Grey Doffin

Hi Brent, With a bit of careful (and minimal) tucking and trimming you can probably make the wrap look better than it does now but it won't be ideal. You could have the handle rewrapped for a couple hundred $ but then it is not original. As I said earlier, you decide if the wrap will bug you. And if you want a book on Japanese military swords. I would recommend Dawson's Cyclopedia Edition: https://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/books/b510-swords-imperial-Japan-1868-%E2%80%93-1945-cyclopedia-edition rather than Fuller & Gregory: https://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/books/b259-Japanese-military-and-civil-swords-and-dirks Dawson is more comprehensive and less expensive, thus the better 1st choice; although Fuller & Gregory is great to have also. Grey

Hi Brent, You have to decide how much the broken handle wrap and distressed scabbard will bug you. If you can live with them then no problem; if you'll always wish they were better then save a few more bucks and buy better. Grey

Hi guys, My job with the Japanese Sword Society of The United States is to keep its publications coming; I just learned that we need articles for our Newsletter. Would you be willing to write something for your fellow collectors? Doesn't have to be long, scholarly, PHD thesis worthy (although we won't complain if it is). If it is something you know that interests you, chances are good it will interest others and we'd be most grateful to have it. Please contact our editor, John Eliyas: eliyasj at comcast.net Thank you, Grey

Noshu Seki no Ju Kanenori. Beat me to it; we must be right. Grey

Hi Phil, That is a Seki arsenal stamp, which tells us that your sword is machine steel (not traditional) and that the sword was made by machine and someone who had little or no training as a swordsmith. This would not be considered handmade, although a bunch of people used their hands in its production. Cheers, Grey

Hi, name please, Here is a care and handling brochure, good to read: http://nbthk-ab.org/cleaning-maintenance.html Grey

A very inexpensive blade (unsigned wakizashi with a long ware' in the shinogi ji) was mounted in PDQ (pretty damn quick) but flashy koshirae. As said above, this was put together to sell to western tourists, most likely, and would be called Hama-mono (Yokohama being the port of Tokyo, where tourists came & went). Nothing very desireable, in my humbled opinion. Grey

Hi, name please, How to handle and care for your sword; you would be doing yourself and the sword a favor if you read it. http://nbthk-ab.org/cleaning-maintenance.html Grey

I will be there; wouldn't miss it. Grey

A properly trained polisher can fix the kissaki (an untrained polisher will ruin the sword). David McDonald in Montana can do a great job of handle wrap. You will need polish, wrap, new fuchi kashira, shira-saya, and a tsunagi to hold the koshirae together. If it is determined that the signature is right and there are no serious defects on the blade, it makes sense to do the job (and do it well). Grey

As far as I know, no real Japanese sword ever had a serial number on its habaki. That and the phony Damascus steel (and other clues) leave little doubt; this is a post war fake. Grey

Hi Ray, Attendance was sparse Friday; picked up a bit Saturday. Business wasn't great but wasn't terrible either. The display Saturday of pieces from Bill Miller's Satsuma collection was outstanding. Bobby Block did a session on Shinto tanto; I had to miss it but heard good reports. The hotel and show room worked well for the purpose and Bill Green and friends & family did a great job of running the show smoothly. I hope there'll be another show again next year; we all need to attend and support the effort. Grey

No Shinsa at the Atlanta show. Grey

I saw that when it aired originally and my reaction then is the same as today: That appraiser don't know squat. There have been 3 or 4 appraisals of Japanese swords on the Roadshow that I've seen and all have been silly talk. Too bad. Grey

Hi Juan, No permit needed; you will have no trouble. Carry permits apply only to firearms, not swords. Put the sword in its box and come to the show. You'll have to pay to attend but not much. There will be a seminar on sword care and handling Saturday morning, free and open to all. If you'd like to walk around the show to see what's available you're welcome to put your sword under my table so you won't have to carry it. Hope to meet you. Cheers, Grey

Hi Juan, If you take the sword to the show next week in Atlanta and bring it to my table I'll show you how to remove the handle safely. Grey

Hi J. Tejada, If you live in Georgia, USA and not the one in Europe, do you know about the show next week in Atlanta? You'll find information on the Calendar page from my website: https://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/calendar-and-news Hope you can make it. Grey

Hi Bryce, Swords with tight (small detail) hada are not necessarily better than those with larger detail; some are and some aren't. This, like most every other aspect of Nihonto, is far too complex a subject to be wrapped up with a one sentence answer. Grey

I don't think the nakago (tang) was brazed on; what you're seeing is wear from a few centuries of iron tsuba. The upper mekugi-ana (hole in the nakago) is 2 colors because someone clear coated the nakago and the lighter color is where the varnish didn't reach. I wouldn't spend any money restoring this sword; there would be no return on the investment other than personal pleasure. If you take some time to learn about Japanese swords you might catch the bug and you can look for a better prospect to spend money on Grey

Hi Charles, Big menuki for $140. https://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/tsuba-%26-kodogu/t506-large-menuki-millet Grey

Hi Peter, A search for Izumi or Idzumi with the JSL Index on the JSS/US website will give you the smiths and references you can check your mei against. Grey

Hi guys, I just finished reducing prices on all my swords, well over half of tsuba & kodogu, and almost all the books that aren't consigned on my website. I think there are bargains to be had. If you find something you're interested in please contact me through the email on the site, not by Personal Message here; I need your email to keep track of business. And a note about the books. For years I have worked with a company in Japan that allowed me to purchase large quantities of sword and fittings books and have them shipped, either to me in heavy boxes by surface post or directly to my customers. This saved me and my customers a great deal on postage. That company has recently gone out of business and I haven't been able to find a suitable replacement. Consequently, I will not be buying nearly as many books in the future as I have in the past. I will continue buying what I can from western collectors but, at least in the short run, no more 100 pound shipments every 2 months from Tokyo. If there are books on my site that you're interested in, don't count on them always being available. I still have a robust inventory but the day will come when I won't; many titles will be a lot more difficult (and expensive) to find. Thanks, Grey

Hi Richard, Nakahara says the needle hole will be in the fold, not in the mekugi-ana. I don't see the hole you mention but even if it is there it is in the wrong place. No idea why a legit orikaeshi mei would have a needle sized hole in the fold. Grey

Hi Carl, Show us a picture of the other side of the paper. Grey

Hi Pietro, I use The New Nelson Japanese-English Character Dictionary (make sure it is New Nelson) and Japanese Names and How To Read Them by Koop & Inada. And thanks Peter for plugging my cards. https://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/books/b109-kanji-flashcards Grey