A hand on this one please

[Chriso]

I must admit that I don't have a very good track record when it comes to my selection of Tsuba, anyway, I was given the attached piece a number of years ago where I relegated it to the bottom draw of my collection of "Things".

 

Before i send it on its way I would like to show it on the forum and ask for any comment.

 

One of the things that i was not impressed with was the permanently fixed Habaki, and the fact that I was originally told that the tsuba was bronze?

 

Chris O

[Peter Bleed]

Chris O

Actually, I think this might be a nice tsuab. I am assumiong that it is iron, right. It looks, however, like the habaki was jammed in there by what I would have called a "Cowboy" until I saw you address. I assume it was a nice old two piece habaki that a non-Japanese decided to ram into the hitsu. In Nebraska, pieces with modifications like this are described as having been "Cowboy'd". I suppose that they are called "Digger'd" in Aus.

If a magnet sticks to the guard, and it was mine, I'd just remove the habaki remnant. It is scrap copper, but the tsuba might be okay.

Peter

[Chriso]

Chers Peter,

The tsuba is definitely soft metal, but although I still don't know much about it, I intend to file it, and not dispose of it. Perhaps one day i may be able to find out a bit more about it.

 

Many thanks for your comments.

 

Chris o

[bluboxer]

Hi Chris o,

that does look strange and would agree with Peter about removing it. There may also be room for some kanji beneath the folded over jacket portion. You might also see a better representation of the base metal once the habaki is gone.

[Toryu2020]

Chris -

While not especially pretty at first blush - I would leave it as is, at least until I was sure it was a cowboy and not an umamawari...

-t

[Chriso]

Just goes to show that i have a lot to learn before jumping to conclusions.

 

Thanks to all for your input

 

Chris O