Anthony de Vos

Hi! Thanks Ian! Under the futatsu do, there is the mei of the cutter. That leaves the first row with 2 sets of kanji and the third row of kanjis, the mystery unveils..thanx guys. Anthony

Hi! Gabriel, thanks for the clarification redarding the date, great info. Anthony

Hi! According to Piers; "The style of writing for Naga 長 is written in the same way within Masanaga + Kao near the seppa, and also on the other side for the cutter Nagatsugu 長次... so in my mind, added to the fairly clear rendering of Tsugu 次, this makes the cutter Nagatsugu." So, this would be Ôkawa Hachiemon Nagatsugu (大河八右衛門長次 (元和Genna~寛Kanei). I saw in some reference that he worked a couple of years past 1655 so i could be possible. Ogawa Hachiro´emon Shigeharu (小川八郎右衛門重治(寛永 Kanei~寛文Kambun) has also been suggested earlier. Anyone that can translate what kind of cutting test was actually performed? Regards, Anthony

Hi Eric! Regarding the review, since I am, as you know, not a Japanese speaker, it will be short and of no value; Beautiful colour photos covering a huge range of guns, useful for me since I can compare details in the pictures with my guns. As you already said the next step is to copy and paste for the info, not easily done when using dysfunctional on line translation alternatives. If you have the interest, then you find the existing books and where to buy them, a forum like this and NNK with your contributions is of great help. I got the impression that people where looking for them, I just point in the right direction. Anthony

Hi! Regarding Sawadas blue book, is it really that rare and expensive? I bought mine, brand new, on Yahoo for 7000 yen. Just the other day there was a new one up for sale. Regards, Anthony

Hi! I Use Fedex on items like bows, naginatas, sodegarami and suchs from Japan to Sweden. Expensive but I think they can ship huge and heavy. Surely you can use them. Anthony de Vos

Hi! I'm really suprised. I have bought several swords from him a couple of years ago. Always good comunication, items as desribed, smoth transactions, never any hustle, and now this....hard to belive, shocking. Anthony

Hi! Alex, for a balance to the regular mainstream economy news read Zero hedge, for a wider picture. In order not to stray from the subject, I think both Europeans and Americans alike will benefit from Prime minister Abe's attemt to double the Japanese money supply until 2014, if buying the swords from Japan. Swords bought from Japan will cost less, but the competition on our markets will then increase since there will be a larger supply. Anthony

Hi! I know this is not an economy forum, but Alex, as long as the US continue to increase their balance sheet with 85 billion dollars a month through Fed, and the Saudies considering to trade oil in all currencies, thus making the dollar to loose the petrodollar status, there is not going to be a strenghtening in the dollar. Regards, Anthony

Hi Howard! Did you manufacture the maedate? Great job, looks nice. I'm not sure though if the vailtail goldfish with telescopic eye had been breed from the basic goldfish in those days. newertheless beautiful handicraft. Anthony

Hello! Thank you Morita san! Anthony

Hello! I use "mink oil" with good result on old dried leather. Recommended for leather garments as well. Anthony

Hello! I hope you get well soon, Marcus. Regards, Anthony

Hello! And the naginata went to Sweden. I,m a very happy customer beutiful.... Anthony de Vos

Hello! Nice Jan, nice! Anthony

Hello! Eric this is the second time picture of the tatami dou with the green fabric shows up on the forum, I think you were the culprit last time to. That dou still haunts me since the day it was sold on E-bay to Holland for $650. My intenet conection broke down 5 sek before I was going to bid . (this was before I found Gixen). I have tried 3 times to get in contact with the buyer to no avail. I will not sleep tonight...... Regards, Anthony

Hello Uwe! Great dou, I like.... Anthony

Hello Eric! Let me know what armor and what part you need and i will take some photos. Regards, Anthony

Hello! As compared to the more common regular plain laquered brown or black. Regards, Anthony

Hello! Since kusari and tatami is discussed, I would like to contribute with 4 of my more unusual tatami armours. Regards, Anthony

Hello! Anthony and Jan from Åkersberga and Rönninge clans, Sweden Regards, Anthony

Hello! Piers, the b-man was very pleased indeed, it was on a "I told you so..." level. For him this is evidence that this teppo is quite unique due to the pure iron content in the barrel (without knowing the Fe content in teppos per se). Is it anyone that have any information regarding the metallurgic distribution of teppo barrels in general? Bye the way did anyone notice the price for the medieval sword with provenance from the mamluck armory i Alexandria, on Bonhams auction yesterday? a staggering 135000£+fees... The 3 teppos went for 1200-1300£, two sold, one not. Regards, Anthony

Hello! The latest act in the bog iron, only emperor touch, teppo drama; The bog iron man has made som metallurgic readings of his teppo at SSAB (large swedish company). They had 2 machines, one old, making readings deeper and a new, making the reading more superficial. The result is as enclosed; Deep reading all FE ( the bog man clearly states that the machine also detect carbon, so no carbon in the FE!?.) The superficial reading states a rather high silver content AG, Interpreted by the b-man as a silver inlayed or even silver patinated surface. Any comments? I have invited him to test my teppos, long and short to compare in order to se if they are the same or if indeed this is a rare bog iron teppo. Regards, Anthony

Hello! Thanks john for that clarification. "Kyosha" is soon going to get a proper repatination and a new serpentine before resting together with her more anonymous, not babtised, brothers and sisters. Regards, Anthony

Hello! So with your resoning, the actual pistol is named "No Retreat"? Very interesting, That I've heard regarding swords, but never firearms. Thank you all for this info! Regards, Anthony