Information On Tsuba

[AndyMcK]

Hello gentlemen,

 

I have this tsuba in one shinto blade that has had some rougher life. Could you tell me more on it? Not too knowledgeable on tsubas. And also in some for sale section people talked about those dovetail cuts and I remembered that I saw them in some of my tsybas fitted to a blade so tried to get them also in the shots.

 

Thank you for any help!

 

Antti

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Antti,

The dovetail cuts in that other thread are on the outside of the kotsuka/kogai hitsu-ana and are unusual.  This one is on the inside and not uncommon.  Yours used to have a shakudo strip placed to protect the soft metal kotsuka or kogai from scratching as it is inserted or withdrawn through the tsuba.

No idea why this tsuba is so badly scratched; doesn't make sense.

Grey

[AndyMcK]

Hello Grey!

 

Thank you for the information! And as for the scratches, I presume the previous owner/owners treated the tsuba with similar care as the blade.. it had been given a good once over with steelwool or similar...

 

Any info on the style/school of this kind of tsuba?

 

Antti

[Ford Hallam]

Those scratches are actually just really rough filing marks. Someone has given all of the outer surfaces a real going over with a coarse file.  What ever it once was it's now destroyed. But I rather suspect it may in fact be a cast copy.

[AndyMcK]

Thank you for the information Ford, well if there is nothing special about it, it can continue to accompany the blade or go to a shinsakuto project. I tried to find those usual casting marks from the inner surfaces but there seemed to be none, maybe due to the rigorous filing.

 

Antti

[Ford Hallam]

usual casting marks from the inner surfaces

 

 

It's not always wise to trust those as the only give away. A clever caster will position seams on corners where they can more easily be removed after casting.