Matsunoki

If we look at the detail of tsuba above posted by @MauroP (recognised as the Big Dipper constellation) and compare it to the “constellation” on Dans tsuba we can see that they are very nearly the same. Hmmmm…..I’m tending to agree with Dan. I’m fairly sure that the tsuba artists were not star gazers and thus minor differences in how the same constellation gets depicted can be expected/tolerated.

Just to add to the debate……some of these are definitely not shippo patterns but do look like constellations imo. Why some have a Ken on the end?……representing a dragon constellation??

I guess I was thinking of the huge iron portcullis gates on some of our castles! Thanks for looking!

Thanks to all for the comments and education! Greatly appreciated

@FlorianB Thank you for posting that excellent example. Now I know what was done I’ll see what else I can find. I think it’s quite interesting to see how things get changed as fashions change. Could this have been happening in early Meiji to increase the price to Gaijin or was it an Edo thing?

Lex, just a suggestion….I only discovered your “about me” by scrolling to the bottom of the swords for sale. I think it is worth considering moving it up a level, maybe next to your homepage “button”. One of the first questions visitors will mentally ask is “who is this guy?”

This is the last one from a small batch of iron tsuba that tempted me. It’s largeish at 7.9cm and has a beautifully fitted shakudo rim and with inlay in shakudo and gold of bush clover. It was the striking sukashi Mantis that caught my attention but closer inspection of the reverse appears to reveal the remains of Amida rays especially down the left side. Any ideas…..could this be reworked older plate that once just had Amida rays? Did that happen? Thanks for looking. All the best

Nazar, Putting a few emojis on your posts on this thread doesn’t really say enough for me. I’ve greatly enjoyed trying to understand the power of 3d printing (and failed) and how you have creatively used your knowledge and ability to solve the problems that you faced. Amazing.

Looks classic Kinnoto sword just pre Meiji and the smiths looks like he’s had a crack at putting a Mt Fuji and the Moon into the hamon. The one featured in the link above was just about the worst handling sword I’ve ever held despite being well made and with utsuri. Unwieldy and totally unbalanced…..but looked impressive which was the intention I believe.

The shape, size, colour (especially of the seppadai ) and overall appearance remind me of “Nagoya-mono” I doubt they are shakudo.

Have a look at this section of this website http://ohmura-study.net/971.html

Link doesn’t work for UK. Why not put images within thread?

Need this damned heatwave to pass first. Too hot to do anything Also want some time to ponder what to do next. Apologies.

Write to the Chairman and also the CEO for Europe and tell them that unless they find the “important official papers” you are contacting the Antiques Trade Gazette (who will ignore you because Sothebys are too important ) and the Sunday papers who will not ignore you but might not run anything. It’s the threat that counts. Mention the consequent reduction in value as a result and the cost of getting replacements. Good luck.

Aha….yes 😳it was me that was re-reading it (as I now own it again)and I came across a comment that rather irritated me (4 years later🙂) so I gave it the thumbs down….and here we are🙂. All good fun and takes my mind off the blistering heat here for the last week or so. Temp over 35C and now humid as well.

@Bugyotsuji Piers, hello! I am intrigued. What made you pick this old thread up? Intuition? A silent whisper in your ear? I acquired this tanto in a package deal with Peter Yorke…..he had not recognised the significance of the smith. Sadly Peter has since left us.RIP. I miss you Peter. In the intervening 4 years much has happened. I let the blade go in a deal with a fellow collector. It changed hands a couple more times until a throw away comment at the last Birmingham Arms Fair a couple of weeks ago. Someone asked me “did I have a buyer for high end gendaito?” and having discovered that despite having sold my collection I really did miss the sword world I said yes. Next question was could my details be handed to a collector who owned another previous sword of mine (a stunning Endo Mitsuoki Tachi with fabulous horimono). Again answer was yes. This collector contacted me and last week I became the owner of another 6 swords including said Mitsuoki and guess what….this tanto was one of the six, except now it was in a superb new shirasaya and mint new polish. So, here it sits again….and I ponder what to do🙂….again. But I’m back in the game. I guess that does now make me a dealer except I’m not bothered about making money, instead, just having fun and being alive. Some very strange things happen in the sword world. Best. C.

Perhaps this close up shows the cut channels more clearly?

That’s what I thought until I looked really closely and saw these channels circled in red where Hirazogan had fallen out. The rim is quite heavily worn overall. Magnification shows zero signs of cross hatching.

I’m getting worried (again). I am being lured away (again) from my favourite kinko tsuba into the dark mysterious world of iron. The brute force of the design of this iron piece really grabbed my attention. Reminded me of fortified castle gates…or similar. A tsuba for a strong guy? It is largeish at 8cm and the fact that the kozuka and kogai ana are the same shape struck me as perhaps a bit unusual. The gold is Hirazogan not nunome if that tells us anything, slightly worn in places. It had a few small patches of the dreaded orange stuff but very careful cleaning and preservation seems to have done the trick. Anyway, any comments on subject matter, age, potential school would be most welcome. Thanks for looking (and hopefully for commenting🙂)

Hi John Thanks. This hamon is on a rather flashy Gendai with Nagamitsu mei. Yours wasn’t Nagamitsu by any chance?

This large iron tsuba (8.5cm) has found its way here recently because I found the design very appealing. I don’t know much about iron tsuba but for some reason I thought it might be quite old. What is the design? I wondered stylised flower-cart wheel? (Maybe not!) Age ? All opinions welcome. Thank you for looking.

John, yes I fully understand and it is not pleasant behaviour. I find it distasteful but it’s a fact of life and has always been so. No argument from me on that point. Edited in view of Brian’s comments.

Hats off. That is a fitting tribute to someone who obviously has serious talent and natural feel for his chosen occupation.

Hate? Seriously? I simply disagree with what you said and explained my reasons. If you think that constitutes hatred you are very very mistaken. Anyway, whatever. Live and let live.

Forgive my lack of knowledge but is there a “guide to Gunto mountings” anywhere on this forum? Sorry for off topic but I’d like to learn a bit more.