Your opinion? (Sakura Tsuba)

[Drago]

Hi,

 

I found this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/250989406793

 

What do you think? Genuine? Age? Worth the price? Quality?

 

And a beginner question: If I bought a genuine tsuba to fit on my blade, is it acceptable to modify that tsuba (e.g. enlarge the nakago ana so the blade fits)? Or should one only buy tsubas that fit from the beginning? Or only tsubas with too large holes so when making the hole smaller (by hammering the edges) you don't lose material?

 

Thanks.

[raven2]

Hi Tobias,

 

Certainly looks OK to me. I would say early to mid Edo. Also it is not acceptable to alter the tsuba (esp by hammering it or enlarging the nakago ana). You should find one with a nakago ana that fits your blade.

[Jean]

Genuine

 

Worth what you are ready to pay for.

 

Taking into consideration you intend to modify the ana by filing, don't buy an expensive one and not a kinko one. Beware of the patina.

 

Slightly under katana size (3 inches) though I have seen wakizashi tsuba size on uchigatana.

 

FYI, across the ages, tsuba have been filed to be adapted to a nakago or filled with sekigane depending on the tsuba nakago ana size. I suggest the second solution

[Drago]

I see...

 

How do I find out if it is kinko or not?

 

Sekigane? I'm afraid that is beyond my level of skill. Just filing is no problem... So if I decided to have that one I'd have to have someone do the skigane fitting.

[Henry Wilson]

Kinko refers to soft metal tsuba which is any metal except iron. The tsuba in question looks iron, (possibly Toda school) so not kinko.