Grey Doffin

Hi guys, The JSS/US needs some help; We don't have enough articles for our Newsletter. This has been a growing problem for some time but it has become particularly so recently. We are currently in the beginning stages of 2 projects: translation and publishing, that I'm sure will be well received once we get them out, but work on them is dependent on having enough money coming in through member fees and member fees are dependent on having an interesting Newsletter to attract the members. If any of you would be willing to write for us we'd sure appreciate it. It doesn't pay much (nothing, to be exact) but it will look good on your resume'. Articles don't have to be especially scholarly (although we won't complain if they are), just interesting. If you have something to offer you can email it to our editor, John Eliyas: eliyasj at comcast.net Thanks, Grey, JSS/US Publications

Peter, I'll take a guess at Nagahiro Saku (not sure if Saku is there). It might be easier to read without the chalk. Use a raking light to pick out the strokes. Grey

Ever since this thread started I've been wondering who polished the sword. Can you tell us if he was classically trained, self taught, or something between? Grey

This is more common on naginata than on swords. My guess on this piece is that the lacquer was added to disguise a defect inside the hi. If not for that then it is cosmetic (flash); not much practical reason to add the lacquer. Grey

Hi Carl, If you live in a humid climate it is best to keep oil on the blade. If not in a humid area the oil probably isn't necessary. See the links above for the NBTKK American Branch Sword Care and Etiquette Brochure, which explains how to oil. Otherwise, keep it dry and out of the reach of those who don't know how to handle it. Grey

Hi Ray, Shows, not auctions. 3 days of buying & selling in a large room with about 100 dealer's tables. Website for Tampa: tampajapaneseswoedshow.com Chicago: midwesttokenkai.com San Francisco: ncjsc.org/SF_token_kai.htm And if there is a site for Minneapolis I don't know of it. Maybe CB can fill us in. Grey

I once owned a naginata naoshi wakizashi that came in shirasaya with a Honami sayagaki to Miike Tenta. The blade was polished and a very well qualified saya-shi split, cleaned, and reassembled the saya (all work done in Japan). The shirasaya fit perfectly and I had no corrosion problems. I'm sure the skill level of the saya-shi had a lot to do with this; I wouldn't expect the same results from someone with less skill. Grey

Here is a link to the NBTHK American Branch's sword care and etiquette brochure: http://www.nbthk-ab.org/Etiquette.htm I believe this is linked in NMB links also. The section on oiling a blade is my understanding of how to do this and get the proper amount of oil on the blade. Sounds like the old shirasaya was the problem here. If an old shirasaya is to be kept and used, to preserve old sayagaki perhaps, a properly trained saya-shi can split it, clean the inside, and glue it back together. Then it will be OK to place the newly polished blade back in. Short of this, a newly polished blade never goes into old koshirae. Grey

Hi Ray, Your best bet would be one of the Japanese sword shows. In 2011 the dates and places are: Tampa, Florida February 11-13, Chicago April 29 to May 1st, San Francisco August 4-7, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, tentatively scheduled for October. No auction will give you anywhere near the selection nor anywhere near as good prices as any of these shows. Grey

Everybody should think about a sword bag. All Nihonto, whether in koshirae or shirasaya, should be stored in a bag. Keeps dust off and insures that the blade and tsuka can't fall out of the saya if the sword is mishandled. Grey

Hi Steve, I'm not much good at tsuba kantei, but I suspect this is from the commonly encountered Forsale School. Grey

Speaking of squares within circles and purposely missing inlay, this is an unsigned tsuba I recently picked up. There is no evidence that inlay is missing; I believe it was made this way. I'm sure that if the squares were complete I'd like it less. Grey

You can use microfibre lens cloth to clean off old oil. I start with white, unscented, not made from recycled fibers facial or toilet tissue to get the most of the oil and then go to the microfibre. Once the microfibre gets too oily it can be tossed in the wash. Grey

A prior posting on the theme. http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=8074&p=66131&hilit=shunga#p66131 Grey

Hi Carl, It is not necessary to have a sword polished; leaving it in old polish, as long as there is no active rust, is perfectly OK. In fact, it is usually better for a sword owned by a beginner if it isn't polished. Beginners (not saying this about you; I don't know your level of experience with Nihonto) tend to mess up new polishes. For a variety of reasons their swords get scuffed, scratched, corroded, whatever. When they sell to the next owner the cycle gets repeated and before long the sword has been polished to death. I think it best if collectors have lots of experience handling and caring for swords before they take on a new polish. Grey

And in the mean time spend some of that money on books. Grey

AHA! Being a minimalist collector I own one menuki, and it happens to be a pair of cats. Grey

Hi Robert, Jimmy Hayashi is the real thing, a classically trained togishi. He was introduced to his teacher by Dr. Homma, I believe, and did a full apprenticeship in Japan before moving to the San Francisco area. He has a long waiting list but he does excellent work. Grey

Hi Tom, Because some metal has been lost (at 2:00 and 4:00 on the top picture) my guess would be cut and plugged. But what do I know. For a similar situation but with a different conclusion, see my latest post on "New group of old tsuba from the Skip Holbrook collection" on the buy, sell, trade forum. Grey

Hi again, I deleted all NMB cookies and am (at least temporarily) back to normal. That was weird. Thanks for the help, Brian. Grey

Hi guys, When I log onto the board the forum and thread titles colors are very vivid and so fuzzed out they're almost impossible to read. Looks like the format has changed also, but not sure about that. Once I click on a thread the individual messages are readable but look different from the usual. Anyone else having the same trouble, or if it's me does anyone know how to fix it? Everything else on the computer is normal, only trouble is with the board. Since I may not be able to read answers please email me if you know the solution. Thanks, Grey gdoffin@cpinternet.com

Hi Carl, The JSS/US has published Glossary of Japanese Sword Terms by Gordon Robson. Pretty much any term you might find on a paper is included, in Romanji and Japanese. Harry Watson has these for sale (see the links above) for $10. plus postage, I believe. Grey

This last has a terribly distressed nakago and a terrible polish. Notice how the yokote are different angles from side to side, and rounded over, not sharp. Either the polish makes the blade look tired or it is tired. Why are you asking what we think of these? Grey

If I was asked this question by a beginner who was serious about understanding Nihonto, who wanted to see and collect quality, I would tell him the following. Start with Yumoto, Robinson, and/or Sato. Read The Craft of the Japanese Sword to start towards knowing just how complex and exacting the work that goes into these objects is. I would then have him read The Facts and Fundamentals of the Japanese Sword 3 times. No other book in English explains just what constitutes quality in Nihonto as well as this book does. And then I would tell him to somehow get his hands on the 59 volumes of "Token Bijutsu" English edition by the NBTHK, which is, for me, the best ever in the language on the subject. Grey

I can second Louis on recommending Bob Benson. If the blades are top quality he will see that they get a proper polish, and if they aren't, he'll tell you. Grey