Bought a tsuka

[DoTanuki yokai]

Hi, i bought this tsuka because  of the menuki. It was advertised as an edo piece.  Im not very experienced with fittings and wonder if i spend my money well. It wasnt expensive. I will recive it next week.

Thanks 

[ROKUJURO]

Christian,

that is a very humble TSUKA in not so good condition (IAIT-TO?). You bought it for the MENUKI, but what do you know about them? I would expect them to be of the same very simple quality as the FUCHI-GASHIRA set, and this can mean that they are only made of sheet metal, formed in a press-mold. The KIRI MON design is not necessarily a guarantee of better quality!

Anyhow, let's hope the best, and when you have dismounted the MENUKI, please show them here to prove that I was wrong!  

[DoTanuki yokai]

Maybe you are right and i learn something.

Ok then lets hope best and i will show them when i get them.

At least they dont look like cast ?

[ROKUJURO]

Christian,

you will see it when you look at them from the backside. In my personal view, cast is still a lot better than press-molded.

[DoTanuki yokai]

Just a picture with my phone seems good  

[ROKUJURO]

Christian,

as far as one can see from the photos, they are good! Close-ups will tell more. The FUCHI-GASHIRA may be simple, but it looks well made. So let us see some good detail photos.

[DoTanuki yokai]

Here it is, what do you think ?

[Stephen]

Good working samurai fittings . less is MORE!

[Bazza]

I absolutely agree.  Not everything "good" has to be dripping with gold or covered in exquisite workmanship.  These fuchigashira are to my mind and eye very well made bordering on excellent (brickbats welcome!).  It is a pity, methinks, that the tsuka has been separated from its blade and koshirae.  I'm thinking this came from a Shinshintou katana.  The "eye-hole" in the kashira should tell a story, but I can't read it.  I actually rank the fuchigashira above the menuki.

 

BaZZa.

 

 

[DoTanuki yokai]

Thanks for your input,

so can i assume from the color of the fuchigashira that they are made of some kind of shibuichi ?

[DoTanuki yokai]

I think the condition could be better but looking even closer at the menuki they look also well made. Can someone tell me what kind of gilding this is ? Was it done with this „gold butter“ (mercury-gilded) or is it some kind of lacquer? 

[Tanto54]

Difficult to tell for sure from photos but the menuki look like they could be solid gold (low karat).