ROKUJURO

Ron, both look strongly like Wenge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millettia_laurentii), an African hardwood.

Robert, it is very easy to test the hardness of the edge, and you can do it yourself without great damage - nevertheless a scratch may be the result. It is done in every blacksmith's shop as a normal test after quenching a blade. You take a fine new (or nearly new) metal file and try to file the edge in an angle as if you wanted to sharpen the blade. Don't use too much presssure, you will feel immediately if the file ''bites'' (which would mean a non-hardened edge) or if it ''slides'' on the HA without removing metal. It is a feeling as if you filed glass. Carefully done, this action remains almost without any visual effect or damage on the blade if hardened, and in the other case it will leave a few tiny scratches. Do this in hand, not in a vise, and do it close to the HAMACHI! As the edge is still dull, this test will not harm your blade. The technical background is that the hardness of a quality file is about 65 to 67 HRc (Rockwell hardness), while a correctly hardened Japanese blade has about 60 HRc. A non-hardened cutting edge as it comes from the anvil may have about 40 HRc. A finished (hard) blade can only be filed with a diamond file or ground and polished with stones, be that artificial or natural. Before quenching, a Japanese sword blade is treated in a way to make the steel soft so it can be formed with a SEN (see attached photo). My guess from what is visible of the blade, the traces on the surface, and its shape (SORI) is that is is not hardened, but the file test will definitely show. Best of luck! So, gentlemen, this is the ultimate test for your JUYO blades! Are they REALLY hard?

Curtis, have a good look at the SORI and compare with KOTO blades.

Trent, I want to underline what Brian said. The thought of preserving and caring for NIHONTO requires knowledge, respect, and a certain humility when dealing with any traditionally handmade blade, not depending on its age or what it was purchased for. In your phantasy or your dreams you may feel like a SAMURAI, but in your dreams you don't damage good blades. By the way, you should not try to cut bamboo mats. The traditional material is TATAMI OMOTE, a kind of rush. And of course you don't start any form of NIHONTO training with a sharp blade! Mouvements and muscles are trained with BOKKEN or a similar 'tool'.

Zhang, is this a Japanese blade? Seems unusually heavy, and the edge should not have a mirror polish. At least this is what I am used to see.

Jean, that was probably an original KUSARI-GAMA with JUYO papers? :D

Birdhunter, Please: NEVER touch a blade with your bare hands Sign all messages with a real first name and an initial as per the forum's rules. The blade is a Japanese TANTO. Unfortunately, someone without any knowledge has polished the blade and possibly ruined it. The shape has been altered and it might be very difficult and expensive to restore it, if at all possible. I suggest you look for a knowledgeable NMB member near your place to ask for further advice, you go to a Japanese sword show, or you look for a NIHONTO club in your neighbourhood. Best of luck!

Gentlemen, as far as I know, the first goal of a TOGISHI is to sharpen a blade, and if I remember correctly to have read in a book, very early blades were sharp but had no 'artistic' polish in a way to show HADA and HAMON. In later times, the TOGI techniques were refined but mainly on high quality blades. ASHIGARU often carried sharp but simple blades without any artistic merits. In Japanese culture the care and maintenance of cutting tools and blades is obvious. Still today, housewives are able to keep their knives sharp with traditional water-stones, and craftsmen did (and do) this of course, too. So it is not too far-fetched to assume that a soldier could sharpen his blades by himself, but I cannot believe that this was done on a wall, especially as walls were not built in a way to produce a very even surface. The only exception in doing this was probably in case of a damage like a broken tip. I do not believe that sharpening a blade or a YARI was done prior to a fight on a regular basis.

Thierry, merci beaucoup! Looks like a great exhibition with many high quality items! Unfortunately for me not around the corner!

Harvey, are there traces of heavy grinding on the KISSAKI? Looks as if a piece of the tip was broken off and tried to 'repair' with an angle-grinder. Not one of the traditional methods.....

I have some photos to compare the two plants: I think they aren't too close.

John, what do you think how learning works? What do you think how the members here got to their knowledge? I see that Veli tried to make the first step easy. As we have all MEI KANJI in the archive section and many of the SEKI GUNTO start their MEI the same way, it should not be too difficult to find out the smith. You don't learn walking when you are carried all the time.

I was able to make some photos when we had nicer weather.

Gentlemen, while Tuesday was really nice and sunny in Besançon, allowing some small work in the forge (the main work on Japanese blades is finished except one quenching of a HIRA-ZUKURI KO-WAKIZASHI), this Wednesday was a desaster as announced by Jean. Everything was blown away after having been well drenched with water. By 4.00 p.m. ASANO-SAN had to stop working for the day. Probably Friday will not be better except for less wind.

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.