John A Stuart

Hi Milt, 50% across, wow! Has it been in a fire? Loss of hamon from heat. John

Hi Roger, First- send the box to me and I will return those I don't want. Kidding!!! Take some good pics with a digital camera or even easier scan them and we all can have a good look and try to assess what has been left over from the auction. If you want I could host them temporarily for all to see. John

Actually when you zoom in using acrobat you get not too bad of a view. Just a little fuzzy if you get too large. I do not know if 'reader' has this feature. Anyhow when they upgrade what they have it will be better. A very important collection. John

Rich T is correct in that they show what is in the collection but info is sketchy and no larger pics. There is supposed to be better info available in the spring of 07 however. Rather large file for here, I think. Dial-up at 6 kbs was about 18 mins. John

Hi All, In a previous post re: Tsuba collection at Inverclyde Museum. This is a collection that GR MacDougall collected in New York at the turn of the 19th cent. and sent to Greenoch, now housed in the McClean Museum in Greenoch. It is currently being researched and more info will eventually be available to the public. Mr G Woods has made available pdf files of the tsuba collection, there being no printed catalogue yet. Any who want these files can e-mail me for a copy. John

Hi All, I have put a technique for using Matsuyani (pine resin) glue on the web. I could not find a source for this. Andy Guy was kind enough to give me a recipe he had used with success. It worked well for me, so, I thought it might be valuable info for others and a useful download. John http://www.johnstuart.biz/new_page_22.htm

Wow Leroy, I've seen different hamon on a sword before but never just about every type possible at one time. Has other swords by this Sukenaga been like this or is this a special test piece? Very special, eh? John

Hi BC and Nobody, I have seen some martial arts shows where sword techniques were demonstrated along with many other demonstrations. There always seemed to be methods to minimise possible dangers and increase effectiveness, eg. spacers in breaking feats etc. When it comes to cutting demos sword sharpness was demonstrated on melons and suchlike, which being semi-solid fruits would be easily cut with an unsharp blade but look very amazing. Melons would then be placed on heads and bellys and split in half leaving the person unharmed. A wedging cut with no cutting draw would not cut flesh plus a semi-sharp blade also prevents this. All in all a sort of a trick. Indeed there are feats performed with feet on naked blades but I would not expect them to be really sharp blades either. On an encased blade it would all depend on ones weight and the strength of the case, but pointless really, eh? I remember a couple of years ago the Shaolin monk tour where they bent spring steel swords and spears with waxwood shafts (which are really flexible) in their throats, sharp? I doubt it, but what a show. John

Hi Curran, Yes the pics are poor. Thanks, John

Hi Curran, Nobody, I have tried to clean up the pic of the best shot. It is in transit still and will post better when I get them. The first kanji I thought was michi but kiyo looks good too. Can't get a handle on the other three. It looks to be a nice set, which is why I bought them. Thanks for the help. John

Is it safe? That's right I remember something about that from another board. I think there is another 'jawbreaker' in that group if I recall correctly. I am new to this computer game as well, just a few years, but, all our engines we are getting now are computer monitered and run (injection, etc.). In fact with an uplink head office could concievably override our computer setup remotely. Horrors, a desk jockey trying to out think a field engineer. Anyway, that is what brought me into the fold. Using Microsoft Front Page eliminates coding and running a site is not more difficult then up-loading pics, to here for example. When I go to the various web sites of dealers or collectors that give info with their pieces (eg. Danny's site, not to exclude others) it is a great educational resource. It is still nice to see the articles in collections though. Thanks, John

Hi Milt, Why not make your own web site where you can illustrate your collection and give the history and explain all the facets of each piece? There is some nice stuff there, but, it would be nice to know more about them. BTW, what job is 'jawbreaker'? John

Hi Guido, That's a good one. The theory being they were never extant. Some mumei Sadamune. In fact I read backwards and compared the mei to Hosho Sadamune. There are only the two examples of zaimei that have been generally dismissed. The Takagi Sadamune examples. Excuse my confusion and forgetfullness. John

HI All, I looked at the bidders item from Antique Heaven and is it too not a reproduction at $120. Of course it doesn't say either way. It looks nice but I still think modern. As well the punch marks in the seppa dai on the tsuba show bright copper with no oxidation. They are great looking but makes me think modern all together. How can you tell in pics of really good repros age otherwise? Curious, John

Hi Nobody, Thanks. I completely fogot to rotate them when I cropped them, sorry. John

The tsuba looks fresh, the tsuka has been restored and the menuki look fairly new as well. Some other may comment on the fuchi. Generally I would say the sword has been remounted with repro fittings. Could you post a pic of the blade showing the hamon and jihada. John

Hi Michael, It is a real sword and is Sadamune signed. Not by the famous Soshu one, since the mei does not match, but, I can not say it is gimei of Hosho Sadamune or another or not. John

Hello All, I have this fuchigashira on the way and have been only able to crop the stock pics so they are not very good, but, if anyone can decipher the mei and give me some info please let me know. I can't make it out. The set itself is nice but, the mei looks fresh, the pics are deceiving perhaps. John

Hi Tatyana, In the first post of this thread by you you called the hamon type correctly I think. ' Koshi no Hiraita Midare w/ Togariba'. Seems just about right for a Seki Ha sword. John

Hi Jeremy, I think he must have meant in firm but not absolutely jammed. You want to be able to rely on it staying in place during kata etc. My daily practice sword has 2 mekugi and they are firmly in place to assure me of no accidents. John

Hi Ed, I was hoping to minimize the cost. I have a source for new fittings but they are not cheap. I have so far, new sarute, tassel and tsuka. Buying piecemeal is not a cost effective way to do it. Oh well, I agree I'll just have to order replacements. By the way is Kim Jinsoo's site still active? John

Hi KM, It is done quite often and is termed sai ha. The telltale is mizukage among others. There was discussion once where it was mentioned that there is a fairly high percentage of sai ha blades floating around including highly regarded examples of rehardened and tempered blades of prominent smiths that had been caught in fire and repaired by other prominent smiths. John

Hi All, This is for the gunto collectors out there primarily. I am in the middle of restoring probably the only gunto I shall have and have some paint loss on the reddish seppa. This is just paint so is it acceptable to re-paint? I know original is best but it really needs it. As well the brass fittings have a coating that gives a translucent reddish hue. Can this be reapplied and what is its composition/source? Thanks for the previous help. Tassel and sarute on the way. John

Hi bd, The text says they have Tokubetsu Kichyu not Tokubetsu Hozon. Which really just assures one that it is a nihonto and a likely true mei. John

Hi Ichi, They sure equate this sword with some important kaji, eh? Pics look nice, but, $9000 for this sword would require a hands on evaluation. I always wonder why dealers say that a sword will reach such and such a level but don't do it and price accordingly. After all the shinsa is just down the road. The pics do not show extaordinary details. John