nagamaki - Franco

Translations for both swords/sayagaki posted would be welcomed?

Possibly a Toryusai tsuba

At some point, years ago now, I considered buying a mokume gane kozuka. If memory serves, what triggered an interest at the time was an article written about how they are made and (I think) a contemporary maker. Sorry, I cannot recall where the article was published/posted. Perhaps someone with a clearer memory can remember more detail about the article which may be of interest.

Lifeless steel is suggestive of a sword which in all likelihood has been exposed to excessive heat at some point during it's history. If such is the case, it's not much more than a souvenir. A polisher will be able to tell you for certain. This is not uncommon with nihonto.

Steel looks 'lifeless' to my eyes. Which makes, if so, a talented polisher beside the point.

Shape suggests a Kanbun time period. Books can be very helpful with kantei and determining a sword's validity (I don't understand collecting nihonto without a library). If the mei is valid a good polish may be in order. Koshirae restoration is also dependent on quality vs cost involved.

Hello, Just like a well made and finished habaki all aspects of a shirasaya should be precise inside and out. Why, because any imprecision particularly in the fit could result in a catastrophic failure. A Japanese sword is a weapon first and foremost even in shirasaya! All shirasaya are not contoured and finished to the hand and eye in the same way. Some time ago at a study group session where six swords in polish were on display, surprisingly the first comments made (especially by the Iaido black belts in the room) were not about the swords but rather a shirasaya that was notably different from the others on the display tables. Something caught their attention.

Good morning, Please correct me if I'm wrong or misunderstanding, however, it's my understanding that tsuba making began with Tokujo in mainline Goto. I've never seen nor heard of a tsuba being made by any of the first four generations.

fyi, https://markussesko.com/2015/02/14/kantei-1-sugata-1/ http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/styles.html

OK, fine. As you were.

Hmm, 13 posts and 12 replies later and the question still hasn't been answered.

FYI, https://www.nihonto.com/a-brief-study-of-bizen-blades-of-the-muromachi-era/

A recent purchase, https://www.amazon.com/MG-Chemicals-Isopropyl-Alcohol-Electronics/dp/B004SPJP5O/ref=sr_1_7?crid=1VUTGNYTG0HI&keywords=mg+chemicals+99.9+isopropyl+alcohol&qid=1559587653&s=gateway&sprefix=mg+chemicals%2Caps%2C159&sr=8-7 Used once so far and was impressed.

Hello, I've not looked, but would be suspicious of this crest being an add on until otherwise confirmed.

This blade reminds me of a Kaneazane once owned, that was hand folded machined steel, water quenched, showa stamped. While water quenched, and please correct me if I'm wrong, machined steel is a no go with or without a removed showa stamp. Seeing this sword papered only goes to reinforce my reluctance in sending swords for papers these days.

Hello, Talking about these I would assume? http://japaneseswordgallery.jp/menuki-Japanese-samurai-sword-katana-koshirae-wet-bird-pattern-by-eijo-antique/ In which case I'd say copies.

Still find myself reaching for Yamanaka's Newsletters revised regularly. Truthfully, as or for an active collector (which I'm no longer) I'd recommend having all the books in addition to Markus' books. P.S. one of a number of lessons learnt from Han Bing Siong (which I'm still grateful for), was when it comes to nihonto, especially translated literature written in English, you'd better check with at least 3 different sources. On more than one occasion I've found the same error in two different sources and it wasn't until checking a third source that the correct information came to light.

Form follows function (demands and pressure put on by the environment), so, .......

Hello, IMHO, 1. Made from tamahagane?: my impression based upon these images is no, but would say hand folded from machined steel. 2. Water quenched?: again, my impression based upon these images is that I'm not seeing what I can determine to be nioi or nie. My 2 cents worth.

While it is easy to understand wanting a definitive kantei on our fittings, sometimes we simply have to accept the fact that many of these items turnout to be the generic products of their day. In the horse f/k I do not see any characteristics that say Goto, Ko Kinko, nor any other school that generally comes to mind. There's always shinsa.

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Hello, First, please sign your posts with at least your first name as per NMB rules. Shinsa: http://www.nbthk-ab.org/Shinsa.ht , shinsa is held throughout the year in Japan by various organizations. Here in the USA shinsa is generally offered about once a year in conjunction with one of the Japanese sword shows. One was just held in February. Keep an eye out here http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/forum/7-sword-shows-events-community-news-and-legislation-issues/ for an announcement as to when the next one will be held and for details of how to submit your sword. Beyond that, others including some with a sharp eye will probably chime in with their opinion and thoughts on the validity of this signature.

Hello, There seems to be no shortage of signatures for comparison .... https://www.google.com/search?q=Jiro+Naokatsu&oq=Jiro+Naokatsu&aqs=chrome..69i57&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 Why not submit to shinsa? Don't ever recall seeing a mei carry over into the groove before like this.