O koumori

Since you are in California, you may want to take it to the next SF sword show and ask some of the knowledgeable collectors / dealers. An inexpensive first option; much can be determined with the sword in-hand as opposed to photos. Dan K

An electronic version was available at one time on disc, to be used in conjunction with the paper version of the books. It did not contain any pictures; it was provided to enable electronic searches of the documents. Dan K

PM sent.

Hi Jeremy, You're welcome. Dan

Jeremy, How did you finish the Oak? Any concerns with the tannins in the wood 'interacting' with the backside of the tsuba over time? Thanks, Dan

Wonderful blade! Could we see the nakago?

Don't use any dryer fabric softener sheets either.

IMHO, If you are looking at for trends (eg. "easier" or "harder" to pass TB), you have to look at the dates of the Shinsa, not when blades are up for sale. Dan K

Will there be an opportunity to mail blades for shinsa, if we cannot attend the show? Thanks Dan K

Jon, I don't know the details of your situation - so this may NOT apply, BUT if the blade was polished by an untrained person, they may have used acid during the polish, If the acid was not thoroughly neutralized, it will continue to corrode/rust. If, and only if, you suspect that this may be the case: First clean off all the oil using alcohol Then, with a cotton ball or Q-tip, apply a saturated solution of baking soda (Sodium Bicarbonate), soaking the affected area. Next, rinse well with water to remove all of the solution. and dry thoroughly. lastly, clean with alcohol again to remove any residual moisture. When you are certain that there is no water left. oil the blade. Again, this should only be done if you have reason to believe that acid may have been used in the polishing operation. Dan K

Sad news. His Japanese Sword Index website is what got me started down the road of Nihonto. I also purchased a few items from him; what a great guy! RIP Rich.

Thanks!!

Hey Chris, Just curious; what tethering tool are you using for focus? Thanks Dan

This massive tome is definitive Soshu eye candy, and well-researched history - definitely worth the money. Grey's postage savings is icing on the cake! Dan K

Beg to differ. Understand what you are looking at. Ask questions. In the past, I scored a Sengo Masashige and a Soshu Tsunahiro 2nd gen. (o-tantos) form him. Both papered. Dan K.

The kogatana 'tang' area is usually bent slightly to provide a friction fit. You can also wrap it using paper for a tight fit. Dan K.

Jonathan, Some friendly advice; photographing against a plain background would help a lot. Dan K.

This one's hakikake; Yamato no Daijo Ujishige. Kanbun period. Sorry about the poor photo Dan K

You received an attribution, and 75 points. That's great! You just won't receive a 'paper' from Japan. Keep the working paper shown here!

No it really didn't. Judgement was reserved, and as it states, kanteisho will not be issued for living smiths. Dan K

Dan, Thank you for your kind words. We enjoyed meeting you, and everyone that stopped by our tables as well. Mark certainly knows how to put on a great show to bring everybody together for mutual benefit! Dan K

Hats off to Mark and his family for a fine show! You went the extra mile to make it runs smoothly, and to make the vendors comfortable and the guests welcome. A great big Thank You from me and the entire Indiana Token Kai family! Dan K

Marco, Truly beautiful! Thanks for sharing. Dan K

Thanks John and Kirill! Looks correct. Dan K

Yes, Didn't see any immediate matches. Thanks Piers. Dan K