David Price

Randy Please add me to the list. Thank you for providing this reference to us. Dave

OK, I see the "tada" but wow...if that is "Kane" it is a mess Thanks Chris Dave P

Hi all Looking at a Type 98 Gunto with a TAN (KITAU) stamp. So...hand forged (I do see clear hada) but oil quenched? I do not have photos of the blade yet. Also, not much luck translating it yet. Need more practice :? . What do you guys think? Dave P

I am shattered 30 children sit at school and wait for their parents... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1366898/Japan-tsunami-earthquake-30-children-sit-silent-classroom-parents-vanish.html I fear my arms are not big enough to shelter the people of Japan Dave

Is there any proven connection between the smith Kawachi no Kami Nagakuni and Miyamoto Musashi? I can find very little about this smith. Some swords that are said to have been owned by Musashi were made by Nagakuni but some sources say that Nagakune was born too late and would have been about 12 years old when Musashi died. A third hand source says that in his writings, Musashi told his students to seek out swords made bu Nagakuni. Thanks Dave P

New post with photos. http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8231 Opinions please. Thanks Dave P

Photos of a wakizashi signed "Kawachi no Kami Nagakuni" and "Oite Hishu Kumamoto Saku Kore". Original post http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=8202 Opinions please. These photos are not the best. If needed I will try and get better ones this weekend. Thanks Dave P

Thanks all, I will try and get photos next week. I am happy that I did as well as I did with the translation. It wasn't that long ago that it all just looked like "chicken scratchings" to me. Dave P

Gentlemen I got a chance to briefly view a very nice looking wakizashi in shirasaya that the son of a WII vet sold to my friend’s gun shop. It came along with a Type 44 carbine that had it’s mon ground off. This wakizashi looks very nice. The condition of the polish is very good with very slight surface rusting that may clean up with very gentle cleaning with uchiko, It is not bad enough to warrant a repolish. The shinogi is very clean and crisp. Under bad florescent lighting it looks to be in a hadori polish with suguha hamon and O-mokume hada. I was not able to get photos of it. It is a fairly wide shinogi-zukuri blade with a copper habaki. 18”-19” nagasa, lori-mune with chu-kissaki or maybe a longish ko-kissaki, ko-maru boshi and very nice 1 ½” long nagashi on the mune-saki The nakago is ubu, I think funa-gata with (if my memory is correct) katte agari yasurime. The nakago has a dark patina with some lumpy rust on it and is signed on both sides. As a beginner that is trying to learn I ask for your help with the translation. This is the best translation that I can come up with. I welcome any help with the translation and additional information. I will try to get photos to post of it. Hopefully after I buy it! :D The gunshop owner is showing it to a few people that he knows that buy Japanese swords trying to get a value for it. Omote mei 河 内 守 永 國 “Kawachi no Kaminaga Kuni” would be “Kaminaga of the Kawachi province” Not sure about “naga”. Ura side mei 安永 Era = a sloppy "Anei"? 1772-1781 肥 Hi / Shi / Koe ? ? 本 Hon? 作 Saku = made 之 Shi / no / Kore? Thank you Dave Price

Gunto koshirae?!?! I must say that I find that more than a little unsettling Dave P

Both! Dave P

That about sums it up! Very nice set Dave P

Even if it is the work of a American smith, (I have not seen any "production" swords from China that look this good!) I would think that it's value has been lowered if the mei has been removed. I think it looks similar to some of Rick Barrett's katana and his typically bring $3,000 to $5,000. If it is from DiCristofano, well... his work is harder to find and higher priced. The photos of the other Nihonto also look very similar. The patina on the nakago of very troubling. From the photos I must agree with those that say it is artificial. I cannot say that there was/is any attempt to deceive. I have seen people rust a nakago on a new blade to get the "proper look" just for their own pleasure. Ether way, I believe that having removed the mei and aging the nakago has lowered the value of a fine katana. Dave P

It looks that the tip of the boshi is completely broken off in this photo . I had Chris Osborne look at it and he also thinks it would be a waste of time and money to try and reshape the kissaki. There just does not appear to be any tempered steel left at the tip of the kissaki. Very sad. Dave P

John (Stuart) and John (L), thanks for your comments. Stuart, do you favor Mito because of the style of the floral work? John L., I was leaning towards Nara because of the hammer worked plate. Although I am a rank beginner so my determination was a just one step removed from a "SWAG" :lol: Also, please explain the "C19" reference. Which book or other source can I find this in? Thanks Dave P

The nakago is ubu and mumei. Regrettably, someone force fitted a saya to the katana. They cut out the ha side of a random saya so the habaki would fit. And the saya was too short for the blade . I bet the tip of the kissaki is still in the saya! Unfortunately, the blade is ruined ! Dave P

OK, frist off...I am a beginner trying to learn (hopefully from others mistakes). I think this is a Nara (or Ko-Nara?) tsuba. Am I correct? I don't think is is a very good one as the stag looks like a sheep with sticks on it's head . The color in the first two photos is closer to what it looks like in-hand. Any thoughts or constructive comments? The fuchi & kashira that came with it I believe are also low quality. The tsuka does not show any signs of having ever had menuki. The mimi has what looks like white paint rubbed on it. It is not a casting seam. Thanks Dave P

Question...with a tsuba like one in the post by PeterD above where the art work is the same on the omote and ura, I have been told to assume that the omote is the the side with the yose-tagane. That way the narrower habaki is fully supported and the yose-tagane is under the wider fuchi which does not need as complete of support area. Is this correct or just an "old samurai" tale? Dave P

George Check out the "Restoration packages" page on Fred Lohman's site. http://www.Japanese-swords.com/pages/restore.htm He list new liners for $300. I am sure he can also take care of the dents in the outer saya skin. Dave P

The tsuba can save you fingers/hand in the makiosae (wrap block). In this block you are trying to control/deflect the opponents attach and wrap your blade around his as it passes by. If you are a bit slow, his sword will strike or glance off of your tsuba. It's saved my knuckles on more than one occasion !! Dave P

Dave, I don't where you come up with this BS, but please stop. It's not what I'm saying at all! Where do I say " that because someone is Japanese they are therefore automatically more qualified to assess aesthetic quality in nihonto/tosogu than a non-Japanese would", huh, where? Where do I say, " that Italians are naturally better gondoliers than others would be", huh, where? Where do I say, "that cultural knowledge is passed down genetically", huh, where? Stop twisting my words into what you would like them to mean to suit your own view points and arguments. Sorry Franco but that "quote" is not from any of my posts!! It looks like part of one of Steve's posts above mine Dave P

I have difficulty, philosophically; with these types of tsuba (I think hama-mono is a correct term this style). They where clearly never intended to be mounted and thus are nonfunctional as a sword fitting. They are tsuba only because they have a nakagoana. Perhaps by having the design purposely encroach on the seppadai the artisan was stating that their work had transcended that of being parts for a weapon and have become purely art. Don’t know…just the ramblings of a low ranking student. Dave P

Just for the record...I personally hate the term "XXX like object" and only used it here to invoke discussion. Even the worst made decorative “wall hanger” sword (another term I dislike) is still a sword. Just a very poor example that that has no place in my house! I for one certainly do not think that the work of western or non-Japanese artisans is any less just because of where they were born or where they live/work. AFAIK Barrett, DiCristofano, Sorrells and other smiths are not allowed to submit their work because they are not licensed sword smiths and by law, their work is not allowed into Japan. If this is true, then does it not show a double standard? Hallam, Hastings, Tschernega (the habaki on my DiCristofano is one of Tschernga’s ) and others may submit their work, but only swords made by licensed Japanese sword smiths are allowed into Japan. I freely admit that I do not know if there are rules for who may submit tsuba and other items that are not swords for judging so I may be embarrassing myself . It wouldn’t the first time nor unfortunately will it be the last time! Dave P

Maybe some would think that this is a better analogy: "Edo kinko = Fine sushi and saki served by an excellent restaurant; Momoyama fine iron = A chunk of freshly caught fish and water from the same stream. But then again, who am I to say. Dave P

Just to "throw fuel on the fire" from a different direction.... Can/should Ford's work (or Patrick Hastings') be called "Tsuba" or "tsuba like object"? To many, if a sword is not made in Japan, from Japanese made tamahagani, by a Japanese smith, then it is not a "Katana" but a "katana like object". I think that to many the work of Rick Berrett, Anthony DiCristofano, Walter Sorrells and others, while they may be very well made, are "katana like objects". In this light, if the swords by the above mentioned smiths cannot be called "Katana" then why/how can Ford's work can be called "Tsuba". By the way, I think that Rick Berrett, Anthony DiCristofano, Walter Sorrells forge wonderful "Katana" and that Ford Hallam and Patrick Hastings (and others) make outstanding "Tsuba". Dave P