Tensho

This is a Chinese fake. I would suggest reading here for some basic knowledge of what to look for. http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/repro.htm

How long is the nakago? I'm assuming around 12cm? Here I go contradicting myself. This is one of my dozen+ Yari. Retains the original nakago. Nagasa 14.5cm Nakago 18.7cm. Mei is 4.5cm below the kerakubi and last kanji 3.5cm above the mekugi-ana. I have them signed above and below mekugi-ana. Nakago tapers down to a thin taper which is common on every yari i have. I have it mounted as a te-yari.

Everything he sells is coming out of Japan because no one is interested in them there, but westerners will buy them. Also, I could have sworn I saw this blade listed for sale a while back already and it sold? Having said all that, I have bought from him. And he sells exactly what is pictured from what I can tell. I bought an item from him that I was not completely happy with, which was an impulse buy, and wishful thinking on my part. I asked to return it and he said no problem, and offered to send me a return label(but I opted to pay myself as it was really my mistake) as far as the notorious ebay sellers go, I'd trust him a lot more.

I completely agree. A Yari with a short nakago is useless for a mounted spear. You're just asking for the Ebu to get broken unless its extremely reinforced with steel bands etc.. Just look at Yanone, the nakago is usually at least 3x longer than the head and these are just arrows. I wish there was more discussion/resources about Yari to go on. They do seem to be getting more popular though, so who knows?

The problem with nakago sizes of yari.

You people make me laugh when you debate "drilled vs punched" watch some videos on smiths punching holes out of steel bars. They're darn near perfectly circular. If anything, the drilled holes are the buggered up ones. Anyone that says they can tell you 100% that its drilled or punched is full of themselves.

Realistically, you will never be able to say that a yari was used as an uchi-ne unless it comes mounted as such, and you can verify the mountings as being original. If what is true anything under 19cm was used. This is pretty standard Yari blade size. A few pictures of broken mounts I have seen show the nakago going all the way to the end of the fletching. So even basing it on nakago size wouldn't be of much help.

I got lost when they talked about European swords being pinned on either side of the hilt aside from small swords which are threaded and peened to the pommel I guess all my historical replica longswords that are peened to the pommel are wrong..haha Anyways, I don't understand their reasoning at all as far as new koshirae. And I am confused why "some" swords have more than one mekugi-ana, while others only have one. Surely, the tsuka and fittings have all been replaced at least once. I have never drilled through an old nakago, but have on modern made and I can assure you, you need a great quality bit. There is NO reason a tsuka maker cannot make a new tsuka to match the original nakago/mekugi-ana if you have all the fittings(tsuba, seppa, habaki and fuchi) I'm sure some of us all have a few seppa that are all different sizes. Same can be applied here. A thicker tsuba or fuchi means thinner seppa etc.. You think they would've asked some Japanese swordsmiths about the mekugi-ana and the spacing.

Interesting to start seeing several of these Showato coming out of Japan. Their views/laws must be changing drastically on these..

Kogatana looks like it was made from a steak knife. I owned one, looked identical to yours. Was part of a victorian era knife set in display box. Real Japanese Kozuka with different blade. Circled the part in red that they all seem to have. Won't comment on anything else other than the mekugi-ana looks "freshly" drilled. Unless I'm mistaken you can see the raised burr around the hole, even something clinging to it.

It has to be the first one. Searching "Ushu" has pulled up similar looking mei. Now to try and find out if I can find a omi yari to match.

This is what I see. Doesn't make sense to me. Theres at least 3 more kanji after it but very spaced out and hard for someone who knows nothing to point out.

Help appreciated. Probably something simple I'm not seeing. Don't say Soshu.... rest are almost all corroded away. Maybe I'll have something to search for? Thank you.

Haha. Must be used for cleaning this. In all reality its a war club. If you look closely you can see the leather thong wrapping around the stone to secure it. Not sure why anyone would think the items in the photo are a Japanese sword? I know nothing about Native american history but a quick search can find similar items actually used by them. The "ceremonial pipe" may actually be a riding crop. I may be mistaken on that. Wish I could see whats being talked about on Facebook, but I'm not making an account.

Its a ceremonial pipe. You can see the "L" shaped piece in the above photo.. You're seeing a distorted picture. Here is another one with him holding the exact same props in the same studio. Circled below of what I'm talking about.

I purchased a "Koto" Naginata in shirasaya(well the saya was edo period or so)in "good condition, some scratches no flaws" Pictures showed some staining spots and what looked like some slight surface rust. Which I thought would clean up okay. Mekugi was missing, I could see in photos as well. Again, none of this mentioned. Well, I won the auction. And what I received was a Naginata with rust pitting that someone attempted to remove, along with fresh rust, some open grain in a couple places, a Silver foiled habaki that was not made for the blade(too big) and actually damaged the ha-machi from sliding up. The ebu(shaft) was not made for this, or a tsuba and seppa were missing, hence the missing mekugi(the hole was to high) I went back and re-checked all the photos. All the rust, and open grain issues were in the photos, but were taken in such a way that you had to know exactly what you were looking at and possibly even question it. The rust showed up a bright silvery color or looked like dried oil. Even looking at some of his stuff now it is exactly the same. I sent him a message explaining everything. I dont remember exactly the response, but it was something "all items are sold as is, I can not accept returns/import sword) Photos are part of description and you should look more carefully" that was it. I left appropriate feedback and it was removed. Also, I ended up trading it at a loss. I was new to Naginata and when I listed it I received several messages all claiming it was no older than late Edo period.

Like most eBay sellers, tread carefully. Says he's a member of the NBTHK, yet claims most of his items are koto period even ones that blatantly aren't. I bought an item from him awhile back. I'll never buy from him again, put it that way. Just look at his feedback, or lack thereof. Sells over 40 swords a month for over 10 years yet only has 500 feedback.

Thats a good question. I was watching it as well. $250 was way too much in my opinion. I actually did not notice the large chunk taken out of the edge until I started this thread. I'm assuming someone believes it is "battle damage" Its a longer Yari with decent shirasaya and i don't see them pop up much. If it only had one Hagire $250 would have been okay imo. Yari are not as cheap to come across as they once were though.

Thanks for the reply Jean. I seem to recall hearing Yari were a "challenge" to forge correctly.

Interesting Yari I came across. It suffers from at least 9 Hagire. Any thoughts on this? There is a large chunk taken out of the same side too. My thoughts were on tempering flaw, but seems to excessive

Have never seen that before. The lower quality Samegawa with large nodule Same' very obviously placed on top, along with the mekugi-ana hole in the tsuka but the mekugi installed below the hole makes one wonder about it.

I too would've called that 98 a fake. Actually, its highly suspicious to me. I'm nowhere near an expert on them but there's a lot not right looking. -Kabutogane is horrible looking -Tsuba is horrible as well -Seppa are just rectangular punched? -Nakago obviously -mekugi-ana nowhere near where it should be. -non alternating ito. The fuchi is not strange to me, I have seen this personally. What is bothering me is that is has a chuso as well. Leather saya cover. This just makes me think fake as well. 3rd Battalion(anything else), Guadalcanal and Okinawa. 24th of March? This would've been Months after the battle had ended(granted it could've been his discharge or something else but just weird way of writing this) I dont known.. This just seems to have all the bells and whistles with none of the details. Even my low quality gunto have/had better koshirae. BTW, every gunto menkui I have seen have been stamped?

Kind of a loaded question. Not all Nihonto are created the same. By this I mean not all smiths created excellent swords. If you take a sword by an excellent rated smith im sure it would compare to a excellently made modern Japanese blade of today. But they were also designed for a different environment compared to other cultures(armor, swordsmanship etc..) Since your brought up knives, Japanese chefs knives are INDEED brittle on the edge. They are edge hardened(like nihonto) and can take wicked sharp edge but will chip easily whereas a western blade tends to fold instead of chip.

FWIW..The ito isn't alternating like it should be.

Well, someone has already messed with it before considering the habaki is a two-piece design and is missing a piece, not to mention it is installed upside down on the blade. Chances are its a traditionally made blade, but the tsuka will need to be removed so the nakago can he seen.