Yasaka Azuma

If you ask the modern Japanese swordsmith, "Which hamon is the most difficult?", Everyone will answer: "It's nothing but Choji midare!" I think that is one of the barriers in terms of skill. Kanekuni won the competition with his toran hamon, which was aimed at Sukehiro, so his work is often said to be toran. However, if you look closely, you can find togari ha and stiff hamon here and there. This indicates that he is a descendant of the Mino seki school, a characteristic that can be seen in his regular works.

Michael's kanekuni is such a masterpiece(It's Hamon's craftiness that's outstanding!) that other kanekuni are no longer as good. Since kanekuni is a work that can easily be found in the market, you should carefully select a product that is as well-made as possible.

It is a rare case, but not entirely unheard of. Please discount that the credibility of the terushige I have shown the reference image is not always certain. http://kako.nipponto.co.jp/swords2/KT221701.htm

That's right. These frogs are mass-produced and are often the doppelganger brothers I see in the market. I think that the frog has a prototype somewhere, just as the oni-tsuba originated from the Mito school. However, I am not sure about the school of design.

Hmmm, the tattooed frog is about to evolve into a mammal. I am wondering if there is an original for this design that I sometimes see. https://www.jauce.com/auction/v777207162

Dale. The image is broken and will not display. Is it the frog you are referring to? I don't like any of them, at least not the ones that are resident.

For Apr. The staple products. https://www.jauce.com/auction/j723046718 https://www.jauce.com/auction/n460821641 https://www.jauce.com/auction/o467624970 https://www.jauce.com/auction/c903087381 https://www.jauce.com/auction/w466484297 https://www.jauce.com/auction/s814150095 https://www.jauce.com/auction/l669252836 https://www.jauce.com/auction/x773571678 It is confidently lined up with the sample, but there is much room for debate just by comparing the two signatures. https://www.jauce.com/auction/q432923316 The lotus-leaf pattern, which was the specialty of Shoami-Denbey in Akita and Tachibana-Takaie in Morioka, is also a standard product of cast reproductions. https://www.jauce.com/auction/v770491209 This tiger pattern looks like an inlay and is quite skillful. However, the splashes are just gold painted on the ground iron. https://www.jauce.com/auction/b549081380 I thought that Masachika's tiger, which is mentioned in Dr. Torigoe's book, was philosophical and nihilistic. reference sample https://matsukaze.thebase.in/items/9814604 In addition to casting burrs, there are areas where nanako is not uniform. Nanako, which is engraved one by one or in units of several, is less sensitive to uneven surfaces. https://www.jauce.com/auction/q442624655 reference sample http://ginza.choshuya.co.jp/sale/gj/r2/09/09_satsuma_tsuba.htm These may be castings or die-cut from steel plates. The details are different, but they are repeatedly exhibited and should be avoided. https://www.jauce.com/auction/c897140821 https://www.jauce.com/auction/k476029332 https://www.jauce.com/auction/n459975707

Yes, that's the traditional "蛟龍文(Jiao Long Wen)" design from ancient China. https://www.jauce.com/auction/q448882361

Oh! That's right. They are the wandering or rolling dragons.

This is an unfinished kit for the buyer to complete the Rain Dragon tsuba? https://www.jauce.com/auction/k512095566 And the buyer damaged it. In less than three months, he will sell his failed work to someone else. It is a wonder that a buyer appears. https://www.jauce.com/auction/f480979961 https://www.jauce.com/auction/n458395919

I think he himself was surprised that it sold for 200,000 yen. https://www.jauce.com/auction/t801297034 Quickly, the newcomer to the market seems to be dutifully working his way to the low end. https://www.jauce.com/auction/s819666721

That is exactly what it says"出羽秋田住正阿弥傳七(dewa akita-no-ju shoami denshichi)". This one has a similar design. https://www.choshuya.co.jp/senrigan/竹林図鐔　無銘　秋田正阿弥/鍔/秋田正阿弥

Well, if that is the case, the following posts may already be useless for original poster. These scratches have already been repaired by "Togishi" (polishers). They cannot be completely erased, but for a 17th century samurai, they were not a practical problem.

It's good.

Yes, it is. The painter drew without thinking of attaching the tsuba to the sword. A gunsmith who made a strange gun might have made it without thinking of riding a horse.

Judging from the touch of the paint and the color of the pigment, it is certainly due to the same painter. He drew without thinking about actually attaching the tsuba to the katana. I found such an item. It seems more difficult to hit than a bow and arrow. I'm wondering if this could be used as a firearm, aside from the stirrup. https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2021/04/13/double-barreled-stirrup-pistol/

It's a half joking, tailored to Dale's humor. In reality, the samurai are not allowed to quickly escape from the rampaging horse. The Japanese cavalry shoot with a long bow of 7 feet. It is troublesome to embed the video here, so please see the link. https://twitter.com/naoejou/status/1380500992798560266

That's pretty good. The Japanese never thought of castrating horseback riding until they were ridiculed by the British in the 19th century, "I can't believe I'm riding such a beast-like rampage!" I think the Japanese stirrup is shaped like sandals so that when the horse doesn't follow the instructions, it must be able to jump off immediately.

Brian, Well, in Japan, blades with a blade length of more than 2.4 inches are regulated. Sode-karami is not regulated. However, it is 6.5 feet long and looks scary, so it is rare for people to like to collect it and keep it at home. If anything, it is considered a "strange person". Therefore, the evaluation of value is low and it is not treated well. Dale, those themes look more like a landscape of Mars than 破墨山水(haboku-sansui = a landscape painting) that an oriental hermit played.

Oh, It looks painful. However, what the Japanese loved is more painful when used. https://www.jauce.com/auction/l652425522

Wow! I found tsuba for ninja. https://www.jauce.com/auction/j724760497

It's a little surprising that there are so many. About two months ago I saw the same item online. I didn't feel any suspicious points. Dale. As you say, curio and replicas may be mixed. https://www.jauce.com/auction/o451973490

Hello Johan, I can't understand the complicated content with my English ability, I apologize if you have already finished processing that. Kozuka-kogatana may be too small to decorate your mantelpiece. But, for Samurai sword buff's, it is a target of proper collection. As an example, please try check out the social media of kogatana collectors. https://twitter.com/kogatanalab Japanese sword craftsmen who have been approved by the cultural authorities still make kogatana carefully with the same materials and processes. Polishing may also be done by a professional craftsman. Even in the Edo period, even a famous swordsmith like Kiyomaro left his work under the signature of his young name masayuki. Research books and how-to books are also published. By the way, Steve's decryption of Mitugu School is a swordsmith group in the Bingo region. As already written, the store name may be pretension.

Oh, yes. The natuo design is simple, easy to imitate and fits the modern human senses. This carp is also natuo. The silver plating is worn out and copper appears from below. https://www.jauce.com/auction/h542719355 By the way, tsuba, which cannot be displayed, can be used for stationery, and kozuka handles can be used for table cutlery. https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/22466/lot/1038/

For March. The staple products. https://www.jauce.com/auction/f497787682 https://www.jauce.com/auction/n453460811 https://www.jauce.com/auction/m480343769 https://www.jauce.com/auction/g494831026 The Tokubetu- kicho paper records the name of tadashige and the age of 70. However, since the signature was cast together with the main body and then polished, the surface was covered with scratches and pinholes, and the sign disappeared and became unreadable. https://www.jauce.com/auction/m481407935 Menuki, a white snake that is said to have spiritual power in the Orient, may be more magical with "Yin and yang" if you also own a black snake. https://www.jauce.com/auction/w459075953 The color of gold is not good, it looks like painting. If you look closely, there are spots and burrs on the casting. https://www.jauce.com/auction/v790570960 I think that tsuba, which is soldered metal press working to mimi, will disassemble when it receives an impact. https://www.jauce.com/auction/r473272495 Since the Satsuma tsuba is popular even if it is unsign, casting reproductions are going around these days. https://www.jauce.com/auction/t790145663 reference sample https://blog.goo.ne.jp/yama2015073/e/1a423299a0c7b57b77459adf57d232c1 The two are the same replica. However, it is completely different when compared to Goto-teijo. https://www.jauce.com/auction/m480811334 https://www.jauce.com/auction/w441561691 reference sample https://jpsearch.go.jp/item/cobas-75065 The dragons and tigers that were soldering after scraping shakudo are it feels cramped. https://www.jauce.com/auction/d490701918 The cycle of reselling the same item is getting shorter. By adding a sticker printed with "Yagyu-tsuba"name, it will sell for several times the price. https://www.jauce.com/auction/s809950564 https://www.jauce.com/auction/c870737189 This item claims to be Kanayama-tsuba, which is the same type as the tsuba in the Sasano book. Sure, the shape is very similar, but there are many traces of fine sand molds and pinwhole-like objects on the surface. https://www.jauce.com/auction/d517568589 It is far from to call it Natuo. It's obviously fake on the contrary, it's smiling. https://www.jauce.com/auction/p838144028