Japanese tsuba were produced in many different materials.
Common examples include:
Iron
Shakudo
Shibuichi
Copper
Brass
Mixed-metal alloys
Iron tsuba may focus on forging, surface treatment and openwork, while soft-metal pieces can feature detailed carving, inlay, gilding and complex patination.
The material itself does not determine value. Quality, rarity, workmanship and attribution are usually more important.
What determines the value of Tsuba?
The value of an antique Japanese Tsuba depends on several factors.
Many Tsuba collections are inherited without detailed information.
You do not need to know:
The maker
The school
The period
The material
Whether the signature is genuine
Whether the piece is certified
Its current value
Clear photographs are usually enough for us to begin an initial assessment.
What photographs should I send?
Please send:
Front view,
back view,
close-up of the seppa-dai,
close-up of the nakago-ana,
rim / mimi,
any hitsu-ana,
signature or inscriptions,
close-ups of decoration,
any visible damage,
storage box,
certificates,
provenance documents.
Photographs taken in natural or neutral light are preferable.
Avoid aggressive cleaning before taking pictures.
How the selling process works
Complete the form below and upload clear images of both sides of the tsuba and any documentation.
We assess the material, workmanship, condition, attribution and collector interest.
We may request extra photographs, measurements or provenance details.
If the tsuba is of interest and an agreement is reached, we will explain the next steps for payment and secure delivery.
Condition and patina
Tsuba do not need to be in perfect condition.
We may consider examples with:
Surface wear
Minor oxidation
Old patina
Small losses
Historical repairs
Worn gilding
Minor edge damage
Please do not polish or aggressively clean an antique Tsuba.
Original patina can be an important part of both the historical character and collector value of the piece.
We also purchase complete collections of Japanese Tsuba.
These may include:
Iron tsuba collections
Kinko tsuba
Sukashi tsuba
Nanban tsuba
Signed examples
Certified examples
Mixed schools and periods
Tsuba with storage boxes
Large private collections
For larger collections, you do not need to photograph every piece individually at first.
Overview photographs and detailed images of the most important pieces are sufficient to begin.
Not sure whether your Tsuba is authentic?
You do not need to authenticate the piece before contacting us.
Japanese sword guards can be difficult to assess because later reproductions, modern copies and altered examples exist.
Send us clear photographs and whatever information you have available.
We can determine whether the Tsuba is relevant to our area of specialisation.
Sell your Tsuba
If you own an antique Japanese Tsuba or a collection that you are considering selling, send us photographs for an initial specialist assessment.
Individual pieces, signed tsuba, certified examples and complete collections are welcome.
What our customers say
SupeinNihonto was born from years of dedication to traditional Japanese martial arts such as Aikido, Kendo, and Iaido, and a deep passion for collecting authentic samurai weapons and armor.
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Great atention from the stuff, all the question was nicelly answered and the armor was very decorative and real gorgeous piece of art. Very happy with everything! Many thanks Supein nihonto!
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Erika L
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Compré una armadura Gusoku y todo muy bien, tenía algunas preguntas y Eric ha sido capaz de contestar todo lo que no sabía, llegó todo muy bien embalado y bastante rápido. El Kabuto es muy bonito y está muy bien conservado.
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Eric T
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J'ai pu échanger de visu avec Eric. C'est un vrai passionné, qui maîtrise son sujet. Je le recommande vivement, surtout dans ce milieu ou le meilleur se mélange avec les pires escrocs
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Daniel L
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Hervorragende Dienstleistung, Qualität und persönliche Betreuung! Ich habe bereits drei Stücke von Supein Nihonto gekauft und hatte nie Probleme. Nach schlechten Erfahrungen mit anderen japanischen Händlern – lange Lieferzeiten und sogar ein verlorenes Paket – bin ich zu dieser Firma gewechselt. Ich werde ihnen treu bleiben und meine bereits beeindruckende Sammlung weiter ausbauen.
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Mik B
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Ho acquistato da Eric un’armatura samurai di grande fascino e qualità, e l’esperienza è stata eccellente sotto ogni aspetto.
Fin dal primo contatto si è dimostrato estremamente professionale, competente e disponibile nel fornire tutte le informazioni richieste, accompagnandomi con trasparenza durante l’intero processo di acquisto. L’oggetto ricevuto corrisponde perfettamente alla descrizione e alle aspettative, con una cura nei dettagli che testimonia una profonda conoscenza del settore.
Ho particolarmente apprezzato la serietà, la correttezza commerciale e l’attenzione riservata al cliente, qualità oggi sempre più rare da trovare. La spedizione è stata accurata e l’armatura è arrivata in perfette condizioni.
Consiglio vivamente Eric a collezionisti, appassionati di arte e cultura giapponese e a chiunque sia alla ricerca di oggetti autentici e di alto livello.
Grazie ancora per questa splendida acquisizione che rappresenta uno dei pezzi più interessanti della mia collezione.
Mik – Roma, Italia
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Emanuele S
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I had an excellent experience with Supein Nihoto. I purchased a katana and a wakizashi, and both pieces are truly beautiful — carefully selected and of remarkable quality. You can immediately see the attention to detail and the seller’s passion for what he offers.
The packaging was also exceptional: all the documentation was perfectly arranged in a refined envelope, which added a very elegant touch to the whole experience.
As a thoughtful gesture, he even included a small katana kake stand as a gift, which I greatly appreciated.
Beyond the objects themselves, the seller was very helpful, responsive, and clearly knowledgeable. His selection is outstanding, and you can tell he deals in genuinely fine items.
Highly recommended — I would definitely purchase from Supein Nihoto again
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Dimitrios K
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Legit dealer of Japanese treasures ! This man loves his work is not just reselling items, at first he is a collector and does this out of true passion.
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Burke J
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I received a beautiful tokubetsu hozon nihonto for Christmas from Supein. Actually my wife purchased the sword after receiving some helpful hints and recommendations lol. She knows absolutely nothing about nihonto but Supein walked her through everything honestly and I ended up with something beyond my dreams and expectations, honestly. The packing was exceptional, shipping fast and the sword itself a literal work of art. Supein has a lifetime customer now as my collection grows. Thank you!
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