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JeffT

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Everything posted by JeffT

  1. Congratulations, Mr. Hallam-san
  2. Let's see, for $3k, someone unscrupulous could buy 60 of these same "nihonto" at $50 apiece: http://www.amazon.com/Trademark-Spiral-Dragon-Katana-40-Inch/dp/B002TFEK7I Then take the pics of Little Timmy in the Angry Birds T-shirt (I'd suggest the one with the crutches on the couch because it implies he is sick & needs an operation; evokes the sympathy buy that way) and have listings for 'em in 60 different places. Just sell one, and you've broken even. Sell more, and you could make enough $ to buy some real nihonto. Not sure Little Timmy is the actual seller. Case in point, we were looking at buying a horse the other day, and found multiple listings, in which someone had cut'n'pasted pics of various families with their horses into 50 different ads, each listing claiming to originate from a different city. Thing is, though the names of the horses and the pics changed in each listing, yet their descriptions were all the same. Specs on the horses, same. Story about having to move and can't take the horses with us, all verbatim identical. The seller's email address & bank account were all the same. Seems like it would be a good idea for the folks here who are experts in nihonto to help stop fraud. I'm not an expert at all, BTW. This listing claims the sword came directly from the maker in Japan, so my guess is it qualifies. We've all been ripped off at least once in our lives, and from that perspective, I don't laugh much. So I just reported this scam to Craigslist. Obviously it constitutes $2950 in fraud. Not sure where Winchester is, but this probably is considered some sort of felony regardless of location. Thanks for posting the listing. I got a big chuckle out of it at first. Now I hope the scammers have to deal with some authorities.
  3. Ok, so I'm going to come down off the ledge now Thank you Brian & Lorenzo & Franco and others for your considered experience in these matters. It is indeed helpful. Just to clarify where I am coming from: I a newcomer to koshirae, so when I describe myself as ignorant this is meant to preface the things I say here with the realization if/when I say things that sound uneducated to you all in this field, or if I violate any of the board's terms of etiquette, please keep in mind these things are completely unintentional on my part. So I ask for your understanding and patience in advance. However, please do not mistake my admitted ignorance for stupidity, I am here because I wish to learn and strive to remain teachable, but I can be taught My undergrad is in Chemistry and I have 20+ years of experience in the martial arts (most of it non-Japanese arts), so I do have some requisite understanding of what we are talking about with metals and swords. My grad degree is in medical genetics, so I can talk with you all day about say, the genetics of the kids with autism I work with, rather fluently. Yet in the area of nihonto, my eagerness certainly far outweighs my knowledge base. But enough about me. This is not why we are here discussing this set of f/k. I bought this f/k set a week ago primarily because I like the theme. I can live with its aesthetic qualities, though it obviously isn't the best made set known to mankind. My main concern is whether it is authentic and not a reproduction. While I won't disclose anything about specific about the seller as a point of general etiquette, I will say they are located in Japan. As long as the pieces are represented as the seller describes them, namely hand-carved shakudo made between 1800-50, I am happy. What I don't want is to be lied to and have the pieces be cast the week before I bought them and treated with some chemicals and such to make them look antique. Brian, I would be happy to remove the oil and take more pictures of the items in an effort to help clarify their construction. What process should I use to remove this oil/patina? I certainly do not want to damage them in the process, but would be interested in learning how to apply a proper patina to them myself if this will upgrade their appearance. Thank you all again for your consideration, and remember, I can be pretty thick-skinned as long as people are honest in what they say. As in martial arts, you gotta get knocked down (or out) a few times before you can learn how to actually fight, & I understand that being called out for my errors here is part of this process of growing ~ Jeff.
  4. My first impression from the lack of responses was that indeed many of you all thought the pieces to be a reproduction. However, since no one actually said anything, I wasn't certain. It would have been better for someone to have said something when the request was originally posted instead of remaining silent until now. Unfortunately now the sellers' 7-day return window has closed. Being wrong about the item and being told so publicly, I can handle. It's part of the learning curve. I never claimed to be an expert and this is why I came here for some other, more experienced opinions. Being unable to return the item and the $, not so much.
  5. Curran ~ Yeah, the tranquilizer gun we used to use was very much a blowgun/dart set up, rather like the aborigines you might see running around in the Amazon jungle. The main thing I remember is the big cats tended to be reallllly p!$$ed off most times when they woke up from anesthesia, and lots of fights occurred with whomever was in the enclosure with them at these times. Anyway, to my knowledge tigers are not now, nor have they ever been native to the island of Japan. So thanks for your perspective on the premium placed on tiger-themed furniture, as I was not aware of this & would not have known otherwise. This tigerphile phenomenon may very well explain why I paid more than I would have liked for the tsuba and f/k fittings :lol: Thanks again for your take, ~ Jeff
  6. Brian & Curran ~ Hey thanks for confirming my gut instinct. I realized these aren't museum-quality fittings when I bought them, but obviously am curious as to their origin. As you may have noticed from my previous thread on a tora-themed tsuba: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=13009 I am an experienced tiger person looking to outfit a new blade (new to me, anyway). Let me clarify, experienced in tigers rather than sword fittings. I actually worked hands-on with tigers and other large felines for a period of 5 years here in Pittsboro, NC. Anyway, the point being to acquire furniture which I can afford, the aesthetics of which appeal to me and have a common theme, and also have some measure of authenticity rather than being modern production pieces. Without a signature, it is indeed difficult to know much more than shown, but thought I'd give it a shot since you all collectively have amassed such a great deal of experience and knowledge in the area. No worries, not knowing their maker isn't going to keep me up at night, else I would have insisted on a signed pair. Just knowing they are hand-carved and a couple centuries old is more than enough to give them meaning for this specific project. My gratitude for your thoughts on the subject :D Best wishes, ~ Jeff
  7. So no one has any idea of where these come from? Interesting. Feel free to PM me with thoughts as well. Thanks for looking & thinking 'bout it. ~ Jeff
  8. Ford ~ Thank you so much for sharing this experience with us. We just viewed it on YouTube for the first time last night. Just so you know, I watched it with my wife, who considers me to be a bit of a sword nut & has no real understanding of why I am obsessed with martial art and sword wielding and so on... And yet she tolerates it with the same compassion she shows everyone. Afterwards, she was as speechless as I... so we perused your website and saw this beautiful creation: http://fordhallam.com/work-dragonflywave.html She being almost as big a fan of dragonflies as I am of swords, spontaneously grabbed a box of colored chalk and drew the most lovely dragonfly on our sidewalk like a child playing with its toy, only stopping her drawing when it was too dark to see anymore. My sincere gratitude for helping bridge the gap between my world and hers. I know you're not Dr. Phil and so on, but I probably owe you a few £ for the help with the missus Anyway, I promise to at least buy you a pint or two if our paths should cross. With head bowed and hands folded, ~ Jeff
  9. Hi all! I am fortunate to find myself the new owner of this set of tora fuchi/kashira. Please forgive my ignorance, but I do not know the details of its making, and it is unsigned... Your thoughts on the name/school/area of the person who carved them or any other information you can relay after looking at the enclosed images would be greatly appreciated :D Edo-period f/k of tora in nanakoji takahori kinzogan shakudo
  10. Hi all! As stated before, I bought this tsuba mainly because I really liked the tiger theme and unusual design of it. My original thought was a tsuba with papers would cost more, and so this un-papered item seemed authentic to my eyes and more affordable to my wallet than the $1000 tsubas I see for sale with paperwork. I may indeed send it for shinsa at some point in the future, but for now certainly am happy with it :D One thing that may not be obvious in the pictures is the gold nunome work resembles little bamboo leaves falling everywhere, sort of like snow flakes. I notice these are much more striking in person than comes through in the photos you all can see. Glad it is an interesting piece for you all to look at & I appreciate the time everyone has taken to explain some of it's interesting points. Best wishes, ~ Jeff
  11. Hi all! Your valued experience has been very helpful, and I thank you for your time and efforts. I did not mention upfront what the seller was asking for this blade on purpose, so as to illicit your unbiased opinions on its value. The seller is offering it for $3200, which is in line with the range of what many here have stated. This does at least two things: First, it reaffirms my belief this is an honorable vendor, as he is offering it in the ballpark of what it can reasonably expected to fetch on the open market. Second, it lets me know this is not a "deal" in the sense it is not a very fortunate opportunity to find something selling below its reasonable value. Since this is not a "deal" in the sense that the financial opportunity to save some $ while still buying a wonderful piece is not there, I'll pass on it. So in sum, my intention is to eventually by an antique nihonto, and keep it long-term rather than sell it off later (if/when) I can afford something "better." I'm the kind of person who buys a car, then drives it till the wheels fall off rather than trying to upgrade to next year's model and having to make more car payments. In this case, I don't literally mean I am going to use the sword for cutting 'till the point the blade bends. Rather I mean once I buy something like this, I'll make an effort to restore the fittings in a custom way so it means something to me personally, and then keep it for viewing/preservation purposes, without the intention to sell it later or "mow the yard" with it. Modern production swords are what I use for cutting, and they serve that purpose well without damaging an antique blade. The advice offered here would be to study and learn more before purchasing any sword to make a more informed decision unless there is a sword on the table which is a "deal," and so you all didn't disappoint. I am going to follow this advice, as it is in accord with what my gut tells me to do. Thanks again for all your considered opinions! Best wishes, ~ Jeff
  12. Here is the relevant information for this item: Description: Form:MARU GATA a circular TSUBA form. Size: 77 x 76mm Material: Iron Weight: 115g Epoch: Early EDO period. 17th Century Condition: Overall condition is excellent. Signature: SOHUEISHI - NYUDO SOTEN SEI - KOSHU HIKONE JU - KITAGAWA School: SOTEN school Theme:The design TAKE NI TORA, a tiger writhing amongst bamboo talks is depicted head to tail on the top of the SEPPA DAI area. The reverse decorated with rock, a waterfall, a stream and part of the tiger’s body. Technique:The rich brown plate is deeply pierced and delicately carved almost in the round in MARUBORI, applied in gold NUNOME, while the sky behind is in SUKASHI work, and tiger's eye is inlaid in gold. Much of the web carving is higher than the rim or the SEPPAI DAI. Comments: The representation of a tiger with bamboo is one of the most frequent in Japanese arts. The canes of bamboo represent the essential force and flexibility in the discipline of BUDO, while the tiger is considered the animal of greatest strength in heaven and on earth. The TORA symbolizes courage and physical strength and is emblematic of a safe return from a perilous undertaking. This style of TSUBA and the term “MARUBORI” (carving in the round) were taken up by KITAGAWA SOTEN of HIKONE in the province of OMI. He worked during the second half of the 17th century and his work is most commonly in iron, encrusted in gold or copper, with the details of patterns on garments and landscapes richly overlaid in gold.
  13. Grey ~ Thank you for your consideration. This is the sort of advice I was after. As stated previously, I am relatively new to Japanese swords and am after some wisdom. In accord with your thoughts, this is a long term purchase and being able to see the potential purchase from a long-term perspective is needed. My gut instinct is that though my enthusiasm for an antique sword is high, I should probably exercise patience and put more effort and time into finding the right sword that really speaks to me. Indeed, as Ken re-iterated, I also would like some idea of what this sword reasonably would be expected to bring on the open market to help gauge the seller's fairness of offering price before making a final decision on whether to purchase... Thank you again Grey, for getting to the heart of the matter quickly, which is from a the long-term perspective I have not yet cultivated. Here is another image of the sword in question: Best wishes, ~ Jeff
  14. I understand suriage makes this a short blade in the realm of katana. Since my prior experience in swordplay has been years of mostly Chinese jian & Filipino espada y daga that are one-handed, I am used to handling a shorter sword than the standard katana. So weilding a two-handed sword such as katana is a relatively new experience for me. Obviously with a blade this old, I wouldn't exactly be practicing with it. Perhaps just test drive it a little once in a while, but mostly it would be acquired for display/preservation purposes. No reason for Koto but personal preference, meaning there is something about an older blade which specifically interests me... perhaps simply an appreciation for the length of time the blade has existed. I am not limiting the possibilities to pre-1600 only. Certainly cost is the main criterion. Another relevant factor in this is I have bought a few items in the past from the specific dealer offering this blade, & so have developed some level of trust because I am pleased with the items received thus far. That said, I'm not sure I trust anyone enough to not ask for 2nd & 3rd opinions :lol: Best wishes, ~ Jeff
  15. Surfson ~ Thank you for the compliment on it. My primary concern was the attractiveness of the tsuba, so thoughts of papers came afterwards. You are correct in your assumption that it does not come with papers. I recognized the maker's name having heard it before, which made me feel somewhat more confident of it's authenticity. However, my ability to translate Japanese kanji first hand is admittedly rudimentary. I recently purchased a book on tsuba by Gary Murtha and am learning to navigate its contents, and I appreciate your pointing me towards the available identification sources. I also realize the philosophy around these pieces of art is to read a lot 1st, then make a purchase after. I liked the tusba enough that I wanted to buy it regardless, though this may seem impulsive to many here. This is certainly not the first time in my life I find the cart is leading the horse, so to speak :lol: Best wishes, ~ Jeff
  16. I understand is probably the confusion due to the choice of words. It appears I misspoke... pardon. Clarification: I own a dozen or so Japanese-style swords (e.g., katana, wakizashi, tanto, iaido, bokutō) and none but the bokutō is made in Japan. Rather, they are modern reproductions of Japanese style made in other countries (e.g., China) from the usual suspects (e.g., Hanwei, Huanuo, etc.). Also my apologies for not including the relevant information to begin with: Nagasa = 627mm = 24.7" Sori = 8mm Nakago = Kiri-jiri = Gata Shakibari Sugata = Shinogi Zukuri with shallow peaked back Ihori Mune Jihada = Ko Mokume burl wood-grain Hamon = Medium Suguba with some slight undulations following the Masame Jihada all in Nioi and extremely fine Nie Best wishes, ~ Jeff
  17. Hi all! Greetings to you from North Carolina, USA. I recently purchased this tiger/tora tsuba from a dealer located in Japan. This is the 1st actual antique piece of Japanese sword furniture I own, and I like its theme, weight, and feel very much. That said, I realize it would have been more prudent to ask such questions of the board before purchasing an item rather than afterwards; however, I only discovered the board in the last few days, so bear with me. The relevant question I humbly submit for your consideration is what are your valued opinions on the authenticity and value of this tsuba based on the attached images? It is signed SOHUEISHI - NYUDO SOTEN SEI - KOSHU HIKONE JU - KITAGAWA of the SOTEN school & is attributed to the early EDO period (17th c). Thank you for your kind assistance in this. Best wishes, ~ Jeff
  18. Hello all! This is my first time writing on the board, so greetings to you all from North Carolina, USA. My question is in regards to a katana I may be offering to buy soon. Please know I have been saving $ for quite a while now and this would be my first investment in a nihonto blade. While I confess to being somewhat ignorant in such matters, hopefully I am wise enough to consider the input of others with valued opinions before committing a large (to me it is large anyway) amount of $ on this piece. My background is I have been practicing martial arts for most of my life (30+ years) but have much more experience in Chinese, Tibetan, Thai, and Filipino arts and their weaponry and methods than I do specifically Japanese sword play. I own perhaps a dozen Japanese swords and am somewhat familiar with the terms used to describe such. I have read some books on the subject, such as The Craft of the Japanese Sword by Kapp & Yoshihara. I have and practiced some with the katana in iaito and tameshigiri, but certainly am a beginner in this field at this stage. I have some carpentry skill and have customized some of my own swords; however, overall I remain a novice, especially in comparision to the experience on hand here. That said, I humbly request some feedback on the item attached. It is has Kanteisyo, which indicates the blade was made at middle to late Muromachi period. It is mumei and attributed as Sue Mihara Bingo province. Any advice you can give me on a reasonable price for this item and any positive & negative attributes which strike you about it are invited and appreciated. Please see the enclosed attachments of said piece: Thank you all for your time and effort in this regard. Best wishes, ~ Jeff
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