photo of a famous smith at late Edo

[Nobody]

I found a rare photo of a famous smith at the link below. His name is Izumi (no) kami Kanesada 11th (和泉守兼定).

http://www.dokidoki.ne.jp/home2/quwator ... esada.html

 

One of swords which Hijikata Toshizo (土方歳三) used was made by the smith, and the sword is still kept.

http://www.tamahito.com/ishida24.htm

 

Hijikata Toshizo was famous as the sub-leader of Shinsengumi (新撰組).

http://www.dokidoki.ne.jp/home2/quwator ... ikata.html

 

 

Also there are many photos of famous persons from late Edo to Meiji period on the following site.

http://www.dokidoki.ne.jp/home2/quwatoro/bakumatu.shtml

[S.Haugtredet]

Nice site and really nice pictures. Interesting to see these old pictures of moments...frozen in time. Also a treat to see the different lenghts on swords, tsuka, clothing and so forth.

A thought struck me whilest looking at some of the pictures. Some of these people are wearing western clothing and holding f.ex an ambrella in their hand. It struck me as a little amusing. Then i thought about what i must look like in my asian clothing in the dojo...and what they would have thought about that. I think they`d have a good laugh.....

 

Thanks for sharing Nobody :-)

[Rich T]

thanks for sharing Koichi. The 3 heads on barrels are a bit unerving, the end of the olden ways captured on film for probably the only time. There is a good shot of Perry in there as well.

 

Rich

[BC Smith]

Thanks for the links it nice to be able to see how people really were instead of having to accept Hollywoods version of how the era was. It refreshed my memory of a photo I picked up on e-bay, I wanted to have a better look so downloaded it, tweaked and fiddled around in photoshop. I wonder if anyone here would do the same with their own swords?

 

 

Bernie

[Nobody]

I wonder if anyone here would do the same with their own swords?

 

 

Bernie

Hi Bernie,

 

I definitely do not want to do that.

I have watched the same performance on TV when I was a child. If you do not slide your feet on the blades, you might do that.

[John A Stuart]

Hi BC and Nobody, I have seen some martial arts shows where sword techniques were demonstrated along with many other demonstrations. There always seemed to be methods to minimise possible dangers and increase effectiveness, eg. spacers in breaking feats etc. When it comes to cutting demos sword sharpness was demonstrated on melons and suchlike, which being semi-solid fruits would be easily cut with an unsharp blade but look very amazing. Melons would then be placed on heads and bellys and split in half leaving the person unharmed. A wedging cut with no cutting draw would not cut flesh plus a semi-sharp blade also prevents this. All in all a sort of a trick. Indeed there are feats performed with feet on naked blades but I would not expect them to be really sharp blades either. On an encased blade it would all depend on ones weight and the strength of the case, but pointless really, eh? I remember a couple of years ago the Shaolin monk tour where they bent spring steel swords and spears with waxwood shafts (which are really flexible) in their throats, sharp? I doubt it, but what a show. John