Bazza

Lefty??? 😲😲😲 BaZZa.

Barrie, What is more than interesting is that as the Daisho is worn the missing menuki is on the omote facing the world. One might expect that the single menuki would have been in this position and no one would realise that there was a missing menuki. Could someone please explain(with apologies to Pauline Hanson)??? BaZZa.

Dale wrote "Bazza - so you are what an ordinary collector looks like! [Its not an exclusive club I hope- can I join?]" 😇 Dale, self-appointees are always welcome!! I remember when I started 55 years ago my first book was John Yumoto's little primer. In it he wrote "Study never ends". How true I've found that to be over the years. I'm mainly a blade-man with just a slight detour into the world of tosogu, but without study Yas san has shown how much it can be a pit with sharp stakes at the bottom!!! Having said that I do have some "heavy" books on tosogu without seriously putting my toe in the water to collect. As Bert said in the song "Oi loiks wot I do and I do wot oi loiks" without worrying too much about authenticity - blades are another matter. So, how very glad I am that Yas san shares his knowledge here. To add some "juice" I've attached images of an Akasaka Tadatoki V tsuba. The description given when I bought it was: I believe this particular tsuba was made by Tadatoki V (8th master of the Akasaka school). He became head of the family in 1818. This tsuba has a near faultless surface and demonstrates the artist’s ability to create a dynamic composition in an extremely limited space. There is a imperfection on the ura side of this tsuba (near the signature). This looks like silver inlay, however I'm not sure how or why it is there. Overall it doesn't detract from the tsuba ... That little silver "blob" next to the -TOKI is curious. The tsuba doesn't have a paper, bit oi loiks it. It appealed to me the first time I saw it in a friend's collection and jumped on it when it was offered. I've just realised this is a "friends-of-y-auction" page and hope i haven't committed trespass... It wouldn't be the first time I have lost the plot. BaZZa.

Yas san, very interesting and informative work, thank you, but it's enough to make an "ordinary" collector hit the bottle ... BaZZa.

What an absolute stunner of a story and a miracle all the items have stayed together over the years. Personalises all the "in bulk" sacrifices we see in WW2 movies. I have anecdotes of families just tossing out their history in garage sales, groups of medals covering the two World Wars, etc etc. Another great story is of John Birch in China during the war years. I have a book "somewhere"... BaZZa.

Simon J, I'm presuming this piece is a yari?? Can we see some other pics please. Those in your opening post suggest to me a modern make rather than Tenpo era. BaZZa.

I absolutely agree. Not everything "good" has to be dripping with gold or covered in exquisite workmanship. These fuchigashira are to my mind and eye very well made bordering on excellent (brickbats welcome!). It is a pity, methinks, that the tsuka has been separated from its blade and koshirae. I'm thinking this came from a Shinshintou katana. The "eye-hole" in the kashira should tell a story, but I can't read it. I actually rank the fuchigashira above the menuki. BaZZa.

Oh Dear, and another one bites the dust!! I had some little correspondence with Paul many years ago. So very sad to hear of his passing. RIP. BaZZa.

"Arm" is also a term used to mean "the whole piece", "the entire weapon, lock, stock and barrel". Eg., "He was armed to the teeth" meaning he carried a variety of weapons. My reading at the time was that he thought the pistol itself was modern??? BaZZa.

Yes... But... Why did you want it in the first place mate????? BaZZa.

What does the blade say?? Photos?? BaZZa.

In case PeterCollector is counting characters ...KIYONOBU SAKU ...清宣作 BaZZa.

Whilst here talking of Hirado I must mention a book that I've commented on before; SAMURAI WILLIAM - The Adventurer Who Unlocked Japan Giles Milton Hodder & Stoughton (London, 2002) It is a VERY interesting read. BaZZa.

Brian, It's not clear to me, but is the body and handle of the sword/tanto/kaiken made of a cast metal gilded, rather than pressed brass?? This would show in the weight. I have a similar piece I'll dig out - its in one of my sheds! BaZZa.

Hopefully not an allusion to Hideyoshi... BaZZa.

Brian, My mate "in the trade" is a straight up and down good bloke and was calling it out - its not the auction house he works for. I'll take it upon myself to see that the auction house concerned is made aware of the fact. Thank you all for backing the call. BaZZa.

Thanks Brian - my opinion exactly. Somewhere I have an article that discusses modan yanone. I might even have put it up here sometime. I'll see if I can find it, but don't hold your breath!!! BaZZa.

Sent to me by a mate "in the trade": https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/a-Japanese-steel-arrow-head-with-islamic-calligra-407-c-c2949cdb0f BaZZa.

This is called takashinogi... but I do not know the name of the flaring to the mitsugashira. BaZZa.

JP wrote: > As for the word "hobby", it covers a lot of ground. A hobby can become a sort of addiction, so I believe the word applies > to both light and very serious commitment, so long as you can still realize that it mustn’t take over the rest of your > life and put your social interactions at risk. Then it becomes an addiction. I like hobby because it carries the "fun" part in it. Might we say then that a very few people become "abcessed"?? BaZZa.

Run, Vittorio, run as fast as you can... BaZZa.

What he said... BaZZa.

I’ll explain this “ni ni” with photos when I get my new computer in a few days. Right now struggling with an iPad which I find clunky for this type of work... BaZZa.

Matt, I think it is Genroku 14 ( juu ni ni)? This is the strangest nakago I can recall seeing from a putative Genroku era sword. The nakago looks like it is has been smoothed and acid washed to give it a grey appearance, and the kanji tagane and looks like it was done “yesterday”?? Looking forward to more photos. Regards, BaZZa (Melbourne, Australia)

Ahhh, the Vandals are alive and well... BaZZA