John A Stuart

Translation programs can be too literal. ie. 石突側面 is stone butt side .

A labour of love for sure. Great start. John

As drawer pulls. Hmmmm John

In the style of, in the manner of, follower of, student of; these are all used to qualify workmanship of art and have value in themselves. Original artwork by the master of which the preceding are imitative can be hundreds of times more dear. This is the nature of collecting and quite normal. John

I have mentioned this before and it is my belief that modern trained polishers togishi do not emphasise the sharpness as much as the cosmetics of the blade. Old field polishes were 'in the white' and very sharp. The Edo peace changed what was more desirable in viewing than hewing. John

A very fine sword. John

I am, by the photos, 99% convinced it is hagire, a fatality in that its function is totally compromised. Too bad. John

Ah! That is definitive proof I'd say. Cool. John

I've seen a few shears of this pattern. What indication is there this was made and used for fletching specifically? John

I too as Barry think the likliest idea is two tsuba made seperately brought together by serendipity not made as a pair. John

I find that Foghorn Leghorn loudness a North American trait, especially by tourists when travelling in Eastern countries. If you say it loud enough, even though not an English speaker, you are sure to understand. John

$250.00 is a pretty darn good price. Looks good from that perspective and was worth it, I think. John

It very well could be, highly stylised. I had thought the crossed lines and verticals as Hime. John

A Kasa, maybe Ajirogasa. John

Real beauties'. Sure curious what the blades are. John

I like the subject matter. Are you sure it is a bronze and not spelter bronzed? As pic #00138 suggests. John

You see some odd tsuba from time to time. Good to see another Whovian aboard. John

There is a practice in mikkyo called kujiin. It is a series of mudra associated with mantra in series of nine, hence the name. You see it in shugendo practice and funnily enough in movies depicting shinobi style meditation. It looks awesome in the movies. John

I agree with that. I hunted whales at one time, young and callous. I have mended my ways. Whales came into the harbour yesterday. What a sight. These antiquities must be preserved. It is when trade of antique pieces causes copying to take advantage of a limited market that we must contemplate stopping any trade as a deterrent. Other remedies most welcome. John

Here is a shirazaya for a kogatana. It also has a polished bamboo tsuka not shown. John

Ivory artefacts are worth preserving. There are amazing artworks made of it and I covet them like a lot do. I am willing to abide by proscription of any sale old or modern to preserve the living creatures. We don't need jambiya with Rhino horn or okimono of ivory at the expense of trade in animal parts that hasten their extinction. An elephant or rhino on the veldt is much more spiritually satisfying than a memento mori on the shelf. Polar bears are hunted for trophies here and global warming has put them under great pressure. There should be a total moratorium on hunting them for the same reason. Those headdresses worn by the Grenadier Guards require a whole bear to make. Insufferable destruction when faux fur would suffice. I feel strongly about this and am not picking on anyone in particular, just in general. John

An expert may be able to identify the engraver by style of work. It is a specialized craft and the swordsmith with one notable exception does not engrave or finish polish his work. John

Unfortunately no. Elephants are slaughtered just to poach their tusks which are sent to China to be turned into replicas of historical ornamentation or art. You can get these copies easily and buying them supports criminal enterprise and potential terrorism. Make no mistake about it. Buying these modern knock-offs are a crime. John

Ken. John

Good-o. Thanks. John