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Showing content with the highest reputation on 11/26/2020 in all areas

  1. Poor acid polishes are not unique to the UK Brian, I have seen equally poor work done in the USA and Europe. These were particularly common here in the 80s and 90s and hopefully we have moved on and they are a thing of the past.
    3 points
  2. I agree wholeheartedly with you there. Personally I think they are low class swords, held in the armoury and issued to the Ashigaru or low level Samurai as and when needed. They are always out of polish, and blades with chips or hagire, and the mounts are usually recycled from other swords, but always competently done. They are also fairly uniform and a definite type, which is why I see them as an issue item from a castle armoury. I have my own ideas as to why they are referred to as Satsuma, but like "type 3" it's a term hallowed by time and use.
    3 points
  3. Not talking about disk space. Talking about physical space on the main page. Do you know how many complaints I get that it is already "too busy" or too many sections? How extras like Katchu or Military get me complaints about having to wade through extra stuff, even though they can be hidden? I just don't think we need a category for something that is so infrequent and yet would require a new category, new heading, new permissions mask and moderation when the way we do it now is perfectly adequate. Can do a single thread either for the reasons above. I think what we have now is suitable.
    3 points
  4. Not sure i'd define them sunagashi, but the effect is similar. This is a wakizashi i made from 1070, water quenched
    2 points
  5. I have to agree with John J. the ten-zogan is real and what remains of it is well done. I would say the theme is Chrysanthemum flower on water like Thomas S. suggested "Floating Chrysanthemum" = kikusui. The waves are a bit hurried but I have seen worse.
    2 points
  6. Doesn't look like a great example but I'd hesitate to dismiss it as a fake. The inlaid water droplets (and that some are missing) suggest a level of care over and above that found in most fakes which would simply be a cast copy.
    2 points
  7. 1,5,6,10,11 had mei. The list had total 26 name ,13 officers and 13 NCOs.I ONLY post all NCO 's.No photo of the swords.
    2 points
  8. Here is 昭和21年3月第110師団步兵第163联队残留隊私物軍刀移譲者名簿 1946 March 110 Division 163 regiment remaining troops surrender privately owned Gunto owners name book.110 division was surrendered to KMT army in 河南省洛陽地區 He Nan province Luo Yang area. Ouf of all 26 names ,13 of them are NCO(軍曹 曹長 伍長).I think the new Mu mei blade could be Arsenal Blade(造兵刀).Two of Gunto ordered from 偕行社. Kaikosha (偕行社, Kaikōsha) is a Japanese organization of retired military servicemen whose membership is open to former commissioned officers of the JASDF and JGSDF as well as commissioned officers, warrant officers, officer cadets, and high-ranking civil servants who served in the Imperial Japanese Army. Since 1 February 2011 Kaikosha has been a non-profit organization described under Japanese law as a public interest foundation (公益財団法人). The original Kaikosha was founded before World War II as an organization exclusively of active-duty commissioned officers and warrant officers in the Imperial Japanese Army for mutual aid, friendship, and academic research, but was re-founded after the war to represent formerly high-ranking army officials. The organization's name means “let’s go together” or “we shall fight this war side by side,” and derives from a line in an old Chinese poem recorded in the Book of Odes. I'm posting one of my 陸軍偕行社 ordered Gunto made by 兼道 for reference. New/Old Mei Rank Owner 1.新 三品義明 曹長 船越利明 2.古 無銘 軍曹 組藤圭次 3.新 無銘 軍曹 梶山友一 4.新 無銘 軍曹 井上馨 5.新 偕行社 軍曹 渡邊信也 6.古 大和守安定 伍長 田中晃 7.新 無銘 軍曹 水谷石男 8.新 無銘 軍曹 稻田重夫 9.新 無銘 軍曹 旭政一 10.新 偕行社 軍曹 工藤虎士 11.新 藤原助定 曹長 吉川繁春 12.新 無銘 曹長 河田謹一郎 13.新 無銘 伍長 青木友明 #6 田中晃 Tanaka Akira had a Koto,maybe from his family.Tanaka is a popular family name in Japan and usually a wealthy family.
    2 points
  9. You're spot on that there is a groove on both sides starting at the tang that doesn't run the fully length of the blade. It's also comforting to know that my effort attempting to translate wasn't a total loss, as I managed to determine Sue Kashu. I just wasn't able to find any information on what that meant, so I assumed I had mistranslated! Anyway, I can't thank you both enough for all your help! There seems to be very little information out their on personal Fujishiro certificates, so you've both saved me weeks of additional research.
    2 points
  10. 1 point
  11. My first Japanese sword, bought in 1976, is Signed Toshimasa, dated 1942 and has a Seki arsenal stamp. It also has tight masame hada (images 3. 4. and 5) and sunagashi. It appears to be water quenched. Here are some photos.
    1 point
  12. Wasn't suggesting it was confined to there. But seeing Gwyn is from there, and knowing it was/is done a lot where there are few or no fully qualified polishers...it was an educated guess I hear there are some fairly decent polishes coming out of the UK, so it's not a comment on all the guys there.
    1 point
  13. Some additional photos of tsuka . Have a happy Thanksgiving. Jim
    1 point
  14. Thank you Guys, Here are some more pictures...
    1 point
  15. One of the possibilities is they are indeed Satsuma Rebellion swords. It was the end of the Samurai era with swords being banned. Maybe they used arsenal swords to prevent their hereditory heirlooms from being destroyed in an attempt to eliminate swords as a symbol of the samurai class. They knew they would probably lose and die and maybe they didn't want their swords to go with them. Pure speculation of course!
    1 point
  16. Prince Chibata's gunto practice sword
    1 point
  17. Perhaps the armouries sold all their loan swords around the same time the rebellion ended, giving them their name? I can't imagine they'd have been considered useful to the new, soon-to-be westernised Japan. I haven't a clue of course, just an idea.
    1 point
  18. Just joined but wanted to share and ask about this Tanto I won at auction, love the shape of blade but the lacquer work is interesting. The tang is mumei, with one hole and the fittings are I think cherry blossoms, some are gold plated. Tshuba is iron and incise carved and if I had to guess the blade would date to 1700's maybe earlier, the color is more gray (friend calls it "sand iron" but that may not really be a term. Either way just sharing for enjoyment and comments. Also, does anyone recognize the Mon in center disc of minuki?
    1 point
  19. I agree with you guys. I use the term Satsuma Rebellion Swords because that is the common term used, but I see no reasons why the Satsuma rebels wouldn't have used regular swords. So unless there is a rational explanation, the armory theory sounds logical. Dave, I'd be curious as to what your theory of the origin of the name is. It could be interesting and maybe lead to new researches.
    1 point
  20. Not water wheel, but kikusui...😉
    1 point
  21. I like the shape too. Something about this package says class. A good one for professional restoration maybe.
    1 point
  22. On the modern dual thread mekugi nuki, a simple application of a thread locking gel to the part that goes into the hammer head sorts the issue out.
    1 point
  23. Although the square cross-section handles are similar, the heads are different. The key may well be in the word scraper. What does a pipe scraper do? (Mine is probably a seam marker for cloth.) Among the possibilities that did cross my mind, if there was to be any connection with swords, was a sort of vellum scraper, for wet same' handle wraps. Lastly I wondered if it was to be used as a tapper block under a wooden mallet, for removing very tight tsuka from shira-saya.(?)
    1 point
  24. I agree. This is a pretty definitive statement that suggests even where an NCO has access to an officer sword, we would not deface both it AND his ISSUED sword (which he did not own) by ripping them apart and jamming them together. The NCO fittings with officer blade myth should be buried deep, lest it become as embedded as the 'pilot gunto' myth or the Type 3 designation. That towards the end of the war NCO could bring there own swords is an undisputed fact though. I would imagine (conjecture only) that these were all civilian mounts though. Impersonating an officer is not a trivial matter. There are some photos too of soldiers/NCO with swords that were not 95s... Pretty sure F&G had one in their books. *Throwing in a disclaimer that I am aware that more than NCO and Commissioned Officer ranks were authorised to carry swords. NCO is just an easier 'catch all' reference.
    1 point
  25. There might be all sorts of arguments against such a section of the forum – e.g. too gloomy – but "use of space" does not seem particularly compelling to me. What could be the downside of having an extra line after "Izakaya" in the members' area? Then each of the departed would get a tidy thread. The fewer per year, the better... In terms of disk space, I am sure that the whole section would be quite insignificant.
    1 point
  26. I know that at the beginning of the Internet, my two favorite sources of knowledge were Richard Stein site (thankfully still among us!) and the late and regretted Jim Kurrash. I remember printing and binding most pages of those sites and to this day I keep them as a sacred treasure and still refer to them. Jim’s contributions can still be accessed via the way back machine, but I think that such contributions, provided they are not copyrighted, should always be preserved. They deserve a place on this site. People like Jim Kurrash and so many others I may not even be aware of have unknowingly kindled the sword fire in many a person throughout the world. remembering them and preserving their work is, I think, a task that befalls to us. It is our way to perpetuate what they have done and pay respect to their memory.
    1 point
  27. Yes, my thoughts too. I know the kao is just a personal mark for the smith, this blade shook my subconscious assumptions loose when I saw it had both the Seki stamp and kao. I'm firmly planted on the "inspector stamps mean non-traditionally made" side of the camp. As to the original question - how long have smiths been using kao - I want to say I've seen some pretty old blades with them, but I haven't kept track of them and/or the ages. Hopefully some of the nihonto guys can opine.
    1 point
  28. Your whole quandary assumes that the kao indicates traditionally made. That is not true, based on many examples. So your quest will have to revolve around what it does indicate, and not whether we are wrong about Seki stamps.
    1 point
  29. Found a similar one in the web.....
    1 point
  30. Strange that the writing is so very different. Two small points. 1. Gunomé + 小乱れ komidaré 2. 表裏 Omoté/Ura 腰樋・添樋Koshibi, Soébi (Actually a photograph would help illustrate what the writer was attempting to describe.)
    1 point
  31. Paul's passing is a tragedy. I will miss him personally as dependable friend and wise advisor. We worked together on a couple of adventures that I recall with fondness. He had a wonderful manner and a common touch but Paul was also a deep and real expert. His collection is amazing and his library without par. A sword visit to Paul involved systematic presentation of pieces arranged and curated to address the topic at hand. Paul responsibly supported sword collecting in ways that will be hard to replace. He was advisor to the JSSUS and was also, of course, President of the NBTHK-AB. He was also the rarest kind of serious collectors. He built an amazing collection of high quality blades, fittings, and armor. And he did so at the highest level. Everything in Paul's collection was just right, fully documented, and appropriately preserved. His contributions to sword appreciation absolutely need documentation. He was also hale and dynamic and the exact image of someone who would last forever. We all assumed that Paul would be there when we would need him. I truly can't understand what American Japanese sword collecting will be like without him. Peter
    1 point
  32. Dear all, I love to collect mekugi nuki. Here is my little collection I try to get one of each type. You will see here some common ones, some handmade and a few old ones. Please don't hesitate to sell me some if you don't find them here 😀. PS : sorry for the poor quality of the pictures
    1 point
  33. Looks like 兼定 (Kanesada), with a slightly funky 定. I don't know how many swordsmiths there are named Kanesada, but probably a dozen or more. You would have to look up all the Kanesada smiths and try to match the signature - unless there is someone on this board who recognizes the smith. The sword is in bad shape. The rust, the chip in the cutting edge, and loss of the yokote, can all be repaired by a trained sword sharpener, but my guess is that the repair job would cost more than the finished item would fetch on the auction sites. It depends on what is hiding under the rusted surface. Don't attempt to polish it yourself or you will surely ruin the sword. It needs a professional to fix its flaws and reshape the yokote, etc... If it has been in a fire, it may not be salvageable, even with a polish. This is a very difficult class of item, because on the one hand it is an authentic Japanese sword, but on the other hand there are a ton of these problematic swords on the market, and the effort required to repair it and appraise it, is often more expensive than its worth (in purely financial terms).
    1 point
  34. Look like 'satsuma rebellion' type fittings, usually the menuki are iron washers, i haven't a clue what the disks are but they're washer-esque. The blade's a nice and stout shape, i'm sure someone will have more to say about that.
    1 point
  35. Talking about Kitchen knives... Unbelievable, I bought a utility knife forged by Taro Asano two years ago. Once in France, it went through French EMS customs. It was catagorised as a dangerous item, needing a Forwarding agent to take it from customs. I told them I had already received more than ten katanas which all went through their Customs Service and were directly delivered at home. They told me it was impossible, I must have mistaken (I had in my hands their last invoice😂). Of course, no forwarding agent was willing to proceed with customs for a 12cm kitchen knife. I was very polite with them and tell them to send it back to the sender. They did it!!!. I had to send an e-mail to Taro san to send it back upon receiving it but instead of labelling it Kitchen Knife, I told him to name it on the Proforma invoice : Vegetable peeler. It went through French EMS Customs without any fuss....
    1 point
  36. Version 0.4 Thank you gents.
    1 point
  37. real, but uglyer then a hat full of assholes
    0 points
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