Scogg

I believe you’re correct Bruce my interpretation is 8th month of the second year of manji (1658-1661)

Terrible news about Jim Dawson. A huge loss to the community. I love his book… Best of luck on your treasure hunt. In my experience, many militaria collectors like to brag about their items. So for every “my precious” situation, you also have the “let me tell you a story” collector. Hope someone on the board has an answer about the sword. All the best, -Sam

Thick gunto fittings with unusual kamon placement, and the mon is only on one side. With a 10mm pierced brass tsuba and two piece habaki. Blade signed Bushu ju fujiwara Kanenaga and dated August 1660. Thanks to @Ganko’s translation in the translation section. Polish in decent condition for an “as found” sword. I can even make out the boshi and activities in the hamon. But the blade has a slight bend

Sweet, thank you so much!

At a militaria show and have come across this gunto. Sorry for the photos, tough to find a place to sit down and get good shots amongst the show. Signature looks a little strange to me. Nice two piece habaki and thick pierced brass tsuba. Would love a translation if it’s readable enough from these (poor) pictures. Thanks for looking! -Sam

Unfortunately I don’t know anyone in Texas. I’ve heard they have many Nihonto collectors, and I’m sure some are in this forum. I saw some old posts in the events section, but I’m not familiar with the users who posted there. I’d give the token kai more time to respond, but also I’d look into local militaria shows. Maybe you can network face-to-face with someone who has a table, and see if there’s any Nihonto stuff locally. Looks like there’s something called “Dallas arms collectors association, inc” that has a show in October. Maybe they could point you in the right direction. Best of luck, -Sam

The art of the Japanese sword is really good and approachable. I had Craft for a long time, but got Art later, and what Grey says rings true. It’s the most “page turner” of them all, and I think it would be a great foundation before you dive into connoisseurs. Connoisseurs is a little more textbooky, but it will be a perpetual reference and guide as you’re learning. Beware, that getting a firm grasp on the vocabulary takes some time on its own. Do not be discouraged, if at first, it’s hard to get through paragraphs without double checking on definitions. I struggled with that for a long time before things began to click, but I’m also not the sharpest tool in the shed Best of luck! -Sam

Unfortunately I don't have great pictures like the one's Rayhan has shared above. I'll just add a small and simple part of my journey: When I first started collecting, I had an interest in really flamboyant swords. I liked things with big and wild hamon, dramatic sori, and o-kissaki. My inherited sword has sanbonsugi hamon, so I think that played some part in my tastes at the time. Now, I prefer more restrained swords. I like suguha hamon, mokume, and masame hada. "flamboyant" is no longer what attracts me. I like the beauty in the simplicity, and I tend to be drawn toward those tiny kissaki . Been enjoying reading along. Good discussion, -Sam

Probably not relevant to what you're looking for, BUT Early Type 95 shin-gunto tsuba were 11mm thick! Later they shrunk them down to 9mm. So even up to the late 1930's, very thick tsuba were being made and used en masse. -Sam

If such a scenario arrises, In a comment you can tag me using the @ symbol, and then selecting my username from the dropdown menu. That gives me a notification, and I can address your needs sooner. I am always happy to assist if it adheres to the forum rules. Like Brian has said above, the delete function can be abused; so this is the best way available. All that being said, the Izakaya is an island, and only Brian can moderate that section. All the best, -Sam

My first thought was a Meiji period “battle flag” pole. I’m not sure the Japanese name for one. I once saw one for sale at a militaria show that had a kirimon brass ball on the end, and 3 legs to mount/plant into the ground. Two of those three legs looked similar to that inverted U shape. Been spending the last couple days looking for an example online with no luck; so I think all the opinions above are probably closer to the mark. -Sam

Here we go again Locking the thread due to all the off topic arguing. All my mod decisions are reversible; and I always defer to Brians better judgement. @Brian will have to review and decide what to do with this one. It's late in his timezone, so ya'll will have to wait. For now, I see no reason to allow this to continue. -Sam

Wise words. I collect and study Nihonto. It's slow and deliberate, and for me, the progress comes at a snails pace. My budget keeps me grounded. I seek out quality swords that I will never afford at shows and museums; while collecting those "lesser" Nihonto that offer something meaningful to me. I enjoy treasure hunting; but treasure hunting to me is simply finding something in the wild, that I like for my collection (even that is rare these days). I'm under no illusions that I'll come upon some lost Masamune I also collect militaria swords for the quicker gratification. They're easier to study, with clear origins and purposes; which makes learning about them more immediate. I enjoy cataloging, and learning about various conflicts and manufacture methods. Both offer different and gratifying paths, that need not intertwine. Just knowing what you have without conflating or lying to yourself; is an important lesson. -Sam Is sword collecting over? Certainly not for me!

A little hard to see, so below are my theories: There's a stamp in @Bruce Pennington stamps document called "Kami", that looks very similar, although in the document it's inside a sakura flower. Listed as: " (iii) ‘Kami’( meaning ‘God’) stamp. Significance unknown. Found only on shin-guntō tsuba. Very rare." A couple possibilities that come to mind: 岐 = Gifu 岐 = Gifu Stamp. 社 社 = SHA 各民間工場 Each civilian/private factory

I’d like to clarify my actions regarding the locked thread. I locked the discussion after repeated warnings to stop the arguing were ignored. My intent wasn’t to take sides, but to stop an unproductive exchange and ease the burden on Brian during his recovery. The comment “hard words but well said” was in response to a personal accusation about how I interpreted tone. I see now how it could be taken as biased, and I regret saying it, I apologize. I strive to moderate fairly and objectively, but I’m not infallible. Since I’m now personally involved, I’ll step back and leave this matter for @Brian to handle when he’s able. Lets please be patient and keep it as civil as possible in the meantime, and that's directed evenly at everyone. Sincerely, -Sam

I’m not a dealer, so please understand the following is speculation from a buyer/collector perspective. With lower end items inherently comes more flaws and issues, and things in poorer state of polish. These things cause more questions, and therefore more time spent during the attempted sale. With that, comes less satisfaction as the buyer learns more, becomes more experienced, and/or develops an eye for higher quality. All these things contribute to a sellers long term reputation, of which, I can only imagine, they value and want to maintain. So maybe the simple answer is, that the juice is not worth the squeeze. That being said, there’s no shortage of lower end items out there in the market, and even a few dealers out there who sell things at lower price points. Sincerely, -Sam

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this is a fake gunto. See similar example in the link below https://www.jssus.org/nkp/fake_japanese_swords.html Sincerely, -Sam

As said above, definitely a fake. You're correct to flag the bohi. The font of the serial number on the saya is also wrong and the wrong size. The shape of the saya opening is off, also. The other photos are conveniently distant, which possibly helps obscure more fake identifiers. Would love to see the Type32! In my limited experience, those are faked less often; but never say never. Blade length is an important feature on those, to determine if it's the OTSU type, or the KO type. All the best, -Sam

Hard words, but well said.. I think we’ll leave it there. This thread has drifted too far off topic now. And I imagine it’s not going to drift back soon. As always, I will defer to Brian if he wants to open it back up. All the best, -Sam

I want to emphasize, despite my friendly candor, that these warnings are not being given out lightly. Please take them seriously. It's important to remember that decisions around locking threads are made by the moderation team and the administrator (Brian). It’s not appropriate for members to argue their way to someone else's thread being locked, just because they don't like it. Plenty of threads like this are allowed to continue after their "usefulness", without issue or hostilities. Whether or not you agree with how moderation is handled, this is the process we follow. Let's try to give Brian a much needed break, and put this behind us. -Sam

Fair enough, but that's no excuse for hostilities, or baiting arguments. If you're unable to keep it civil, then it's not the thread that's the problem. -Sam

Babysitter on duty But really guys, lets keep the temperature low enough so not to require a re-temper. Really don't want to lock this thread. There has been some good input between the noise. -Sam

I think it's important to remember that personal collections aren’t the only path to learning or appreciating swords. I often visit shows and museums to study blades I could never dream of owning; and honestly, that's where some of the most valuable learning happens, especially through conversations with more advanced collectors. There are incredible swords, books, and displays out there that can teach and inspire us, no matter what’s in our own collections. Having handled only a few truly high-end blades, it's clear to me that no entry-level price point; whether it's X, Y, or Z; can really compare in terms of quality or significance. After seeing a Go Yoshihiro in person this year and some Juyo+ Aoe blades; I realize there’s probably no amount I could have spent on my own collection (with my income) that would evoke that same feeling of awe, or approach that level of quality. So where does that leave me? It brings me back to collecting what resonates with me, what I enjoy, what I can afford, and what feels meaningful. And that’s absolutely valid for any collector. I really like Shneed’s approach, -Sam

Met him in SF, and he had some awesome Gunto on display. A very kind gentleman who spent time chatting with me over his swords. I also do not personally know of his restoration work. -Sam

Even if I don't agree 100%, I do believe Rayhan means well. Let's keep it civil; and limit the pointed remarks. We're all good now, but I'm keeping an eye on the thread. -Sam