Hector

Please start your own thread rather than hijacking mine.

Thanks Geraint - you helped me dodge a bullet there for sure! 😳 I obviously have a lot more to learn. One explanation in defense of my poor judgement; the blade has been this shape long enough to have an aged looking shirasaya and specially shaped habaki - but I guess any dealer could organize those in order to 'legitimize' the overall appearance.

Hi, My Japanese wife's family has some swords but they are all going to her older brother. 🙄 Shame as there are some interesting pieces. So, I'm newly retired with an itch to scratch and have started looking to pick up one or two more unusual items for myself - and this mumei wakizashi caught my eye. I very much like the asymmetrical style of the blade with one side hira-zukuri and the other shobu-zukuri. Unfortunately, it seems very tired with what I assume are patches of shingane showing through on the shobu-zukuri side and lots of laminar separation on the hira-zekuri side. However, I'm still tempted so I'd value any opinions. Thanks, Hector C

Hi, If this belongs in the Tosogu section then please move it! I wondered if anyone could advise me how to tie a tacoashi (octopus leg) sageo on a tanto? I've tried all the conventional knots but, because of the 'pyramid' weave, it just doesn't lay correctly. Many thanks, Hector C.

Very true - there are some real dumb folk searching eBay, with no idea what they're looking at.

Thank you Dale! Do you have any idea how these tsuba should be mounted? (At a guess, I'd think the hitsu-ana positions are probably more important than the signature. Although, in the case of my tsuba, the side with the mei is also definitely more decorated and therefore more likely to be considered the omote.)

Hi, I would appreciate some more advice if that's okay? I have very simple tsuba where either the (unknown) mei is on the ura side rather than the omote or the hitsu-ana are the wrong way round. With the mei facing upward, the kogai hitsu-ana is on the left and the kozuka hitsu-ana is on the right - a mirror position to the norm, I believe? So, could the mei have been positioned underneath on some occasions? Thanks. Hector C

Very interesting - I wasn't aware of that family tradition. I had managed to semi-understand the Samon(ji) reference and nearly fell for it as the tanto in the auction does look like it's modelled on Sa. (Blade in question on far left with two Sa blades for comparison.) However, it now looks like the inscription in the lid is a counterfeit add-on. That would explain the missing character and mixing up a tachi with a tanto.

Sorry .... Hisako. 🤦🏻 Possibly part of a wedding trousseau?

Dear Mr. Moriyama, I really appreciate your assistance. I was using translation software but something seemed 'off' about this. I think the Tanto was actually made for someone called Hiroko? Thanks again, Hector

Hi, I was hoping for some help on an inscription inside the lid of a box for a modern tanto. i think it has the smith's name, some awards he won and some other details i just can't decipher. Thanking you in advance. Hector C