Tensho

I have been seen quite a few sukashi tsuba pop up like this. Most seem like obvious casts. But what does everyone think of ones like the below? Machined from plate steel?

If it wasn't for the horrible looking Mei I would not have thought anything. Here's a similar rough looking one. Description says its an edo period "copy" but still sold for several hundred it looks like.

True. There is only 6 photos, but this one has Seppa cutout for Chuso/locking latch, and I don't see the fuchi or tsuba being fit for one. The Koiguchi on the saya is probably meant for a latch too. The kabutogane is probably original but does not seem fitted fully on the tsuka(it looks like there's a gap and the ito was tied off) but it looks like there might be a hole in tsuka for the sarute barrel screw.

Alright, yeah its just the fuchi. Looks like someone just jammed a Naginata blade into a Gunto tsuka for whatever reason.

That's definitely a Naginata. And it hasn't been re-shaped into a Naginata Naoshi. Would have been awesome to see more pictures of it disassembled. I agree that it looks like a Fuchi under the habaki(nice habaki btw) Can we get a pic of the bare handle?

I'm pretty sure by this time the "fancy" Tsuba were more "decoration" and showing off than protection. I've read articles that most wealthier samurai had more than one set of fittings they could swap out depending on the occasion. I'd imagine this went for merchants as well. Makes sense when you think about it.

A late reply because I really don't have an answer for you. I was researching yari and dates for a while but just stopped. The one thing that keeps getting told over and over again is a long Kerakubi is an indicator of old age. Well, here is one with NBTHK Hozon papers dated to mid to late muromachi period. Notice anything? Small kerakubi, and this is even an Omi yari at over 23 inch blade. Here's one signed and dated 1636. Here's some of my older ones. The far left one is an Omi yari. Unfortunately the nakago is heavily corroded away and is signed but to hard to read. The problem with determining age by nakago is that the condition is all over the place on these. Probably because how they were stored or the ebu material itself.

I'm going to have to go with what I said earlier. Unless it is mounted as such(uchine or Kago yari) there is no way of knowing. Even then, the ones I have been seeing coming out of Japan seem questionable on much age. I have seen pictures of a matched set of arrows, quiver, and uchine. All nicely lacquered with gold kamon. The uchine koshirae was considered to be that of the edo period, but the Yari itself dated to the muromachi period. I recently acquired a book about Uchine, and in it are illustrations and translations taken from books/scrolls from different schools discussing uchine all written in the last 50 or so years of the Edo period. The early mounting of them was what one would call a Kago yari. A short spear/shaft made for throwing lacking feathers. They all seem to state the same thing though, in that the blade length is around 6cm all the way up to 21cm. That is a huge variance and contradicts a lot of things that I had originally thought.

These Japanese sellers are all the same people, yet sell on different ebay accounts. Irritates me as it floods ebay search. Easy way to spot them is they almost never list dimensions. They go by other names also, but not going to look them all up.

https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/658-kanemitsu-tanto/

I personally would consider this a "thick tanto" I've been seeing a trend lately of sellers labeling any tanto over 7mm thick as a Yoroi Doshi. The borderline for me would be at least a 9mm Moto kasane

Here's a strange one. Never saw this sakura design on a 94/98

I always thought this to be the case too, obviously it is not. Here is mine.

Hmm... Looks raised to me?

Here's some tsuba turned into drawer pulls.

Nice pictures Pietro! Thanks for sharing. I understand what you're saying about mine now. The Chinese have been digging up lots of mammoth remains in Yakutia. I wouldn't be surprised if this is what they're using. The pulp cavity on mine is rather small and comes out under one leg and through the tongue. Either way, I'm happy with it. I randomly came across it at an antique shop with some other ivory items. They had it listed as a carved chinese hippo made of bone.

Been sitting back enjoying the comments.. Depends on the tusk and where on the tusk this piece was taken from. If the tip, this cracking isn't a surprise at all. They have obviously opened up more over time due to temperature changes. But they would have been present even when carved. I have handled hundred of pounds of ivory including full tusks of elephant, hippo and walrus. They all vary in appearance. But what would I know? As far as billiards go they almost all look like that. Here's a closer up photo of the signature.

One could argue that there's not many elephants in Japan either. Haha Can't comment on where it was made. Could very well be of Chinese origin I suppose. As to "artificial" aging im going to have to strongly disagree. I have been collecting scrimshaw and other ivory items for years. Here is it next to a centuries old billiard.

I acquired an okimono of a Hippopotamus. Google translate is telling me its signed Takayoshi but I cannot find any carver of this name. Thoughts?

My gut feeling says this is a Murata-to blade.

I would agree. Was only looking to take apart to clean the corrosion that is in some tight spots. But, in the process I may damage the nut way to much.

I picked up a 1883 navy. It has quite a lot of verdigris on it and I'm looking at disassembling it. But, I'm not sure if the "cherry blossom nut" is clockwise or counter clockwise threaded. I can turn it by hand about an 1/8th of an inch counter clockwise but it won't Go anywhere beyond that. I don't collect these styles so this is beyond me. Thanks.

Thank you for the replies. The second tsuba is definitely a match for the "style" of the kaneie tsuba I have looked at.

Help would be very much appreciated. 1) 2)

https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/46738-info-needed-for-katana-from-battle-of-iwo-jima/#comment-484317 Already has been discussed here.