Scogg

To echo what’s been said above. Facebook has an extremely active Nihonto community with several groups. At least a few of the groups are moderated by fellow NMB members. From what I can tell, Facebook has a lot more buying and selling with less discussion. Whereas NMB has a lot of discussion with less buying and selling.

Any info on this particular 4 diamond, or maybe “4 eyes” mon? Similar to Takeda clan, but the extra segmented circles has me lost

Thank you for your calm and thoughtful perspective, Hoshi. I'd like to remind everyone that Brian is still dealing with ongoing health issues. Part of the reason I’ve been made moderator is to help ease his load during this time where he is distracted by serious real life challenges. When discussions turn uncivil or overly contentious, it undermines those efforts and risks adding unnecessary stress to someone who is already going through a lot. Out of respect for Brian, the forum, myself, and maybe most importantly: for one another. I’m asking everyone to please be mindful of their tone, exercise patience, and prioritize civility in their interactions. This is now the third or fourth thread that’s begun to spiral, and I’d really prefer not to lock another one. I trust that as a group of adults, we’re capable of letting some things go, at least for now. In support of Brian and the forum. Sincerely, -Sam

Thank you for the clarity/correction Brano. I've linked a short and interesting discussion on the subject for anyone interested. Gakusee states at the end of the following thread: "For new swords, as is the case with Kotetsu, you really need zaimei ubu or at the very best undetectable little machiokuri but otherwise pristine nakago (and of course -sword). The Juyo criteria precisely state: “Blades made in the Muromachi period must be zaimei and blades from the Edo period and later, as a rule, must be ubu and zaimei to receive Juyo Token paper.” https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/38674-could-a-mumei-or-suriage-kotetsu-become-juyo/

Beware, AI is often not entirely accurate when it comes to Japanese swords. It pulls from a variety of sources, one of which is this forum, and you never know if it decided to take info from a beginner or from an expert. Also, information surrounding Japanese military swords has evolved over the years, so you can't rely on it to source up-to-date information vs outdated information. Often times, when it doesn't find a reliable answer, it "fills in the blanks", which can be misleading. We've tested it over the years with varying levels of accuracy. Sometimes it’s right, other times it’s wrong. Just beware not to trust everything it says. -Sam

I recently acquired a Shin-Gunto that's missing the ishizuki on its wooden saya. I was hoping someone had a a couple or a few that I could try; to try for a proper fit. I would purchase the one that works best, and return the ones that don't (that would be the ideal situation - but I understand it’s unlikely and would require a level of trust). I’m also open to just buying one if it looks right. I'd buy one that looks right for $100 + shipping. Anyone have a few ishizuki laying around? USA would be best for shipping reasons, but i'm open to anything. -Sam Photo of kabuto-gane for reference of patina/style/paint i'd like to match (as close as I'm able).

It could be submitted. It would be very unlikely to be awarded Juyo just because it's shinto and suriage. But suriage alone does not rule out the possibility of Juyo, and many suriage and osuriage blades achieve Juyo and beyond. I believe there is a shinto suriage katana that has achieved tokubetsu juyo from Nanki Shigekuni. Never say never or always, and there are exceptions to many 'rules'. All the best, -Sam

Thank you @PNSSHOGUN, that’s a really interesting thread. Cool to see the variety of mon placement. I knew of a couple different spots you typically see, but I had no idea it could vary that much. Much appreciated, -Sam Edit: just measured nagasa, ~28.2 inches (~71.6 cm)

I wonder too, but Marcin’s theory makes sense. The ito is still remarkably tight for missing that section. It does not feel delicate to hold. Like the haikan, the whole tsuka looks “well traveled”. It was apparent the tsuka had not been removed in a long time, and took some serious effort and time to release. It’s missing the saya drag, and the wooden saya is splitting. The chunky Haikan is what originally caught my eye. The thickness and size of all the fittings gives it a rather “large” look. Even the kabutogane is longer than I typically see. I added a little clasped hands sarute to see how it looks (Sword in question is on left, with the sarute)

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