Are these tsuba real?

[Xander Chia]

What’s up with the mishapen nakago ana? Not the first I’ve seen but have always wondered how/why they have an irregular shape.

 

There are also two kogai hitsu ana and the tsuba is thinner around the seppa dai in some parts (irregular), almost as though it is sinking in.

[Spartancrest]

2 hours ago, Xander Chia said:

What’s up with the mishapen nakago ana?

It is fairly common - I know in most cases it can look odd and unattractive but as a rule it is totally invisible when the tsuba is mounted. The result of 'heavy' tagane-ato [punch marks] designed to fit the guard tightly to the sword tang [nakago] often it is more severe when the guard has been mounted several times to different blades - it shows to some extent the history of the piece. This one from another thread has similar lopsided nakago-ana and clearly shows the heavy tagane-ato.

If it distresses you to look at, it can be covered by a seppa as it would be when mounted.

 

At the far end of the scale some tsuba have the seppa-dai completely removed for mounting on Naginata or Nagimaki.

http://www.nihonto.us/ONIN NAGAMAKI TSUBA.htm

[Xander Chia]

15 hours ago, Spartancrest said:

It is fairly common - I know in most cases it can look odd and unattractive but as a rule it is totally invisible when the tsuba is mounted. The result of 'heavy' tagane-ato [punch marks] designed to fit the guard tightly to the sword tang [nakago] often it is more severe when the guard has been mounted several times to different blades - it shows to some extent the history of the piece. This one from another thread has similar lopsided nakago-ana and clearly shows the heavy tagane-ato.

If it distresses you to look at, it can be covered by a seppa as it would be when mounted.

 

At the far end of the scale some tsuba have the seppa-dai completely removed for mounting on Naginata or Nagimaki.

http://www.nihonto.us/ONIN NAGAMAKI TSUBA.htm

Wow, I would be so puzzled with the bottom one if you didn’t mention it was for a naginata/nagamaki. I do understand that punch marks can cause these sorts of deformities, but I’m confused because that tsuba does not have any.

[Spartancrest]

20 hours ago, Xander Chia said:

two kogai hitsu ana

 There are many tsuba with symmetrical hitsu-ana and they can come in a multitude of shapes - I wonder if this gives some versatility in the mounting? Which is the omote or ura on these ones?

3 hours ago, Xander Chia said:

I do understand that punch marks can cause these sorts of deformities, but I’m confused because that tsuba does not have any.

 

Perhaps the nakago-ana was cut back by a file to fit the nakago  - it is unusual though. Why is it off centre?