lonely panet

my understanding was/is that most bizen katate-uhi are saki-zori, this looks more tori-zori. Like Jussi mentioned by or after tenbun (1530s) size started to move to a larger nagasa. But iv noticed that quality on the whole dropped off as a average. does any agree? This piece looks(poor photos) to be well above the standard for the time and for the normal Sukesada. regards h

Hi bruce, due to old texts books and a real lack of information, maybe contact Jim Dawson, I heard a rumour that hes doing another book just on Dirks. that aside, there is two dirks that look very simular, One is a 1909 railways senior officers dirk and the other is a imperil household dirk. the only difference is the head of the mekugi screw. personally I don't think its a household dirk, purely due to the lack of guilt and the rather poor carving. iv seen afew household swords and they are very well made and very thick guilt applied. your dirk doesn't reflect the ostentatious appearance of the imperial household. Id love to be proven wrong, for your friend. As he will have a very rare dirk, next to the redcross dirk thet seldom ever seen regards H

they were not modified to be used as "dress sword" parade is a miss conception. about 95% of all dress swords have the threaded nut hammer over, so without using mechanical means they do not come apart. the treaded nut is to serve as a secondary to the meguki. it was still meant to used as a weapon, there was a hizen blade in Tokyo that was in great polish some years back.

hi Marius, with out jumping the line, there are some easy pointer to IDing bundle swords. they normally arnt dated, takes to much time the mei is short, either bishu or bishu ju and the pics arnt good, but look at the work, is the hada course with openings or evan and visable I should edit that abit, this is strickly within the sengoku period, due to the need for arming ashigaru, swords were made quickly and cheaply compared to other periods. but they are still fine weapons. Hey Joe, IS his shop small and crowed or what. he can really fit some stuff in a small place

I had a time frame on a financial issue, that I couldn't meet with the sale failing, so im in no hurry now.

I was trying to be polite. thoughts? modern blade miro-wielded to older nakago?

buyer backed out due to failure to respond. collection off the market and tobe sold off in time. thankyou for all your emails please delete

a very true and important quote Geraint. But im still poor and I wanted it too

im abit put off bythe odd file job done on the nakago. why and what for?? have a odd feeling about the flaws below the hamachi

curran, that still dosent help, im still poor

the link has a example of a matetsu blade with so called (battle damage) http://ohmura-study.net/136.html just for the people interested

still waiting for payment, having trouble contacting buyer. keep everyone posted of out come

there are Akasaka and there are AKASAKA, just wish I wasn't poor. the listing has ended, I posted this to share with the other dreamers http://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-SWORD-TSUBA-LISTING-20-TSUBA-FROM-COLLECTION-PAPERED-SIGNED-AKASAKA-/162139279529?hash=item25c04110a9%3Ag%3A5UIAAOSwARZXi5UX&nma=true&si=PFZ8cMcA5O%252FJugi9HvVeTiCMFhQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

you need to get some really clear close ups of the hole blade, or atleat the best and worst areas. if you follow the list it may help everyone, just a guide of polishing. normally $1500-2500. kissaki (tip) Hamachi and munemachi (were the habaki sits) the clearest hamon and Ji hada you can photograph and lastly and cracks, chips, pitted rust and anything odd looking. this is what you would like your pics to look like (rough guide)

You will get a better understanding of the blades quality by showing a togishi, and asking his opinion. But it cant hurt to post some good photos to share with the board

Hi ? your sword is real, normally refured to as a NCO/type 95 nco sword. is got the Suya factory stamp on the fuchi. but iv never seen one with a plated saya before, can you send some pics of inside the throat of the saya please. there should be some serial numbers stamped there. regards Hamish PS, can you please sign with your name so im not rude in using the ?

post some pics, sounds interesting

Bruce, the idea that if its cheap enough makes it a good buy is flawed. Condition,condition, condition

I think there were 8 to 10 railway companys operating around the 1900-45 era

JUST a idea, with no evidence to back up the idea, but maybe a Emblem belonging to a small railway company that hasn't been recoreded yet

bloody noobs have to clean everything. luckly its wasn't a good piece to start off with. NOTE TO ALL NEW COLLECTERS DONT BLOODY METAL POLISH, DIP IN LIQUID CLEANERS TSUBA, FUCHI, OR BLADES

Grant, most Nihonto purists will not be that interested in this type of sword, as its not a nihonto. military sword enthusiast's will be interested due to that police swords don't normally have this quality of blade

I thinks a weapon, not a simple dress sword. there are may fighting machined blades that were used that have no habaki, type 25, type 34, type 8 riding swords ETC. the Hi at the end of the kissaki looks hand finished to me, and there is no plating to be seen in any normal places. The width of the blade is a feature that is key to identifying this as a weapon. its odd that there is no Stamping at all, so maybe a rare experimental "combination sword" or maybe a oddball murata-to?? Identifying odd/custom swords can be tricky business .

two things bug me. the kissaki looks very odd, maybe reshaped, along with the nakagos's patina? the hamon looks abit like a oil showato

on hold pending payment off board, you meet the oddest people at pubs