Jussi's Collection (Updated 25.10.2013)

Well now onto swords. I really need to get better lamps instead of these energy saving lamps, as during winter it gets pretty dark in here. So unfortunately the pictures are bit dark and blurry as they were taken on my phone...



From top to bottom:

Wakizashi in handachi koshirae, made by Sadanori. Out of polish blade with mei Kaga no Kami Sadanori, I think this is shoshin based on many facts, yet I'm too inexperienced to say for certain. I'm believing this is possibly around Genroku era work by him. Some day I will hopefully get this polished and possibly on the same trip sent to shinsa, to get an expert opinion.

Wakizashi in shirasaya, mumei. This is pretty nice blade. Age unknown, I need to get senior collectors to see this in their hands, so they can offer more insight.

Tachi in shirasaya, made by Kuninobu. Nambokucho tachi with mei Kuninobu, this is the diamond of my collection. I love about every feature on this sword. Funny detail is that even NBTHK was unsure of the province so they wrote kuni fumei on the papers, it's intresting. I just love this sword.

Katate-uchi in koshirae, made by Sukesada. Well even though this is only of wakizashi length (in modern classification) but as this is koto blade with some intresting features and made in Sengoku era, reading my sources this fits the Bizen tradition work on the borderline of kat&waki. Therefore I classify this as katate-uchi due to features this sword has, even though this might not be the typical katate-uchi. Mei: Bizen Kuni ju Osafune Sukesada, made in 11th year of Eiroku. I really like both the koshirae and the blade.

Last Legend MK IV

Bugei Little Crow

Last Legend Kumoryu in Odachi length that I'm mounting as tachi. Process has been slow, and as I lack skill, I have to use help in this project to get it to look like I want.

Cold Steel Nodachi

Paul Chen Odachi



From top to bottom

Paul Chen Bushido

YarinoHanzo Dotanuki, it's under the works, and will most likely change it's appearance from the state it's in this pic. I'm bit disappointed in my own wrap, but I lacquered it so it's really tight.

Paul Chen Practical XL

Japanese made mogito, I salvaged this for 20€, as someone used this to cut tree branches and broke it. Blade is welded back together, but the fittings are worth over that 20€ even though they are of cheap quality. And tsukamaki shows the great Japanese worksmanship, so studying it is also worth that 20€ alone.

Regular saya-bokken

German hunting sword/hanger from the early-mid 1700's, in pretty bad condition.

Arms & Armor Nordland Axe



From top to bottom

Replica of African Masai/Other Central African tribe sword, I don't know where this originates and it's not actually a sword in current state. Only the leaf shaped tip is sharp, rest of the blade has no edge and is almost 1cm thick, so it's more like a mace with sharp head. I got this very cheaply and it's fairly nice decorative item. My poor pic doesn't show the pretty nice burning patterns in the handle.

Cold Steel Shamshir

Yataghan dating to 1864/1865, the date is the only part of the inscription I have been able to get out. This is actually probably the best find I've gotten. Picked this up at local collectors fair, first thinking it might be a Turkish tourist piece due to very low price and the mishaps, but I couldn't pass a yataghan at low price and as the seller didn't know what this was I used the mishaps to bargain it even bit down. It's in ok condition, and appears to be authentic, so I'm very happy with it. Maybe some day I will be able to get another Yataghan in better condition.



On kake, tired Yoshimichi wakizashi. Age is possibly shinshinto, but nothing spectacular on this as the condition is very bad.

Tuplapuukko by Iisakki Järvenpää. Puukko is the traditional knife in Finland. This double puukko is made by one of the biggest puukko production companies in Finland.

Tanto, possibly made to get money from occupying forces. Could have been made from a broken piece of blade as it's very crude.

Puukko, old puukko found at swap meet, have been used by me in regular use, good knife, in rough condition.

Last Legend cap, hey these must be collector items too. Got a couple of these from Mike at SoL when I ordered my LL years ago.



Having a stand on your kitchen counter = obsession. Well I have really small apartment so I have very limited space.

First piece is very intresting. The scabbard is from antique store in Estonia, couple years from that I found a dagger made from brass? at swap meet, and it fits perfectly to this scabbard. A novelty piece but I like it, the small dagger feels like it weighs as much as a sword.

Finnish bayonet

Japanese Type 30 bayonet



2 Deepeeka helmets sitting on top of tachi kake. These were up to auction at decent price, so I snatched them, both are of ok quality, I'll need to make some work on them in order to get them fully functional.

Well that's my collection in it's current state. Only sword not included in pics is Windlass 1 1/2, as it's at my parents.

Of course I have huge list of swords & related items that I would want in my collection. My collecting focus will be even more set on antiques in the future, but there is a good number of production blades that I would like to at least see and have for a short while. And I would love to own some custom pieces as well. The list is almost neverending...

Nice collection.

ooh you got a Hanwei Bushido katana ftw

Very nice collection Jussi, with some serious reading in those books, very impressive.

Then onto swords, first up my Japanese wall, once I get my custom tanto stands I'll be able to get all my Japanese stuff here.




From top to bottom:

Wakizashi in shirasaya, mumei: Been really thinking of sending this to shinsa as this has been puzzling me.
Tachi in shirasaya, made by Kuninobu: Nambokucho era 1331-1392 tachi with mei Kuninobu.
Katate-uchi in koshirae, made by Sukesada: Mei: Bizen Kuni ju Osafune Sukesada, made in 11th year of Eiroku.
HSTS 1095 Beater Katana
Customized Hanwei Practical Elite Katana
WKC Practical Dragonfly Katana
Customized Last Legend Yashima Ronin Wakizashi
Bugei Little Crow Tachi
Missing from the pic is Last Legend Odachi which is getting new clothes

Left and right are the guardians, Hanwei Odachi and Kensei Odachi.



Tanto in shirasaya, made by Sukemune: Attributed to Shimada Sukemune and Taiei era 1521-1528.
Scissor Katar



Ford Hallam tsuba, Flamingo



Hanwei Tori Tanto
Unknown Tanto
Iisakki Järvenpää Tuplapuukko
Arisaka Bayonet



Yataghan dates to 1864/1865
Tulwar from 1800's
Cold Steel Shamshir
Brass Dagger



2 L Driggers Axes
Arms & Armor Nordland Axe
Finnish Bayonet



From top to bottom

CS Nagamaki
Bokken
Universal Swords French Hussar Saber
Hanwei Scottish Claymore
Hanwei/Tinker Early Medieval Single Hand Sword
Windlass German Hand&Half
Albion Baron
Customized Valiant Armory Hedemark




And last some oshigata.

Don't know how I missed that Hallam tsuba. Gorgeous!

Then onto the stuff that people want to see.



Ford Hallam tsuba and tamahagane



2 Fallen throwing axes
A&A Nordland Axe
Finnish bayonet



CS Nodachi that I'm working into a custom nagamaki, it's too big for anywhere else in my apartment. I'll have to make a stand for it in the future.



Arisaka bayonet
Broken saya
Bokken
Tulwar from 1800's
Katar
Yataghan dates to 1864/1865
Scissor katar



Windlass Zweihänder is missing, I'm working it to a fantasy sword
CS Shamshir
Universal Swords French Hussar Saber
Hanwei Claymore
Customized Windlass German Hand&Half
Hanwei/Tinker Early Medieval Single Hand Sword
Customized Valiant Armory Hedemark
Customized Deepeeka Hersir (in the works)



Tanto in shirasaya, made by Sukemune: Attributed to Shimada Sukemune and Taiei era 1521-1528.
Customized scrap tanto
Iisakki Järvenpää tuplapuukko

And finally the best part of my collection



Tachi in shirasaya, made by Kuninobu: Nambokucho era 1331-1392 tachi with mei Kuninobu.
Tachi in shirasaya, made by Kanemoto: Possibly around 1450's tachi with mei Kanemoto.
Custom YarinoHanzo Katateuchi
HSTS 1095
Customized Hanwei PPK
Customized Hanwei PPW
Custom tachi koshirae by Brian Dreier, blade might be Chris Zhou production stuff
Customized Bugei Little Crow
Custom Last Legend Reinami 3000
Hanwei Odachi
Customized Kensei Odachi

I think I won't ever totally stop collecting production swords, there is just too much value for the money to be had in some of them. And of course swords are fun.

It's awesome to see that someone knows Finnish history and actually has collected Finnish militaria.

Well it's time for a yearly update with pics. I've been reducing my collection and at the moment I am kinda satisfied of the current size of it. As I don't cut or practice martial arts I really don't need more than few production swords. From now on I'll mostly focus on nihonto (like I have been doing) and improving the quality of my collection as far as production swords are concerned. I will eventually kinda want a good longsword and I have few good options in mind.



On top you can see Hanwei Claymore & Windlass Zweihänder I'm customizing to be a fantasy sword with very long handle. Snatched a scabbard to it from another Windlass piece and it fit perfectly. Also A&A Nordland axe is up there along with drinking horn and blowing horn. I think this setup with two twohanders horisontally looks pretty cool. Right bookshelf has most of my nihonto books, you can see my profile for book list.



The two tsuba I own. Left one by Ford Hallam and right one is probably from 1800's maker Kunihiro but unfortunately I don't know which one of them.



Kuninobu Tachi
Kanemoto Tachi
YarinoHanzo Custom Katana
Bugei Little Crow Tachi
Del Tin / Shane Allee Viking sword (I snatched the scabbard from VA Hedemark)
Hanwei Cawood
Hanwei Odachi
Last Legend Custom Odachi

I do still own couple other swords as well but I really don't consider them part of my collection as I am actively selling them, and few knives didn't make in the pics. At the moment I feel like somewhere around 10-15 swords is good size for my collection. I feel that now every sword that I own is important for me.