Beginner Reading Material?

[seanyx11]

So, I've recently been bitten by the bug and jumped head first into the Nihonto pool.  My Melancholic Temperament makes me want to learn every detail I can about these beautiful pieces of history and art.  Luckily, I've had some help by a gentleman named Arnold F. (seattle1), who also lives in GA, with a wealth of knowledge and recommendations for all things Nihonto.  In my quest for knowledge, I've been looking at every possible medium I can get my hands on.  So far, I've found a few common suggestions from Arnold, bushido.com, and right here on NMB. 

 

The problem is that there are so many beginner (and intermediate as well) books to choose from, and I can only read/study so many books at once.  Plus, all of these books add up and end up being fairly pricey, so I'm not wanting to buy them all at once.  This is where you guys come in.  I need some help with narrowing the list down to some essentials for a beginner like myself, fto start with in my early Nihonto collecting career proper.  The list in the FAQ section, here on NMB, is divided into beginner and intermediate, but even the beginner section is quite extensive, so any help with which ones to get first would help tremendously.  I've already found and ordered a few from the list, as well as from recommendations from Arnold F. and Bushido.com.  Let me know what you guys suggest for my next couple of books from the list or something that may not be on the list as well.

Here is what I have ordered so far:

 

The Samurai Sword by John M. Yumoto

The Japanese Sword by Kanzan Sato

Facts & Fundamentals of Japanese Swords: A Collector's Guide by Nobuo Nakahara

A Primer of Japanese Sword-Blades by B.W. Robinson

 

I've also found these books on Amazon from the list as well, so they can be ordered easily:

 

The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords by Kokan Nagayama

Encyclopedia of Japanese Swords by Markus Sesko

Samurai: The Weapons & Spirit of the Japanese Warrior by Clive Sinclaire

Cutting Edge: Japanese Swords in the British Museum by Victor Harris

The Art of the Japanese Sword: The Craft of Swordmaking and its Appreciation by Kapp & Yoshihara

The Craft of the Japanese Sword by Kapp & Yoshihara

The Arts of the Japanese Sword by B.W. Robinson

The Japanese Sword: The Soul of the Samurai by Gregory Irvine

[Ray Singer]

Additionally:

http://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/books/c205-nihonto-newsletter-yamanaka

http://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/books/b648-token-bijutsu-english-edition-reformatted-fimio

http://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/books/b657-kanzan-token-koza-all-6-volumes

 

I was very lucky that Jim Kurrasch pointed me towards Yamanaka and Token Bijutsu from the beginning.

 

Also, check out Markus Sesko's store here.

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/nihontobooks

[seanyx11]

Thanks Ray I'll definitely add those to my wish list of books for the future.  Those are a bit more expensive than I was wanting to spend in the beginning, but the suggestions are very much appreciated.

 

Do you have any specific recommendations from the Markus Sesko books? 

 

Edit: Those Token Bijutsu compilations separated into Koto and Shinto, seem like they would be an outstanding wealth of knowledge.  Not to mention, a bit hard to find.  I may have to bite the bullet and pick those up while they're available.  Do these come up for sale often?

 

Edit again: Nevermind, they were already sold anyway lol figures.

[Ray Singer]

I believe that the original Token Bijutsu set is $1,800 if you can find one. If I understand collectly that the Fimio version has the majority of the information from the newsletters contained inside and collated, then it is a steal at that price. Available here for $250:

 

http://www.japaneseswordsocietyofcanada.org/Sword_Books.html

 

Yamanaka is another one that is worth its weight in gold, considering how much valuable reference information is provided.

[Ray Singer]

http://www.lulu.com/shop/markus-sesko/e-swordsmiths-of-Japan/ebook/product-22166224.html

http://www.lulu.com/shop/markus-sesko/e-encyclopedia-of-Japanese-swords/ebook/product-21830160.html

http://www.lulu.com/shop/markus-sesko/e-legends-and-stories-around-the-Japanese-sword/ebook/product-20878691.html

http://www.lulu.com/shop/markus-sesko/legends-and-stories-around-the-Japanese-sword-2/paperback/product-20443723.html

 

Do you have any specific recommendations from the Markus Sesko books? 

 

[Gabriel L]

From your initial list, the following two are the most important / high-yield IMHO:

• The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords by Kokan Nagayama
• The Art of the Japanese Sword: The Craft of Swordmaking and its Appreciation by Kapp & Yoshihara

The former is among the more encyclopedic references you can get for the money. The latter explains more about why and how the Japanese sword is the way it is, the metallurgy and artistry and craftsmanship that gives rise to its features.

[seanyx11]

I believe that the original Token Bijutsu set is $1,800 if you can find one. If I understand collectly that the Fimio version has the majority of the information from the newsletters contained inside and collated, then it is a steal at that price. Available here for $250:

 

http://www.japaneseswordsocietyofcanada.org/Sword_Books.html

 

Yamanaka is another one that is worth its weight in gold, considering how much valuable reference information is provided.

 

Awesome.  I will have to seriously consider picking up that token bijutsu set for such a good price.  I'll also put the Yamanaka newsletter at the top of my list as well.

 

 

From your initial list, the following two are the most important / high-yield IMHO:

• The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords by Kokan Nagayama
• The Art of the Japanese Sword: The Craft of Swordmaking and its Appreciation by Kapp & Yoshihara

The former is among the more encyclopedic references you can get for the money. The latter explains more about why and how the Japanese sword is the way it is, the metallurgy and artistry and craftsmanship that gives rise to its features.

 

 

Thanks Gabriel I almost bought the Nagayama book yesterday because it seemed to be recommended by so many, but I thought I'd wait to get some more confirmation.  I'll put both it and the Kapp & Yoshihara book on my list to buy as soon as possible.

[nagamaki - Franco]

Already listed recommended

 

Yamanaka http://"Nihonto Newsletter", by Albert Yamanaka, over 1900 pages in four volumes

 

The Craft of the Japanese Sword by Kapp & Yoshihara

 

The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords by Kokan Nagayama

 

Markus' books

 

Art and the Sword series

 

The Japanese Sword by Kanzan Sato

 

Facts & Fundamentals of Japanese Swords: A Collector's Guide by Nobuo Nakahara

 

 Token Bijutsu English series

 

 

 

also,  At least for myself articles written by Allan H. Pressley were always very insightful from a beginning collector's point of view. With a little digging around they can be found.

[seanyx11]

Thanks for the recommendations Franco   It looks like I'm on the right track here.  Once I pick up the Yamanaka newsletters and Token Bijutsu in English, along with the Nagayama and Kapp & Yoshihara books, I should be pretty set for a while.

 

I'll check out the Allan H. Pressley articles as well, hopefully I can find them fairly easily.

[singlechange]

Sean,

    I think leaners often overlook other resouces for knowledge and somehow go for books. I think this has a lot to do with schooling and the formal educational system. There are sword people as a resource for example. I would try to find them and meet and talk or even just listen at sword clubs and meetings (like Joe Kraninger in midwest has just started organizing). One of well known early sword scholar and collector who has been on my mind lately is Colonel Dean S. Hartley and he did not use sword books as reading material but first got involved with talking, meeting, finding other people in America and in Japan and used books to find out certain information at the time he needed it. Books are used properly when in larger context of investigation, projects, etc. If you can find articles in newspapers, journals about Colonel Hartley you will be surprised at all the wonderful information and perhaps give you some ideas on developing some sort of personal sword project of your own and then use books to further that investigation. Another resource is places or environments. Joe Kraninger traveled to Japan fairly recently and not only learned much about the culture of the country Japan but met lots of interesting people and visited a swordsmith's forge. There are gun shows everywhere and you will find a few dealers selling swords who turn out to generous in sharing their experiences.   People, Places, Books need to be used. Not just books. 

[Vermithrax16]

Same as the rest, but a nice start is The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords by Kokan Nagayama. I check it very often. Sesko material is amazing quality. I would recommend his Mei books (divided by era, if you only want one at a time) and I cannot stress the Genealogies and Schools of Japanese Swordsmiths enough (hint, hint) if you want to understand or quickly find out if an attribution even makes sense, or what generation of a smith you may be looking at.

 

Happy hunting!

[Ian B3HR2UH]

Sean , I would definitely add Robinsons book The Arts of the Japanese Sword to your first group . This is essential reading if you ever want to read the signiatures . Too many members here cant do this and they also need to spend a few dollars and get this book . Enjoy your collecting . Ian Brooks

[seanyx11]

Sean,

    I think leaners often overlook other resouces for knowledge and somehow go for books. I think this has a lot to do with schooling and the formal educational system. There are sword people as a resource for example. I would try to find them and meet and talk or even just listen at sword clubs and meetings (like Joe Kraninger in midwest has just started organizing). One of well known early sword scholar and collector who has been on my mind lately is Colonel Dean S. Hartley and he did not use sword books as reading material but first got involved with talking, meeting, finding other people in America and in Japan and used books to find out certain information at the time he needed it. Books are used properly when in larger context of investigation, projects, etc. If you can find articles in newspapers, journals about Colonel Hartley you will be surprised at all the wonderful information and perhaps give you some ideas on developing some sort of personal sword project of your own and then use books to further that investigation. Another resource is places or environments. Joe Kraninger traveled to Japan fairly recently and not only learned much about the culture of the country Japan but met lots of interesting people and visited a swordsmith's forge. There are gun shows everywhere and you will find a few dealers selling swords who turn out to generous in sharing their experiences.   People, Places, Books need to be used. Not just books. 

 

Honestly, I don't like to read books very much.  I prefer to learn through talking with people, seeing things with my own eyes, and more hands on learning.  However, that's not always possible.  Since I've been on here, I've met a guy who also lives in GA, who has offered to have me over to his house to show me some of his collection.  This is the first person I've met that lives close enough to do something like this within reason.  I also went to the Atlanta bladeshow a few weeks ago and took a tsukamaki class, where I learned some cool things and met a guy who does restoration work.  I go to gun shows whenever they are in the Atlanta area as well, but since I'm new to all of this, I haven't been to any since I started getting into swords. 

 

So yes, I agree that books are not the only medium for learning about Nihonto, but during the interim between meeting people, seeing other's collections, and going to gun/blade shows, I can be learning from this forum, other internet sources and of course, books.  My quest for learning from books wasn't an exclusion from all other forms of learning so much as a supplement to them.  So, I'm definitely trying to take advantage of all the various resources at my disposal to soak up as much as possible. Thanks for the suggestions

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Sean,

While the 2 volume compilation of English "Token Bijutsu" is a lot less expensive than the original 59 volumes, it is 500 pages total and the original 59 were about 2,500 pages.  Not sure what all was left out but it has to be a lot.  The original 59 aren't quite as steep as Ray has suggested; I've never sold a set above $1,700).  It is a very important reference.

Of the 2 books on your list by Kaap & Yoshihara: Art of the Japanese Sword and Craft of the Japanese Sword, Art is by far the better and once you own it there is no reason to own the other (duplication).

Nihon Toko Jiten by Fujishiro hasn't been mentioned and it should have been.  It isn't a beginner, introductory book but it is a book that every serious collector owns eventually; if you have a chance to grab it reasonably do so.  There is a translation available.

Mine is the website that some of the posts above have referenced.  My phone # is at the bottom of every page and I'm always glad to talk books if you have questions.

Grey

[seanyx11]

Same as the rest, but a nice start is The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords by Kokan Nagayama. I check it very often. Sesko material is amazing quality. I would recommend his Mei books (divided by era, if you only want one at a time) and I cannot stress the Genealogies and Schools of Japanese Swordsmiths enough (hint, hint) if you want to understand or quickly find out if an attribution even makes sense, or what generation of a smith you may be looking at.

 

Happy hunting!

 

Thanks Jeremiah I actually already have the Nagayama book on my list to buy next, so that's a definite.  I'll also check out the genealogies and schools book as well.  I should be good to go for a while on books after I get all of these lol

 

Sean , I would definitely add Robinsons book The Arts of the Japanese Sword to your first group . This is essential reading if you ever want to read the signiatures . Too many members here cant do this and they also need to spend a few dollars and get this book . Enjoy your collecting . Ian Brooks

 

Thank you Ian Yes, this is going to the first group soon also.  I would love to be able to start reading mei myself, if for no other reason than not having to bug everyone every time I need a translation.

[seanyx11]

Hi Sean,

While the 2 volume compilation of English "Token Bijutsu" is a lot less expensive than the original 59 volumes, it is 500 pages total and the original 59 were about 2,500 pages.  Not sure what all was left out but it has to be a lot.  The original 59 aren't quite as steep as Ray has suggested; I've never sold a set above $1,700).  It is a very important reference.

Of the 2 books on your list by Kaap & Yoshihara: Art of the Japanese Sword and Craft of the Japanese Sword, Art is by far the better and once you own it there is no reason to own the other (duplication).

Nihon Toko Jiten by Fujishiro hasn't been mentioned and it should have been.  It isn't a beginner, introductory book but it is a book that every serious collector owns eventually; if you have a chance to grab it reasonably do so.  There is a translation available.

Mine is the website that some of the posts above have referenced.  My phone # is at the bottom of every page and I'm always glad to talk books if you have questions.

Grey

 

Hi Grey Thanks for the recommendations, I was just looking at your website actually.  I will get the Art of the Japanese Sword instead of the Craft one then.  I'm glad you mentioned it as I was planning on getting both at some point.  Actually, Arnold F (seattle1) suggested the Nihon Toko Jiten by Fujishiro and I saw you had it on your site, but I was trying to avoid expensive books for now and concentrate on some cheaper beginner books to start off with.  Either way, I'll end up with a copy of it at some point though, and I'll definitely keep your website in mind for finding it.

[b.hennick]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the least expensive beginner book that has great information. It is available on Lulu (www.lulu.com) The book is The Sword of Japan by J. Bott.  on sale for $13.66 plus delivery. There are often coupons that give discounts on Lulu. There is 30% off currently leading to the $13.66 price. Least expensive and better than quite a few. Also available as a hardcover book.

[Stephen]

IMHO dont buy anything else now, devour whats ordered, read them all twice, maybe Botts also. NTJ is way too soon, Nagayama's would be next in line.  FWIW

[O-Yumi]

I also recommend J. Bott's book...I wish I had this book when I first started my Nihonto studies. Lots of terminology and useful explanations that would have saved a lot of time!

[Stephen]

http://www.lulu.com/shop/joseph-bott/the-sword-of-Japan/paperback/product-21557328.html

 

Botts is like a expanded Yumoto's book, good to have both

[seanyx11]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the least expensive beginner book that has great information. It is available on Lulu (www.lulu.com) The book is The Sword of Japan by J. Bott.  on sale for $13.66 plus delivery. There are often coupons that give discounts on Lulu. There is 30% off currently leading to the $13.66 price. Least expensive and better than quite a few. Also available as a hardcover book.

 

Thanks Barry   This is the kind of beginner books I'm talking about...lots of great info, but very cheap as well to get me started.  I'll definitely pick this one up since its so cheap right now for sure.  Thanks again for the heads up on this great bargain for a beginner book.  Don't get me wrong here guys, I'm not cheap about everything, I just want to avoid spending more than I have to on these research books so I can put more into what I'm researching

 

IMHO dont buy anything else now, devour whats ordered, read them all twice, maybe Botts also. NTJ is way too soon, Nagayama's would be next in line.  FWIW

 

Good Advice Stephen I was waiting for someone to be like, "slow down there speed racer" lol.  I'm in the process of ordering Nagayama's, Kapp & Yoshihara and Botts' right now, so I'll just read what I've got ordered a couple of times.  Then, once I feel comfortable with the information in these books down the road, I'll check out the Token Bijutsu volumes and Nihon Toko Jiten (

 

I also recommend J. Bott's book...I wish I had this book when I first started my Nihonto studies. Lots of terminology and useful explanations that would have saved a lot of time!

 

Thanks O-Yumi (?)   I'm grabbing this one right now, since a few have suggested it and its pretty cheap. 

[seanyx11]

http://www.lulu.com/shop/joseph-bott/the-sword-of-Japan/paperback/product-21557328.html

 

Botts is like a expanded Yumoto's book, good to have both

 

Nice. I've already delved into Yumoto's book since I got it from Amazon yesterday...it has some great stuff, so it'll be nice to have somewhat of an expansion on it with Bott's book I'm ordering.

[Ken-Hawaii]

Many excellent recommendations here, Sean, & a whole bunch of reading. Have you found a sword group anywhere near you to join? I see that you're only a half hour from Atlanta, where there has to be fellow Nihonto aficionados! Seeing blades will jumpstart understanding what you've read, &, if you're lucky, you'll find a mentor who can really accelerate your learning!

 

I'm amazed that no one has pointed you to https://markussesko.com/kantei/, which is a university-level course in understanding Nihonto, & it's totally free, thanks to fellow member Markus!

 

Welcome to the most-expensive hobby you'll ever have!

 

Ken

 

[seanyx11]

Many excellent recommendations here, Sean, & a whole bunch of reading. Have you found a sword group anywhere near you to join? I see that you're only a half hour from Atlanta, where there has to be fellow Nihonto aficionados! Seeing blades will jumpstart understanding what you've read, &, if you're lucky, you'll find a mentor who can really accelerate your learning!

 

I'm amazed that no one has pointed you to https://markussesko.com/kantei/, which is a university-level course in understanding Nihonto, & it's totally free, thanks to fellow member Markus!

 

Welcome to the most-expensive hobby you'll ever have!

 

Ken

 

Yes, I've got my work cut out for me with all of these books I've ordered.  I've already gotten The Samurai Sword by John M. Yumoto, Facts and Fundamentals of Japanese Swords: A collector's guide by Nobuo Nakahara, and The Japanese Sword by Kanzan Sato, so I've been reading those some over the last day or so.  I haven't found any sword groups in Atlanta area yet, but I've met a couple people that I'm hoping to learn from and see some collections up close.

 

That's pretty cool that Markus offers a course about Nihonto, I'll have to look into that for sure. 

 

Yup, I'm sure it will end up becoming extremely expensive and its already put a nice dent in my wallet already just from one mumei wakizashi, a down payment on the Kinmichi wakizashi, and some books and various proper maintenance supplies   Luckily, I've cooled down a bit on my car hobby addiction since I've had a car being built for 5 years now...of course, its almost finished right in the middle of wanting to buy more swords.  First world problems I guess

[seanyx11]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys.  I think I'm good for a while, so I'm going to be reading and learning over the next couple months while paying off the Kinmichi Wak from Danny @ Nihontocraft.  The final list of books I got or ones I'm waiting for are:

 

The Samurai Sword by John M. Yumoto

The Japanese Sword by Kanzan Sato

Facts and Fundamentals of Japanese Swords by Nobuo Nakahara

The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords by Kokan Nagayama

The Art of the Japanese Sword by Kapp & Yoshihara

A Primer of Japanese Sword-Blades by B.W. Robinson (on its way)

The Swords of Japan by J. Bott (on its way)

 

I'm reading the Yumoto and Sato books right now, and learning some great stuff.  I'm sure I'll be asking for more recommendations once I progress in my knowledge, but thanks again for all the help guys

[Gabriel L]

A solid start Sean, even when you condense all the redundant info there's still enough material / slightly different perspectives in those books to last you a good while.

[seanyx11]

Yes, I've noticed quite a bit of redundant material, but I was expecting as much with so many beginner type books.  Like you said though, there are enough differences between them to warrant reading them all I think.  I'm glad I found this forum, otherwise I'd have been stuck with only searching/reading from the internet and we all know how unreliable that can be sometimes.

[Ken-Hawaii]

The material isn't really redundant, Sean, just different ways of looking at the same thing. Please try to put everything in the context of Japanese history - WHY did the Kamakura smiths change from long, elegant weapons to much-heavier weapons of war? Why were Shinto smiths (& all other tosho since then) unable to recreate the Kamakura forging methods?

 

If you can do this consistently, then, instead of dry reading material, each tidbit you glean will give you an insight into how the Japanese mind has worked & evolved over the past thousand years!

 

Ken

 

[GhostGuardian]

There is usually a reason why something is repeated often. Hence history's repetition.

[O-Yumi]

O-Yumi loosely translates to "Longbow"??