Curran

Hi Stephen. That is a Sekibun signature. He's especially known for his tiger theme. That would be most of the value of this package. I have no opinion on whether it is real or not, as he was a relatively popular target for gimei.

As Pete said, "Wakayama and Haynes Index".

??? I didn't recognize the smith, but it seems he was a decent student of a revered teacher. If Ford worked on these, his workmanship is awesome. I have no problem with it. I trust him than most others here and in Japan that I know.

For anyone interested, I believe this is Haynes #12253.0 student of Ishiguro Masayoshi (good name). Late Edo.

and two more of the birds in flight, winding around the fuchi. All I can add here is that the design stands up from the fuchi and kashira very well and is 3-D beyond my camera to capture today.

Per requests, I tired a few more photographs in outdoor light. I hate photography. Here is best effort for today.

Thanks George. They are a pretty good set. I'm not happy with the photos. I think it is time to retire the old Canon Powershot SD600 camera. Even low end cellphones seem to be taking better pictures than the Powershot. Time to catch up with this decade.

And a few more [slightly blurry] best effort since macro photography bedevils me.

More photos:

Yasuchika Ippa F+K for sale, boxed $350 + shipping . International Priority will be about $33 April 1st, and no joke that I will have shinsa bills to pay at the end of the month. Towards that bill, I am listing this F/K and possibly a signed tachi kake or Akasaka tsuba later. FK: I feel strongly these are Yasuchika school f/k, though they are unsigned. The workmanship is very good. I've enjoyed owning this set, even if a bit outside chosen Owari and Higo focus. Book reference is from the Nara San Saku. There were several examples up and down the Yasuchika line that reminded me of this f/k. (1) There is a matching makers mark inside the fuchi and inside the kashira [see photo]. I have not been able to divine more information from the Circle-in-C and Three Hash marks. (2) Materials: Mixed metals of gold, silver, shakudo birds, and gold, silver, shakudo, and copper reeds overlay (3) Size: Fuchi- 39mm x 24mm (inside 35mm) Kashira- 32mm x 16mm (inside 30mm) Click on Photos to Expand. Please PM any inquiries or questions.

Yes, it _might-have-an-issue_ I almost never look at blades, and never on ebay. Still, I clicked on another from your link and up came this beauty: https://www.ebay.com/itm/OLD-Japanese-SWORD/323161292926?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D44040%26meid%3Dcf1efca066ad4b6b99d019c4bb539059%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D273126371429%26itm%3D323161292926&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851 Click through a few photos till you get to the nice "hairline crack". Whole lot of ugly on eBay. Hard to wade through it to find the few nice pieces now and then.

Thank you Mauro. That would be my mistake for having relied upon this article: https://buckteethmagazine.wordpress.com/2015/03/19/wasabi-cultivation-and-culture-by-zoe-templeton/ "Originally known in Japan as “wild ginger”, wasabi came to be cultivated over eleven hundred years ago." It is a nice article, but I guess it is flawed. While I had received several other recommendations on the National Gardening Forum of what it could be, none came up with Wild Ginger (Asarum caulescens).

Thank you for those links, especially the fluorite.sakura.ne.jp one that shows some very good examples. To see it on the ko-mino kogai was surprising. I wasn't aware geraniums only arrived in Japan in the 1800s. The tsuba is from Ito-san's Jingo book and described as 1st Gen and theme of Geraniums. I couldn't agree with it.

There is a particular plant, often seen as menuki and sometimes on tsuba. One respected Japanese authority translated it as 'Geranium' - such as an African Geranium. I couldn't find any images of Japanese Geraniums that seemed closer. When shown an old painting of 'wild ginger' aka. Wasabi, which is 山葵 [literally Mountain Hollyhock], i began to question that description. Here is an auction for menuki, where I believe the seller IDs it as 山葵 wasabi. https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/o230636559 Votes: African Geranium or Wasabi (山葵)? WILD GINGER

Rough work day, so visiting the Zen Thread. NMB serenity.

Bob Benson? Was it listed on his site, or at one of the shows? What he had to offer in Tampa was very slim pickings.

Ah, the other Bizen Norimitsu. As Ray said, looks interesting but difficult to say more without more photos.

Piers, Thank you for sharing these. Otherwise many of us caged abroad wouldn't know about it. It is nice e-travel to see your pictures.

+1

Bazza said, "mizukage doesn't always indicate a retempered blade". - Very true. That is a complex one that always brings people off the benches. Stephen said, "once you get to know seller's and them you...ask whats under the table. For real eye openers!" -Even more true. Having been in Japan for a while before attending a US show, I was a tad disappointed in my first show. Now I go to the shows [when I can], because the private stuff people bring to shows can be mind boggling. An old friend or colleague will hand you a box or shirasaya, and the rest of the room sort of goes away.

Hi Bruno- Lovely kozuka. Is it signed? The style is interesting perspective, and I have no idea which school made it.

Peter, Thank you for the list.

I would say so. I know you like Yamakichibei. They aren't my favorite cup of tea, but he picked up a beautiful one a while back, with TH papers. That one stirred the heartrate a bit. With the Hirata ended today, I cannot see who was the winner. I didn't realize the seller did not accept Proxy bids. I would have found myself shut out of bidding on it. Either the minimalistic style of the Hirata was not to his taste, --or he won in part because others got shut out as I would have. I would have had a hard time not bidding it up an extra +50,000 to +100,000 yen. It wouldn't be the first time I had to live on the credit card until next payday.

I anticipated 500,000 to 750,000 for a Hirata like this with Tokubetsu Hozon papers. A small sized one from Ito-san's books was available -unpapered- in Tampa for $4,500 abouts. Small n pretty, but small. Ginza Choshuya has one up in their March mag right now. It is larger, but dull compared to the Yahoo! one. It lacks some of the attributed I'd want to see in a nidai Hirata, with some maiming and a scratch or two. I would probably have thought it later Hirata than nidai. They priced theirs at 300,000 yen and I suspect it is already gone. I have the 2 examples that I want for now and totally satiated after recent Christmas find/purchase. My intent was to watch this auction end this morning, but overslept on a beautiful Sunday morning. At 400,000- I think I would have thrown in a bid or two. My opinion is someone got a relative bargain.

Again, I agree that I don't see it- but I read at a level well below the 3 independent opinions coming from 3 different vectors. If I understand the Confirmation Bias, does that apply here? I'd rather see an artist signature, OR a Cups and Spanish Galleon [i appreciate the humor+intellectual stimulation of that] instead of a kendoist note. It negates what I would like to see.