Jwizz

Thanks for your replies! I appreciate this advice, thankyou Jean. I do have a few books i should definitely give the time to read. Definitely worth it to me, it isn't the most impressive blade but being so important to me, I get a bit upset seeing it dressed so poorly haha. I think I will slowly hunt for new bits and learn to wrap the ito. Definitely a decent sized shopping list haha. Not in any hurry and thoroughly enjoy browsing the web for bits and bobs anyway, I may very well give making some bone or horn pieces a go! The blade is mumei and i belive it to be edo period, but am unsure. Being sentimental to me i still think it deserves better koshirae

Hey guys, this is my 1st nihonto piece I picked up last year. Its a bit of an eyesore but sentimental. I have recently got the itch to look for a new tanto or wakazashi. But I decided it would be better to instead upgrade / improve the current state of my 1st tanto. The Saya definitely isn't made for the blade, the Tsuka fits surprisingly well but the ito is frayed. Should I replace the koshirae completely? Buy new fuchi/koshira and learn to re wrap ito? What do you think? Any help, tips or advice is greatly appreciated.

Hey guys, Am looking to buy tanto tsuba for my collection. Would LOVE to find one with rat/nezumi motif. But am very happy to see what you have to offer. Budget $250aud Thanks, Justin.

AHHH! Why do i love rats so much?! I may need to take out a personal loan! https://www.jauce.com/auction/n1185137

All VERY nice pieces, ^ this thing is of nightmares and I love it haha I found a couple interesting nezumi bits in the wild recently: This I found out is a replica. although I'm having trouble finding the original, it's a very pretty design. This Rat fuchi though

Oh that's a very nice rat tsuba!! I especially adore the mother rat. Parent wildlife themes are surprisingly more common than I expected

That is a shame, i think i will experiment with the saya at least. will give me a decent project and hopefully a more respectful resting place for the blade and perhaps I'll look into getting the tsuka rebound. Thankyou again, Colin, for all your assistance and words of wisdom / affirmation.

Thankyou, I got it for around 500usd and am rather fond of it. Imho for me, it's a perfect introductory piece I was hoping to learn as much as possible about it but having a bit of mystery isn't an issue at all. Makes me wonder where it's been/what it's seen. I didn't intend on getting it polished, perhaps in the future i will. The koshirae like you said, doesn't fit very well. How difficult do you think it'd be to find koshirae that would be a better fit?

Measurements;- - Nagasa: 20cm / 8 inches - Nakago: 9.5cm / 3.74 inches A few more detailed photos. (I hope) I will also add, it isn't sharp at all. Thanks again for any help, comments and or insight.

Yes, I believe so

Thanks heaps, Jake! It was love at first sight haha, I have had so much fun learning about it too. So I'm glad y'all enjoy it! And look forward to finding more rat/mouse designs for my collection. As for your guess; I feel like you maybe onto something. Especially considering @Spartancrest's comparison. Such elegant use of contrast and empty space on both pieces. Thanks a lot to everyone for their insights and comments!

May I ask what gives you this impression?

It is honestly a lot more glossy/reflective than what I was expecting. (Unsure if that's good or bad) It seems to have a bit of iridescence, I assume due to being overly oiled perhaps?

20cm / 8inch

Thankyou all for your insight! I am very excited to have my own nihonto to study and clearly have A LOT to learn! I will try to post more detailed photos/measurements later today.