Grey Doffin

I agree with Stephen, an obvious fake. Study Grasshopper. Grey

I'm hoping one of you can help me identify something Japanese. Haven't seen it yet but this is how it has been described to me: It came along with a sword, purchased from a Pacific vet. It is a cylindrical rod of heavy, dense, black wood, 18" long and 1" in diameter, finely polished and with a cap of mother of pearl about 1/2" long at either end, all enclosed in a silk brocade bag. All help will be appreciated. Grey

Rice glue is best because it is reversible, it doesn't discolor the saya, it contains no chemicals that might discolor or corrode the blade, and it won't scratch the blade if some hardens inside the saya. I use Kokuho, a short grain white, which I get at Oriental groceries. If you google 'rice glue' you'll find directions to make the stuff at the 1st hit. For clamping I use either of 2 methods. I tear an old sheet into long strips and wrap them tightly around the saya. I also use the paper and masking tape bands that I mentioned on another thread. Wrap a strip of white paper, a bit wider than masking tape, 1 1/2 times around the saya a few inches below where you want the band to end up. Wrap the paper tightly in masking tape. Slide the paper/tape band up the saya till it's tight. Prepare enough of these to clamp all loose areas before you apply glue. Apply a tiny amount of glue, apply the clamps, and let it sit a few hours or more. I always let the saya dry for a day or so before I place the blade inside. Often, the 1st time I replace the blade the koiguchi (saya opening) is too tight. This could be due to temporary swelling of the wood from the moisture in the glue. If you wait a day or 2 the problem usually takes care of itself. This will work if done properly. There is no reason to use super glue or any other chemical based wood glue. Grey

Hawley's Japanese Swordsmiths Revised lists 32,000. Grey

It's actually pretty easy to straighten a Japanese sword with a slight bend. If you have or can get access to a woodworker's bench with a wooden jawed vise you're set. Clamp the blade in the vise near the bend and push or pull the blade to straighten. Go slow; be careful not to over bend; you should do fine. If anyone else has a different take please let us know. The above technique has worked well for me but if problems are possible I'd like to know. Grey

Hank, On whether to get papers or not... Papers can increase the value of your swords should you wish to sell. If you get a paper that says the blade was made by an important smith, a buyer will pay more. However, if the papering organization looks at your tanto and determines that the signature is not right they might require that the signature be removed before papering. This could happen if, for example, the signature claims that the tanto was made by the important Masamune or even if it claims another Masamune but the shinsa team disagrees. The signature is removed by a polisher, is neatly done, and costs a bit. If the shinsa team then papers the tanto to an unimportant smith you really haven't gained much. With the daito, once again the value can increase with a good paper. If you plan never to sell, this won't make much difference. However, unless you live forever or get buried with the sword, it will pass down to future generations and a paper might help your children get a good price if they decide to sell. If you can find someone or someones to give opinions on what you might expect out of a shinsa (they would have to see the blades in hand) that might be a good way to start. Bear in mind that asking a collector/dealer to give an honest opinion on something good is much like asking a shark to carefully examine your flesh wound. It is possible to get an honest opinion but the opposite happens as well. Maybe if you could get to a Japanese sword show (San Francisco in August, Tampa in February, Chicago in May, and possibly Minneapolis in June) you could show it around. Whether you paper or not, sell or not, you need to know how to properly care for these swords (not that you haven't done a good job already). Here is a link to a sword care and etiquette page put together by the American Branch of the NBTHK. http://www.nbthk-ab.org/Etiquette.htm Hope this makes some sense. Grey

Kanemoto, I believe. Grey

I read the last 2 Kanji as "Masamune" but the 1st 2 don't look like "Fujiwara" (a clan name). Also, the mei is cut so shallow I'm wondering if this is more of an attribution, tending toward gimei or fake signature, than a signature. I've seen this many times, where the mei is shallow and looks nothing like the real signature of the smith in question. (Quite often the smith in question is Masamune, the most famous of all Japanese swordsmiths. Funny how that works.) No way this tanto is Masamune; it's not his work. How do you guys feel about something late Koto or early Shinto (late 15th through 17th century)? Don't mean to bad mouth the tanto; it's still a wonderful piece. Just curious what it is. Grey

Richard, I would bet that for what you spent on your 10 katanas, from Franklin Mint and Masahiro, you could have bought the real thing. If you are truly interested in Nihonto make your next purchase a good book, or a trip to a Japanese sword show. Learn something and then buy a real sword. Grey

I'm having trouble accepting the blade as real Nihonto. I can buy the kashira as real, possibly the tsuba (although the carving on the seppa dai and the placement of the mei are worrisome), and the nakago could be real Nihonto. The blade, however, looks like chrome plated parade sabre. I'm not saying I think it's a parade sabre; it isn't, just that it looks that way. The exaggerated gunome hamon is too regular, it shows zero activity (not a true hamon but cosmetic), and it nearly falls off the edge in the lower areas of the blade, which may be from improper grinding but also may be from a fake blade. For what it's worth (2 cents). Grey

Another rip off artist on ebay to report. maximillianxavier is selling menuki he claims to be Late Edo or Meiji. Here's one of his sales: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=160144451641&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=006 If you go to this sale; http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=300139020444&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=020 you'll see the set I got from him. Ouch; when will I learn? Grey

Ditto for me. Colin is a great guy. Grey

Expert. From its Greek roots. x, meaning "the great unknown" and spurt, meaning "drip under pressure". Grey

Below is a picture of the kissaki in question. I think the togishi (polisher) just made a slip. I see no evidence that the kissaki has been reshaped. Grey

I use a short grain white called Kokuho, which seems to be available at most Oriental groceries. Rice glue doesn't stain the wood, if any squeezes into the saya it won't scratch the blade, and it is reversible (it can be taken apart if necessary). Which brings me to a question. I know about rice glue from making shoji and I know I can break the bond with a sharp rap with a mallet. How are shira-saya split when the time comes to clean the inside and reglue? Grey

In the mean time, before either you fix the saya or send it to someone else, here is a simple, effective, and reversible fix that will do no damage You need masking tape and plain paper. Cut a strip of paper a bit wider than the tape and long enough to go once and a half around the saya. Wrap the paper around the saya a few inches below where you want the fix to end up. Tightly wrap the paper in masking tape. Now, slide the tape covered paper up the saya. Because the saya is larger the closer you get to the koi-guchi the paper will get tighter as it goes up. You may have to play with this a bit, make a try or 2 before you get it right, but you'll end up with a saya as tight as you want it. What's more, since the tape doesn't touch the saya it won't leave a residue when later you slide it down and get the saya fixed right. By the way, whenever you're shipping a sword it's not a bad idea to do this even if the saya isn't split. Sayas split easily if a package is dropped; this should help guard against that. Grey

Check out this sale on ebay, and be careful where you step. As my mother would say, he lies like a rug. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110150312192&indexURL=0&photoDisplayType=2#ebayphotohosting The sword was made yesterday in China. Grey

Sorry, you have it backwards. Wood shrinks when humidity drops and if a tsuka shrinks it will be tighter on the nakago. Thus a sword coming from humid Japan to dry winter will experience tightening of the tsuka, and saya on the habaki. This should reverse next summer. Over time, the wood will shrink a bit more than it rebounds, although if the wood was properly seasoned before the shira-saya was made this shouldn't be by much. By the way, the movement is only in 2 dimensions: thickness and width. The length doesn't change more than the tiniest bit. Grey, a furniture maker who lives where it gets bone dry in the winter and humid in the summer.

I realize that this is a mediocre wakizashi and not the end of the art world if it gets broken up. However, there is another angle to my concern that hasn't been considered. A Japanese sword in a saya without the handle, with or without a habaki, is vulnerable to breakage. The kissaki and edge are very easily broken/chipped if there is no tsuka with mekugi to anchor the blade. For this reason, if for no other, what the seller was up to was a mistake. The sales have ended. My guess is that either someone bought the whole works or the seller will relist in one sale. Either way I'm happy. Grey

A seller on ebay has listed a wakizashi signed, "Dewa no Kami Kuniyasu. You'll find it here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=001&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=110146781328&rd=1&rd=1 The sale is for the blade and saya only. If you check the seller's other items you'll find the tsuba at one auction, the kotsuka at another, and the tsuka and habaki at the last. I checked with the seller; yes, they all were originally together. Pity to see this piece broken up like that (not to mention the nuttiness of selling the habaki with the tsuka, not with the blade). I wrote to the seller asking him to reconsider, end the auctions and relist the whole. So far no luck. Maybe if a few of you guys agree that the piece should stay together you'll write the seller and maybe the wakizashi can be complete again. Grey

The seller says no one really knows the age of these swords. Sorry to disabuse him but I know the age. They were made tomorrow, in China. They are fakes. Grey

Gee, I thought you'd never ask. I'll sell it for $2,000 plus post & insurance. I have other pictures and specs on the blade; contact me directly: gdoffin(at)cpinternet.com if you're interested. Phone works also: 218-726-0395 US central time. Grey

Here is a picture of the menuki: Grey

No problem. The number on the mune of the nakago is 345, followed by an incredibly small Kanji. Grey

That wasn't what I was hoping for but at least you get to see the pictures. I've never seen the "W" mark at the top of the nakago. As you can see I'm missing the ishizuke at the bottom of the saya. If any of you have a spare I'd like to get one before I sell the sword Any info anyone can supply will be appreciated. Grey