Brian

I haven't had a chance to compare the mei or workmanship yet, but I found an excellent article on Naokatsu in an old online NCJSC newsletter here: http://www.ncjsc.org/ncjsc-oct-2001.pdf (There are also some excellent articles on other subjects there) I wonder how many of these old NCJSC newsletters are online? Brian

If you have Connoisseurs on order, then I would say you have the best book on the basics up to mid-level info and schools etc. Connoisseurs is a year's worth of reading and even then there is still info to learn. Sato is also worth getting, and I think Stephen had that too possibly. Pm him, as the prices were dirt cheap. I really enjoy The Craft...it allows you a much better understanding of the whole process. Brian

Jeez...Stephen had those up for sale for a long time, and now that he removes them...someone needs them, Loren, check with Stephen what others he has. It he still has Craft of the Japanese Sword..that one is also very well worth getting. Brian

Yes, they travel outside Japan, and hold shinsas in other countries. The USA, UK and now Australia all have shinsas where origami is issued. (Usually the NTHK) All papers for swords are valid anywhere the sword is owned. The only exception I believe is with the very top level Jûyô Bijutsuhin, which lose their status if they ever leave Japan. Everything else keeps its papers unless another shinsa changes the origami. Brian

Grey, Is Guido's evil twin staying over at your place for the weekend? :D I think there is an online pic of the Masamune sukashi horimono out there somewhere. That horimono is certainly absolutely stunning. Does anyone remember the url of that website devoted to modern high class horimono? Have lost it for now. Would love to see more pics of these art carvings. Brian

Remember that Showa 1 is not 1926 + 1....it is the first year of Showa..so 1926. You always minus one from the year. So the 18th year of Showa is 1926 + 18 - 1 = 1943 :D Good on you for at least having a go. That's what we are encouraging here. After a few, you will start to get the hang of them. Thanks to Koichi for making it more legible too, and Jacques for the help. These are always good for novices to have a go at. Next time I think we will use the spoiler function so that more people can have a go Brian

Yes, it's real. That is the date side, the other side has the smith name. http://www.nihontokanjipages.com/common_kanji.html and also http://www.geocities.com/alchemyst/kanji/nengo.htm Have a go at the date..it is a Showa WW2 date. Brian

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2178&hilit=tired A good thread on "tired" and some interesting comments. I don't see any reason to suspect that your blade is tired though. A look at the difference in thickness at the machi vs the upper nakago will give you some idea though. Looks like a deal to me. Although far from the in-polish and papered swords that we usually recommend, and top level blades that you should be llearning from, if you are going to play in that lower ballpark for your own enjoyment, then it looks to me like you did well. I don't discourage these lower end blades because if you are clever, then sometime in the future you might sell all of them for a profit, and use that money to upgrade to better swords. Those that can't afford to jump straight to papered and polished blades should always remember that the goal is to learn and upgrade constantly. This one is definitely a good deal for the price from what we can see (as long as there are no serious problems with it) Wavy shinogi line and needs a polish of course. Go to the books now, and save for a higher end purchase Brian

Brilliant news Adrian! I am sure there will be a lot of Australian collectors very happy right now. Sounds like a great event. This gives me some hope that maybe oneday in the far future I will be able to organise a shinsa here in SA. Keep us updated. I am sure the slots are going to be fully booked in no time at all. Brian

Although I don't have it yet myself, one that was hightly recommended to me by a tsuba collector and specialist is The Baur Collection, Japanese Sword-Fittings & Associated Metalwork by BW Robinson. Does anyone else have comments on this book and is it worth getting? Brian

Yep...my silly mistake. Had too many swords in mind at the time, combined wtith trying to reply while on the phone to clients. Brian

Looking at it, and the evidence, I would say that the mei was cut off another sword, and welded very well onto the bottom of this katana? If this is the case, then the blade does look nice enough to have the bottom of the nakago removed to make it a rather nice mumei piece? The nakago looks long enough to cope with this. Funny..because the blade does match the Kanemoto school, and even as a mumei piece it doesn't look to be such a bad deal. Brian

What on earth happened here in the auction description?? Puzzling. Some kind of internet Tourettes? :lol: Brian

OK, we are done talking about issues beyond the swords here folks. Please keep to the issue at hand. Any further comments of a personal nature will be deleted. I am also keen to hear theories on the sword, as the nakago also didn't look completely right ot me, but I'm not confident enough to say it was altered or not. Brian

Simon! Don't go disappearing on us like that again. Had been wondering where you went. Sorry to hear about the family problem. Good to have you back. Are you still in Tokyo? Still a Yasukuni nutter? :D Brian

Well..looks like I painted myself into a corner here :D I was of course refering to the ones made nowdays, instead of 20-30 years ago (I was born in '71, so everything back then seems ages ago to me..lol) but by refering to the 80's as long ago..I then seem to be making the older members here appear ancient. So either way I can't win. I think I will just offer my apologies and wait for this to come back and haunt me later *LOL* Brian

Wow Guido! That is pretty amazing. They look nicely made too...I guess not like a lot of the modern stuff. Impressive display. Does it get displayed permanently, or packed away until the festival? Not sure how these things work there. Beautiful display. Brian

But of course! :D Hmm...shipping is just a little umm..er...on the harsh side. I wonder how the modern Kyudo practitioners feel about carbon vs traditional materials? Brian

(Don't forget to sign your posts with your name....) Linking is simply a matter of pasting the eBay link. The forum will do the rest. No need for any code. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0200253413 Brian

Did you check out the file I posted here? The secret is patience. Lots and lots of it. Very thin layers, followed by fine sanding and then more layers. Brian

Ah yes Mark....but the electronic version doesn't have pics, so you need to purchase the original Japanese books, and also have access to the electronic translation. And then you need to sit by the pc with the books on your lap and look up the English page. Bit clumsy when you also have a sword on one hand trying to look up a mei, check the book for the pics and work on the pc translation. Not a pretty picture :D I would love the AFU translations. Brian

I'm working on a NMB photo gallery, and also a reference library of photos too. All takes time, but it is on the cards. Brian

I think there was/is one on eBay recently. Not sure what it went for, but it is farly scarce and predates the other Fuller and Gregory books. Not expensive..although it is a small pamphlet-type publication. Brian

Welll..we have a sugata shot, and a nagasa measurement. Not everything, but there should be at least some guesses from that. You think it is o-suriage? Just from a quick look, it looks like it may be ubu to me. Can we get a shot of the nakago without habaki, and a close-up of the machi? With this length, it may have been originally mounted with 2 mekugi ana (what was the term for that again?) Brian

Well done Ken, a nice write-up and one that is worth repeating often. Brian