Soshin

Hi Ron, Nice to see the school did more then just make Nobuie utsushi. I agree with Arnold F. they look the same to me. I also have a nice one from this school on my website. The weblink is below. I will check out my NBTHK magazine collection for the issue you reference.

Hi Doug C., I purchased my training sword from showa22 on eBay. He is just a dealer and moves many swords since 2001 on eBay. He is based Sacramento, CA but travels to and from Japan. He is a customer since he purchased a tsuba from me a about two years ago. Some people don't like him but I have never had a problem.

Hi Barrie, Here is the box that came with my papered NBTHK Tokubetsu Kicho papered Nobuie tsuba dissued here: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=19224. The peg and padding in the box needs to be replaced as you can see hopefully with something custom give the high value of the tsuba. I love the aged color of what I think is Kiri wood but could be Hinoki wood. I am not currently using this box for the Nobuie tsuba due to the condition of the peg. It is safely in a new temporary box right now. You're right this might also look very good. I have two other NBTHK Hozon papered in these type of nice boxes. One high end box I purchased from Curran at the Tampa show this year.

Good question I was about ready to ask. Hi Barrie, I have a high end NBTHK Tokubetsu level papered tsuba that needs a custom box. The box it was in looks like it dates from the Meiji Period and need repaire. Does Mr. Yoshiaki Iimura repair old boxes and then customize the pad. If he doesn't speak English I can have my emails translated into Japanese by my wife.

Hi Mariuszk and Doug C., My hands don't slip so I really don't care to much and the handle is strong. The menuki are reversed like on a Yagyu koshirae. I like menuki like that. One menuki is a Gunto menuki the other is a small pice of copper shaped into three stars. The fuchi-gashira are done in a handachi style but might also be from a Gunto. The saya is nice and fits the blade well.

Hi Everyone, I agree with Chris and Japanese Customs about it being a Gendaito.

Hi Ford, This sure does explains the irritability then and to think up to this point I thought it was just a character flaw.

Hi Everyone, A funny observation... While this is the "Auctions and Online Sales or Sellers" forum I noticed I have nothing for sale on my website. It's a bit of a Zen Koan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%8Dan) if you ask me.

Hi Everyone, I agree with Jon and Chris. So many people want to find an undiscovered treasure on eBay but then come up with 101 excuses not to attend one of the sword shows across USA and Japan if you include the Dai Token Ichi in Tokyo.

Hi Everyone, Here is a short list of the Tsuba Otaku website updates for September 2014. Let me know if you have any questions via reply, PM, or through my website. 1. Added a new Ko-Shoami tsuba to the homepage. 2. Added the Nobuie tsuba with full write-up to gallery #5 webpage. 3. Updated the write-up on the second tsuba in gallery #3. 4. Fixed some minor formatting issues with the mobile version of the website. 5. Added a free finding service on my contact page. Please contact me for details. The link to my website is here and below on my signature. http://www.tsubaotaku.com/

Hi Evan, No problem I understand. I will also be attending the Tampa show next February which is great to attend in the middle of Winter. The Chicago show is a big maybe right now for next year. If there is cash in pocket burning a hole I would spend it on a good book. A good beginner book is Tsuba, An Aesthetic Study, by Kazutaro Torigoye and Robert Haynes. While not perfect at 300 pages it is by far the best deal. Here is the link to club selling it for about $25.00 USD: http://www.ncjsc.org/ncjsc_publications.htm.

Hi Evan, Kyo-Sukashi, Owari-Sukashi, Ji-Sukashi Ko-Shoami, and Ko-Akasaka tsuba are all very hard to tell apart sometimes. I think I might have a handle on it after ten years but I wouldn't bet on it. Please learn to take anyone attribution via low resolution photos with a "pound of salt". Based upon the quality that I see in your tsuba I recommend submitting it to the upcoming NTHK shinsa in Chicago next April. I think they would say "Owari" but that is just my personal opinion from look at a few low resolution photos. If you are coming to the Philadelphia, PA show on October 17-19 at the Philadelphia Airport Marriott bring this tsuba along for me to take a look at as I will have a table at the show. Once I see the tsuba in hand I might be able to give a more informed opinion.

Hi Mariuszk, To me the seppa-dai is a "koban (小判)" the shape of a Edo Period gold coin characteristics of Owari sukashi tsuba. I sometime disagrees with some of Skip's attributions on Grey's webiste but his one I completely agree with. The hitsu ana shape in Owari sukashi tsuba is fairly generic and not specific. Hi Bruno P., Nice find on eBay thanks for sharing.

Hi Evan, The style of rim is called in Japanese kaku-mimi koniku (角耳小肉) which means square rim with slight rounding. This rim style along with the bold thick positive openwork are all characteristic of Owari Sukashi tsuba. I have a NBTHK Hozon papered Owari tsuba on my website for reference.

Hi Evan, Unless you are mounted the tsuba on a sword and have good reason to remove the plugs I would recommend just leaving them alone. I think they look nice given the sukashi design. Can I see a photo of rim edge?

Hi Sergei, Bushū is a province not a school. A province attribution is the only thing that is given on the NBTHK Kicho paper. It terms of time period of production I agree with Kevin mid to late Edo Period.

Hi Christian, Yes I would completely agree what Mr. Haynes had to say about the tsbua was very similar to what you sent me via PM. But it is always good to get more than one expert opinion. :D Hi Everyone, The book that Christian is referring to is Nobuiye Tsuba by Iida. Here is a link to Grey's website for more information about the book: http://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/books/c199-nobuiye-tsuba-full-translation. I did some searching and determined that I have a full English translation of this book. The style of the translation is very good and reminds me of the work of Markus Sesko. Here is a link to his wonderful blog: http://markussesko.wordpress.com/. I purchased this English translation from Pete Klein back in 2011 after the Tampa show when he did a wonderful presentation about Nobuie tsuba. I remember him presenting a Nobuie tsuba with old 1960s dated Tokubetsu Kicho papers with the same attribution as my tsuba that went up for auction on Yahoo Japan Auctions (http://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/). I would say this show and presentation of Nobuie tsuba is what set the seed for me to acquire the current tsuba.

Hi Everyone, I received a call from Bob Haynes yesterday morning while at work. I was happy to say I wasn't busy and could talk for a half hour. He thanked me for sending the nice photos of my tsuba to him. I sent him photos for six tsuba that I was suggested by Arnold F. to get his feedback about. Here is just what he had to say about the Nobuie tsuba taken from the notes I was able to write while talking to him. It is not perfect account as I am not a professional note taker but I tried my best to actively listen. He wants me to bring the Nobuie tsuba to the Tampa show next year as he will have a table at the show with Elliott Long and wants to see my Nobuie tsuba and the NBTHK paper. :D

Hi Jeff, I remember seeing it right after you purchased it. Really great tsuba! Thanks for sharing it on NMB. Don't really care to much about the linage of the Bushū Ito school. Mostly I just put then into two groups the many I don't like and the few that I do like. Your tsuba is in the small select group that I do like.

Hi Everyone, Another case in point why it is important to purchase from known collectors on NMB or established dealers in various countries. Lately I have notice a few NMB members contacting me via PM after falling victim to similar scams. I am going to start a free search service on my website for tosogu. Please contact through my website or via PM with your requests and I will do my best to find the tosogu.

Hi Everyone, I did some research back on my old notes from a few years back and here is more information I found in regards to the wide mei Nobuie from Steve W. and Rich T. These are direct quotes with Rich T. typos and all with absolutely no paraphrasing on my part.

Hi Everyone, Not sure everyone reading this topic is aware of how the NBTHK views the wide mei Nobuie. They have always viewed them as gimei both historically and currently and will not issued them papers. This I think is a major obstacle that needs to be overcome for there to be more research in Japan. Not sure what the other organizations such as the NTHK and NTHK(NPO) view is on the so called wide mei Nobuie tsuba. Maybe major members of these other organizations that know English and are NMB members can reply.

Hi Brian, I agree Tim did a wonderful job of coming up with so many examples of the so called wide mei Nobuie. One observation I have made is that the NBTHK with both the old or the new papers don't attribute a early Nobuie tsuba to a specific generation such as the 1st or 2nd generation. Of the one NTHK(NPO) paper I have seen for a early Nobuie this was also the case. Does anyone have an example of a Nobuie tsuba attributed via shinsa by a major group (NBTHK, NTHK, or NTHK(NPO)) to a specific generation? P.S. Here is a new photo that display the mei nicely on my tsuba. Enjoy...

Hi Ford, Again your are misinterpreting my statements. I was not stating a fact but a hypothetical possibility that might be interesting research for a scholar who can read ancient Chinese and Japanese. I am on much better terms with Markus S. so I might ask him if someone has already done this or if it can even be done. Everyone this topic is growing old very fast for me and I am not going to waste any more time on it. Goodbye.