Brian

Yep....I hate IE, and when I installed the latest NS, my brand new core 2 duo P4 machine went back to acting like a P1 with no memory So I went back to NS 7.2 and all is well. Has better emailing too. I'll do anything to avoid microsoft where possible ..But I digress. Well leave you to battle on with the issues, and I'm sure it will be great. Hurry up and find us some swords we can buy :D Regards, Brian

The scrolling isn't a big deal..it is just a very little. But I am sure you will want to determine what causes it. I thought I added the version, sorry. Netscape 7.2 and IE 7. A bigger issue is the formatting difference between the 2 browsers when it comes to the gap between only the book and articles section. IE seems to misplace the book image and add a larger gap between sections allowing the pic to overlap. Doncha hate cross browser compatibility? Here is a pic of what I mean. I wonder if anyone else is seeing it this way? Brian

I really like the "light titlebar effect" Still transparent, but muted. Also like the gradient effect, but I would fade to a darker shade on the right to take away the brightness. There is an open rectangle on the right hand side of the titles though? All except the gradient effect bar. Yes, I get a horizontal scroll bar, but only a few mm of scroll. Not serious. I am using Netscape, but it does it for me in IE too. I am on 1024x768. Plans for the site sound good to me..wish you luck. Brian

Yep, there are very clear differences in the workmanship, hada, hataraki and quality of course. But I don't think anyone is suggesting this is a true Masamune at all. Or even a very top grade Juyo smith. Just some light banter and joking about what it might be. It certainly doesn't look like junk to me. Not something I would pay that money for though. We can still use it as a fun exercise to theorise where it came from, what the story is, and who might have made it. I think we all know it isn't a national treasure. Doesn't look like a mass produced junker either though...someone cared for it and spent money on it. Mid level? Low level with lots of make-up? Brian

I like it. Should point out there there is a fraction of a scroll being forced. I think it is caused by the Original Content Copyright at the bottom right. Easy to fix, just needs to move to the left a few pixels. It is very attractive and professional looking. I am a fan of understated and subdued (present site excluded :D ) and it takes me a while to get used to the colors. But the muting is nicely done. The brighter areas to the right and just above the headings do glare a bit for me when you go over a bright background image section. Takes a short while to examine them and see what effect is used. But you get used to it fast. Since you did say be brutally honest, I would also like to see the whole page without those open areas (ie, the whole background muted/faded without the open areas) just to compare. But this is just a personal thing, and I think you have the professional and serious look to it, and it certainly stands out from other websites. Good to see you are still maintaining the website and the excellent info on it. Any further plans for it? Regards, Brian

Marius, Can you post a pic of the whole nakago from a distance? Doesn't have to be big. Just want to see the dimensions and overall look. From that one pic, it looks very long, and almost like it is machi-okuri without shortening the nakago? Might just be the angle of the pic. Brian

Will, I know on another forum you were a bit put off by the responses and lack of further info. To be honest, everyone here studies true Japanese swords and metalwork, and this is just not even close to anything produced by a Japanese swordsmith. There isn't even one similarity to a true Nihonto, and therefore the lack of any input. It is just not something we know about. Nobody-san is (although he wouldn't admit it) one of our resident experts on kanji as related to their use on swords, and his opinion is better than 99% of anyone out there. Kanji as used on swords isn't interpreted the same as a modern reader would read it. The kanji there has no real meaning, except maybe to the person who put it there. But you can even see that the style isn't fluid and liek handwriting. It is crude and amateurish. It is so far from a true tanto that I wonder if it is even a fake. A fake would have tried harder to look like the real thing. I wonder perhaps if it isn't a home-made tool of some kind..maybe for woodworking or scraping. Maybe someone made it at home, and added some crude kanji. It may be a tool, or a fake. But not a Japanese sword/tanto. I wish I was wrong and could give you better news, but afraid not. Brian Btw - The original thread for anyone wishing to see the pics: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2582&p=18302

Allan (Don't forget to sign all posts with a name) I think a pic will definitely help with this one. Easier to look at it that try and visualise it. Regards, Brian

Shows how much I know about the Honami line, doesn't it? I had assumed this was an earlier generation, and therefore subject to some of the funny dealings that happened back then. But a Showa date would exclude that. Hmmm..so the puzzle remains. Any comments about whether the papers match the work itself? Brian

Thank you John. That's the one. Not too much info, but worth a look. It is at viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2164 and also has a good section on guri-bori worth re-reading. Brian

That is a good question, but one I wouldn't be able to answer. The trouble is that when spending large amounts of money, people would want papers to say who did make it, and those couldn't be had without removing the kinpunmei (which would remove the curiosity and attraction of the papers that it does come with) and submitting it to shinsa. So bit of a catch 22. The papers it does have are very interesting historically. But the real name of the smith is important to the value, and can't be had without removing the gimei. :? I would love to know the gist of what the Honami attribution says, and whether this was a case of a favor being done for someone in ancient times, or maybe a gift that had to be above average, or one of the many other ways in which false attributions came to exist back then. Seems to me it wasn't even frowned upon too much back then, as it was fairly customary when giving gifts or doing favors? All very confusing and intriguing Brian Edit to add: Without an oshigata of the nakago, can we say for certain that the papers belong with this sword? Not suggecting anything, just that the kissaki oshigata shown doesn't match the sword completely from the pics I can see. Not sure, just a thought though.

IIRC, there was a post here about kashira and/or fuchi that have a separate rim like this. But I have been searching, and can't think of the correct terms to use in the search. I seem to remember Milt mentioning one he has. I agree with Dr L's statements. Will have to search a bit harder and see if I can come up with the post. Brian

Ford, That's all true. But the seller (who IS in Japan) would have to be pretty...umm....incompetent/negligent... if he hadn't run it past every single possible person there before selling it on eBay, unless he himself was 100% sure it was dodgy :lol: :D I have a feeling if there is any doubt at all whether it is "mis-attributed"...there are a few other avenues to sell it in Japan? Nice blade though either way. Looks like it would have had to be a pretty top piece to even get the attribution, and the polish looks very nice indeed. I would love to know what it would kantei to if mumei. Brian

Pics look the same to me too. Thought it was a cached images thing maybe, but they are hosted on Photobucket, so can't be. Upload the new pics there under new filenames maybe? Brian

The next word on the kissaki controversy from anyone will lead to a warning or a ban. I am serious about this. Brian

Take it to pm. Not another word on that subject of the broken kissaki here again. We already had several pages on it before. Subject is c-l-o-s-e-d Brian

See the post on the old forum at http://www.militaria.co.za/nihontomessa ... c&start=15 Brian

As mentioned, the most important thing is to preserve the boshi. You are I am sure aware that if the hamon drops off the edge anywhere on the blade, that is a fatal flaw. So the kissaki can be reshaped only as far as it still allows the boshi to remain in the kissaki. If the reshaping would allow the hamon to drop off the edge anywhere, you are looking at a fatal flaw that will generally ruin most fo the value and integrity of the blade. Brian

Agreed Dr B. Seems there are always lots of folks willing to spend lots of money on the 0.5% off chance that something will turn out to be shoshin, when it almost never is in these cases. I would hope that people would ask for much better pics before laying down serious funds. Either that, or be personal drinking buddies with a decent polisher :lol: :lol: Brian

The second one I have held swords that are almost identical size wise, and yet one feels very light, balanced and easy to work with, while the other just feels front-heavy and clumsy. Balance, shape and profile have a lot to do with it. Some I describe as a "quick" sword and some feel like huge choppers. All in the forging and balance. Brian

I actually don't think it would be too hard to make a half-decent tsunagi without the blade. Since it is all hidden, it doesn't have to be full length. It is just to hold everything together. I would start out by finding out the shape of the tang. Use something soft like balsa-wood and keep adjusting where you see the pressure marks slowly until you have the basic shape. Then using that as a template, you make the actual tsunagi. Must be something else that you can use to find the inside dimensions of the tsuka. All in all, since wood isn't that expensive, I think it could be done fairly cheaply. Once you have a working one, you can always make one out of decent wood. I don't think a tsunagi has to be of honoki wood? Worth doing imho. (in my honest opinion) Brian

Well..I am glad to have another esteemed author on board here (occasionally) Didn't know about the book Serge. Consider having it translated oneday? Very nice indeed. We are in good company here, wish I could meet you all oneday. (Where was my Nihonto interests 7 years ago when I visited Paris? :? ) Regards, Brian

Wilfrid, If you are looking to spend around $20K or more, then you do need to slow down a bit and wait for the right sword to come along. I think in that budget, you can pick up something very nice. You obviously are leaning towards an early Koto, and for that price it must have papers. I understand what you mean when you say that you aren't doing it for the money, but would still like to know you have a sound investment for the future. For $30K (negotiate a bit with them?) how about this Juyo: http://www.aoi-art.com/sword/sale/07616.html There will be many good swords in the $20K bracket. Most of them will sell offline at shows and among collectors. Let's see what suggestions the members here can come up with. So the question to everyone I guess, is a treasure hunt. If you have approx $20K to spend on a sword..what would you snap up? :D Brian Edit to add: Myself...although not early (shinshinto) and not with koshirae, I think I could easily be persuaded to go for this one: http://www.ricecracker.com/japanese_swo ... na/sk5.htm TH papers, with Tanobe Michihiro Sayagaki and i think it is gorgeous for the price ($25K)

Hi all, Here is the pic that George emailed me to post. I think it was just the length that was a bit oversize, by a little bit. I hope someone is able to identify the maker, or he will just have to remain one of the many currently undocumented smiths. Where is Dr T. when we need him? He is an expert on these lesser known smiths I think. Brian