Grey Doffin

Hi gang, I just took in and have listed to my site a group of nanban tsuba, some of which are quite nice, I think. The 1st 10 listings under Tsuba & Kodogu on my site if you're interested. http://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/Tsuba-&-Kodogu Thanks, Grey

Hi Ken, Your signature doesn't match either of those in the link you posted. Given the chippiness of your signature it is unlikely that anything is known about the man who signed your sword. By chippiness I mean the cat scratch quality of the calligraphy. Most Gunto were made by untrained laborers, about whom little or nothing is known, and their signatures often have this inelegant look. Grey

Looks like Yoshisada to me. Grey

2 books on Nobuhide and students that I am aware of: http://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/books/b528-kurihara-nobuhide-no-kenkyu-nbthk http://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/books/b794-kurihara-nobuhide-%26-modern-sword-artisans Not sure if either is the book referenced. Grey

Do we know for a fact that these are mushrooms and not pine trees? Grey

I don't think Oshu, Stephen. Maybe it isn't a province; could be a city. Still need a better picture. Grey

My mistake: Kanemoto it is. Can't be Bizen; must be some other place. But that does look like a Bizen nakago. Show us a picture that clearly shows the top 2 characters (those closest to the business end of the sword. Grey

The signature looks like Bishu (or Bizen, can't tell for sure which it is) Ju Kanemitsu. This is a Bizen nakago but the patina doesn't look old enough to match any of the Bizen Kanemitsu listed in Hawley's. But maybe I have the signature wrong. Grey

Hi Matt, Ebay is a snake pit if you're a beginner. If you have to count on luck, not knowledge, to make a smart decision, the smart decision is to stay out of the pit. Sure, there are bargains to be had on ebay but they tend to go to buyers who know what they're up to. Otherwise, there are too many buyers with too little experience chasing too few desirable swords, which leads to inflated prices. 3 pieces of advise: Study before you spend serious money on a sword. Books, information online (like here), memberships in organizations that publish, begging your way into seeing others' collections, and attendance at sword shows will all help to put you into a better position to spend wisely. Buy from established dealers with good reputations (see the links above) rather than from ebay. The good dealers want to protect their reputations; they will give you good advise. And 3rd, while you take time for study you can add more money to your budget. While you can buy an OK sword for $1,000, you'll be happier if you buy better. Go slow Grasshopper, Grey

Hi name please, I think this was made yesterday in China or someplace else that isn't Japan. Grey

Hi Ken, Joly's Legend is the go to reference in English but without an index it is difficult to access. There is a smaller book that fixes the problem; here it is on my website: http://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/books/b692-people-places-and-things-henri-jolys-legend-Japanese-art Cheers, Grey

Thank you Morita-san. Grey

http://www.ebay.com/itm/One-of-a-Kind-Rhinestone-Studded-Samurai-Sword-Helmet-/112190060665?hash=item1a1f0c7879:g:TA4AAOSwXeJYCmYf Grey

Hi guys, I just picked up (and I should mention that this will be for sale) an oshigata that was said to be by Honami Koson, of the O-Kanehira (the greatest Nihonto of all I think). Reading the calligraphy is beyond my ability; would someone be so kind as to help. Any information about any of this I can get will be much appreciated. Thanks, Grey

I had a great time at the show (except for one memorable hand of poker). Larry and his crew did a bang up job of putting on the show and I heard talk that he hopes to make it an annual event. Hope so. Grey

Right at the top of the yasurime on both sides coming forward from the mune there is something that is either a crack or some sort of strange forging flaw. Grey

Registered mail from Minnesota to Honolulu, 5 pounds with minimal insurance because registered doesn't need insurance will be $23.15 with click & ship. But hasn't this become a silly argument? Grey

Hi, Hastur is it,, If by ID paper you mean the one in your 1st photo, that is the registration paper from the government and it will tell you nothing useful, only the the sword was registered. There are a few problems in the grain here and there but perhaps most troubling is what appears to be a crack in the nakago. If this is a crack it would be considered a fatal flaw because in use you would expect the sword to break, and this would severely degrade the value. Grey

Mark has it right; registered mail is the best option by a long shot. A registered package can't get lost because everyone who takes the package anywhere has to sign for it. If it spends a night in a post office it has to be locked in a safe. It can't be opened on the sly because it is sealed with rubber stamped tape and any opening would be noticed. Insurance with registered is less expensive than insurance with any other service because of the built in security but I usually don't buy insurance on registered packages; the registration is insurance enough. Grey

I think that is a bit of corrosion and the seller is telling you that a polisher could fix it for about $200. Not a flaw; just a blemish. Grey

I hadn't noticed (didn't bother to look closely) that your scabbard is a shirasaya. Much easier job now. David McDonald or others can make the handle with wooden habaki, reglue and resurface the existing saya to match, and you're in business for a few hundred dollars. This would be a wise investment as the blade is vulnerable to damage without handle and habaki. Grey

Hi, name please, You can have a new handle (tsuka) made, equipped with either modern or antique parts (fuchi, kashira, & menuki) and buy a tsuba to fit. David McDonald in Montana can make and wrap the tsuka and he can also help you find the pieces you need. Lots of places to buy a tsuba; David can probably help there again. David should be listed in the links above. Expect to spend close to $1,000 or even more depending on the parts. Beyond that, you're looking at polish and shirasaya and I don't recommend you go that route. Quite expensive ($2,500 to $3,000 maybe) and it isn't necessary to preserve the sword. Maybe someday you'll want to take that on but wait till you have much more experience. Grey

I will be there, right inside the front door I believe. Since I can drive to this show I will be bringing 30 to 40 swords, all my kodogu, and I can haul any book you'd like to see also. Let me know if there's something on my site that looks interesting. Cheers, Grey

Hi, can we have your name please? Here is a brochure on care and etiquette; you would be smart to read it. http://www.nbthk-ab.org/Etiquette.htm See the FAQs above for my take on whether you should have the 3 swords polished. Basically, I say don't do it. It will be very expensive to have it done right and disastrous if you have it done wrong and you don't know nearly enough to understand and appreciate and get benefit from the expense. Keep the swords safe (not always a good idea to have them on display; 1st things to disappear if you suffer a break in) and take some time to learn about these swords. Nihonto is a fascinating study but quite deep, nothing you can rush into. Someday you might decide you want one of these blades polished and if you do it from knowledge all will be well. Grey

Hi James, Noshu is one version of the name of Mino Province (present day Gifu Province). Seki is a city in Mino (Gifu) that is famous for a long time for knife and sword production. Ju means resident of. A large percentage of the swords made in Japan during WWII were made in Seki, almost always by smiths whose first half of their name is Kane. Your sword would be categorized as Gunto (military sword) or Showato (sword made in Showa period, specifically during the war) but not gendaito (traditionally made modern sword). Nearly all of the WWII smiths, including yours, had no traditional training in making Nihonto; they were set to work pounding out bars of steel. As such, your sword is not uncommon; it is pretty much the same as thousands of others made for the war by untrained makers. No way to know if a sword by Kanetsugu himself would be uncommon. There is very little information about the men who made these swords; no one in Japan bothered to keep track. Kanetsugu wasn't the man's given name; it is a name he chose (or was given) to sign the swords he made. Grey