Sliver? Tsuba

[Stephen]

Its gone past my pitiful funds, i do so hope a member wins and haves it re patinaed. if so please show

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/272266201482?_trksid=p2047675.m570.l6026&_trkparms=gh1g%3DI272266201482.N34.S1

[SwordGuyJoe]

Out of curiosity, how would one have it repatinated

[Brian]

I think it is flash silver plate over brass/alloy. But that's just gut feel.

[Geraint]

This would do it.  http://www.kernowcraft.com/products/silversmithing-and-tools/sundries/item/silver-solution-c125

[rkg]

It looks kind of pink, so is this piece shibuichi? -  maybe the darker patches around the mimi is where the idiot who did this didn't clean as carefully?

 

If it is shibuichi , you could send it to Ford or Brian T to get it fixed, or you could probably just get any oil/wax, etc  off it and let it self-patinate....

 

Best,

 

rkg

(Richard George)

[Stephen]

Any of Ford den could do it..come out nice suaka...that i like so much...no bank or i would.

NOT sliver plate

[Ken-Hawaii]

I'd think pure silver was too soft a metal (Mohs = 2.5) to use as a tsuba. I sent them a message asking if it is all silver, or just plated. No answer as yet, & I don't think I've ever gotten an answer from edoantiques.

 

Ken

 

[Stephen]

One can see it use to be a nice deep copper color. One of the smittys could tell us.

[Ken-Hawaii]

Hmm, interesting. Frederic says that it's made of silver. Wonder how believable that is? Ford?

 

Ken

 

[Baka Gaijin]

Good afternoon Ken.,

 

I have a Tanto in Silver mounts, the Tsuba is pretty close to this:

 

http://art.thewalters.org/detail/13247/silver-tsuba/

 

Pure silver would be quite soft, but 800 to 925 would work.

 

As you say, Silver is 2.5 on the Mohs scale, Copper is 2.5 to 3.

 

So it may be possible as a decorative example.

[Geraint]

Dear All.

 

Are we not getting carried away here?  Is this not simply a copper tsuba with katakiribori of a type quite often seen that someone has decided to pretty up as Brian suggested?  Hence my suggestion of silver plating solution, removing the silver plate would be tricky and all you would have is a copper tsuba which could then be repatinated if you thought it was worth it.  Solid silver tsuba are found but this isn't one of them

 

Delighted to be wrong on this one but.........check this one out. http://www.nihonto.us/RED%20COPPER%20TIGER%20&%20BAMBOO%20TSUBA.htm

 

All the best

[Stephen]

Rich is closer,

 

 

It looks kind of pink, so is this piece shibuichi? 

 

not sliver plate, with proper work it would look closer to this, 

 

Ford or Marcus will prove me wrong, Kevin is getting ready for Japan so doubt hes looking in here.

 

think sliver is just a word seller mislead everyone to bost sale. 

[Brian]

Sorry Stephen, but that is a silver coating over the base metal. Yes..I agree, that is probably the original colour. But for now, it is coated in silver. By an amateur. Didn't go that way naturally. And it is silver colour now....thin. And should be removed.
Seller is not boosting the description. That is what is there right now.

[Kevin Adams]

I think the question we need to be asking is whether this piece is even worthy of such discussion. The katakiri technique is weak, and the composition is a little strange - I think this is relatively late-period amateur work, if not modern. The surface finish is almost certainly a flash plating over copper - any attempts at restoration would depend entirely on what's under that surface treatment...but I'm not certain it would be worth the effort or expense. 

[Stephen]

good enough for me