Moley

Congratulations to an artisan. I don't know how you do it...BUT...it really gets me every time. Even non-nihonto people appreciate what you do. Mmmmm I wonder if your ever increasing success make my F.H. fittings appreciate in value ???? OOOOhhh :-)

Hi Guys, Still along this thread. It really annoys me when Arthur is portrayed as English with a cross hilted sword called Excaliber and with some first knight called Launcelot. To me, Arthur is Romano Briton with a Spatha/(maybe even an earlier incarnation with a leaf shaped sword called Caledfwlch) and the remnants of a heavy horse cavalry battling against the Angles and the Saxons who eventually were to become the English. For those of you familiar with the Jack Reacher books by Jim Grant aka Lee Childs. Jack Reacher is 6' 5", with a 50-inch chest and weighs in around 210 - 250 pounds and he was a military police Major, Hollywood casted Tom Cruise

You Guys are "AMAZING", such in depth knowledge. How are we "ordinary Mortals" supposed to learn all this stuff?

Nahhh it was a GENUINE Muramasa cut down especially to make this kitchen implement. That's what they did and therefore the "chopper" is now worth at least $10

Yes.

An explanation. Embarassment / shame The Japanese have a way of coping with it- Denial and believing the denial.. absolutely Sword ??? What sword ? Oh no we never had a family sword that was captured in the war. War ? what war? Our family was never involved No this is not ours... nothing to do with us. (A friend of mine was in Japan and he was reading poster which said.. "Take Care !!! Pickpockets operate in this area.." A Japanese gentleman saw him reading the poster and approached him to assure him that they were... "Koreans... NOT Japanese") Rob Redmond (author of the year of the chicken) was on the bus in Japan when a Japanese lady shouted. "My purse, my purse... I've lost my purse...the Gai Jin... That Gai Jin stole my purse.... Oh no here it is Don't worry."

I just read post in the "wanted" section about a crow and moon Tsuba. It brought back memories of a Tsuba I saw years and years ago of a New moon and cloud theme.(Alas, I have no photo of this beautiful object) At the time I thought it the most beautiful Tsuba I ever saw. Thinking back later on I realised that part of the cloud was "BEHIND" the moon !!! Now, clouds are nearer the earth than the moon, so there is no way they can drift behind the satellite, so why would the artisan have crafted the most beautiful Tsuba to show the cloud Partially behind the moon? Was there a reason for this? Has anyone else ever seen this on a Tsuba ? Very interested. Thanks in anticipation Gwyn

Yes, looked at it through a lens and its ancient, a lot lot older than the polish. Tiny though but shaped like a Kiri Komi. Like I said it would have been "relatively" easy to polish out. Tried to photo it but need to improve my skills with the camera.

Thank You Jean for your prompt reply. Greatly appreciated It is on the mune and very tiny, the polisher could easily have polished it off. Gwyn

Hi Guys, Wondering if you can help me here? Is Homare Kizu the right terminology for a small cut left on a blade from another katana? I have tried the search function but Homare Kizu only comes up once on this site. Other searches lead to Katana Kizu and battle wounds in english. I seem to remember also honour wound somewhere. Not paid much attention to it before, but whilst carefullky studying a new aquisition, I think I can see a small nick that could only have been made by another blade. Thanks Gwyn

Hi Guys, I am now the new keeper of this blade. I hope I am worthy. http://collectorsloot.homestead.com/swd3.html A great thank you to Roy for being a gentleman and a good guy to deal with. I hope his knee op goes O.K. I love the blade. It has few Kizu (a tiny ware and a blister which the polisher skillfully stopped at) and the hamon is very thin and plain suguha, but nevertheless a good study piece. IMHO a blade made for use and not an art object. (hence the minimum plain hamon for sharpness only and the main body for strength) But trying to get any further info on the smith age etc is proving very difficult. I have scoured ALL my books and references and drawn a blank. The Mei is very neatly carved compared to my other nihonto and there is nothing carved on the ura side. Has anybody any help or suggestions to offer ? Greatly appreciated Gwyn

Hi Ford, Can we please see the other side if possible? Thanks Gwyn

I bought two once on e-bay from somebody in South Africa. Cost about £4+ £5 p&p Not authentic...but looks very good for display. Never saw them advertised again though. Gwyn

Congratulations Ford, You deserve it. The Katsuhira's tiger alone would have made you the most deserving. RESPECT aside/not important As an owner of original Ford Hallam Koshirae .. I am very very very very happy

Hi Guys, Getting interested in this topic now. Is there anywhere I can view photo's/diagrams of all the types of Tsuka (including Type 3) side by side or underneath each other for comparison? Or anywhere that lists the differences in the types of tsuka. Thanking everybody in advance Gwyn

Here's a shot of the mei

Hi George, I have a Gunto signed Yoshe Tsugu Sho Wa (Period) Ju Hachi ( 18th ) Nen (year = 1943) Ju Ichi ( 11 th November) Gatsu (Month) I cannot see a hamon nd don't know if the blade i worth a polish or not. It may even be Stainless Steel ? But the fittings are quality Gunto fittings and I had the Tsuka re-wrapped. The wrapper told me that the Same was celluloid and up to then I couldn't tell because it is such a good imitation.

Wow - Awesome. Drool !

Thanks for the reply Rob. I wonder if any of the learned gentlemen on this forum can enlighten us more on Yoshe Tsugu (Yoshi Tsugu) and the steel he used?

Dear Gentlemen, Please forgive me for hijacking this thread. I have been browsing this Forum for quite a while now but this is my first post. I too have a YosheTsugu (Yoshi Tsugu) which by all appearances is identical to the one shown here. It has even the same kind of Habaki and also has the Nagoya stamp. Mine however is Sho Wa (Period) Ju Hachi ( 18th ) Nen (year = 1943) Ju Ichi ( 11 th November) Gatsu (Month). The reason why I am posting here is to ask about the sword and the smith. When I had the Tsuka re-wrapped (It came without ito) The craftsman said that the Same was plastic and not real. However it is such a good imitation you would think it's good quality Same. Also I can't seem to see a hamon in the blade and don't want to spend a lot of money on a re-polish if it's stainless steel. Can anyone shed more light about the type of Gunto that Yoshe Tsugu Produced and what steel did he use? Is the sword pictured on this thread with a hamon? What is the Same. Any info about smith and or sword greatly appreciated. Thanks Gwyn