md02geist

Gakusee is absolutely correct.

The quality of the yari is very high too, it’s far from your typical sankaku.

They sure did!

Nice yari, Rob. Can't recall seeing tobiyaki on a yari before. Who is the tosho?

Thank you Ken! I haven’t seen one quite like this either. That’s why I picked it up initially to study!

It’s judged sue seki with Mei of Kane-?, as they are unable to determine the second character.

Excellent large yari in great polish. Mid to late Muromachi.

Fantastic hamon.

Recently picked up a wakizashi from J Reid.

Communication was good and he shipped lightning fast. The package got held up in customs (surprise surprise) but the delay wasn’t his fault.

Item also exceeded my expectations and he’s guaranteed it to pass shinsa as the blade is understood to be so I couldn’t ask for more.

Fantastic buying experience.

Lots of interesting thoughts here everyone, thank you

I thought that Feb. and Aug. are the best two months because of the temperature. 

I thought that might be it, but wasn't sure. Those are primarily the two months I've seen, more of August.

Hello all,

Simple question; are there "lucky" or more important months for swords to have been completed? I seem to see lots of Hachigatsu blades. I did some searching and research but didn't turn up anything...is there anything special about August or am I just running into coincidence? 

Thank you!

Wonderful taste. Hope your bank account is loaded lol.

How did you get on Rob?

Haven't created anything yet. Been formulating how to do it, and been tied up with two sick kids lol.

Thank you all for the wonderful ideas. My collection is humble but I like it..a tsuba, a katana, a yari, some other odds and ends. I've had a few nice ones in my possession and studied them then moved them along.

I was very happy to receive this as a gift from one of my crew (I am an officer at a firehouse). It meant a lot to me that one of my guys not only knows me well enough to know my interests, but would go out of his way to locate something for me like this *and* spend the money on it on a firefighter's salary no less (I'm sure it was more expensive than your typical stocking stuffer presents exchanged at work).

So it means a lot to me sentimentally!

Thank you all again for the great ideas. I will play around with some ideas in my head and see what I can do about putting this in display.  I have two young kids, one of whom is extremely curious about *everything* and I worry one day he will grab an antique he shouldn't. So I tend to keep them all very high up lol.

Here are some pictures. I know these are not in the greatest of condition, but they were a gift and given with a very generous heart. So if anyone has any negative comments about the quality or condition, do us all a favor and keep it to yourself.

Thank you!

Hello all,

Anyone found a good way to display partial armor? I received pieces of an Edo period dou from a member of my crew as a christmas present. It is about half the back and half of the front, and a few kusuzari. It isn't in the greatest of shape but isn't complete garbage either, it's enough that i'd like to display it with my other things.

Thanks!

is there something to verify?  I see Kane____?  late Seki

Yes, you're verifying what I have already.

More, would love feedback on the Kane ___ part.

Anyone like to verify the translation here? Thanks!

It's been a year or two since I sent something in, how does one donate again?

Who is the maker?

".....the owner is just wearing rose coloured glasses and had made up his mind before asking for advice."

 

Ouch!  So much for healthy discourse....

 

"We see swords that are absolutely glorious that obviously were not intended for battle..., like most of the shrine swords."   True, but they were not intended for cutting down trees either, but rather ceremonial purposes which would not be expected to damage their mounts.

 

I have made all the points that I will.  Maybe I'm still looking through rose colored glasses, and I admit that I do not know with any certainty whether such blades were intended for removing heads.  I have not denied the existence of the nata - it seems obvious that they have crude wooden handles and are made and used for gardening.  

 

I can say however that I sincerely doubt that these finely mounted kubikiri (I didn't make up this name!) were made to either work in the garden or to chop up coal.  

Big difference between pruning a bonsai and chopping down a tree. I think you're assuming that all garden or menial tasks are crude by necessity and that simply isn't the case.

It's very possible they were used for head removal. It's possible they were used for scalping. Samurai were pretty obsessed with the whole head taking thing, it wouldn't surprise me if some samurai had a special blade made just for it.

Truth is we just simply don't know.

Well, we are fixed in our opinions, aren't we gentlemen!  Choosing to ignore the amazing mounts on both of these pieces to take the position they are for gardening?  At the very least, these are weak theories for these two blades since the data don't support them.  Such mounts would be ruined in short order working in either the garden or with coal.  Why would mine have a slot for a kodzuka or kogai (there was an umabari in it actually)?  As to the mei, I think that the one above is Tanba no kami kanemichi, but not sure about the tanba.  We will wait until another one emerges to be posted here and see if that changes your minds at all.  That is my hope for the sake of illuminating this conundrum.  As with nearly all discussions on this board, I am here for fun and have no stake in it, really!

 

Although the Japanese sword index (thanks Rich for maintaining that and bringing it in to the discussion), when you search for kunikiri (literally head cutter) starts out with the head cutter use that I'm sure is correct, it then strays into other "theories".  I have no doubt that when a concave blade is mounted with a simple wooden handle, it's likely use is as a gardening tool or some other use that involves hacking like a machete, but I am convinced that neither of the two before you was made for that purpose and both were mounted to be carried far outside of the garden......

 

http://japaneseswordindex.com/unji.htm

Cheers, Bob

Could easily be as stated charcoal or other ceremonial swords. We see swords that are absolutely glorious that obviously were not intended for battle, like most of the shrine swords. I can see a ceremonial preparation sword being made very well and with good fittings. 

The katana I just sold, I'm losing some on. I have thoroughly enjoyed it while I had it, and now it is time to pass it on. I don't mind taking a loss and consider it part of the cost of education.

I recieved from Grey Doffin (www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com) today a very, very nice Dotanuki Katana with Hozon. All aspects of the deal was a pleasure for me. Thank you very much Grey.

 

I will collect further Dotanuki blades, if someone want to make me happy    (I like that school very much).

 

Regards

Chris

 

dotanuki_katana.jpgkissaki_dotanuki.jpgjihada.jpgso-no-kurikara.jpg

Lovely blade! Please tell us about it!

http://www.e-sword.jp/yari/1710-4001.htm

I liked that one a lot but sadly it sold before I was able to really look into it. The language barrier with that particular vendor makes it hard, I only know a little Japanese and they don't seem to know much English. Our communications were fairly confusing.

Awesome thank you Ray! I'm not sold on the old NBTHK paper and condition for that price but it's not a bad piece.

Sure. It will be interesting to watch.