Grey Doffin

This 1st sold on ebay for $16,000. It was then resold on ebay for $12,000. Since then I've seen it offered twice on ebay, both times with a note to contact the seller directly and buy it for $1,000. This is an obvious scam. The crook has hijacked someone else's ebay account and is using it to list pictures and description of the sword he doesn't have (he copied the pix and words off the 2nd legitimate sale). Any time you see a sword offered on ebay, with a note to contact the seller and buy it direct, you can figure it's a scam. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on "Report this item". Naxt, hit "Listing policy violations", "Circumvention of ebay fees", & "Offering merchandise for sale outside of ebay". Then you can email the item # to ebay and shut down the jerk. Grey

Sorry about that; they don't have next year's show up yet. The dates are February 9th through the 11th, 2007, and the location is the Tampa Airport Marriott. Grey

Ed, You will find information about next February's show at the Tampa Airport hotel at the Florida Token Kai's website here: http://www.floridatokenkai.com/index.html Grey

I recommend joining all, not much help in choosing I'm afraid, but I can tell you what each one gets you. The Japanese Sword Sword Society/ US gets you 6 Newsletters a year, 40 to 50 pages each. We also have a by mail lending library for books that may or may not be up and running now, and the same for sword related videos. Also, your membership helps pay for translation and publishing of Japanese texts (like the new Sue-Koto book just out). The Florida Token Kai publishes 2 or 3 times a year. Current volumes are reprints of the NBTHK's English journal, "Token Bijutsu", the best information in English on the sword. Northern California Japanese Sword Club publishes a monthly newsletter, "To Ron", which is usually between 20 and 30 pages. Your membership helps to stage the San Francisco sword show every August (same for Florida and the Tampa show in February). NBTHK American Branch gets you 12 issues of "Token Bijutsu" in Japanese, with a partial translation available on line. It also gets you membership in the Japanese (main) branch and access to their shinsa services. Members get free and advance entrance to the special displays they've been putting on at the 3 shows in the US and a members only display and Kantei session at 2 of those shows. Those are the ones I belong to, and recommend wholeheartedly. Perhaps someone else can write about the NTHK and any other organization I'm not familiar with. Grey

What I meant by 'shucking and jiving' was trying to get around a UPS policy by telling them less that the whole truth about what is being shipped. I was not implying that to do so would be dishonest; I was implying that to do so would be foolhardy. If someone wants his sword insured, no questions asked in case of a claim, he needs to tell the insurer exactly what is being insured. Sorry if someone took offence; no offence was intended. Grey

If you had to make a claim for loss or damage with UPS, could they not say, "You didn't tell us this was a sword. We don't insure swords so we don't owe you a cent."? I'd rather not find out the hard way that I'm not covered. If you want to be insured, rather than shucking and jiving with the people at UPS, I think you should purchase insurance that you know will cover you. Grey

Sorry, the limit for insurance to Japan, for any mail service with the USPS, is $5,000. If more than that is required you might be able to purchase it with a private insurance company. Collectibles Insurance Agency in Westminster, MD, 888-837-9537, was recommended in an earlier posting on this board. I've had no experience with them. Grey

Look also at: JSS/US , volume 23, # 2, pgs. 7 & 23. Shinto Taikan, volume 1, pgs 758 & 788. Nihonto Zuikan, Shinto-hen, pg. 390. Nihon-to Jiten, pg. 241. and Zuikan Tomei Soran, pg. 423. Grey Thanks Grey. but I dont have any of those sorry except fo rthe Fujishiro's, I have less sword books and more fittings books. Ri ch

Mark Wallberg is great to deal with; bid away. Grey

I would stay away from Nev-R-Dull also, Makes the blade look like a machine made gunto. Get it polished or leave it alone. Grey

Since no one else has taken the time, I'll tell you what I can about the show. It didn't seem to be as busy (well attended) as before. Pity more didn't come because there was much to see. Gordon Robson (NTHK) and Jim Gilbert displayed sukashi tsuba (Owari & Kanayama if I remember right) and koshirae. NBTHK American Branch displayed Ichimonji. About 9 tachi from Ko-Ichimonji and later branches, all Juyo except for 2 Tokubetsu Juyo. Jim Gilbert again, this time NBTHK AB, showed Tosho & Katchushi tsuba and the AB private meeting (kantei session) featured 2 tachi by Osafune Nagamitsu, among others. There were a few great pieces on the tables and from under a table I was shown a Bizen Chogi daito (big, healthy, wonderful). As always, the Northern California Club did a spectacular job of running the show. Gotta go. Grey

has a teacher who knows nothing. It's not enough that the sword looks pretty when the polish is done; the shape, cross section, color, and so much more have to be right for the smith. And how much of the blade was left on the stones? If a sword is worth polishing it is worth being done right by someone with the proper training. Please don't let the self taught and under trained ruin good swords. Grey

Never mind. I was just reminded that I loaded 5 boxes of the books (about 50 sets) onto a friend's car so he could drive them to the show. I'll have some on my table; other JSS/US Board members will be flogging them also. Sorry, I don't know what's happening with Harry. Grey

Hi, Grey Doffin, JSS/US Publications here. On the old board I told you that our new book, Sue Koto: Japanese Swords of the 15th & 16th Centuries, would be available at the San Francisco sword show this weekend. Harry Watson, our supplies wizard, has just informed me that he won't be able to attend the show, and since he has all the books, they won't be there either. If you want a copy you'll have to write Harry (afu@afuresearch.com) and ask about postage and payment. The book is $50 plus post and I can recommend it. Grey

First, thanks to both the old and new moderators for a job well done. One thing that I'm less than thrilled about with the new format is that it isn't as easy as it was to keep track of what I've already read. Where it used to be that I had only to glance at the threads to see what's new, now I have to open up the forum and scroll down to find new material, if there is any. Maybe I'm not going about this in an efficient manner and that's my problem. If so, please let me know how to see what's new easily. Thanks, Grey