Derek

The topic of older NBTHK papers has been discussed many times here. I think the last go-around was: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/16555-authenticity-of-nbthk-papers-green-paper/?hl=%2Bgreen+%2Bpaper I hope that your's is good.

Thank you!

A set from my collection. NBTHK attribution to Waki Goto.

Thanks for the notice, Chris.

Congratulations!

I agree with Nick. Please read http://jssus.org/nkp/fake_japanese_swords.html Sorry

Carl, I would suggest that you attend a sword show and get some input. The people are really nice, and will let you know what your sword is worth before you invest more into it. A polish, shirasaya, and habaki are going to set you back $3000 or so, depending on many factors... (who/where it is polished, shipping, quality of shirasaya, etc) Not to mention, the months to years for turn around. (Again, depending on many factors) If your sword is worth $2000 now, is it going to be worth $5000 in full polish and new shirasaya? (Just throwing random #'s) For some swords, the answer is yes. Sometimes, the sword has special meaning to the owner, so it merits the expense. On the other hand, if you see yourself selling it in the next year or two, it probably makes more sense to not polish, learn what you can from it, then sell it. I once had a later generation Kanemoto katana that I liked very much, and considered having it polished. But the math didn't make sense. The sword was worth $3000 as it was. It would not have been worth $6000 in full polish. So instead, I kept it for a while, then sold it and upgraded. If you see yourself holding on to it for many years, then by all means, consider polishing. It has been very enjoyable for me to have a sword sent out for polish, and understand the process. If you decide to go the polish route, I definately recommend contacting Kunitaro san. He can arrrange professional polishing in Japan, shirasaya, habaki, even shinsa. His prices are fantastic, and very fast turn-around. Good luck!

i've seen Brian Tschernega's work, and I've always been impressed. Plus, he's a really nice guy. His habaki are outstanding in every way. I'm sure that if you ask here, someone will pm you with his contact info.

Yes, nihonto are always stored in shirasaya. The fit, type of wood, and finish are designed to store the sword safely long term. (Lightly oil the blade if the climate requires.) Most people have a tsunagi made for their koshirae. A saya as part of a koshirae is usually laquered, which does not allow the blade to breath. The blade is usally not oiled in the saya, as it is for temporary use. A shirasaya can also be split open if needed for cleaning. A nice shirasaya can be crafted pretty inexpensively. (Maybe $300 to $700 or so, depending on many factors) I usually have mine made when I send a sword for polishing.

I am trying to find out if any Muramasa swords have passed NBTHK Tokubetsu Juyo Token. Can anyone help me? I know there are 52 Juyo, and 1 Juyo Bunkazai. I also see 4 NTHK Yashu Saku blades, all tanto. Anyone know of any more? Thank you!

Hi Ken, Thanks for the comment. I believe that's what Darcy and Chris were refering to... the Trichloroethylene is some nasty stuff. The smell is... unique. CLewis, thank you for your kind words. My point was to see what was available out there, and try to make some comparisons. There are many other oils available, but after doing these tests, I'll stick to traditional choji oil. It's worked for hundreds of years, and unless you are exposing your nihonto to very extreme conditions, a very light layer of a nice quality choji oil should be more than enough. I will only use Fujishiro oil now, but again, it doesn't matter to me what anyone else uses. As Jean always points out, many climates don't even require oil on their nihonto.

Hi Thomas, thanks for the response; I would have loved to see that one. I peeked in at the shinsa and saw you hard at work! (You kinda stand out.... )

Just added history, oshigata, and nakago reference sections. Thank you for looking!

I had a great time! One of my favorite things is to walk from table to table and see the variety. Barry, it was a pleasure to talk to you at length! Mark, thank you for hosting a great show. I drooled over a few things out of my budget, bought and sold a few things, but most importantly got the chance to learn! Danny Massey gave me a great hands-on instruction on jishin saku blades; that Yoshihiro was gorgeous! Overall, it was just really nice to talk to a bunch of great people with similar interests.

Some pilots are authorized to be armed; this one obviously was not a FFDO. We can check 3 bags for free internationally. But we still have to pay taxes on the return flight to the US, if not on duty. .

Update on my site: Just added my 50th Muramasa nihonto! Please check out my site if you get a chance. I am still seeking more papered examples, if anyone has anything to share, please email me!

See you all there!

Very true Brian. I hesitated to add prices, as they reflect what I paid. Some, like WD40 were already in my garage. Tufglide is really expensive for the size bottle. The oils from Japan were more expensive since I had to pay for shipping to USA. Some of these were also available in different sizes; I bought the larger Fujishiro bottle, but a small was available. I already had OKS choji oil, but the Small choji oil was really expensive to get it to me considering its size.... a larger one was available though. CLP is at almost every sporting goods store, but I had to buy Collector on ebay.

Wah, I can only compare it to the others. I didn't notice an overpowering smell of anything, especially compared to something like the Eezox or motor oil. All the oils leave something of a film, but this wasn't more than average. Perhaps there are differences in batches? As I noted, the bottle opening on this one is a bit weird, so easy to over-oil? Again, my point was to try what was currently available, and share what I found. It doesn't really matter to me what people choose to use. I am not a chemist, so I could be off on the interpretations of my observations! Also, please remember that I was testing on mild steel blanks, with no shirasaya. I still think this is a valid test to compare corrosion resistance, but obviously not perfect. I used OKS choji for a long time, then tried Collector recently. I was thinking of using Eezox, but will pass after testing it. I had never tried Fujishiro oil before this test, but will use it now. Thank you for your feedback.

I have had several members ask me how I purchased Fujishiro Oil..... Fujishiro San's email is: post@nihontou.net I wrote: Hello, I am interested in buying: ○刀剣油最上(無色) 大瓶100cc and shipping it to the USA. Please let me know if this is possible. Thank you very much. Best regards, I received a response in English a few days later; I assume a family member with excellent English? (FYI, It went to spam filter!) I paid with paypal, and it was shipped very quickly. The total to paypal was 6,600 yen, for the 3.3 oz bottle.

Fujishiro Oil..... Smell = None Consistency = Clear, very light. Protection = A- Overall = Not quite Eezox or Collector, but almost CLP level for protection. Clear, no smell. Before this test, I never really knew much about this stuff. It is clearly an excellent product, and is what I will use from now on. $60 for 3.5 oz bottle, from Fujishiro San.

御刀油・最高精製錆止丁子油 Choji Oil.... Smell = None Consistency = Clear, very light. Protection = B+ Overall = Reminds me of Rem oil, actually..... The little glass bottle looks nice, but the top is just an open hole, which makes applying it a bit messy. Really nice stuff. $20 for 20cc glass bottle, from Japanese dealer.

Rem Oil..... Smell = None Consistency = Clear, very light. Protection = B+ Overall = Very good performer. It is very light, and probably doesn't hold up well on firearms, which could explain why it is considered average in reviews. But it goes on smoothly, with no color, or stickiness. Cheap and sold everywhere. $4 for 2 ounce bottle, in most sporting goods stores.

OHS Okamure Heibei Shoten Choji Oil..... Smell = None Consistency = Light yellow color, ligh medium sticky. Protection = B Overall = Probably based on camellia oil. Similar performance. $30 for 10cc glass bottle, from Japanese dealer.

Camillia Oil ...... Smell = None Consistency = Light yellow color, ligh medium sticky. Protection = B Overall = Tool and knife makers seem to like this stuff. It went on easy, no residue, I like it. $10 for 4 oz bottle, on ebay.