Lorenzo

Please avoid doing anything on any antique piece.

In my opinion the maker have nothing to do with this. Could not the seal plus the dragon make the theme instead? I can't read the second kanji in tensho style, while the first should be 親. So searching with this kanji plus tsuba, plus dragon, I came up with this. 雨龍 安親　(looks like a 雲龍 to me anyways..) Incidentally (?) the second set of kanji indeed reads Yasuchika; because of the first kanji I did not grasp this famous signature at first. I feel I need to stand my idea about the theme though. You can find other tsuba with the same theme in very different style... :? http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/jcbmy121/13811978.html

Don't know if it has already been posted.. https://www.square.com/cash

Paul let me know about this thread so I'm re-posting my offer; 100 USD to Paul's project if my Matsukawa-bishi tsuba gets sold before the end of September. You can see my original post here: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=15975

Not only the fukurin, but the aesthetic in general. I like your tsuba Mariusz, great choice.

Here is one of the tsuba where Hirata draw inspiration from :D

You can't. Even if you are qualified to make a good work, the new kojiri profile and shape won't match the saya profile. The saya end have to be worked to match the kojiri, so it can't be done after the lacquering.

Solid silver is traditional, Habaki made from US dollars aren't. Wathever. You can make it in whatever material you like, but traditional is solid silver. Silver fittings usually are (almost) pure silver. And by the way who fit a solid gold or solid silver habaki on a sword shouldn't worry about the mechanical propreties of the habaki.

no alloys, just pure silver.

WTF I'm intrigued by those X and I on the nakago mune, by the way.

It looks cast to me. Ditto on the school; however (to me) it's not an Hollyhock, it's Wild ginger.

Curran we talked about that koshirae of yours privately about one year ago. I was wondering if you got it back by now.. I have 2 out of 3 of the books you mentioned. So no single book out there waiting for my money after all.. Thank you for the info.

There are also other "kind" of wakizashi. I used to own a muromachi period wakizashi, suriage, still retaining 59,7 cm nagasa. I'm not sure if that kind of nihonto could be easily ranked below tanto For the CQB thing... just LOL. Brian stop thinking about killing people please, its no good for your health.

I think so. Few days ago I've find this table which gives some interesting perspective (there are always exception, but in general it could work) http://members.chello.nl/tfujimot/purchasing.htm That would be too easy