DDangler

Hello all, I posted a wakizashi on the general forum and they’ve sent me this way. The gentlemen over there believe there is a signature on the top of the tsuka of a recently purchased nihonto. Any help you all could give for translation would be extremely helpful and appreciated. Thanks in advance!! My apologies for the poor pictures, they’re about as good as I can get. If they’re not good enough I will try again for you all though.

Outstanding!! Now just to figure out how to get to the translation forum.

Thanks for this. Do you believe it is translatable as it is in the pictures?

Alright, I tried to clean as much of the paint off and get better pictures of the top of the tsuka. Thanks for all your help gentlemen.

There is red paint on the markings, if the red paint was removed I thought it would be easier to read what the markings say.

I still don’t see these numbers. Is it the black grainy looking things? I thought that way just grain of the wood. If so, how do I clean the wood without potentially removing the markings?

So it was actually factory created in the WW2 time frame?

Where do you see these numbers? I never noticed them.

No news yet. I had it soaking in a rag and when I opened it up, it was all dry. I will probably lay the entire blade in a container of the least harsh oil I can find for a few weeks. Then see what happens. I use this method on tools but I use motor oil. I will find something less gnarly to use to soak this in.

Thank you!! I agree. I notice paint under the twine as well so if I was a betting man I’d put money on the paint won’t come off the Ray skin without damaging it. I don’t think I will even try to remove the paint from the twine. I will strictly stay to removing the paint from the fittings.

Thank you for your help. I’m asking questions because I don’t know. I was not talking about armor but the tsuka on the nihonto the samurai is carrying. I presume it would be hard for an artist to depict so many small strands tightly wound together. I am not negating you alls expertise or experience. I am just posing questions from what I can see that’s similar and how it physically looks in my hand. So if you and Brian are correct (I’m not inferring you’re not), does that mean the twine has replaced the ito? If it has, would it be more prudent to leave it instead of having to replace with modern replacement ito?

It shows for me.

Thanks for the insight. I do not believe it is ito underneath the string. It is a very thin layer of something. It doesn’t look like Ray or shark skin either. It’s smooth. I haven’t delved deeper than two rings of rope though so maybe there is something farther down.

I’m under the impression the wrapping on the tsuka may be original? What’s underneath doesn’t appear to be big enough to fit nicely in a hand. Also, the wrapping is quite similar to the one in this print.

Some of the fittings after a nice acetone soak. Do these pics help at all with identification or a clarification of age or period?

The rope wrapping looks like it’s all that’s there. There is a thin layer of something very cream colored (looks like 3 mil visqueen) under the rope and then wood. I see no signs of any thing else. I most likely will not be removing it. I’m 90% sure there is nothing substantial underneath which leads me to believe it may have been put there on purpose. Thank you for your input though.

So you’re saying I should not remove the paint?

Too late. Been drowning this thing to death with REM oil. It says it has no CFC’s. At this point it is what it is.

Alright. I will try it.

I don’t have acetone handy. I used some mineral spirits and it didn’t do much. I’m currently letting rem oil bake into the blade. I have been able to remove much of the excess rust (especially at the tip). I will pick some acetone up and see if that helps remove some of the paint. I don’t believe the tsuka has anything under the rope wrapping. I’ve tried to separate the rope and it appears it’s just wood underneath. Which is what was under the metal piece with the fish closest to the Tsuba.

I presume gilt is less desirable? Would Remoil be appropriate?

Upon doing a little cleaning on the Tsuba, I found some decoration and it appears the foliage is inlaid with brass.

Foiling on the hilt and flowers by the fish too. I’ve gotten some of the paint off. Any kind of oil work on the blade? I feel like there would be a special oil. Lol

What kind of oil should I use to clean it?

Thanks for the clarification Brian! Any idea of age? I presume it’s traditionally made? Without a Mei is there anyway to narrow down who made it?