Pete Klein

http://page14.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/s513200777

Whoever came up with that display frame is a real artist also. Each tsuba has it's own custom holder. It's quite remarkable in it's own right. Very impressive!

ROFLMAO!!!

Perhaps ask Gordon? He is on Facebook. A link to the Aoi page offf the item (Japanese language page) might assist.

Mercury???

Well, sometimes it all works out. Many years ago, there was a kozuka I wanted at Ginza Choshuya but as I had a lot of irons in the fire at the time I procrastinated until a friend ended up purchasing it. It went far away and I figured it was gone for good as the new owner pretty much said he was never going to sell it. I asked him if he 'EVER' decided to let it go to please ask me first. Well, all these years later, I received an e-mail last weekend and today, Christmas Eve, I received that kozuka all the way from Australia, the best Christmas present ever:

http://touken-tousougu.sakura.ne.jp/kansho/kouza4/tousougu6.html Here it is attributed again to Natsuo.

Thank you, John! So very much appreciated! I am thinking this is a tanzaku / kiwame mei then. Most likely a menuki, but it is also quite possible that the piece might have been made for another use, such as a clasp. Doesn't matter, still amazing craftsmanship and artistry.

If someone would be so kind to translate this picture Brian and I would be very grateful!

I just received the first volume and it's a tome! Absolutely amazing. Markus did a fantastic job! Pete Klein

Guido's post poses a bit of a conundrum...

Brian -- it actually ends with 'batter' but I changed it to 'betta' using my Chicago accent for a double entendre and some comic relief, even tough Ed really doesn't need that...(I'm a gon'na get it now)! LOL

Hey -- Batter, batter, batter, batter, yah gotta sw---iiiiiiing, betta... (lol)!

http://www.thesamuraiworkshop.com/university/content/7/55/en/niku-hira_niku-and-tameshigiri.html http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/niku.htm

The shinogi being thickest part of the blade allows a greater cross section thickness as opposed to the hirazukuri which is flat from ha to mune and along it's entire length. The shinogizukuri format also decreases drag when cutting as opposed to the hirazukuri where the entire side of the blade is in contact with the object. Therefore, you get both increase strength with lower drag. The shinogizukuri also allows the yokote format of the kisaki which increases strength while allowing shortening the tip of the sword. PS: I see Arnold posted while I was typing.

Ok -- Ford had a comment to my observations which he deleted leaving only an 'I dunno' which I quite honestly find to be a bit unfair as I had replied 'to each his own' to what he posted, my intent being IOW's that we can have our own opinions - big whoop. Now we have someone asking, "What's next ? Should this tsuba be destroyed as a fake "? Gentlemen, every member here has the right, actually the 'obligation' to share their observations and experience when/where called for. If you disagree with a posting, good for you. Fill us with your enlightenment, but don't go shuffling the deck mid play or jump to irrational conclusions simply because someone disagrees with you. The images I posted are the four printed in Wakayama, 'Toso Kodogu Meiji Taikei' which is one of the two meikan used by 'ALL' of the shinsa organizations so rest assured I didn't just find them somewhere at random and post them. I see issues with their construction which leads me to question if this is actually by said artist. I would have required an NBTHK shinsa result before paying such an amount. That's it. What escapes many is that there were very highly skilled craftsmen in Japan who made their livings by faking these items and it is imperative that the serious collector be aware of this and not rush to emotional judgements.

As I wrote, to each his own.

I have some serious doubt on the validity of the mei. There is a gap in the fluidity between the recorded mei and this one and the gold kakihan is set at an angle which is a bit strange for an item supposedly of high quality. Here are scans of the page from Wakayama vol. II: I have commented on this buyer in the past and it seems he has no problem with throwing large amounts of money at un-papered items. What he does is his business but I do not see this value on this piece. Each to his own, of course.

"Or is it just a "flashy" polish for the US market"? Yah -- we don't do it till it got da righteous 'Bling' thing happenin.

Stu - I believe you meant the second and third are Masa Yoshi. The first is Ryu, the fourth is Kore and the last is Saku. I believe this is the same maker: Here: http://kako.nipponto.co.jp/swords2/KT217383.htm

This was helpful to me: http://www.nihonto.com/abtartkaneuji.html and this more so: http://www.nihonto.ca/shizu-3/ PS: Jean -- thanks so much for bringing this up as I've learned a lot today about something I knew very little about!

Good decision. Rusty junk.

Cue Paul Martin.

Payment sent and thanks much! Peter B Klein DDS

春: Haru I get the feeling that it was added after the tagane as the lower right should have been obliterated by the tagane. It's not a mei as there is no sign of anything below this character. The inlays look like they have been cleaned. It is possible they were added to an older tsuba. I hope this helps in some way.