Justin Grant

Moriyama-san and Mr. Bottomley Thank you for the information. I thought I was doing well to come up with the Shohei date... Hummmm. I knew it was not related to the date of my armor, just wondering the significance of it. My armor was purchased from this board viewtopic.php?f=4&t=8241 Thanks for the information, off to research this information!

I just purchased a Showa period O-Yori and in the fabric has a repeating date all over the armor. It reads Shohei 6 Year, 6 Month, 1 Day. The armor has the Maeda Mon on it, so not sure if that ties into the date or not. Any thoughts? Thanks Justin

I am not looking for any debate over who is better, so I am sorry if that will happen. I am looking for what one can expect to receive from NBTHK on a mumei wakizashi, will they only assign a Honzon paper, and if so, what would that do in terms of benefit to the sword in the long run? Trying to undersand what one receives for the money this costs. We all talk about the sword and the value of a polish and how to "recoup" the cost, etc, so how does papering a mumei blade fit into this type of thought? My Wakizashi is polished, at least 90+% of the polish remains. It has a few scuffs in the polish, but looks great. No flaws of any kind, it is a Koto Tachi that was cut down and mounted in early/mid Edo mounts/saya. Just wondering what the benefit would be... And by whom if I were to send it in. I was considering the NTHK-NPO for next year, but Bob Benson suggested that if I send it to NBTHK, I would only get Honzon papers. I don't know enough to understand the rational and best decision to make. Why only Honzon, is that the best one can get from a mumei blade? Again, I am not looking to start a heated discussion on who is better... Just trying to understand what my best options are and why. Thanks Justin (Lost in Papers) Grant

I am a little confused on the "paper" system. Let’s see if I can solicit some information from you on the various "groups" that paper mumei blades. What could one expect from the following organizations if they were to submit a mumei blade for papers? What could be listed on the papers, what value, if any, would it add to the blade, and usefulness of the paperwork in subsequent sales? What other value is the information on the paperwork? Let’s also assume for the sake of the arguments, the blade will "qualify" for papers. It is not sanded, buffed, rusted, etc. NBTHK NTHK NBSK NTHK-NPO The reason I ask is that I have a Wakizashi that has been stated several times that it needs to go to Shinsa, so I am trying to figure out what, why, when and by whom. I see posts that refer to some papers being useless, others that question the color of the paper, etc. Seems to be a lot of opinions, but I can’t find a single source that outlines the pros and cons of each paper and group. Thanks Justin

I think you did an outstanding job! I have been trying to capture images of my Wakizashi and to date; all I get is glare or junk photos! Well Done! Justin

Hi Guys- A friend of mine is a good friend to the family that owns the shop. Remember this is a "TV" show, and thus, they are looking for ratings. Austin... AKA Chumley, is an act.... Ever see the sword on the shelf in the show? It is a 17th Century Katana, they want 8K for it, and don't know much about it. Rick once purchased several "Fossil" Megaladon teeth (prehistoric Great White) for several hundred per tooth. I have thousands of dollars in them if that is the going rate! I called, no; he is not interested in them. RATINGS.... Ever see the American Pickers show where Mike Wolfe buys the “WWII Samurai” swords from Leland? He paid $200 for them and sold them for $400. Thought they hit the jackpot! Thanks Justin

Any leads to something that will match are welcome. Thanks!

I think the blade is a very good one. No signature remains, if there was one from when it was a Tachi. I have been considering sending to Bob Benson, so maybe I should proceed with the path first. Thanks Justin

Hi Jason Yes Sode and a Yumi. Just have not seen a Kogai with this theme. Thanks Justin

I have a Wakizashi that is missing the Kogai, and I would like to find something to match its Kozuka. Possible? Is this a common style/design? Thanks, Justin

I have an Edo period Saya and mounts on a Koto Tachi that has been shortened to a Wakizashi. The Saya is black and gold swirled laquer. It has some areas missing the laquer and a small crack near the opening. Should this be repaired? If so, by who (PM"s are good for names)? Attached are pictures of the damage. Thanks Justin

Since I am now the owner of this Tusba, I would like to know why you think this Kanji is a representation of the Diamoku and not as Henry suggested, the Nanboku-Cho reference? I am not doubting you, but Nichiren Shoshu or Nichiren Shu followers would refer to Nam or Namu as 南無, so why would the tsuba only have the first part? The Nam(u) (the pronunciation is key among differing sects) has significant meaning and I would assume would be spelled out. Anyway, I have it because I like the look, not the "connection" but it would be nice to hear more opinions. Thank you. Justin

My understanding is that this is part of DHS (Department of Homeland Security) action plan to address (temporary?) the explosives uncovered in air freight several weeks ago. Once a plan is in place to scan and or ensure safety of the packages/crew, this is the only option you have from any point of interest on this big blue marble.

One more question for the day. The term Ronin Musubi... Musubi, according to my dictionary, means ending, conclusion, union and Musubime means knot. What is the "translation" of Ronin Musubi? Thank you

Thank you once again. I very much appreciate your kindness. I am very new at this, and have a nice Wakizashi that is missing the Sageo and would like to add it to complete the "look". Sincerely, Justin

Thank you Guido Schiller I have contacted both companies for a quote. Very appreciated! Would you happen to know if the paticular knot I am interested in has a "name"? Thanks Justin

I am looking to purchase some Silk Sageo, and everything I have seen comes in 220cm or 7 foot lengths. I am applying this to a Wakizashi and I assume I cut it down? The knot I want (don't know the proper name) is the one shown here http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/imageNDF.JPGand I am of the understanding that for a Wakizashi that the "loops" are just two per side and not three. Can someone confirm this? Thank you Justin

Girl in photo "two" with Wakizashi is an Ad for a strip club in the US. Shame.... Shame...

Humid vs. Arid conditions I live in the Midwestern US. During the summer, we have a very humid environment, reaching 90+%, and in the winter months, it gets very dry, to the point, doors shrink in the frames… Wood floors start to make awful noises, and noses crack and bleed. With these wonderful conditions, how would one go about preserving the investment in Nihonto? I oil the blades, but am concerned about the disparate climate conditions the saya, tsuka, and other fittings experience. Short of building a very large humidor and putting the items inside like neatly packed cigars, what do others do to ensure the preservation of the wood based items? I would hate to see these things shrink and crack after a few years. Thanks Justin

I have such a blade, and this is what Bob Benson told me about my blade. It was a Tachi that had the Kissaki broken off, reshaped, re-tempered, and the nakago shortened to make it a balanced katana. Dead from a "collecting art" side of things, but a great "military" collectable. I also have a great Wakizashi that was once a Tachi, it was shortened from the nakago.

For the unlucky people not able to make this event, but would like to submit a sword, are there agents that can do this for you? Is it to late to have a sword submitted?

I wonder why the blade and wood would be completly rotten, but the tsuba looks to have very little damage....

All- I am reading the Satsuma Rebellion, and while a good read from a “Westernized” perspective on the conflict shortly after it happened, I have a question regarding the swords used during this conflict. I have seen swords listed for sale that have “Satsuma Rebellion” wrap, and I wondered if this special style was solely for the conflict or a style used by the Satsuma Clan as a whole. In my reading, I understand that Satsuma had “Private Schools” for the study and practice of “war”, and thought this might be the reason for the special wraps, but I am just passing an uneducated guess into the fray. What was the purpose of the wrap? What benefit was obtained from such a simple wrap? I am thinking it can’t be related solely to the functional aspect or utilitarian aspect, as some I have seen have very nice Tsuba that are nicely ornate. I am not sure if this is a field of study for people, but I am hopeful that someone here has more insight into this area and can lift this burden from me :D Thanks Justin

Thanks George! Ty will send me pictures of the nakago. I am not up on the Gunto, so the menuki placement did not stand out, that is odd. He said it has two pegs in the tsuka. Thanks for the help!

Hi All, My friend Ty is Japanese American, and his Grandfather was an officer in the US Army in WWII, and was used as a translator during the war. After the end of the war, his Grandfather was stationed in Japan and received this sword during his stay by what remained of the Japanese command staff. Ty's Grandfather has passed, and the information he has was told to him by his Aunt and Mother. He thinks the saya has been repaired/replaced but wanted to know more. I sent him some instructions on how to remove the Tsuka, so if there is a stamp or any information under it, I will be sure to post.