Folded tsuba?

[Dan tsuba]

So, here is my latest acquisition from Ebay.

$117 dollars with shipping within the U.S. (I don’t want to pay the tariffs from Japan!).

I have always liked the sea cucumber motif.

Anyway, I don’t think it was too shabby of a deal.

I got to looking at the tsuba and I noticed something in the nakago-ana and the hitsu-ana.

Has the metal of this tsuba been folded over?

Included pictures below are of the tsuba.

Then the close-up pictures (taken by my digital microscope) are views of the nakago-ana and hitsu-ana.

Those close up digital pictures at the bottom of this post showing the paper clips have to be clicked on and downloaded (and I think you have to be signed into the forum to see them-I don't know why?), yes I am computer illiterate (but at 75 years old, I have an excuse!).

If this tsuba has been folded, it is the first tsuba that I have that shows that.

I would appreciate the opinions of other tsuba collectors, since my knowledge of tsuba is extremely limited!

Thanks!

 

 

 

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[Robert S]

Well, it certainly looks layered, with some pretty significant delamination which has happened over the years.  Layered doesn't necessarily mean folded, though.  Could equally just be two pieces of steel not quite perfectly forge welded together.

[Spartancrest]

   This one looks like a "negative" version to Dan's, the raised areas have been cut away in this one.

 

I can't help thinking of a horse shoe when I look at it.