rematron

Wow! Good eye, Dan! Now THAT is expensive taste! Really beautiful tsuba though.

Thank you for sharing @Kurikata ! That is indeed a wonderful tsuba! All you need now is fuchi/kashira and you'll have a whole matching koshirae!

So essentially what’s up for auction is a $3,000.00 story…

These are great! Very similar to the point that the ones I purchased are copied or possibly the same artist. Probably copies/tributes. The fuchi design is almost the same but a bird instead of a smaller weasel as a prey. And the bottom menuki is similar as well. I am very impressed by the coloring of these ones. Great attention to detail. Thank you very much for posting these examples @Spartancrest . Now I’ve got a name and a school I can search as well as a possible timeframe. I’m thinking mine were later tributes but more to research.

Exactly. Yet, there they are together… Did I miss something? Is there a link I didn’t see? When I see a sword and a scabbard posed nicely and intimately close to each other (albeit the wakizashi is resting on its poor kissaki), I feel that the intent is to show a set. And someone stupid enough to pose a Japanese sword on it’s tip might also believe that this scabbard went with it. And here they are. A nice looking saya and a wakizashi that was used as a tent stake.

How is this interesting and what can be learned from it? The saya looks almost as long as the whole stupid sword. Obviously Frankenstein’d. How long does a description need to be to justify presenting a piece of crap like that as a Masamune. If the dealer had any confidence in this monstrosity, they’d send it for evaluation. No. They want some sucker to buy it thinking they might get a treasure for cheap. Maybe the same dealer who is selling the ‘ghost sword’ for a cool million.

helping

Are you discussing the small black/dark grey pattern in the shinogi?

“scary tsuba” in s a fun google search!

Oh! I'm late to the conversation... I just was thinking: "Have I missed something blatantly obvious in my few weeks on the forum?"

I thought this was the TSUBA section? Tosogu For the Discussion of Genuine Japanese Tsuba and Fittings

Sure looks like it! Or perhaps a sleeping mask...?

It’s got the ball in its mouth so it’s a kitsune guarding an Inari shrine as per Piers’ observation.

Yeah and the kanji gets smaller and smaller as it goes down the nakago as they’re realizing they’re running out of room and trying to squeeze it in. A very amateur move for an experienced smith.

LOL. @Spartancrest beat me to it!

Not sprouts but this is from Henri L. Joly:

Hi Bruno, I purchased the menuki in question and am starting to research their origin. Do you know any information about the period, province and/or artist that created yours? They look similar in color and technique to mine.

This thread is great!

Nice! “Kanpai” !

That thing is amazing looking. The photography gives it an acid etched look though but I guess that’s just an effect?

Hal, it is a real Nihonto. That much is certain. @Jacques D. Is correct that we are speculating and that measurements would be good information for members here to help in that speculation. And as you stated, you are okay with that. But as far as whether it is fake? It is not fake. How old it is, where it was made, and by who are all the things that are hard to tell from photos. @Jacques D. is just warning you to take the speculations with a grain of salt. And it sounds like you understand that. You will never truly know until a very knowledgeable person holds it in their hands but you will probably get more opinions from other members about these questions in the coming hours and days. From what I’ve seen on this forum in the past, the current amount of contributors to your inquiry is quite small and I’m expecting it to grow. No promises though. Members do tire of speculating over photos of unpolished Nihonto and participation can be hit or miss.

It’s neat to see one photographed. I’ve only ever seen them in woodblock prints or art such as this:

It looks like the hamon extends well into the habaki and at least a little bit into the nakago to finish that last arch. Maybe?

Much better. There’s the hamon! I think you’ll get some good feedback now. I wish I were more experienced. My very limited experience says late Muromchi. Maybe koto. A lot of those blades are o-suriage meaning they were shortened by chopping the nakago. And the sugata (shape of the sword) has a deep enough sori (curve) to be pre-Edo. Now we’ll see if I’m right… This is my first time posting an opinion so hopefully I don’t embarrass myself too much. I’m probably too green to be guessing at all. I’m gonna shut up now. Hahaha.