ROKUJURO

Robert, then you would have missed the event. It is in eastern France. I know because I am already in Besançon and look forward to seeing some NMB members. Tomorrow we will probably have nice weather, but this remains an exception.

Peter, this is likely an open folding seam and not a crack. It might even not be considered as KIZU. As long as there is no rust, I would'nt worry too much about it. The MARU MIMI calls more for AKASAKA than KYO, I think, but the fine SUKASHI is typical for many KYO SUKASHI TSUBA. Our experts will surely know, and I will wish I had'nt given it a try.......

That is what I also thought, but after a second look there could be some white wax (shoeshine?) in the openings. Grev, you can tell what that substance is, and I hope for you that Ford is wrong!

Unless it isn't KO-TOSHOW, it should work.

Gwyn, the big jar could be a CHA TSUBO, a ceramic tea container.

Paul, a KANATA must be something very special....

Chris, I hope to read a report from you then .

David, thank you, I know what ADIPOSITAS/obesity is. These salmonide fins are called that way, not my invention!

Salmons and trouts are salmonides, and they have a small second fin on the back which is called 'adipose fin' (or sometimes fat fin). So if the MENUKI are conciously created after a special type of fish, it would probably be a trout or a 'relative'.

Jon, maybe I am not of great help, but the first book says KODOGU in the middle of the title, and book 2 has KAWAGUCHI on the right side column.

Dow, how old is 'old', and what does age have to do with quality? I don't want to express that these TSUBA aren't nice, but age is not important in the first line.

If one of the NBTHK members would be so kind as to organize a bulk order, I would really appreciate to have a copy.

Gentlemen, Brian is right: everybody has a right to his own opinion and to see what is there. Cast MENUKI.doc

Mark, are you sure that it is tanned and not just dried?

I am far from being Ford Hallam, but to me the metal surface looks as if it was treated with a cross-shaped punch, a kind of stippling. I have seen similar techniques with different punches, e.g. little flower- or sun-like shapes on soft metal surfaces.

Ken, the HAGANE contains more carbon and thus is more easily attacked by acids and corrosion than the 'softer' JIGANE.

Henk-Jan, if your view was correct, it would be the best thing not to publish a thesis, but keep it under the desk!

Gentlemen, what might escape those who do not understand German is the bad quality of the text. An inexcusable number of mistakes, combined with faulty contents, that is another side of this paper. As an example she reports about early Japanese swords: '.....Diese Schwerter waren aus gehämmertem Stahl oder aus Eisen gegossen, aber es war auch nicht unüblich, sie aus Stein herzustellen...which can be translated as:...These swords were made from hammered steel or cast iron, but it was not unusual to produce them from stone....... Not much more to add from my side.

Ian, Puff the magic dragon lived by the sea..... :D

John, as has been said, your TSUBA is in KAMAKURA BORI style. But the NAKAGO ANA does not look genuinely old and some hints in the SUKASHI may prove that this is a later (cast?) copy. It has of course to be seen in hand to make a safer statement.

Mikolaj, as there was no comment on this part of your post I would like to recommend to be very careful with cleaning. The photos perhaps don't tell the whole story, but to my eyes the condition of your TSUBA does not look too bad. It is very easy to damage a patina, so before you plug in your angle-grinder with the wire brush, please read the chapters about cleaning and restoring TSUBA surfaces. I think it is a nice TSUBA, and it would be a shame to damage it.

Very nice collection! The shape of the black and red YUMI reminds me of a similar one I once owned. It was from KYUSHU. The quiver looks like a version of a SHIKO. The two separate unusual YANONE are perhaps not Japanese, as they do not look as carefully made as I am used to see. The writing on the red bow is KAISHO, difficult to read for non-Japanese.

At least he is a true expert, having his items "documented with NBTKH". Very convincing! :?

Please sign your post with at least a first name. How could we help without photos of the blade?

Gentlemen, these impressions have been made by forging, I am sure. It looks like very heavy hammer blows, not like material having been removed. As machining was not possible, chiselling would then have been the method, but the marks clearly say TSUCHI ME (coarser than we are used to). I like this 'BOHI' design a lot, it is unusual and bold. It probably could not be done on both sides.