Examples of "all around" sekigane

[Deez77]

Hello all,

 

I wanted to share (what I would guess is) a rare occurrence when it comes to sekigane, one piece that is wrapped around the entire inner part of the nakago-ana. A bit of research makes be believe this is called 全周責金 zenshū sekigane. Does that sound right? Do others have examples of this? I am guessing this is just a more "high-class" way of refitting the tsuba, no?

 

Damon

[Spartancrest]

 

 

  

These two examples from a thread in 2020       

 

 Half full sekigane https://varshavskycollection.com/collection/tsu-0297/

 

 

 

[Lee Bray]

27 minutes ago, Spartancrest said:

 

 

 

    

 

 

This sekigane and the copper insert on the kogai-hitsu-ana were made and installed by me about 15 years ago so please don't think it's an antique addition.(Not directed at you, Dale, just in general.)
I was selling the piece and the buyer wanted to install it on a sword he had so I added it so it would be closer to the dimension of his nakago. I figured it was a better way to do it than the buyer using a punch on the actual tsuba.

[Hokke]

5 hours ago, Lee Bray said:

This sekigane and the copper insert on the kogai-hitsu-ana were made and installed by me about 15 years ago so please don't think it's an antique addition.(Not directed at you, Dale, just in general.)
I was selling the piece and the buyer wanted to install it on a sword he had so I added it so it would be closer to the dimension of his nakago. I figured it was a better way to do it than the buyer using a punch on the actual tsuba.

That is exceptional work, very clean and precise. I would love to pick your brain in the future if I ever attempt this. 

[Spartancrest]

23 hours ago, Deez77 said:

Do others have examples of this

Not entirely relevant to this thread but the design of the tsuba in the first post is very close to this one found in Malcolm Cox's Echizen Kinai download 

 

[Deez77]

Thanks a lot Dale. Yes, very similar indeed 

[Kurikata]

Coming back to the main topic, one of my tsuba where the copper insert intends to repair the damages done to the nakago ana to fit a new blade.

[rkg]

Here are a few of my pieces that have been repaired like that which I could access images of easily...

 

 

 

 

Best,

rkg

(Richard George)

 

[Spartancrest]

7 hours ago, Kurikata said:

damages done to the nakago ana

Hi Bruno, that round section in the nakago-ana - do you think the tsuba was mounted once on a Yari? Very nice guard by the way. 

[Bazza]

Or perhaps and umbrella??  I have seen an identical 'style' on a member's tantou tsuba.

 

BaZZa.

[Kurikata]

14 hours ago, Spartancrest said:

Hi Bruno, that round section in the nakago-ana - do you think the tsuba was mounted once on a Yari? Very nice guard by the way. 

Yes indeed! It was probably mounted for a pole arm. Thank you for your kind words....

[Kurikata]

2 hours ago, Bazza said:

Or perhaps and umbrella??  I have seen an identical 'style' on a member's tantou tsuba.

Never seen such an umbrella. Should you have pictures of such an umbrella, i would learn something new on an every day usage of tsuba.

[ROKUJURO]

This one is more like a repair:

 

[Spartancrest]

  Auction image upside down https://www.jauce.com/auction/x1192628486

[Spartancrest]

On 7/15/2025 at 12:31 AM, Kurikata said:

Yes indeed! It was probably mounted for a pole arm. Thank you for your kind words....

Bruno, drifting off the topic but have you seen this? https://www.jauce.com/auction/b1190180124   Suitable for a trident !!  

[Kurikata]

Thank you Dale! Yes indeed , it is a very specific tsuba for a very specific polearm... let us discover what kind of yari will fit it !

As a matter of fact such unusual nakago ana have been discussed in this thread: 

 

[Baka Gaijin]

I've just been researching an Edo period Boro Textile assemblage and encountered the term Mottainai 勿体無い. 

 

(A bit deeper than "Make Do and Mend" in the mid 20th Century UK).

 

Is it possible that many of the unorthodox ana we encounter today are a result of Mottainai?

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boro_(textile)

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mottainai

 

[Kurikata]

Another more recent thread with plenty of weird nakago ana , the vas majority of them found by Dale (@ Spartancrest):

 

[thutson]

I have an Ichijo shakudo tsuba where the nakago-ana has been completely retro-fitted, probably some time after initial manufacture. You can see in the angled pictures that the alloy used is a slightly different colour than the black/blue of the tsuba. It's an extreme conversion and shows that the piece was important to someone but as to why it was done, your guess is as good as mine.

 

Best,

Tom

 

[Brian]

Beautiful job Tom.