Curran Posted April 26, 2010 Report Posted April 26, 2010 Okay... putting aside that this one looks like it was altered for WW2 service (cliphole)- http://www.aoi-art.com/fittings/tsuba/F09869.html What do Ford and other's think has gone on with the surface of this one: Loss of heavy laccquer? Patina somehow shorn off? or just a rusty scaly bugger waiting to be loved back into some semblance of its former incarnation? I like the tsuba, as I'm a sucker for the rings design. I don't want to say this one has been in a fire, because while it looks like it at certain places... I don't see the pie crust flake, boil, or dryness in abundance that usually confirms cooked tsuba. Any opinions? This is just for my own curiosity. Quote
sanjuro Posted April 26, 2010 Report Posted April 26, 2010 Curran. No way of knowing for certain of course, but it seems that it has been cleaned at some point then rusted from lack of attention. What was there before the cleaning is anyone's guess but it would appear to have been originally lacquered perhaps. The iron looks to be quite good. IMHO Quote
george trotter Posted April 27, 2010 Report Posted April 27, 2010 Curran san, I have seen a number of firarms that have been in fires. Initially, they are a mixture of "matted" surface and sections of "smooth/blued" surface. If left exposed to air they slowly take on rust in the matted areas, leaving the "blued/patinated" areas free from rust. This tsuba looks to me like it also has been in a fire and laid undisturbed in a shed or shelf somewhere and has taken on rust in the "matted" areas, leaving the "blued/patinated" areas untouched...just an opinion based on observation. Whether this heating (if that's what it was) has had a detrimental effect on the tsuba, I can't say for sure...certainly it would probably not be "unsafe" as a firearm would be. Perhaps it can be restored? Regards, George. Quote
Curran Posted April 27, 2010 Author Report Posted April 27, 2010 I played with a fired tsuba in my early days of collecting and learned enough from it to manage to spot and avoid other fired tsuba. Not always able to tell from a photo.... If a person wants to be a serious iron tsuba collector, I think maybe they should own a fired tsuba at some point. Take up a piece of antler or ivory and try to follow the instructions on Jim Gilbert's website as how to work active rust off a tsuba. The results with a fired tsuba might be a pain in the arse, but it is an education that will last a lifetime. Unfortunately, to be sure it often requires seeing it in person. It has been so long since I've dealt with a fired tsuba, that I wanted to see whether others thought this one on Aoi was or wasn't flamed. Quote
Ford Hallam Posted April 27, 2010 Report Posted April 27, 2010 Gentlemen, I have to agree with much of what has been suggested. While it is quite difficult to judge confidently from photos I does look like fire damage to me too. Those "flakes" do look more like fire scale than lacquer to me and the overall texture seems to fit with the effects of severe oxidisation. I think George has described the likely history of this piece quite convincingly. regards, ford Quote
Curran Posted April 27, 2010 Author Report Posted April 27, 2010 Thanks George, Ford, and Keith. As for 'San'.... I am just Curran. Certainly not Sama. Sometimes San. Mostly just. Quote
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