Brian

Ah..the power of the forum and getting the word out to many people this fast I assume the commission cheque is in the mail? :lol: Those who got a good deal because of the original posting...another reason to buy those raffle tickets when they become available Brian

I won't edit the use of "Jap" here since it is a direct quote of the title of the article, but just noting that nowdays some find it slightly offensive and derogatory to abbreviate "Japanese" like this. In 1946 when this was written, it might have been acceptable, but for our Japanese friends and others, I'll just note that it is frowned upon here. In this case, the article uses it, and I'll allow it, but it isn't policy Interesting article though..showing that even back then there was some idea that there were some good swords worthy of preservation. Nice find Rémy. Brian

John, I'm with you there If you look at the positive iron left in between the inlays, then I see the classic geese profile we see so often. If this was all sukashi, and someone later decided to fill the spaces with inlays, it might look like this. Might explain the differen sizes too...at different heights. No use debating it too much I guess..it's not like the original artist can post and say "so and so is right..that is what I was portraying :D " Brian

It is authentic, no dounts about that. Not to my taste, but no reason to believe it is anything else. Habaki have no firm rules, and you will find all kinds of variants such as this one, depending on the styles and tastes of the day. Brian

Jacques, There is also an Ogasawara Nagamune (Musashi) signing exactly this way from the 1830's. See NAG351 as mentioned above. With the mounts as is, without another ana, I suspect this date would fit better with this blade, but can't be certain. Brian

Henry, Quite a horror story. The moral of the story is do not try and polish your swords yourself. Ever. It is not something encouraged, and can only lead to disaster. Glad this one is preserved for future generations. Brian

Franco, I think that's because the sign belongs outside our front door...the minute you step outside you are exposing yourself to sharks in every aspect of daily life :D Take those private collectors who go to estate sales and say to the little old lady "Ah...just an old junk sword from the war...look at all that rust on the tang, I'll give you $100 to take it off your hands" LOL. Buyer beware..in every aspect of our daily lives. Brian

No need to set a firm policy here. There are many people that have posted a msg here saying "if anyone has had any dealings with XXXX then please drop me a pm or email" You are welcome to do that anytime. Or you can post that you have had some disturbing dealings with Mr XXX and would like to know what other's opinions are. I would just caution about direct accusations unless you have concrete facts, and if you do, they are welcome here as long as they are written to inform and explain, and not directly slander. Lots of ways to approach things like this without causing a major blowout. Use common sense and discression where appropriate, and all should be fine. Regards, Brian

Henry, That is a very difficult question to answer for obvious reasons. This forum has never steered clear of controversy and takes the view that if there is fraud or underhanded dealings going on, they need to be exposed. However there is always a fine line between facts and libel. I think that for an incident to be reported, it would have to be researched and proven beyond doubt. Then the accuser would have to provide his name and some info about himself, as accusations from anonymous people are probably a recipe for disaster. Some forums do not tolerate the negative side of dealings, however it is an important part of collecting. In this case, you would probably have to have decent proof that the sword is the same one, and the dealer who sold it without payment would also have to have his side personally noted. Sometimes it is worth posting a message asking if anyone has dealt with XYZ dealer before, and how reputable they are in the reader's opinion. Sometimes people can give enough of a reply to allow us to steer clear. The problem comes in when someone accuses someone of something, and then there are a flood of posts from people saying that love that dealer, he is a great guy....etc etc. What then? I guess it comes down to a case-by-case basis. If you would like to pm me the details of the dealers, I can see if he has a reputation for this, and see what we can post publicly. Libel threats are not fun, and we have been through them before. But for it to be libel, it has to be NOT true, which is why the facts have to be presented beyond any doubt. I'd be interested in any comments other users here may have on a situation like this. Brian

Those appear to be very much pressed brass mounts, and not laquerwork. Very typical of the Meiji period mounts. Both appear to be genuine Japanese swords, probably traditionally made. The other one in the pics looks to have lots of dried grease and some pitting. Kind of typical flashy antique touristy export market stuff if that makes sense. Made to export to the growing Western market that we flooding into Japan. The blade quality varies considerably, but the one you show does appear to be not junk. Brian

Roland, In cases like this, the hamon runs along the edge of the blade. If the edge is ground back through too much polishing over time, the hamon line goes off the edge of the blade. This is a fatal flaw, and no amount of polishing can bring it back, since the hamon does not exist in that area anymore..it is off the edge. It can be retempered, but that is a flaw in itself. If you are talking about a hamon that is just not very visible anymore through incorrect cleaning, it can indeed be professionally polished to show again, or repeated uchiko over time can start to show it again. But that means it must still be there in the first place, and just obscured. Hope this helps. Brian

Hi (I assume it is Tom? I am definitely not calling you jedimaster :D ) Not much I can say about this one, so instead I'll give it a bump for the more knowlegeable members. Usually these kind of aoi mon brass mounts are associated with Meiji period touristy pieces, but this blade looks like it might be a reasonable one. Occasionally you find older blades remounted like this during the Meiji period. I have a Nobuyoshi tanto in matching mounts that is definitely older. Afraid I can't tell more than this, so hopefully someone will come to the rescue. Nice looking blade though. Brian Edit to add: If you take a look at the swordsmith database linked above the forum, there are a few Nagamune signing this way from Musashi province. One of these will be your guy. Looks Shinshinto, and the most likely one is the Tenpo era guy (1830-1843) which would almost tie in with the mounts. Likely the one marked NAG351, he signed Ogasawara uji Nagamune saku

A agree on the points you show, but none of these indicates tiredness. In English convention, tired reflects core steel showing through once the blade has been polished down too much. Yes, over polishing can lead to kakedashi (hamon running off) but usually tiredness (in the way we usually use it) indicates shingane showing through. There isn't any on this blade, so although the hamon runs off, I am not sure if we would call this tired in the conventional sense. http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/shingane.html Some interesting points there...maybe even contradicting some of the idea we usually have. They also use a phrase "Muku" but I am unsure what they mean by that. Brian

Thanks Mike and Henry. Mike..that translation will no doubt be very helpful to someone, and Henry..as long as the porcelain isn't from the bathroom, I am sure it will be lovely :D Thanks both. Tickets will go on sale at the end of October, so we still have some time to arrange everything. Regards, Brian

Hawkan, Congrats on seeking advice here before making a costly mistake. That is 100% Chinese fake. No doubt about it. Check out the link above the forum for a page about fakes, and it should tell you some of the things to look out for. Regards, Brian Edit to add: Wow...3 replies in 2 minutes. :D

Haven't dealt with him before, and looks like no-one here has either. The tassel sounds correct, but maybe ask if he gives a money back guarantee on originality? These tassels have indeed been going for high prices. Occasionally someone picks up a sword with one fitted for a bargain. Good luck with it, and don't forget to sign your posts with a first name at least. Thanks. Brian

If anyone knows how to get a copy of this on cd, dvd, vhs etc..please let me know. I don't think I have seen that one, and it will be forever before we get it here. Is this a BBC, History channel or Discovery channel offering? Brian

Ted, Keith and Rich, Thanks for the new prizes. The response has been amazing..I hope you forum guys buying tickets are as willing as these prizegivers have been Those 2 books are great, and I am jealous over whoever wins the videos from Rich..lol. (I guess I can't enter the raffle myself..hahaha) Nice tsuba from Jean and Milt too. I am very lucky to have members like we do have here on the NMB. Brian

Yes..I was just going to post that At the least, it appears as though it is machi okuri, but with the hamon running straight into the nakago, I would expect that if the machi were moved up, then we would at least see another mekugi ana. The lack of a second one either indicates an ubu nakago or it is greatly o-suriage. The mune also looked narrowing to me, which makes me think even more of a nagamaki or naginata. The lack of hi would lean towards nagamaki. If the shortening were done professionally back before the 1700's, then the nakago jiri might have been finished off properly like this, and the natural patina would have had time to build up. All just my theory of course. No way to ask the original smith :D Brian

Hmm..on second though, it might just be the correct scabbard. :? Looks a fraction short, but the sugata seems to match. There could be some material inside the scabbard interfering with the fit. I think the only way to sort this out would be to take it to someone who could split, clean, rejoin and re-laqueur the saya. Have you tried to gently tap the mouth on a piece of rubber or cloth to see if anything falls out? The other thing to check is if it goes in all the way without the habaki. Try it without this, and see if it seats to the correct depth. It might be the habaki that is too wide for the current carved area, and this would be easier to remedy.

Robert, Judging by this pic when edited, I would say that it isn't the original saya at all, and forcing it will probably do damage to the blade. Maybe during the war when this was acquired, it didn't have a saya and one was picked up that was a close fit to transport it. This is fairly common, and the saya could have been for another sword. The best way to proceed would be to have a shirasaya made for it, and display the original koshirae separately. Otherwise one of the craftsmen could make a new saya to match. There are links to some of the guys on the links page under restoration. Brian

Yes, I would have to agree with you there. Easy to just say it is a shobu zukuri wakizashi, but from the sugata I would go with the cut down polearm. Especially with the boshi having no turnback and looking like it may have been possibly wider at the kissaki at some stage? As for the dating, I will have to leave that up to the experts here. Since we can't see the hada clearly, it would have to be an educated guess, but probably at least shinto? Looks likeit was done decently and professionally and looks like a nice item, especially with the attractive fittings shown in the tosogu section. Regards, Brian

Wow..I am intrigued. For a fittings novice, can someone explain the layering effect inside the carvings? Does this indicate patination, or a layering of the various alloys used in construction? Brian Edit to add: I see the question has been answered by our own Gabriel Lebec when commenting on this same sword here: http://www.myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?p=114590 I also found this: http://www.silversmithing.com/1mokume.htm First time I have come across this technique. Very impressive and interesting.

Nah, I had already counted out the various semi-finals, and gone straight to a SA vs France final :D Time will tell. Been some definite surprises this year :lol: Ok...we return you to our regular Nihonto programming :wink: Brian

Thierry, Another very fine book! This one has some great photographs and descriptions. Very nice item too. The French are really outdoing everyone in the prizes this year. Thierry, Jean and Paul. Almost makes me wish them to beat us in the comming rugby. Almost.... :D Merci beaucoup! Brian