waljamada

Adam, I really love the style of the different bohis on it. The Bonji i would rather not be there. My mind took the bonji appearence as a style rather than dremel mostly due to my assumption that the bohi look right so the rest must be too right? I do need to beware making that assumption too easily.

Speaking of who got it and don't mean to try and hijack the thread but....if anyone here bought this blade from katana boutique ill pay $400 more than what you paid and all shipping etc...if you'd want to sell it.

Greg, please do. Share the Zunaris if ya got em guys! I ended up buying that Zunari-kabuto last night. No idea if I got a great deal or anything but it perfectly matches my armor colors. Outbid on a maetate today on ebay I liked to complete it. I don't have the Zunari in hand yet but I just now photoshopped everything together. Never had the armor and menpo set up together either but I combined photos of each piece and came up with this. Cant judge true color closeness of yet as the lighting is all totally different for the kabuto and yoroi-do. Nothing fancy and its age shows but I don't mind a little roughness on the edges. I've almost completed building my stand for these three pieces and I don't think I'll try and complete any further (after the maetate of course).

Don't have anything to add of depth to this but I find the asymmetry of those blades absolutely beautiful. I personally find a little asymmetry amongst symmetry draws attention to the human hand/mind within the symmetry. Like seeing a painting in logic or something. My examples are just aesthetically assymetrical. One or both of which the horimono added much later. BaZZa, if you ever want to sell that blade please think of me. =|:^)

Rich, yeah the Darth Vader helmet was inspired by kabuto. The Zunari-kabuto looks to be the version that most inspired it and the photo above of thr Zunari from the back looks exactly like a Darth Vader Helmet in general form. George Lucas was a huge fan of Akira Kurosawa films. For example R2D2 and C3PO including their arc and relationship dynamic was directly inspired by the two peasants in "The Hidden Fortress".

He also sent messaged me this police registration tag that he received with the sword. Might be of interest.

Seemed that way as his stock is always rough, but I'm a sucker for a 29.5" nagasa. Gave me the temptation.

Uwe, yeah, that did help a lot thank you. Zunari kabuto were close to my guess, a streamlined no bells and whistles design for kabuto and cool to learn that as a design Zunari go back to the muromachi era. The Toyota Corolla of the kabuto world. Personally I really like the Zunari design. Clean, crisp and efficient. Aesthetically I prefer it to many of the more elaborate helmets eventhough I do respect the craftsmanship of them. As for the Bajo-Jingasa, for some reason horseback just never crossed my mind with these thing and I never imagined the scenario. Also learned how that cloth secures the helmet to the head which I hadn't yet figured out. I wondered about their strength and it brought me to a youtube video of someone shooting an arrow at Japanese a laquered cloth armor that stopped the arrow and gave me an idea of the abilities.

Jean, I agree and wouldn't attempt a polish myself. In my write up I wrote a "Hofine polish" referring to David Hofine who can affordably do showa era blade polishes. I felt a blade like this wouldnt need best of the best Japanese togishi and would still be served nicely by David. Showa blades like this (assuming its not actually just a Chinese blade) run into that cost of polish to value of sword negative connundrum.

Finally heard back from seller and that Jingasa is made of wood, paper and laquer. So protection levels and chances of battle use went down. Axel, the description of it does call it a daimyo jingasa. Is the "daimyo" naming its style or of build. When i Google it, i can't get a clear answer. They just use the term daimyo jingasa a d then explain the daimyo relationship to its soldiers. I could also buy this kabuto for double the price of the jingasa. Its also listed as edo era. This kabuto has a clean look to it and the colors are a match to my armor. The clean look is due to the simplicity of its build which leads me to believe its a more common variety thats probably easier to make in quantity. No real stand out features other than the condition seems quite good and not many cracks in the laquer. My eye also tells me it just seems a little bit too clean....makes me a bit suspicious of it.

Have decided to pass on it. While I think its a neat blade in concept my passion for it doesn't light my core. I think for a project blade it should do that as I imagine it a patient laborious process done mostly out of love and appreciation. Inappreciate all the help and i think I can interpret commemorative blades now in the future from the help here. Also had fun learning about Tsuneyoshi and Murato blades while researching him.

So I have an edo armor do, have an edo menpo and now looking for something edo up top. I was going to use the top of a Darth Vader helmet or just have a hovering menpo over the armor on a stand...the Darth Vader Helmet may be a possibility still for the time being and the hovering menpo just looked lonely....but I did see a Jingasa I like the look of, the color, the design, the price and how it would look with my armor/menpo. Was wondering what people here think of Jingasa as armor pieces and collectibles and also this specific Jingasa. I've noticed many painted/decorated versions. Also the different shapes/materials etc...this one I can't tell if its for sure metal construction (I think it is..) and the design/construction does seem more friendly to actual battle in addition to travel than many ive seen. I still however dont have a great eye for these things. Also would the construction of this Jingasa follow similar lines such as a *insert #* ken kabuto as it appears to be made of many panels? Thanks in advance for any responses.

Ok, thank you guys. Already heard enough to let her go. Truthfully I think I'm not quite ready yet for a project blade anyways and I assume it best to have something that excites/interests you down to your cells if you undertake the task. I imagine it being a patient and demanding endeavor from purchase, polish to fittings and everything in-between. Tom, I could see evidence of a Chinese touch. The current polish hides most information, the blade shape/kissaki/nakago seems ok to me with it being a supposed commemorative/honoring the past design but the mei and inscription doesn't look well done. Its current state1 does make the blade appear like some Chinese blades ive seen.

Came across a kind of interesting blade. A showa blade made in 1940 29.5" nagasa in the form of an early koto/nambokucho blade with a straighter form/smaller sori. Its a commemorative blade and thanks to the Translation Page i was given this: ~chu kuni ju Yamazaki (no) kami Tsuneyoshi (~中國住山崎守常吉) Made for 1,100 year anniversary (?記念千百年為作) 陸中国住 = Rikuchūgoku-jū, is my guess. An area in north-east Japan. 祝記念二千六百年為作 = Made in celebration of the 2600th year. Referring to the imperial year counting system. Must be a wartime era sword. So I'm wondering if this blade is unique/special enough to take up as a project. The blade plus a Hofine finish polish would put over 2k into the blade alone. My interest is in the form and length plus its commemorative attributes to the old blade form. Can't fully tell of there is hada but think I can make out a hamon. Id assume this would be traditionally made? What do you think guys? Worth it? Or move on?

Is a blade like this worth taking on as a project and polishing? Looking for opinions. Would probably hope to do just a Hofine finish polish since its a showa blade in pretty healthy yet terrible polish state.. If it needed more than that plus figuring out its fittings it wouldn't be worth it to me. Even then just acquiring the blade plus the finish polish and id be in for the 2k range with the blade alone. A blade like this, is it unique enough to be worth it in others opinions? Or are 29.5 inch cutting length commemorative Tsuneyoshi blades cool but not that interesting in the grand scheme? Does the market care for such things if I would ever want to sell is my basic question. Have a rule to never pay more than at minimum I could get back with the hobby. Also I am attaching more photos of it. I cant make out a hada and the picture quality is pretty terrible. Can sometimes see a hamon and the kissing tip photo looks like someone either fully buffed the blade or even used an acid?

Interesting to learn its a wartime sword. Does make sense though as when you Google Tsuneyoshi you basically get wartime era results. The blade with that tang is a 29.5" cutting edge and made in the shape of early koto blades being very straight with little sori. As a tribute sword its shape/style makes more sense.

Interesting, the "chukuni" part, does that mean China?

Was wondering what this tang has inscribed. Is it a mei and body cutting test? Naming the purchaser, just mei and date? or perhaps also naming the polisher? Thank you in advance for sny help. I apologize but this is the best photo I can get and I tried to make the kanji more legible.

Here's an interesting hot stamp ww2 blade signed Tadahiro in kai gunto mounts with a family mon. Not sure what the hot stamp means.

Ok, so nijimei Tadamitsu does exist. I agree the dragon horimono looks a newer style and I cant make out any detail of it in the photos provided. Could be a cross eyed and bucktoothed dragon for all I know. The other side's bohi (would that be classified as a bohi or horimono?) does look more of period. It is research while I mull over purchasing it. I must admit to a mindset on smaller blades being less "bang for buck" but I wouldn't mind having literally one. This one might satisfactorily cover both the tanto and wazikashi category for me...eventhough I know it wouldn't be classified as a tanto; its not far off. Never actually held a tanto or wazikashi in hand to see how they feel and what I think about them. Do they also have a powerful elegance feel?

I'm told this mei reads Tadamitsu and is Bizen. I can't seem to also find a koto Tadamitsu that signed with only two Kanji. Also the tsuba is signed but to me looks quite modern. Wondering on thr accuracy of the mei translation and opinions on authenticity. Dont have any better photos or a complete tang photo. Also my gut says this was a shortened sword. The cutting edge is 14" but the tang seems quite long.

John (great name, also my middle name), Thank you so much for posting that! Especially since the chainmail was original to it. Finally gives me a comparative example! I knew there had to be others. I bet if we measured the space between the holes to the bottom of the mounting plates they would be nearly identical to mine. The holes on mine also look identical to the size and spacing of your hanbo. Really cool piece John. Uwe, the back layer of chainmail while more intricate also seems thinner while the top layer is made with thicker links. Thats probably characteristic of the two styles you mentioned.

Uwe, yeah, I'm still not convinced about the tare being original either. I did think the hole size/layout pointed to it being the original tare (or chainmail like it) due to how the holes are. Also I am convinced the chainmails are also quite old and of period. However, if there is a tare string version that uses small holes of that size/layout to fasten to the menpo, than that nullifies all proofs the little holes provide for me. I'd have to end with a possibly but probably not. (I've seen photos of laced tares with more holes but I haven't been able to see the size of them). I also haven't been able to find another example like this menpo/tare combo which to me is not a good thing.

Got the menpo. Happy with the purchase, the chainmail has officially grown on me. Next up is finish the stand and combine it with the armor. Ill post finished pictures since I like how the yoroi stand design will come out. Heres photos of the "Tetsuji Kurourushinuri Resei MENPO Chain Tare Japan Original Edo Armor Antique" menpo. Read the mustache style can represent the samurai, his personality, make youthful warriors appear older and even how many battles he fought. Wonder what a mustache like this says.

Luc, it does look an odd pairing. I can't find other examples to really compare if this kind of "style" has been done with more "style". Personally, I actually prefer this double layer of chainmail over the chainmail+cloth variation. Just reminds me too much of a baby bib. I also have to wonder how effective this double chainmail is compared to traditional tare and chainmail+cloth. Also wonder if it has any benefits to something such as movement during running/battle. Once I have the menpo in hand ill take some close ups of the chainmail to better illustrate but their technique for linking is quite artistic. Im still a bit torn on its design but the more I look at it, the more I like it. Might be buyee bias.