaka available. Both are nigh pristine examples, fair priced departures from the bruised brutes usually see there. 56 hours left until the auction I am stalking will end. Make your best offer for the tsuba or kozuka before then?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254830659390?ul_noapp=true IN full disclosure, these belong to a friend. I think he started the auction a bit too low, but -bills to pay- sort of thing. It might be a bargain for someone in the UK or Europe.

Tsuba box auction ends tonight: https://www.ebay.com/itm/324439939285?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649 Any of the NMB watchers on the other items, I welcome an offer in the next 80 hours. There is a sake / makoli carafe up in Japan that I would very much like to buy. Proceeds from fittings will go towards it. One fine Japanese art for another!

There are several generations. Attached is the signature of the nidai that I have easy to access. Without a straight on photo of the signature, I would not even hazard to guess what generation and whether it is gimei or not.

Today I listed a NBTHK Hozon kozuka: https://www.ebay.com/itm/NBTHK-Hozon-Kyoto-Kinko-kozuka-ref-Japanese-tsuba-menuki-tosogu-fittings/324444404652?hash=item4b8a64bbac:g:QbYAAOSwUEFf9oKj Maybe I will list a f/k or two next week, but that is it for now.

@Hamish, @Jean, @Marco Thank you guys. 2020 was harsh for a lot of people and some I have known here have left NMB for now while they rebuild. Let us enjoy 2021 as much as possible. I hope to see each of you in Japan some day.

Dear members of NMB: HAPPY 2021 May it be strong like Ox. I've listed a few things on ebay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tsuba-Muromachi-jidai-Ko-Shoami-or-Ko-Katchushi-Antique-Japanese-Iron/324441832819?hash=item4b8a3d7d73:g:QM0AAOSw2fZf84jN plus https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tsuba-Akasaka-School-Japanese-antique-iron-circa-1775/324439871274?hash=item4b8a1f8f2a:g:5rQAAOSwknxf8Rqk and to auction some tsuba boxes: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-Wooden-Tsuba-Box-Standard-grade-2-Pieces-for-Antique-Collector-Used/324439939285?hash=item4b8a2098d5:g:RLUAAOSwrYBf8Tqb There are some menuki up too, but they are already ON HOLD. I will post an NBTHK Hozon papered kozuka soon, and maybe another tsuba later. Please have a look. ~Interested NMB members can price improve by contacting me directly.

The tsuba looks cooked or slagged.

I narrow my search to North America and Europe. That takes it from 5000 items to about 500. Too many arbitragers and dealer posts from Japan listing large amounts of rusty junk, or cross posting things from Yahoo!Japan.

When it comes to sword fittings, there was a time when good bargains could be found on Yahoo!Japan. Now it has gotten quite dangerous and too many bidders that bid on anything looking half decent. The last year or two, eBay has been interesting. People have been so burned by it that there is very little competition for when a good tsuba comes up. I'm not saying they come up that often, but I've been a bit stunned. An extremely good Hoan tsuba, another tsuba from one of the Big Collections, etc.. not obvious bling ones, but good ones. I was stunned to pick a Yagyu off there recently. Sort of a plain jane one, and I doubted it until it came out of its packaging, but there it was.