Brian

Yes, I am pretty embarassed to have missed it myself, but the 6th August was the first post besides my own on this new NMB (by Stephen) and therefore I would regard that as the 1st birthday of this forum. Yep..1 year old, and a lot of lost hair :D No big speech, just a big thanks to all you members for making this a success, and wishes for many more (without so much hair loss! :lol: ) Huge thanks also go out to Rich T and Rich S for beginning this huge venture that I hope to continue, and to Stephen for the constant assistance. Lots more of you out there, but you all know who you all are Regards, Brian

That doesn't look like an outright fake to me. It looks like a much bigger naginata blade that was broken, and reshaped. Same as you would do with a katana blade that has a hagire? Machi are moved way up past the hi, and the dimensions all look reshaped. Some of those late naginata have these badly cut hi filled with the red paint. Not something that I believe is restorable, but I think it probably had its origins as something that was ok. The other possibility is a ceremonial polearm that has been worked on. Brian

Ludolf, Outstanding work! Great way to compare signatures, and a good example of how to start studying strokes. Each signature has some similarities, but enough discrepancies to make me agree with you on the gimei. Of course just opinion, and subject to shinsa. Let the blade confirm or deny as usual. Thanks, Brian

Darcy, How about donating it to the owner of this forum for all his hard work? :D :lol: :D Kidding. Great find! Nice to know it will be spared and restored. I think this would be an excellent candidate for a proper polish by Bob, and shinsa. There is no telling if it was sold by the family at one time, captured or lost, so I think the decision is yours and yours alone. I would be very interested in following the progess of this one as it gets restored. Sometimes these things just find their way to the right owner. Nice one! Brian

A good place in the UK to find decent priced Shin Gunto is at Michael D. Long: http://www.michaeldlong.com/ They aren't too familiar with Japanese swords, and I wouldn't buy an expensive Nihonto there, but for WW2 swords, they have some decent deals. Feel free to ask for opinions if you are looking at something. Also, I have never heard anything bad about Bill Tagg, so that advice is good. You should be able to pick up a Shin Gunto for around $1000 from the USA, and a bit higher from the UK usually. Regards, Brian

He either reads the forum (quite likely) or the dealer Koichi was in contact with contacted him (more likely) Brian

Hmm..that is very interesting info, especially with the papers having the same number on them. Can you ask them to take a look at the auction and see if those pics were taken by them? If they are different pictures, it would be interesting to know where he got the pics from. I wonder if they have it on consignment from someone who is also selling it through this seller? Doubt it, but there must be an explanation where he got the pics and info from, as he usually does have what he sells. Brian

Richard, Thanks for sharing. Yes, I have heard of this before. Sword cuts with broken off pieces of blade still in them. I guess you have to be extra careful when doing the uchiko work Regards, Brian

Thanks, So it has Juyo and not Tukubetsu Juyo? Hmm..does anyone want to contact Token Sugita and ask them if this is the same sword, and why it is being offered at $20K starting bid on eBay, and $100K on their site? Maybe he put it there on consignment, but doesn't explain why anyone would take that much of a knock. Brian

Nice listing Grey I see his new auction now states that it may be modern, and the price has been dropped. Based on this, it is in his best interests to contact you, offer you a refund, and you 2 mutually withdraw feedback. But sellers very seldom do the right thing in these cases, and must therefore suffer the consequences. Brian

Max, Not sure what to make of this one. He does say it has Tokubetsu Juyo papers. What is that origami pictured there? It also does look like the same sword pictured by Koichi, and he says it is listed somewhere else. Same sword or similar one? We all know that you are not going to get a TJ sword for $20K, but the seller does have what he sells usually. The problems usually lie elsewhere. I have seen all those swords claiming they are "Juyo candidates" or will "easily go Juyo" but this is the first time I have seen him actually say it has T.J. papers? This is a curious one for sure. Brian

Peter, Can't make out what is happening with the mune there, but the shinae ware, condition and fact that the mekugi ana looks punched would rule out Showa for me, and since there is indications that the nakago was well rusted and corroded before the cleaning, would say it is at least a shinto, maybe late Koto. I don't see much to indicate Showa there, and the fact that the nakago seems shortened maybe (not that well) also gives me that impression. The yasurime though are still a bit too clear for too much age, so perhaps we are looking at a Shinto indeed. Difficult one from pics, and the best way to come to a conclusion would be to try and get it to a sword meeting near you, where they can look at it in hand. I don't think the shape of the mune is too much indicator here, as it could have easily been changed with an incorrect polish by an amateur. Regards, Brian

Cosmoline is nasty stuff. The gun guys know it well, as many surplus rifles come caked all over them. There are many ways to remove it, but you will have to take care with a sword, and properly apply liberal doses of oil afterwards to prevent any corrosion. I use petrol or diesel to remove it. Other good methods are kerosene and Ronsol lighter fluid. All of these should be done outside in a well ventilated area. be careful not to get there near any fittings that have any plating, as I don't know what they will do to soft metals. WD-40 and other solvents work ok, but will take more time. Basically you need a degreaser. Remove the bulk with very hot water, and the rest with a solvent. If you search google for "remove cosmoline" you will come across many pages on this. The best is to use common sense and try a method in a very small area to see the results. As I said..be careful of fittings and any non-iron parts! Oil the blade properly afterwards and I suggest keeping them well oiled for a while afterwards to make sure no traces of any solvents remain to cause corrosion or rust. Brian

Hmm..I've found that the kashira is usually just small enough to almost fit into the fuchi, or close to it. If they are the same size, usually they are not a pair? This just from the few that I have here. I will have to measure a few of my swords to get a closer assumption, but depending on the style, I would not rule the pairing out. What are the others' obsevations on this? Brian

Jock, I would like to move this to the auction and sales section, but that will mess up your direct link on eBay to this post. Please don't use this as an eBay photo hosting site? :? Brian

You realise now that after mentioning that, it is all I can see now when I look at them? :D Brian

And adding active rust back to a nakago has very little to do with properly restoring age and patina back to a nakago. Brian

All.. I am pretty sure this was just written wrongly, and he meant "..in a rough state of repair, covered in surface rust and it had had the nakago sand blasted...." I think he got it like that...didn't do it himself. Brian

Ok..how about this: 1)Andreas says rightfully that the saya was longer than the blade. 2)Charles says that the saya was too short, and the blade sticks out the front. 3)Mike says that the kojiri was not there, leaving the bottom open, but with space and clearance for the blade tip. I believe the kissaki was bent, reshaped and was in good condition on shipping it. Andreas, I do believe your method of wrapping the blade in cling film, and then putting it in the saya (even with tape and bubble wrap) was not enough, and in being dropped end on, the blade shifted down into the saya, with the end of the blade comming right through the bottom of the saya, and either hitting something hard (floor or wood on the saya?) and bending the tip. This would explain why Charles, on opening the package, would see the blade sticking out of the end of the saya, and looking like the saya was too short. This does explain both sides. Whether you 2 can agree that this happened is up to you. I would like to see you both agree on someor other probability, and come to an agreement like Mike did with Andreas. Try and see the situation from the POV of the other guy, and try and understand their feelings, and maybe this can become civil again. I am only letting this discussion carry on to serve as a warning to both buyer and sellers, and as an education into packing Nihonto. If you keep it fairly civil, I will let the discussion go on, otherwise I will be forced to lock it. Regards, Brian

I looked at it under close magnification. Not umegane or a fukure. Doesn't appear to be or indicate a flaw in any way. Just a mark engraved there very carefully. Thanks for all the hints so far. Personally I think it is some kind of tiny signature mark. Maybe one of the prisoners who helped forge it for Emura, maybe from the polisher who polished it. Maybe by the original owner (the mon possibility is there) I expect it was done in Japan, as a Westerner would have used initials, and not a symbol. Only things I do know for sure is that it was not accidental, and it is purposely done. Maybe a previous owner used it (long ago down the line) to indicate what blades were once his. Too many theories, and I am afraid I don't think we will ever know the truth Brian

I think those are properly forged, folded and made out of modern steels, and are probably very nice swords that are some of the top of the line non-Japanese type swords. But they are not Nihonto, and never will be. They fall under the category of modern made custom swords, and not intended as fakes. Not much to discuss about them on the forum though. High class Chinese forged swords made in the Japanese style. Regards, Brian

No to both. It is quite clearly very precisely engraved with a very sharp instrument, does not appear to be stamped at all. I measured it, and the diameter is 1.5mm across. Precision work there, definitely not accidental. Brian

Hi Erol, Yes, that is Ohmura-san's site, I have asked Simon if he can perhaps contact him and ask about it. It's not the Kokura stamp, this one is like a larger circle with 4 circles inside it. Baffles me Brian

I would like clarity on the saya issue. Charles says it had the end cut off, and the kissaki was exposed. Andreas says it is a standard saya 8cm longer than the blade. Hmm. Please clarify this among yourselves, and find out of something was tampered with? If the blade was not fitted with the tsuka, and just had clingfilm on it and pressed into the saya, there is a good chance it shifted down and that is how the damage occurred. This forum will not be used as a trial to see who was wrong and who was right. It's a bad situation. Work it out folks. Brian

I will certainly do that I don't want this one to just die without some theories. If anyone has any ideas of Gunto/Gendaito experts who might have some idea that aren't online perhaps, please let me know. Unfortunately Dr Stein is the Emura guy, but is unreachable for health reasons. Thanks, Brian