Matsunoki

Howard, sorry can’t help with the translation but I think this is Chinese, not Japanese. Does it have a spoon attached to the stopper? How big is it?

Just a dumb question….are we talking purely about naginata naoshi or are we bringing nagamaki naoshi into the debate……accidentally? My understanding is that many nagamaki did not originally have the extreme increase in the sakihaba and sugata that naginata have and would therefore be more easily adapted as swords thus with kaeri far more easily retained?

The tsuba you show is an example of Meiji period pieces that indeed were never intended to be mounted although some crop up on swords where the entire koshirae was fashioned in a similar manner and again never intended to be viewed as anything other than a pure work of art aimed at the foreign wealthy market. They are generically termed “Shibayama” which refers to the family of craftsmen that originally perfected the technique. Other manufacturers followed suite under different art names but again, all lumped together into “Shibayama” for descriptive purposes. The plate on these is wood covered with luxurious gold lacquer and using many varieties of seashells, horn, stained ivory, coconut shell etc to create the stunning inlays. Sometimes silver or shakudo metal ana liners and mimi. Some are found with an ivory plate but similar with inlays in the same style. Highly sought after and if in good condition, very expensive. I used to restore these for some of the big boys. The London dealer Kevin Page has a few on his website.

Couldn’t find anything about Japanese swords in it, had to read it twice just to make sure……..nor anything that would specifically help collectors and GUIDE them…..and after all, that is what we are talking about here. To create something aimed at helping others requires considerable effort and is to be commended. Pointless non-constructive criticism of a GUIDE is pretty mean-spirited, extremely negative, and utterly unhelpful. So I’ll add my thanks to you Kirill, along with all the others who appreciate what you’ve done and who will doubtless find it utterly helpful.

Brilliant work again. Dune sand worm? hmmmmm…..but then I love the traditional pieces so what do I know! Nice to see you pop up on here again. You can always message me in view of our previous discussions. Hope you’ve sorted the legal stuff out!

Even IF the Mei was genuine I still wouldn’t pay anywhere near the asking price. Focus on the quality of the work…..it lacks finesse.

Imo vastly overpriced and not great quality. I think they’ve had this one for a while.

So what actually is this utsuri like effect? In what way is it not the same? Method of production (there seems to be several), metallurgical structure? Be good to know what looks like utsuri but isn’t. @COD has the benefit of having the blade in hand vs working from images….plus he saw the smith at work. In what way is koto utsuri higher quality? Does it improve flexion tolerance? Does it improve cutting? Does it improve longevity. Observing this interesting topic (as a real novice) it seems we have very few hard facts but a great many opinions.

Why not replace the childish sarcasm with constructive explanation if you know the answer?

Not to my knowledge unless it was sold quietly without hitting the open market. Anyone ????

I’ve had a couple of blades with distinct utsuri but it looked more like nioi……misty white rather than discernible particles. One was a large shinshinto Kinnoto style blade. Looking forward to seeing how this topic develops.

To expand the question just a wee bit (with apologies) exactly what is utsuri metallurgically speaking? I know what it looks like, I’ve read what it is visually described as, I know it can be tricky for a togishi to reveal but what is it? I also have a vague memory of reading that it was created by subtle variation in the depth and composition of the clay based coating prior to hardening……not sure if that was fact or opinion.

It is also suggesting the kozuka/kogatana was a throwing knife?…..because the balance is all wrong for that surely?

That depends on how you use it and how vigorous you are….it isn’t harsh.

I have used this product in the past on both bronze and copper with some amazing results. Great patience and care is needed…..all the usual toothpicks etc etc. I used to place items in a bath of it to start with and then work slowly. Haven’t used it lately (it went out of production but is back now) but from memory it also leaves a protective coating. https://verdi.care/?srsltid=AfmBOopfmM98iXEsjHu4UW_hFPrZ4Jq44pagEBJpCCIZjs6uU-FWXg5q

If the saya were mine I’d leave it alone. It would be a very tricky repair and could end up looking worse depending on who did it. It’s pretty common for old saya to split and distort in various ways. The blade is safe in its shirasaya.

Can you get to any of the amazing USA sword shows?…it’d be like all your birthdays came at once. Also is there a local sword club or society where you can gain experience and see things that are available with the massive advantage of actually handling them first?

Well, great decision to come here first. We do see a lot of over eager first timers arrive here with their first treasure only to be hugely disappointed when they find out what they have bought. The sword in the images does not appear to be fake. It looks like an old blade that has been heavily shortened and is in poor condition…..it could be a total write-off…..impossible to tell. Somewhere on this forum is a great thread dealing with fakes. Can’t remember what its title is but I’ll have a look. Doubtless someone else @Brian @Scogg can quickly direct you there.

No offence intended but how much experience do you have in examining and handling Nihonto? Most of us in here would advise that you acquire a good basic knowledge before buying anything unless you absolutely know and trust the vendor. Personally I would not buy this sword based on these images. The blade looks out of polish to the extent that you can’t even be sure it has a hamon or boshi. Other nasty problems might be lying in wait…..there are numerous flaws and issues that can spring unwelcome surprises.

They are a decent auctioneer. I’d suggest pointing out it is a more modern Chinese fake and show them the comments you have received on here. See what they say. It definitely isn’t early 20thC.

Where did you buy it? Which auctioneer?

Numbers Include buyers premium etc. ie it is what someone actually paid. What the vendor receives however is a whole different ballgame.

Roughly 50% of swords sold. A bit erratic but then I’m no expert! Looking quickly it seemed that swords with koshirae fared a bit better (but more detailed analysis required) Armour was not popular although Kabuto sold well Kake very popular Kinko fittings did ok Guns sold well

Welcome back Alex. Good to hear from you. C.

I love stories told like this. Can’t help with the Mei - but well done.