When Necessary

You need to strip em off, Swords! That big old tsuba means one of them is packing much heavier junk. 😉

Hi Jake! Many, many thanks for taking the time to chime in - that's very much appreciated. Taking on board your observation that I had said other examples were way more beautiful than mine, this is absolutely true. But other examples of this school are just 'meh' - so mine wouldn't be the first not to shine. Actually, I had never even heard of this school until I got this guard - but then my tastes often run contrary to the mainstream (for example, I think Goto, however finely made, just looks like 'rapper bling' and I wouldn't touch it even if I could afford it) I'm still trying to find the thread I copied and pasted this from but I think this quote about the Akao metalworkers is interesting: "Therefore their work was rarely, if ever seen by the general public. This isolation resulted in the public never becoming familiar with the school, which in turn prevented them from being desired by the masses or widely copied by other schools." So why bother gimei for something not even in popular demand? Anyhow, this very interesting discussion has really piqued my curiosity so I've told my brother In Japan to hold onto the guard and we'll try and submit it into the next NBTHK shinsa. If they say it's wrong, I will accept it without a murmur and let all you guys know immediately. If however, they pass it, I sure hope I don't start hearing the common complaint nowadays that "the NBTHK fittings shinsa is no good anymore"! 😉 Dee PS: I managed to get slightly better shots of the Hozon piece's signature (left) next to mine (right). Yep, there are small differences - but hell, there are differences every time I sign something in pen and these were both chiselled on steel. Otherwise, I still think they look pretty darn close.

Hi Swords, Have you weighed the blades naked (I mean the swords, not you)? One of them has a much bigger, heavier guard. Dee

Two warning signs for me: the hamon starts at the hamachi, whereas it should run on into the tang if it's been shortened. Also if it's been so greatly shortened what are the engraved Kanji characters doing that far up the blade?

Mmm. What about these examples from the same school in the Ashmolean Museum Oxford England? (Oh, I know the last one has decorative punch marks but it's exactly the same shape.)

I can see mine has sharp angled 'lower walls' the others don't (if that makes sense)?

Thanks Peter! I trust your 'old' eyes. 😊 If it's gimei, I can live with it because I buy a design not a signature and I never send anything for papers anyway. However, when something is wrong I'm happy to hear about it - just like my cast tsuba which didn't turn out to be the great bargain I thought it was! 🤣 Dee

Hi again Peter! @BIG This is a really interesting thread on this school from way back in 2011. There's a couple of guards which are way more beautiful than mine but have that same signature. https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/8808-akao-school-maybe-similarly-constructed-but-different-motif/#comment-88789 I'm still trying to find another NMB thread where I found the following quote from John L. while I was researching my tsuba: "Haynes lists no fewer than five artists, working in Edo between the second half of the seventeenth century and the first half of the nineteenth century, whose mei was AKAO YOSHITSUGU. Most of the work of this school is in the soft metals, but the early masters, living in Echizen, worked in iron, as did occasionally later artists. It is difficult to attribute a particular artist to Mike's tsuba (six of these artists' mei are illustrated on pp.609a-610b of Kinko Meikan) but it probably dates to the eighteenth century - H 12227.0 or H 12228.0? John L."

Hope you feel better real soon and can have a relaxed vacation! Dee

Hi Peter, Your example is on shakudo which I agree shouldn't make a difference to the signature but I believe there were several generations who signed this way. This is another example also with Hozon papers. If you compare these signatures they look pretty close: https://tsubashi.com...chool-w-nbthk-hozon/ Thanks! Dee (Hozon left, mine right)

3 more.

Hi all, Well, one recent purchase was cast but I think I got it right with this one. Everything I buy In Japan goes to my brother first (because he's based over there) so I rely on his pictures - but this is looking good so far I think. Please let me know your opinions Thanks as always! Dee

That's absolutely beautiful!!! I'm so jealous!

Real sorry for the late reply Michael! That advice was very helpful indeed and I'm trying it myself now - I'll let you know how it turns out. Thanks again! Dee

You caught me - I'm casting them now! 😉

Well, my brother just got the guard in hand and it's cast all right! Now I have to decide on a paperweight or a wind chime! 😂 Many, many thanks to everyone who gave their opinion! Dee

Very true Jake, that's why I'm not worried either way. I should've spent that 3300 yen on a book about tsuba though! Thanks! Dee

Thanks Jean! Another vote for the paperweight! 😁

Hi Dan! Oh well, then as I just said to Dale it'll make a real conversation piece as a paperweight! 😂

Hi there Dale! Not in hand yet. I took a chance on it because I tagged on the very end of a bidding war between two guys who had been upping each other by 100 yen all day. Boy, they must have been pi$$ed when I made one bid 5 mins from the close and got it for ¥3,300! 😁 I agree with your assessment about the overcleaning but I'm pretty optimistic it's not cast. 🙏 At the very least I'll end up with one helluva cool paperweight! 🤣 Many thanks! Dee

No medical conditions in the answers please! 😉 I buy what I like just because I like it - but it sure does help when I get lucky in auction and pay peanuts. And I did just that yesterday! A nice big, square, iron tsuba - 7.5cm × 7.4cm × 0.6cm thick. Cause for concern, maybe: Rough iron surface or plain ol' corrosion? No sign of ever being mounted (punch marks). Iron bones on one side or a casting seam? 😳 So, please tell me what you think I've bought this time folks (and feel free to let me have it straight - I'm a big girl). Thanks again! Dee

Hi Stephen! Yep, they try to fleece you head to toes nowadays - that's for sure! My brother is a real boon when it comes to getting stuff on auctions but he will probably get moved next year. Dee

Yes Jean! After seeing the first one I'm spotting them everywhere now! I know what you mean about the round Akao tsuba - the ones made out of shakudo can take your breath away (like Akasaka for super-refined samurai)! Mine is just a big old iron example and I'm not even sure if it's a fake signature. But, as long as I'm not paying big prices, I buy because I like the object - plain and simple. Dee

IMHO it's a tachi cut down to a katana. The overall shape, position of the 3 peg holes and the 'run-through' grooves all point to that. Finally, the tang would have been cut down much shorter if it was ever intended as uchigatana. And hey, why even bother when Mino and Bizen were churning them out in the thousands? This has been cut down way later to conform to katana standards.

Good for you Jeff!!! There are a lot of true experts here who handle treasures you and me could only dream about. They share their wisdom freely and generously - I have benefitted from it myself many times in my short time here. unfortunately, there are others who turn a beginners question into an opportunity to 'score criticism points' and maybe they forget how discouraging it comes across sometimes. i like your sword and, if you do too, nuts to the gainsayers.