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robsawitski

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  • Location:
    Detroit (Motown), Michigan, USA
  • Interests
    Collecting samurai swords, old toys & fishing lures and making wine.

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    Rob Sawitski

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  1. Thanks so much Ray. I need to learn how to do that. And thanks for all the advice you've given so freely. I really hope to find some more collectors in the area so we can all increase our knowledge together.
  2. Hello Everyone, I just started a new Facebook group for nihonto collectors in the southeastern Michigan area. I couldn't find any groups to plug into, so I started my own. You can find the group by searching for Ann Arbor MI Nihonto Collectors Club in Facebook Groups. The goal of the group is to help new collectors/enthusiasts get started in the world of nihonto sword collecting (which was certainly overwhelming to me) and to help those already familiar with nihonto see a broader range of swords then what they may have in their own collections. If you are in the southeastern Michigan area, we'd love to have you join. We have our first meeting (in person and virtual) coming up on August evening at 6:30 PM. Charlie White will be presenting from Japan on the Yamato school and how swords changed over the centuries and what influenced these changes.
  3. Thanks for the advice. I think I'll wait until it's been through a shinsa before I decide what to do with it (i.e. NeverDull or polish).
  4. Ok. Glad I didn't use it. Thanks for the information. I come across old knives quite often (not Japanese, but hunting/military). I assume 99% of these are machine made as nothing I've found so far is older than 1910. Any idea if Brasso is OK on this items? Thanks.
  5. Ok. Thanks. Now that you mention it, the surface grain is quite open (i.e. several smalls pores). Like I said, I have no idea what this stuff would do to such an old, historic item. Better to ask first, ususally. Thanks for the feedback.
  6. Hello Everyone, I am considering using a metal cleaner called Brasso (avalaible at the local Home Depot in the Detroit area) to wipe down a blade. I have used it on many knifes and it does a fantastic job of removing all the stains and discolored stuff. It doesn't seem to do anything to the original polish, other than making it brighter. I don't want to do anything foolish with this sword. Yes, Brasso may be a very foolish thing to use. I have a Japanese sword cleaning kit, which I haven't used yet. But, I can't imagine it working anywhere near as good as Brasso. So, please let me know you're thoughts. I'd like to understand why it would be a bad idea to clean the blade with this metal cleaner. Thanks.
  7. Hey thanks Jamie. Every little bit helps. I pasted the two ujitsugu mei side-by-side. Some similarities but overall, way different. It's obvious the two mei are from two different smiths. It would be great to have access to all the different mei pics people have collected over the years. When you see them side by side, it's very helpful. I'll try and figure out a way to post the two side-by-side. Thanks again Jamie, now I owe you two beers. Rob Sawitski
  8. Hi Everyone. Thank you for all your assistance. Sounds like this blade is a bit unusual - possibly older, possibly newer. Hard to say. I'll take Jean's and Chris' recommendations on the shinsa. It's a really neat blade and I'm excited to know its story. I've contacted Chris to understand what I need to do for the shinsa. If anyone has any other thoughts, I'd welcome them. Otherwise, I'll submit it for shinsa at the October Minnesota show and see what happens. I'll post an update after the show for those interested and for those who may run across another Ujitsugu of Toshu. You know, it seems like a database with mei (signatures) and sugata (shapes) would be very helpful. Does something like this exist? I see the SWORDSMITH DATABASE above but can't seem to access it. Is that what's in this database?
  9. Oops. I was wrong about the file marks. I just looked at it again under a magnification glass and they look too random to be file marks. They appear to be faint grain lines (it looks much more like the grain in a piece of wood than set spacing you'd see with a file, and they are faint). There was no way to photograph this. So, for discussion, what does it mean when there are no file marks? Thanks, Rob Sawitski
  10. Jean, I'll add a better photo later tonight of the file marks (at least I think they are file marks). They run parallel (which seems pretty strange to me) to the nakago and are only at the top (i.e. just below where the tsuba would sit). I cannot see any file marks below the peg hole (sorry, I'm learning the terminology, please bear with me). They only run about an inch long. Thanks, Rob S
  11. Thank you for the information. I've attached a few more pics of the nakago to provide a better look at the patina. Sorry for the background (the railing on my deck). It offered the best light this morning to take a few pics before leaving for work. The pics show do a good job of showing what I see with my eyes when I look at it in terms of color. I'm really struggling with what to do next and would appreciate a suggestion of what to do. I'm willing to do my own research (I certainly don't expect you folks to look all this stuff up for me.) What I know so far is the following: 1. The mei says, "Ujitsugu of the Tosa Province." This mei appears in Hawley's reference book and suggests the blade may have been made in 1844. 2. The may is on the tachi side. This may have been done to make the blade seem much older than it really is, or it may be old. But, the sugata suggests it isn't tachi-old. 3. The patina on the nakago suggests the blade is much older than 1844. 4. The nihonto is 37.5 cm long from tip to the start of the nakago (a rather short length?). And it's 3.2 cm wide at its widest point which is just before the start of the nakago (a rather wide width?). 5. As far as I can tell, the file marks (which only appear at the top of the nakago on each side) run parallel with the blade, as opposed to diagonal or perpendicular. Is this a clue to school style or date? 6. The hamon is straight, no waves or unique patterns. 7. There is no defined ridge line along the blade. The blade simply makes a slow, gradual taper towards the cutting edge. 8. There is no defined separation line at the start of the kissaki. What should I do next? Any suggestions? Would shinsa at the October show in Minnesota be appropriate? Rob Sawitski
  12. Thank you Morita-san for your information. Wow, it seems like translating the mei is the easy part. Tracking down the age of the nihonto is going to be the hard part. I don't have access to a big nihonto library. But it sounds like many of the people on this forum do have access to big librarys but haven't found much on this mei. Also, it sounds like there could be a few tricky items with the nihonto, e.g. a tachi-side mei and sugata that could be 1500s or 1800s. If you or anyone else reading this post would, please recommend a good way to continue my research on this nihonto. Thanks so much for all the help, Rob Sawitski
  13. Hi Grey, If it helps, the blade is 37.5 cm (14.75 inches) from the tip to the start of the nakago (i.e. I don't know the term for the notch that begins the nakago, but that is what I'm talking about). It seemed pretty short compared to other wakazashi on the display table. I actually thought it was a big, beefy tanto. Also, the blade seems wide to me (not that I have seen a lot of nihonto). It's 3.18 cm (1.25 inches) at the widest point, which is just before the start of the nakago. Additionally, there doesn't appear to be any separation line at the kissaki. And last, there is no ridge line at all. I appreciate the help. Rob Sawitski
  14. Thanks to your help figuring out the mei, I have started a new topic in the nihonto forum. Now that I know who and where the blade was made, I'd love to know when it was made as well as more about the smith (any school affiliation). Please see the post "Who was Ujitsugu?" in the Nihonto section. Thanks, Rob Sawitski
  15. Hi Everyone, This is a carry over from my post in the translation forum. Thanks to help from Morita-san (I would have never been able to identify the kanji without your clarification), Jean & Veli (who directed me on the structure of the elements of the mei), Mark J. & Jamie D., I was able to translate the mei on the wakazashi I bought over the weekend. Thought it might be time to move the conversation from translation to period of time. The mei says, "Ujitsugu of the Tosa Province" which is on Shikoku island. Veli sent me some info from one of his books that list three different Ujitsugus from Tosa. One is from 1661, another from 1844, and the last from 1848. I have no idea which one made this wakazashi. I'd love some help figuring out which Ujitsugu made this wakazashi. It's a really cool piece and I'd love to understand everything I can about it. [by the way, this is only my second nihonto. The first was a WWII gunto that I traded for the wakazashi.] I currently have only three books, and none of them mention anything about Ujitsugu, which leads me to believe he wasn't one of the famous smiths of Tosa Province. I've attached a few photos below to show the sugata, nagato, mei. If you wouldn't mind, please point in the direction I should go to learn about this smith and when he made this blade. Also, from my studying, I have a specific question about the mei. If the nihonto was worn blade side up in the obi on the left hip, the mei would not face outwards. Shouldn't the mei be on the other side? Anyway, I appreciate any help and guidance you could give to a very, very novice nihonto fan. Thanks, Rob Sawitski
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