Nihonto Message Board Forum

Dear all, As many of you already know, I have recently had the privilege of handling one of the most important tōsōgu collections outside Japan. Over the past 12 months I have selected 150 pieces from this collection and written a book on tsuba based on them. Most of these pieces are already known — there are many Jūyō and Tokubetsu Jūyō works, several from the Sasano collection, and other famous tsuba published in various books. However, I have taken new photographs and added information that was previously available mostly in Japanese, and of course there are also some unpublished masterpieces. I have created a page on my website for those interested in purchasing the book: https://giuseppepiva.com/book/ If you are in the US, you may want to wait until Grey Doffin receives his copies, so you don't have to deal with customs yourself. All the best, Giuseppe

Hi there, I have a new sword where I like to know what is written on the shirasaya. Can anyone help? Kindly Christian

Hello I'm researching yaris and am interested in learning more about the longest nagasa yaris known. I'm familiar with some of the well known examples but were there any schools which were known for making particularly long nagasa yaris, (i.e. above 30"). How common are yaris with nagasa over 40"? And, of those known, are they often dated to particular periods, schools, or makers? Regards

Saw a tsuba I really loved the design of - then saw the sandy looking, pitted surface and sighed 'cast'. I just want to check with you guys before irrevocably swiping left. Thanks, Hector

Hello, I am posting here since I recently bought what I think is an Edo period naginata signed Kuniyasu (國安) which I would like to have properly restored before sending for shinsa to be graded. Are there any good/recommended polishers in the US? I'm ok with long waits as long as it is done well (and eventually done!). Otherwise if there are any brokers who would help have it sent to Japan for both polishing and shinsa, I would love recommendations. Thank you!

Hey there, The story of this knife is my Silver Star winning uncle took this from an officer on the battlefield. I know nothing about it and would love to know about it

The Tada Shrine has applied to the Kobe District Court for application of the Civil Rehabilitation Act by August 24 and received a supervisory order. The shrine is said to have been founded in the Tenroku 1 (970) and is known as the ancestral shrine of the Seiwa Genji clan, who were decendants of Emperor Seiwa, hence the name. Enshrined in the shrine are the five family principals of Minamoto no Mitsunaka, Minamoto no Yorimitsu, Minamoto no Yorinobu, Minamoto no Yoriyoshi, and Minamoto no Yoshiie. Probably the most important Japanese family of the Heian and Kamakura era. They are family that destroyed the Taira Clan in the Genpai Wars. Minomoto no Yoritomo, the first Shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate is from this clan as is his famous brother and mythical samurai Minomoto Yoshitsune. The Treasure Hall houses the treasure sword " Onikirimaru " as well as numerous other writings and paintings, and is also designated as a tangible cultural property. The shrine was revered as the guardian deity of family fortune, victory, and protection from evil. However, as financial troubles began to surface around 2023, including a series of mortgages being established on real estate within the temple grounds, the then-chief priest passed away in February 2024. In July of the same year, a deputy chief priest was appointed, but in September of the same year, he had been seized by police based on the decision to begin auctioning off the secured real estate. The shrine has since taken a stance of

Hey all, wondering if anyone had insight to specific generation of Kamiyoshi this tsuba is? It’s quite large, appx 8.3 x 7.8cm and Hozon to Kamiyoshi. The tagane is atypical I think.

well i have this tsuba with a very european them for a namban tsuba. is it 4 goblins?

Dear all, I would be very grateful for your help in translating the mei on this Tanaka school tsuba. Kind regards, Tom

Dear all, I just wanted to open a discussion on the Hachigane type of helmet. They don’t seem to receive much attention, and information about them appears to be rather scarce. They seem to have appeared during the late Muromachi period and remained in use until the end of the Edo period. If you have any factual information, references, sources, or other documentation on this type of helmet, please don’t hesitate to share them here. And if you have an example in your collection that you would like to share, I would be very interested to see it as well. Here is mine.

hello all, i would like to share a bit of a story about a tadahiro that i have.... many years ago i bought a damaged tadahiro on ebay. the damage is so severe that there is no way this sword can be restored. the reason i bought it was because i was curious what a konuka hada looked like in the hand and this was a cheap way to making it happen. indeed the blade is beyond repair but it must have been a very beautiful blade in its hay days. the damage caused deep pits and at some point someone attempted to buff it out. the pitting on the nakago was also quite severe and much of the mei is not visible anymore. hi of hizen is still visible as are the last three words, wara tadahiro. this sword is beyond repair but i do really like it. the sugata is very nice. the hamon is perfect. the hada is extremely fine. even the shape from the polish looks good. the lines are crisp especially the yokote and the koshinogi. it has been sitting bare on for a long time but i finally found a way to protect it cheaply. so far i have modeled and printed the habaki, two seppas, a mumei owari sukashi tsuba, and a tsuka with a bit of decor. the tsuka was too long to fit on the bed so i had to print them in segments and find a way to connect them securely. they are just pla but they do the job. im still oscillating between getting a cheap replacement saya from ebay or modeling and printing the saya in segments. hope this is fun for you guys to see.