Soshin

"We're up to 20 TH now, so a good grouping." Hi Curran, Who is the we in the statement? I have speculating that you are one person and not a artificial intelligence trying to build a consensus because I have met a biological entity claiming to be you. I have long speculated that Guido is one such entity likely design by Google to watch Russian accident videos on YouTube and argue on the internet. The chances of one person with multiple personalities having the same specific hobby isn't likely but if true is likely worthy of doctoral dissertation in psychology. (Waring the above statement is intended as a joke only.) I really don't have any other TH examples to share. Everyone else has already listed everything I was going to list. I have been in the position to purchase a TH tosogu but never have because I have found more interesting prices with old TK papers, NTHK papers, or had no papers. That might quickly change at some point in the future.

Hi Ray, Nice website! ????

To be honest I saw the lot of Chinese fakes tsuba as I am registered with the auction house via email and I just rolled my eyes was thinking "buyer beware on and off eBay now". I don't deal much with them and don't have a contact by name. I am glad James stepped up and contacted someone at the auction house to let them know all the tsuba of that lot are fake.

Hi, I am thinking one of the Choshu Schools as well circa the late Edo Period.

Jidai Ko-Kinko tsuba as a birthday gift from a friend who also collects tsuba. The base metal is refined copper. The photo was taken with my new iPhone 6+ which does nice photos. Enjoy it or not I could really careless because it was a gift not often given...

Hi Marcello, Check out my website link below. It is also free and it has many photos and information. http://www.tsubaotaku.com You will notice a little overlap between my website and Grey's website because I have purchase and traded some tsuba with Grey. Contact me via my website or PM if you have any questions.

Hi BaZZa, Dandyism is a translation of the Japanese world "iki" which was for the most part the esthetics of the rich merchant class in Edo. I think you see this esthetic in many of the works of the machi-bori tosogu artists. I think other Japanese esthetics in general such as wabi-sabi and shibui are in play with Higo tsuba the topic of the thread you linked to.

Major website site update for July 2015. Here is a link detailing all of the major changes to my website: http://shoutout.wix.com/so/5Kv5F-dx. Enjoy and if you have any questions contact me via my website as I don't log on here very often. Thank you.

We exchanged some emails messages and I was aware of this illness. RIP Craig Harris. Very sad news.

Here is a link to online newsletter about major updates to my website in June 2015: http://shoutout.wix.com/so/6KsqUYel#/main . Contact me though my website or on Facebook because I don't have time to come here very often. A link directly to me website is also below. Yours truly, David Stiles Tsuba Otaku http://www.tsubaotaku.com

Hi Curran, I was checking out Fred W. (Nihonto.com) website and found a tsuba with a NBTHK Hozon paper to the Kamiyoshi School. The Hozon paper is dated the first month of Heisei 26 which is January 2014. Here is the link website: http://www.nihonto.com/rh460.html . It looks like a Kamiyoshi School Higo tsuba to me. I hope you find this helpful in your study.

Hi Henry, Absolutely you are not the problem I see with NMB which has a double standard applied to members when it comes to following rules. Chris Bowen and me had a discussion about this back the Tampa show a couple of years ago during a NTHK-NPO shinsa. Lately it has gotten to a breaking point with me. I might be overreacting but I have always had a strong sense of fairness when dealing with people. I very much appreciate all of your participation in this and all other topics on NMB. I will be spending a significant amount of time in Japan in April so I will likely not have time for much participation on NMB. This I feel is a blessing from the Buddha. P.S. I am currently working on my website to have it up to date by April 1st please check it out when you have some free time.

Hi Curran, No I don't have any examples for you. I did have a tsuba Hozon papered by the NBTHK to "Higo" in January 2014 very near your time frame. I think we have discussed it via email and I remember showing it to you at the Tampa Show back in 2013 before I sent it for shinsa. When I submitted it I wasn't think Higo. Attached below is a photo of it along with the NBTHK paper. I will be testing the NBTHK later this year and early next year with a three submissions of Higo tsuba. I will let them go as high as they can go in the shinsa (aka Tokubetsu Hozon). I think all three are fairly clear on their school attributions to Hayashi, Jingo, and Kumagai (Edo Higo). As for the NBTHK Ninja I think I have you covered. Unless they pay me of off with a few nice Tokubetsu Hozon papered Yagyu tsuba.

This is not direct towards you Henry directly who hasn't been on the NMB for awhile. When I am treated condescendingly on this form in regards to a subject that I study, take seriously, and take time to post topics, and write articles about, sarcasm is fair game. I done with sharing on this forum period. Check out Facebook my website, or my JSSUS articles for updates to my collection.

I will not be there as I will be in Japan in April. Post some photos for people to enjoy that can't make it.

Hi Curtis, I think the name could be read as "Tōzan" as stated by John. The literal meaning of the characters is "east mountain" might have been or is a location. It the shame that one of the menuki is so damaged you don't see iron menuki like that often.

Can't find the right emoticon for crying, laughing, and vomiting with rage at the very same time.

Hi Everyone, Someone a few months ago sent me a message on my website about Japanese sword polishing services on eBay and sent a link to this seller post on eBay. I told him to avoid this person and gave him Bob Benson's contact information as a professional polisher of Japanese swords in the USA.

Hi Everyone, With some technical problems a last few days wasn't able to visit NMB. The opening to the left and right of the nakago hitsu-ana are not ryohitsu-ana but are part of a design often found on Higo tsuba. Frequently these type of openwork design are referred to only as basically hidari-migi dai-sukashi" in Japanese meaning "left-right large openwork Any idea what they might represent or if they are discussed as something else in other Japanese texts?

What is wrong with an old box if it is in good condition? I like the look and feel of old wood.

Hi Bruno, Very intresting tsuba with a unique construction method. I don't think I have seen a similar tsuba like it before.

Hi Everyone, Here is the other Higo tsuba I picked up at the Tampa show. It is the work of the Kumagai (熊谷) School that were retainers of the Hosokawa Clan based near their estate in Edo. The inlays are in two different styles and soft metals (characteristic of the schools work) one is a brass robe inlay (shinchu nawame-zogan 真鍮縄目象嵌) and the other is silver crosshatched inlay (gin-nunome-zogan 銀布目象嵌). The designs are of three rain hats on the omote and two rain hats on the ura side. This tsuba is going to be listed on the homepage of my website come the first of April.

Hi Darcy, Been their and have done that with the NBTHK and NTHK. Good to know it also happens to high profile collectors like yourself. Their are gimei at all levels of quality during the Edo Period.

Hi, Guido, it is good enough for me. Any final comments about my dandy tsuba? I did received some very nice comment via PM which lead to a wonderful conversation via email so posting this wasn't a complete waste but I did wish there was more of a public discussion about the tsuba. Did pick up another Higo tsuba at the Tampa show. I might post that later this weekend.

Hi Michael, I have a copy of this book. Here is a photo of the page with the photo of the Jingo tsuba.