ChrisW

You could always talk to Bill Rannow! He knows his stuff about tassels and has a lot of them for sale, many new in box that he bought years and years ago.

Tsuba 1, 4, and 11 have sold offsite. I can rework a group price for the rest, or continue to sell individually! New image of the remaining ones:

The signed tsuba:

Hello everyone! I am posting up a collection of tsuba for sale on behalf of a friend. He is trying to move this lot of tsuba onto others who will have the time to restore them as he doesn't have enough hours in the day to deal with all of them. The price is $120 each, + $10 shipping within the US (flatrate USPS box) for as many that will fit. I do believe they would all fix in one box! International shipping I would have to investigate further. Shipping insurance is extra past $100 I believe but wholly recommended if you buy more than one. IF you buy 5 or more, I'll knock $10 off the price per tsuba OR donate $10 to the message board per tsuba, your pick! If you buy the whole lot of 22 pieces for a group price of $2300, then I will donate $300 to the board. This group rate can change if others sell before then. As for the tsuba themselves, they are all good iron pieces in solid but soiled condition. Some will need gentle cleaning and rust removal. Three of them are signed and they all vary in age from early Muromachi to Edo. I have seen them all in person at the last Indiana Token Kai meeting and there's quite a few good ones in this lot! Treat them as numbered in rows, top row = 1 - 6, and so on. The ones circled in blue are signed and are posted in the next post. If you want a closeup of any other one in particular, just ask, but please, serious inquiries only as I have to ask my friend to send me said closeups. The second photo is the same photo, but with the signed tsuba circled in blue. Respond to this thread as my message box gets full often! ~Chris

Definitely since the overwhelming majority of 'blue' topaz is lab-created by radiating or heating regular topaz and is a fairly recent innovation. Technically aquamarine is the blue specie of beryl, the family to which both emerald, aquamarine and topaz belong to, among others. But the lab created is done to fill in for colors that don't exist since most aquamarine is a very pale blue and as the supply of quality aquamarine is fairly low compared to topaz.

I have a kashira that has an inset amethyst stone. I am away from home for a few days, but when I return, I shall post some pictures of it. Heavy iron, gold wire trim.. overall a nice piece. Wish I had the fuchi for it!

Traditionally made yes.. but buffing wheel'ed to hell. I am not sure if there's even enough meat on the boshi for it to be salvageable.

I've reached out to Eric and at some point, he and I will be meeting. I'll give it a good long hard look when I see it in person. Photographs just don't typically do nihonto justice. I think people just need to calm down a bit. Passions have run a bit hot and it has come to personal attacks, which is unbecoming of such a distinguished collection of people. Let's all agree to drop the attitudes and just stick to well-educated opinions predicated on observable facts, yeah? We're here for the swords, let's keep it that way!

Mantetsu Kitae Tsukuru Kore

Shame that screw ruined what would have otherwise been a rather nice fuchigashira set. Blade looks to be ubu Shinto. Can't tell much more without evidence of hamon/hada.

I agree with Brian. The quality of the carving suggests atobori. To the uninitiated, this means that it was done long after the sword was forged. And sometimes, but not always, atobori is done to conceal open flaws on the surface of the metal. However, all opinions are secondary to an opinion rendered in hand. Photos can only do so much. Speaking from personal experience, cell phone cameras just can't do a sword justice!

Message sent, check your DMs at the top right with the letter icon next to your name!

Hello Eric! To be sure, you have an interesting piece, but photos on the internet make it difficult to ascertain much. Since I am local, I'll reach out to you in DM to help you get assistance locally. ~Chris

I was out of the house for today. I'll go ahead and reach out!

Broken lower half of a blade for sure. I've seen this before.

Hard to say much other than they appear to be proper antique Japanese swords. Can you give us some measurements? (Blade edge length, etc. ) Pictures of the nakago (tang) would also be very helpful in estimating age/might tell you who made it.

Doesn't surprise me with how sloppy that is. Just good enough to fool the uninitiated. Which is honestly how most scams work, they filter out those that aren't gullible enough and find the perfect mark: somehow who is that gullible.

Far as I know, it was always considered a dealers' fabrication.. much like the "landing forces sword".

Now 40% off! Both the tsuba and the price.

100% it is this. I have low-end pieces, but I don't even usually put them out at the show unless someone asks for them. I don't want to waste valuable table space on something that isn't worth haggling over. I'll use them as bargaining chips sometimes though.

I believe this is also an intentionally made ken, not a yari. Having owned a few ken, this looks correct to me.

Sorry, I'll clear a spot for you! Go ahead and send me your payment info and I'll work it out tonight!

I believe the term you are looking for is 'sunagashi'

No more than a week if that is permissible!

Hamfish, Do you mind holding these for me for a bit while I see if I can swing some money for this? Just paid for a project so I want to see if I can scrounge up enough. I have an idea for these knots! ~Chris