tokashikibob

Hello Gentlemen and the few ladies on the NMB, How is everyone enjoying year 21? Before I put my resume out to Xi to ask if there are any Solar panel assembly jobs to be had I have the opportunity to spend freshly printed TRUMP/BIDEN bucks on the below sword. This is being offered via pics so I have not seen it in had. It looks interesting due to the hamon, I see the character that looks like a Taisho era on the mei. Correct? Cannot make out the smith, can you? I also do not know if the kanji on the shirasaya mentions anything of interest. The problem with the blade is the onr large chip in the edge and the mei looks like a chippy job hastily done. Guy wants 1K, I am thinking of eating the shipping costs and taking a good look. Would you pass? Best regards, Bob

Good books, you'll use them often. Take a look at Sesko's books you'll need those too! Best regards, Bob

Gents, I fall into the category of picker/treasure hunter sword buyer. I am drawn to tattered tsukamaki and rusty blades. The hope and disappointment roller cooster is exciting and sometimes you win. Anyway, recently I shifted gears and bought a blade that had all the work completed. It was a different feeling, more of a feeling of investment or value. There was another Kiyonobu there that was a wakizashi and I did not win the bid on that one. Shifting through the deceased owners papers afterwards I saw that they were both labeled as a Daishou. However, looking at mei's the wak was made by the father and the katana the son. Not sure if Daishou are put together like that? Anyway, I still expect to hunt the backroads but buying a nice blade right off sure takes a lot of variables off the table that cause worry and loss of money. Best regards, Bob

Mike, store it horizontally vice vertically, helps to keep the oil from pooling and oil very lightly you don't need much just a light wipe with a clean microfiber cloth with a bit of oil on it..

Nice Soten type fittings and a nice looking tsuba Ryo

Nagainata naoshi type blades are always popular, so you should not have a problem selling when the time comes.

Congrats on rescuing the blade, I really like the hada on it!

That was must buy collection, very nice! Do you still own any of the collection Rob?

Gents, Picked up this fixer upper to practice tsukamaki. The blade does not have any seki stamps is tempered under the habaki and is fully sharpened to the end. After a little carb cleaner and oil wipedown the showato seems to be a gendaito with a little sanbantsugi action and nioi in the hamon. Lots of work needed on this abused bastard. Best regards, Bob

Thanks for the comments, the blade actually cleaned up pretty good as the solid discoloration was some sort of old dried out lube.

Came in the mail today, from the online pics which showed no nakago I took a flyer due to the tsuka having the remnants of fine silk ito and the tsuba looked better than ordinary. Soo, the handle was on tight and when I got it off..... Sugoi, both the wak and tsuba were signed. Tsuba has some extraordinary gold inlay rim work. Best regards, Bob

Guy, It is too far gone my friend. R.I.P.

Jeez Lev, What camera did you buy? Those were some really nice closeups! Let me know if you want to trade 2 NCO's for that old worn out wall hanger. Semper Fi, Bob

These are the type I like to see available at the gun show for a close eyeball kantei before plucking a stack of bills out.

Domo arigato Moriyama-san!

Hey guys, A friend of mine asked me to take a look at this showato mei. Looks like maybe KaneSuke to me but not sure about the second character. Thanks in advance! Bob

Ryuuichi Yokoyama When I was told I was off for the South, I bought a military sword. I was surprised how expensive it was. I hung it from my belt in a leather scabbard, but it dragged along the ground because I’m so short. I had to have the sword cut down, but when I went to a shop outside the Azabu regimental base, they were going to cut off the tang, which bore the swordmaker’s name. I shouted, “Hey! Please leave that on. I paid a lot of money for that sword! The smith just snorted, “Showa swords don’t have names of importance,” and cut right through. So much for my great weapon! I had that sword hanging on the wall of a gymnasium in a school on Taiwan where we stopped off for a month or so on our way to the South. A member of my unit a kendo master from Kyushu, told me “Yokoyama, you have to take care of your blade.” The sword was in a white wooden sheath, and wrapped in a leather scabbard. It looked great from the outside. But after he said that, I tried to look at it. I couldn’t even draw it out. I pulled and pulled. Finally it jerked it free. The sheath went flying and the blade was rust-red. Everybody around broke into hysterics.

Gents, Thanks for the comments as always. i had a little time to look at this piece tonight, it does have a fine ko mokume hada with no flaws. It is very nice to study. 3 Inazuma in the hamon, with a polisher signature on the mune. There also is a tsuka maki signature and the guy did do a great job with the silk. I wish the few I tried to rewrap in the past where half as good. Anyway, it the locker it goes until a show or shinsa. Best regards, Bob

Hello fellas, I haven't been active in collecting Nihonto for a bit, but took a chance on this osuriage koto piece. Guessing it's a Mino school product but I'm never right. It was brought back by a Marine Brigader General in 1946. Nice horse fittings, but no tsuba. Mekuji ana lines up so I guess the koshirae was made without one. Kind of odd? A couple of inazuma in the hamon. I don't know if that is a characteritic of a particular school or not. It is interesting as you can see the hamon in the nakago. I'll have to hit the books to see what era it may be from but happy to read any comments from you blokes. Best regards, Bob

Me too, Make some more I need 4

Hmmm, I'm going to try a guy who fixes old watches, just to check out that avenue as the screws are old pocketwatch repair.

Gents, Has anyone have any leads on where to find those tiny screws for the WW2 Type 98 scabbard fittings? Best regards, Bob

Happy to hear that the Marine is going to come into some money and take care of the family member that needs the help. Good Karma all around!

THanks for the input fellas! The blade reminds me of a arsenal made forging like in some of the kyuguntos, and the mei is stamped it looks like. I'll have to drive over and take a look at it. And he's not close. Best regards, Bob

Gents, A friend of mine sent me some pics of this sword that came in the door today. I couldn't tell him much about it. Hard to find double hanger saya in a repurposed NCO type blade? Or am I way of base as this sword being a mashup? Best regards, Bob