Grey Doffin

You could cut a new ana, but then it would be much easier and achieve the same results, if you instead gathered together a bunch of your money and set it on fire. Don't do this! Please! Grey

Hello, Your read of the signature is correct. My guess is that this is gimei. Not only does this mei differ a lot from the example in Fujishiro (my reference of choice to turn to) but the yasurime are totally wrong also. Grey

The blade has been shortened. If the lower mekugi-ana is the original, the blade had a very short hi that did extend beyond the habaki. If the original hole has been lost (below the current nakago) then the hi would extend even further above the habaki. In other words, the hi never was in the nakago only, until the suriage took place. Grey

The first instance of sukashi hori on a tanto that I can think of was done by an obscure smith from Soshu: Masamune. Grey

To avoid duplicate efforts, I sent Phil oshigata from Yushuto Zuroki, volume 1, and Nihonto Zuikan. Grey

Dino, 2 obvious choices are Sukashi Tsuba: Early Japanese Sword Guards, by Sasano, and Sasano: Japanese Sword Guards Masterpieces from the Sasano Collection, by Sasano. The 1st is out of print but found occasionally (I just sold a copy) and the 2nd is available (I believe) from Robert Benson in Hawaii. Check on his webpage found in the links on NMB homepage. Grey

Mike, Can you tell me (us) what the nakago (tang) feels like? Is it smooth and waxy black, coarse and dry to the touch, or something between? Grey

Hello, I'm sure someone better with Kanji than I will help you with the translation. I want to tell you to whittle a new mekugi. Without a mekugi, if the sword is jarred the blade can crash down inside the scabbard and shatter its point. The mekugi is very important to the sword. Chopsticks work fine for this. Grey

Brian, Sorry, but it doesn't work that way for me. All icons are the same color and there are no icons to show the difference at the bottom of the page. I think my computer is possessed. Grey

Brian, I switched from prosilver because my user profile tabs were hidden. I'm now using nihonto. I tried to refresh/reload the icons as you suggested (at least I think I did what you suggested) and nothing changed. Sorry to be a pest but this is frustrating. I'd like to continue with NMB but not if it's this confusing. Grey

Brian, On what I believe is a related topic, I'm still not able to tell at a glance which of the forums in the main index have new material for me. The logos at the front are always all the same color and not moving. I suppose that could mean that all have new material or that none have new material. However, if I check into the forums I find that some have new and others don't. Once in the forum it isn't much better. There are different colors and different logos, and if any of them mean new material I haven't been able to figure out which and why. I would like to be able to easily tell what is new. Used to be the new stuff wiggled at me and that worked fine. Either the new rig is too complex for me or I'm too dense to catch on. Any suggestions? Thanks, Grey

Andrew, Without better pictures I don't think anyone will be able to tell you much, although it does look much, much better than the other. If there is no handle you need to be very careful with this. Without a handle with the pin through the sword's tang, the blade can bottom out inside the scabbard and chip or shatter its point in the scabbard bottom. You would be smart to jerry-rig something to act as the handle to properly seat the blade in its scabbard. Grey

Brian, How do I find my profile so I can change my theme? Grey

Brian, And if I were to try a different theme (whatever that is), how would I go about it? Thanks, Grey

I have a different question about the new rig. When I log on to the main index there is nothing to tell me which forums have new material. On the old rig the bells were swinging if there was something new; on this one all is still regardless. Also, once inside one of the forums, I'm not sure which of the threads has seen activity since my last visit. Some are a different color and one just now had an animated (moving) logo at the front. If someone could enlighten me I'd appreciate it. Grey

I think Remy figures it has been polished down a lot (the difference of thickness above the nakago) and thus calls it tired. This isn't the result of over polishing; it was made that way and was made to be mounted as is, without a habaki. Very interesting piece. Any idea which Kuniyuki made it? Grey

Daniel, It would be great if were possible to answer your question; I could have read a few pages of text 20 years ago and saved myself the effort of getting to the limited level of understanding I'm currently occupying. I don't think there is an answer to your question, a short cut to understanding. You have to see great swords to know what makes them great. You also have to spend a lot of time in reading/studying. Find collections and beg your way into them; there must be a few in Singapore or nearby. Art and historical museums often have swords hidden away in their basements; A call to the right person can get you in to see them. Splurge on a trip to Japan and see everything you can. Buy books and study. If you're serious about Nihonto, this is the only way I know to make sense of it. Someone will now write in with a couples paragraphs of wisdom and prove me a bone brain. Any case, this is my take on the subject. Grey

So much for the seller's claim that this is pre-war. It's a Gunto from WWII. Also, wonder what he means by "The sword being sold or stole with NO RESERVE." Grey

I don't think I'd try the tumbler. I'd be afraid I'd lose more of the brass and also that it might shine the brass a bit. Actually, I think I'd leave the tsuba alone; I like it the way it is. Grey

I agree; spare the old horse and get a pony. This sword has seen more than enough of the polisher's stones already and his use of it for practice will doubtless spoil the polish. If he wants to be authentic he needs to buy a Shinsakuto, a new made sword. What's more, well made koshirae that belong with the blade will cost more than $1,000, I bet, maybe much more. Grey

Take a look at the kissaki. Doesn't it look wrong? If not a fake then maybe a broken kissaki badly reshaped? Isn't the mei located too far down the nakago? Did any Japanese sword of any period, even late war, ever have a tsuka significantly larger than the fuchi? Doesn't the fuchi scream fake? Grey

A seller on ebay has listed a sword and has asked me to post a message on the Board, asking you if you think it's real or fake. He doesn't want to sell it as real if it is in fact a fake. So please take a minute to look at the sale and post your opinion here. Grey http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200181482332&ssPageName=ADME:X:AAQ:US:1123

Echizen X Ju Hirotsugu Saku. Grey

You don't have to buy a new pin (mekugi). You can whittle one out of a bamboo chopstick. It'll work fine. NCO Guntos do have value, just not as much as less machine made Japanese swords. Early NCOs with a copper handle can be quite pricey. The highest price I've seen for the more common version, like yours, with the aluminum handle is $800. on ebay for one in absolute pristine condition. Somewhere between $200 and $400 is more reasonable for an NCO, I would guess. Grey

The sword that isn't the NCO Gunto is Gunto as well. It is signed "Yoshiaki" and dated "Showa Ju Roku Nen", 1941. You don't have to spend much money to care for these swords. Just keep an incredibly light coat of good machine oil (sewing machine oil will do) on the polished part (not the tang) of the blades and store them in a non-humid environment. Grey