waljamada

Its the first time I've ever run into an operation exactly like this. Its not a lazy typical ebay scam. That scam account is a seller with 1,400 reviews and a member since 2011. This is different and a larger more pervasive scam as this shows they must have made accounts going back many years (probably rotates between the more "matured" accounts as others get shut down)....not only that but keeping a continuous drip feed of solds coming in (maybe some real some fake? all fake?) that also leave reviews including some bad reviews to appear more authentic (two bad reviews months apart are exactly the same for the same item, the robot makes mistakes...same in positive reviews). I've been ebaying basically since it came out and haven't run into something like this before, maybe I was just really lucky or not paying attention to areas they were targeting. This honestly took years of efforts/set up or they know how to hack the core ebay systems which I highly doubt. Its like the Terminator and they've evolved. This is someone playing the really long game.

So being the ebay conossuier that I am (worlds largest flea market and I do love it for that knowing the risks) I discovered a scam seller thats popped up a lot recently in Japanese antiques. Basically what this seller does is take previously sold listings in Japanese antiques and copies/relists them at a higher price than they even originally sold for (bold bastards). Not only that they brazenly copy currently active listings for items such as a Jingasa I had asked about here. So be careful if you find an item you want and its from this seller, stop right there. They do not have the item, you will not receive it and its just a giant dummy operation. Im posting pics of the sellers profile. An image used by that seller of a Zunari Kabuto they have "for sale" that I had already purchased and received from another seller along with proof of that purchase. So beware......

So when I googled Kukoho it came up with a few things. Most notable was a nine sided mirror meant for contemptations on self reflection and something to do with a divine sword. Also a national living treasure. So with the mirror on self reflection the topic makes sense as you'd constantly have to be looking at and into yourself....perhaps could drive one mad as you must also look externally to balance the internal. The next I pictured living with a living national treasure (human not item) and could also make sense to the topic. The spouse would always hear something like...."but I'm a national living treasure....you do it." Or to end any argument they just say as they point to their smug looking facial expression and say "national living treasure". Could also drive one insane.

Ha, thanks Ian I will flip it and make it right. Adam, the copper one felt artsy therefore touristy. Yeah, the tsuka and saya were recently made which was stated in the ad (the habaki might be new as well). The ad for the sword when my brother bought it also said all fittings were antique (but I think the unofficial rule is to make something an antique it only has to be 50 years old?). Then again it also said it was signed but the papers say mumei but attributed to Kasyu Iehira. I actually posted the sword on the forum asking about NBTHK papers after my brother bought it. I'm ok with the look of leather ito and black samegawa and it does have a very different appearence than anything else I have. It does almost feel like that copper tsuba in that its stylized/artsy therefore touristy. Its the sword I have the least feelings towards that I now own but to a normie not into nihonto it will get some oos and ahhs.. Ill attach the description from the listing and some things the seller said about who did the saya and tsuka. So beyond all that I've never been quite sure what was here with the blade.

Ok, thank you Adam and Grey. I will pass on this tsuba. My gut was telling me to pass hence sitting on it for months but I needed that more experienced eye to confirm so I appreciate the feedback. Adam, I do have a ghost/oni themed tsuka and the tsuba has a nature theme. The tsuba that is there works and I like it but if I found the right oni/ghost themed tsuba I would be pretty tempted to change it out keeping the one it has as a display/decoration item. I attached the photo of the one that came with it and its oni fittings. Also does anyone know what that menuki is that looks like an anchor? The tsuba I posted definitely seemed to have some good etching and I do like what was done with the surface of the tsuba but I did feel it had more of an "art" therefore touristy piece vibe that didn't match the other used "functional" tsuba I've seen. The sword was originally bought by my brother and I havent owned it that long so I'll continue to let it be and see if it grows on me. He bought it after me getting into nihonto and had a form of buyers remorse so I bought it off him. Its kind of my fault. Adam, off your thoughts ill view it as a peaceful/lighter scene on top darker forces. Kinda like that quote "Sometimes you've got to go through hell to get to heaven". It always helps me love something when I apply a meaning/symbolism to it.

I posted in WTB a while back looking for an oni tsuba. I didnt get any bites there and since then have been hovering over the idea of purchasing this tsuba. I will attach photos and the description used by the seller. In hoping more honed tsuba eyes can tell me if this is a quality tsuba as the asking price is not cheap. Is the description accurate and is it considered a finely made tsuba worth acquiring as a quality item?

Those mei still dont look right and if they dont do some false rusting you can tell by a passing eyeballing. Wonder what the hada and hamon on those look like and if they actually use any of the correct materials/metal. I'm sure they didn't mimic the technique but you wouldn't be able to tell that without cutting it in half I suppose. The nakago filing as well looks shallow or something, cant tell if they got the file design fully correct. Either way....stop it China.

Greg, really nice set and I gotta say when it comes time enjoy shopping for its match and the reward when you see it all together. The menpo looks made for the helmet. My little "set" gives a way a bit of that pieced together look. With its age a bit of a zombie-esque appearance.

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?