Opinions on koshirae

[waynes]

Hello everyone, I am waiting to receive a katana that I bought off of another member of the forum( I will be starting a post on the blade when I get it), and am already thinking about koshirae for it. The blade is in shirasaya, where it belongs, but I would like to have a koshirae for it. In all honesty I know next to nothing about fittings so if anyone can steer me in the right direction I would greatly appreciate it. I am not looking for fancy fittings I prefer more modest work. I would really like to do a combination theme of samurai, dragon, and the mitsu tomoe. Here are a few fitting I've found for sale. The tsuba, iron from early Edo signed Sohei Shi Soten Saku. The fuchi and kashira, shakudo from mid Edo not signed seller is attributing to Soten school. The menuki, shakudo unsigned seller is attributing to Soten school. The same seller has all 3 and is selling them separately. Any opinions would be great. Thank you in advance

[Nobody]

Hi,

 

I think I know the motif of the menuki. That must be Hakamadare (袴垂) and Fujuwara no Yasumasa (藤原保昌).

 

FYI;

http://www9.ocn.ne.jp/~kotodama/Japan/hakamadare.html

[Rich T]

in my humble opinion, I think it is good to look at the sword first in hand, and see what response it evokes from you. It is quite with a gentle curve, or ambitious and bold in workmanship and sugata. Take into account it's history, where it was from and what sort of man or woman for that matter may have worn it.

 

Top Hizen work looks wonderful with a simple sukashi tsuba and higo tosogu. The koshirae is elegant and understated, and the sword speaks volumes.

 

Soten work derives from Kyoto originally and a lot of the schools work was ordered from the capital. It would have required that flamboyant feel I think, that spoke of wealth and power in the 1700's. Does this sound like your sword ?.

 

Another point to make on Soten work is that an awful lot of it out there is mid to low end, with a lot in the low end of the scale. The really good Soten pieces are expensive and hard to find. The pieces you have link to be viewed are of that earlier elk. I would think the menuki are better than the tsuba and fuchikashira combined. The tsuba looks to be in poor condition and the fuchikashira are little more than shiiremono (they are poorly carved and the nanako is also badly done). And whilst the tsuba and f/k could work together, the menuki are not of the same school or style in my opinion.

 

Having said all that, this of course all depends on your own budget and tastes. Koshirae is a very personal thing, it would have been that way for the samurai who owned the sword, and it is for us who carry them into the future. I just feel that any sword that is half decent, deserves to be dressed up and shown off in the best possible way.

 

jm2cw

 

Cheers

 

Richard

[nagamaki - Franco]

hi, another consideration in selecting kosirae is the correct size for each of the pieces in relationship to the sword as well as the other pieces, including tsuka, saya.

also, selecting a common theme, like Soten, will not necessarily ensure a nicely coordinated finished product.

It's usually never easy.

[waynes]

Thank you for the input. I don't plan on buying anything until I have the sword in hand, it does appear to have a rather flamboyant hamon though. I'm just getting a feel. I definitely don't plan on getting all of these and going overboard on the theme. Thank you for the link about the theme on the menuki, that's a story that I've never heard.

[waynes]

Hi, here is another tsuba that I saw for sale that I personally like. I'm hoping that one of our members can tell me what they see in this good or bad so that I may learn some more. Also what good books on koshirae should I be getting. Thank you very much for your help it is greatly appreciated. One last thing the opening for the nakago is about 2.5 mm too wide for the blade I'm assuming I could have copper put in to fill the gap is that correct?

[Rich T]

Hi Waynes, I would be suggesting tsuba a cast reproduction from the end of the 1800's or thew start of the 1900's.

 

The only books I know off on Koshirae are in Japanese. There is Satsuma Koshirae by I. Zusho, about US$25 plus shipping from Koshoyama in Tokyo, and Edo Tanto Koshirae and Edo Token Koshirae which are both also cheap and available from Shibata.

 

Sekigane can be added, I have heard of people using copper pennies but I dread to thing hitting copper with a hammer on one of my tsuba. On a good guard, it should be done professionally.

 

Cheers

 

Rich

[waynes]

Thank you for your knowledgeable opinion, again. Like I stated earlier once I have the katana I will be starting a post on it in the nihonto forum and would love to get your opinion on what truly would go with this blade. I would never dream about adding the copper my self on a good tsuba, the money saved isn't worth possibly harming an incredible piece of work.

[Brian]

Just wanted to get clarification on that tsuba. You say the nakago ana is too wide for the blade? If you mean vertically, then sekigane can be fitted to make it fit better at the top and bottom. But if you mean the thickness of the blade is smaller than the ana, ie horizontally across the tsuba, then I am not sure if sekigane would be the right way to go. You see the

punchmarks on the tsuba usually to tighten the fit to the tsuba, but these are limited in the amount of gap they can fill.

I don't think I have seen copper used often on the sides of the tsuba to tighten the fit, and would think that if this is the case, then this tsuba would be a bad fit for your sword (not to mention that I don't think it is a great tsuba either )

There is a good discussion of punchmarks and sekigane here: http://www.militaria.co.za/nihontomessa ... 59&start=0

 

Brian

[Pete Klein]

Here's where it was done:

[Brian]

Thanks Pete,

Quite an unusual tsuba that, and am I right that sekigane does this way is very unusual?

Unusual mei too..what does it say, and can you tell us anything about it?

 

Brian

[Pete Klein]

Hi Brian -- yes, I would say I have only seen this used on tsuba of higher rank. Why this is I am not certain but probably has to do with not wanting to have something on a functioning mount which could come loose in service. I think those I have seen were used for more ceremonial use. It's one thing to have a small copper sekigane at each end and another to have the entire circumference covered. In this case the speculation is that it was designed to be fitted to a ken and then refitted to a katana. (~8 cm diam.)

 

I feel this is a neat one, having NBTHK TBH orgami. The mei is 'Chosen Koku Kunito' done in silver inlay. According to Haynes he died between 1700 and 1750, Chosen Kuni being the country of Korea. "The name of this artist could also be read Kokuchu, Kunichu, or others ways, as we do not know the sound of the original Korean name. The name translates as 'brass country'" (Haynes 03675.0). The construction is interesting as it is actually two iron plates, the omote being sukashi and the ura being lacquered over on the outside with the inside carved with a rock like pattern, held together with a shakudo fukurin. Unfortunately it does not scan well being quite stunning in hand. This will go for juyo shinsa at some point. (Proud father complex showing).

[waynes]

Thanks for the info and the link it was very helpfull. I was refering to the thickness of the nakago ana. I have seen tsuba with a piece of copper at both end in a U shape (of course now I can't find a picture of one) before to tighten up the blade, but now that I actualy think about it that wouldn't be good as that would be the only spots it fits. Pete with a tsuba like that I don't blame you for the proud father complex, best of luck with the juyo shinsa. Here is the link to the katana. Would like to here what the members think would match.

http://militaria.co.za/nihontomessagebo ... php?t=1766

[kusunokimasahige]

maybe a strange question but doesnt the copper insert come loose?

 

how do they attach it? do they stick the nakago in the tsuba and hammer their way around it to make it fit?

 

KM