Grey Doffin

My understanding: At the end of WWII the US and the other countries involved signed a treaty governing the return of art treasures. If the piece in question was somehow recognized by the home country as a treasure before the war, after the war that country can demand return. The pre-war Kokuho, Bizen Saburo Kunimune tachi that Dr. Compton found and returned to Japan is a good example. If I'm correct about the treaty, had Dr. Compton not voluntarily returned the sword, Japan could have demanded its return. Anyone know more or better? Grey

Hi David, You might want to change the title of your sale before you get a bid and no longer will be able to change it. I think ebay has a rule against selling concealed knives or sword canes or something like that. If they find the sale they'll end it. I may be wrong but I think not. Grey

All of them, at least twice. See what your local library can get on Inter-Library Loan. Study1st, study 2nd, then buy a sword. Grey

The mei is Heianjo Kunishige. Could be just the picture but it looks like the mei and yasurime are newer than the nakago. Is there a bit of the old yasurime left at the top of the current yasurime? Grey

So you've got the naked blade on a stand on top of the dresser and the wife decides to dust or your son decides to practice his basketball or Uncle Beanfellow demonstrates his amazing juggling act with 3 watermelon and a peach pit, and the sword gets knocked off the stand, falls to the floor, and severs the head of your darling daughter's favorite doll, and it's all your fault because you didn't have the sense to keep the sword well protected in its mounts. Kidding aside, if you own a sword it is your responsibility to keep it safe, and this usually means inside koshirae or shira-saya. Paper and Saran Wrap are at best temporary fixes. Grey

If the sword is used for cutting it is likely to shatter at the ha-gire, and the broken tip becomes a very dangerous flying object. Never use a damaged sword for cutting. Grey

Hi guys, I will write the answer to "Where do I buy a genuine Japanese sword". That leaves only "Sword appreciation and identification" of the titles already posted but without an answer. Anyone else care to contribute? Grey

Hi all, I will write answers to Why Polish? and Buying on Ebay & Online, unless someone else has his heart set on those. Then I will write one that answers the frequently asked: "I'm a newbie and I have a sword and I want to get it polished and/or get it mounted. What should I do? I'll email them to you, Brian. Grey

Hi Brian, If you would post a list of FAQs you want answers written for, we can lay claim to them and get busy. I would add "Token Bijutsu", the 59 volumes of the English edition (if you can find them), to the suggested books answer. Still the best information on the subject in English. Grey

Don't know which edition I indexed, but the book is included in my Index on the JSS/US website. Grey

Hi Klaus, Looks like a misspelling of "Sa", as in O-Sa, the renowned smith from Chikuzen and founder of the Sa School. No idea about the mark on the other side. Grey

Hi, I have a Hosokawa Masamori in my index who worked around Meiji; don't know if this is who you're asking after. Any case, if you search my Index of Japanese Sword Literature on the JSS/US website, you'll find him and references that contain information. Grey

Try this thread from the Wanted forum: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=7554 Grey

Jon, Sayas aren't painted (unless they've been messed with by an amateur); they're lacquered. The lacquer (urushi) is toxic to the touch before it cures. Don't know if the dust created by sanding lacquer would be toxic to your lungs; hate to find out the hard way that it is. Are you sure you know what you're doing? Grey

Hi Daniel, The 2 books mostly overlap. Jim Dawson's book has more information than Fuller & Gregory but there are the odd bits in the 2nd that you won't find in the 1st. Given the high price that Fuller & Gregory usually brings ($250 to $350) I would stick with Dawson. Grey

I used to buy tsuba from Yumi, but after 2 or 3 of them came with a clear coat of lacquer or varnish on the iron (to make them look shiney?) I quit. Thank you Mariusz for the plug. Please do take a look at my tsuba from the Skip Holbrook collection; I'm not the least bit embarrased by any of them. Grey

This is a fake; I'm 100% certain; not a doubt at all. Everything about this sword screams, "FAKE!" Grey

Hi guys, These pictures were sent to Johnny (who started this thread) by Pawel Nowak. I warned him off. Grey

Hi, The katana is signed "Higashiyama Ju Yoshihira." There is a smith listed in Hawley's (YOS1202) as working around 1681. The tanto is signed "Suishinshi Masahide" wth a kao (seal), and dated either Bunka or Bunsei Ju Ni Nen Hachi Gatsu Hi. Either 1815 or 1829. There were 3 generations of Masahide. The 1st was very famous and gimei (forged signature) is always a possibility with an important name. Grey

Hi Josh, If you're serious about this please tell us what part of Wisconsin you're in. It's a big state, you know. Grey

Today, when yet another beginning collector asked questions that have been answered a thousand times before on NMB, I got to wondering, where is our cache of answers? I was under the impression that somewhere on the Board are answers to: what does gimei mean?, should I get it polished?, where should I buy a sword?, what books do you recommend?, what oil should I use?, how can/should I clean a tsuba?, and others. I can't find them. If this cache exists please tell me where and then I/we can direct newbies to answers that have been written already. I know the newbies can search the forums for old posts but that doesn't seem to help enough. If we don't have a cache, then I think we should start building one. I'll volunteer to write some articles, and once up, other members are welcome to suggest changes to what I've written. But we need a place the newbies can click on to get to these answers. What do you think? Grey

About the fake signature: Same as with old oil paintings: a painting with a forged signature of Monet is a real painting with a fake signature. Japanese sword signatures have been forged (faked) for centuries. Grey

Hi Ben, If you and your girlfriend want to buy a good Japanese sword and not waste money, buy books, study, buy more books, ask your way in to see collections, ask questions (like you're doing), buy more books, try to get to a Japanese sword show, study, study, study. Then you can buy a sword. It isn't easy but nothing else works. Grey

Hard to tell much from these photos, but the price seems high to me: tsuka-ito is frayed and the tsuba is unexciting. I could be wrong because I can't tell much about the blade. Is that the sword's papers at the back? If so, do you know what it says and who issued them? If I'm not wrong, at that price I'd be surprised if you couldn't do better. Grey

Hi Klaus, This book isn't very rare; it's the other book by the same authors, Japanese Military and Civil Swords and Dirks that is the rare one. I see this one quite regularly on ebay and $100 is about the most it brings. The other fetches between $250 and $350. Grey