Mark Green

Sweet!!!! Very nice tsuba. Thanks for sharing. Mark

Personally, I think the back side of Ford's tsuba is brilliant. My favorite part of the whole tsuba is the subtle carving of water current around the inlaid moon. It draws your attention to that spot, and everything else is just candy. Flawless! The inlaid, and then carved branches, and pine needles is flawless as well. Plus, it looks to be homemade iron. Simple elegance.

I'm not sure Dennis. My example is a bit more structured. Mine has 5 globes, then suguha, 5 globes, suguha. Same on both sides. Yours is a bit less organized. That could have been planned, or not. Still kinda cool though. Plus you don't see it a lot.

Hi Denis, I have a Echizn Nobusada, of about the same era with a very simular hamon. No one has been able to put a name on mine either. I think Chris has it about right. Kind of a mimi-gata Gumome-midare?? Mark G

I love that tsuba. Simply elegant. I'm sure you can help control the rust. Mark G

What, no spark test??? That would have made his article complete, and a lot better! Thanks for sharing. Mark G

As many times as it was remounted, I would say it was a well loved sword. It looks very old, and very used. Too bad about all the edge damage. More pics Matt. Full sword, Boshi!!!! Nice find. Mark

Yes sorry, I should have qualified as ' Bones like effects'. Most of the old Samurai armor I have played wit,h did seem very thin, as far as the metal parts. A lot of orerlaping was used, and of course, the thick lacquer added quite a bit of strength. Most of the parts, seemed to be a softish iron like metal. A lot of the body armor parts you could just about bend with your fingers, with a good bit of pressure. Mark G

Hi Gang, This is indeed a great talk. In the past couple years, I have done some extensive research, and testing into fire treatments of tsuba. Mostly in my quest to re-create "bones". I have tried these treatments on grade 1 Japanese & Chinese Tamahagane, lesser grades of these, all made the traditional way. Many modern steels, and more recently, many grades of my own iron & steel. I will publish all this sometime soon, but right now I'm so busy making stuff, that I don't have the time or inclination to write it all up. Most of these tests involve heat treatment to high temps, and acid baths after, to remove the fire scale. Then the used of abrasives, and back again for more testing. The tsuba, I have completed using these methods do have a certain "look", much like Dave's tsuba does. That was what I was talking about with reguards to experience of knowing how some schools did their finish work. But, it would still be just a guess, as to the temper, and carbon content. These heat treatments are very difficult to do on thin sukashi. Solid plates are easier. But to get anywhere near melting your plate, forget it. The "look" is created by the acid & abrasives used after. It does make for a nice finish. With a solid plate you can get close to "that" hot, but then you risk having to straighten up the warp you may get. It just isn't worth it. Can you make bones? Yes. There are a few ways. But it is impossible to recreate the 2-600 yrs of rust & wear. One day I will do a big write up on all the work. With this "Rabbit in the moon" tsuba, I hand chiseled all the sukashi, and did multiple heat/acid treatments. You can see it has a bit of that "melted" look. This is my steel. On this one, I did the same. It is grade 2 Japanese tamahagane. It has less of the melted look. But I could not let it get as hot. This is modern, mild steel. The same process. It gives a nice look.

Many, many, many many!!!!!!! And then some more. Mark G

Even if he made the tsuba in question, he would only be guessing at it's carbon content. And, If he had been the person doing the 'tempering', he would still only be guessing at it's hardness/toughness. If, he knew the tsuba was made of 'sword' grade steel, and had spent the multitude of hours trying to chisel/saw through it, he may be able to say that "Yes indeed, this one was a bugger to cut through, regardless of how much I annealed it". And then, could have a close guess. However, holding, and maybe tapping on, or any other test you may do on a finished, patined, tsuba, would just be a guess, at best. Even if you were a Jedi. I have been making my own iron and steel for my tsuba & blade work for a little bit now. I would think that the Japanese likely use the not so pretty parts of any bloom for making tsuba. Even after doing 6-8 folds, this material can have many impurities in it. This can make them very tricky to work with, when doing sukashi especially. If Torigoe, had been able to do some form of stress test on a few thousand tsuba, he may have been able to make a better guess due to where it was made, or by whom. That was likely what he was doing. Without the testing. He may have been able to tell a tsuba had been 'heat treated' in some way, that could have resulted in a tempering process. And, from this, may guess that it is tougher in some way then another. As to carbon content, he may have had knowledge of the normal construction/forging process of the tsuba school in question. This could give him a close guess on the carbon content. Or he may have devised a 'ring' test of some kind. but, that wouldn't be very scientific. Even if he were spark testing those tsuba on a grinder, it would still only be a close guess. ?????? Mark G

My guess would be Shin-shinto. I have a couple of tanto with near exact same shape, signed by early-mid 19c smiths. very thick much like this, and not looking like they have been used much, as they were likely not. You see very few Shinto period tanto, as they fell from use. In Shinshinto times they made a big comeback. It sure doesn't look koto to me. To me, the fittings look to have much more Sori, then this tanto. But, they look nice. Not a yoroi doshi. imho Just a tanto Mark G

I like your tsuba Dave. I think it is a Bungo made tsuba! Mark G

Pretty!!! That doesn't look like it was cut down much??? Congrats. Mark G

I would say that polish looks pretty good. Not sure it could stand another polish. Nice sword. Congrats. Mark G

It is new, but I think it is nice. I don't really care for the patina. But I like the other parts. I think it would look quite nice with some of Master Ford's crusty copper patina on it. Mark G

Hi vetgirig, I hope you don't mind, But I had to post your pic so I, and others, could look at it without hurting our neck. I like it. A lot of spacers have been removed. Nice patina. I'm not sure about the attribution. Likely Edo period though. Mark G

Curtis, And Gang, I use this wax on every new tsuba I make. It has become the last step in my patina process. I put it on when the metal is warm enough to melt the wax, do a light hand buff, and it's good to go. It will protect them from peoples sticky fingers I use it on fittings, and wooden sword & knife handles as well. I haven't tried it on new blades, but it may work fine. It is a great product. Mark G

Hi Gang, Thanks for all the info. George,---- The fittings that came with this sword are these: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7448 viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6597 Mark G

And the sword papered: Etchu Kunimune school. Lots of koto generations, all the way back to Uda Kunimune, son of Kunimitsu. Cool.

If you have windows 7, and maybe others, look at the top line on your computer screen. Just after the address bar you should see a little icon that looks like a ripped piece of paper. It is the "Compatibility view" tab. Clock it, and the page should refresh in a better mode fixing most of these problems. Maybe. Mark

That is one interestingly funky tsuba! Not monkey, Shishi. Doesn't look like a peony though. Maybe a cherry blossom. Or the artist never saw a peony? Shishi with three finger/paws???? Very funky Dragons. Looks like a talented grade schooler made this? Have you looked up the kao? There may be a list on line somewhere. Interesting, Mark G

Hi Dave, Very cool get! Did I miss the pics of your sword somewhere? Mark G

This tsuba, and smelting stuff, is all about fun for me. I have one of those dayjobs that get in the way. Mark

Thanks gang. Yes Chris, you have to do quite a bit of folding and forging to get the iron from bloom to tsuba blank. It takes a bit of practice. Getting better all the time. Here is a tsuba designed by master Ford for me. That I made out of homemade iron/steel. Here is another I made from my homemade steel, that I chisel cut all the sukashi. It was a bugger. It should have been a blade. the steel was very tough. The Rabbit in the moon.