Marius

Again, what do you want to know? We are here to help. Or was that just for fun?

Gosh, what rubbish. People will say anything to sell stuff. BTW, I have a Masamune blade, only $700 Now, seriously - posting such ridiculous ads is somewhat pointless, as there are thousands of them. That is of course unless you really don't know why this cannot possibly be a gift from Shōwa-tennō.

http://yakiba.com/wak_yasutsugu.htm

Uh.. maybe.. someone lock this thread?

Eric, is that a scan from Markus Sesko "Koshirae"?

Is the photo so bad, or do I see a cast brass copy? The lack of detail is very surprising here...

Of course Jean :-) I understand. It is a short sword, worn at the right side, correct? That's where the name comes from. From how you wear it. And, as such, it can be worn only with a specific koshirae :-) I was just pointing at this fact - you can't really take an ordinary tanto koshirae and wear it at the right side, as the kurikata would be in the wrong place.

Jean, I know, it is worn at the right side :-) This requires a different koshirae than for a tanto worn at the left. Tip: look at the kurikata and curvature of the saya and imagine placing it on your left side. You would end up with a tanto worn edge down, like a tachi:-)

So it is the koshirae which makes a short sword a mete-zashi.Like in your pics Jacques.

Weren't metezashi worn at the right side?

Grey, thank you for the advice, it is a very good one :-) I have had this book since it came out, I often revisit it, great source of knowledge with a string common sense. I have even written a review on my now defunct blog, two years ago: http://gomabashi.blogspot.com/2011/01/r ... s-and.html

Hoanh, Thanks for this nice thread, it was very enjoyable. Chris, You are right that quality should be assessed first and that it leads to the maker and makes an attribution meaningful. Today a junior collector friend (no, this does not means that I regard myself a senior collector) has asked me how to assess the quality of a sword. I could offer him only something pretty banal - that it is the steel that matters, and that a good (not necessary flashy or flamboyant) hamon is possible to produce only with good steel. Then I came to the conclusion that I don't quite understand what good steel really is... Perhaps we should start a thread with people offering their view on the quality of steel?

Alex, what's news here? Shipping costs money, customs are a nuissance, Japanese regulations are as they are. What has Aoi Art to do with it? What did Patrick expect? This is just whining...

Thomas, I still do not quite understand you. When you make a transfer you can just pay the fees on your side, no need to refund anything. Anyway, that is not the topic here.. From what you have said, I would see this as a communication issue. You were waiting for shipping info (shipping is included in the price), they have been waiting for payment. They sold the sword (may we know which one it was?) I am sorry for your lost purchase

Thomas, Well, I am surprised to hear that. I have bought a few swords from Tsuruta-san recently, and there was never a problem with holding them for me, even for longer than a week. Communication has been excellent, too. Have you agreed on a date on which the bank transfer should been made? If yes, maybe there has been a misunderstanding concerning the date? I find it very difficult to believe that they have done it on purpose. In your friend's case - was the blade not fitting into the saya/tsuka? The fact that in most cases koshirae are made from mixed parts is not a secret. And yes, they do rattle and so on... I guess you should state all facts (in detail) - otherwise people could come to the conclusion that what you say is slander. I don't say that you are not telling the truth, but you haven't provided evidence. Some of our statements seem pretty erratic: e.g.: what do you mean by "transfer could have caused issues"? The only issue is that it takes a few days if between two banks in different countries. Sorry to be so blunt.

For all those last participants: I respectfully disagree with Hoanh's statement that the hamon is nioi-deki. Please take some time to look at the third picture (_MG_0723.JPG) - I see nie crystals and I would tend to say that on the whole, the hamon is of a nie structure. My original bid stands (and is based mostly on the sugata), but I would not rule out dropping the "ko" prefix because of what appears as a coarse hada with a mix of masame and mokume. On the other hand, the sugata has a Nambokucho flavour, and those spots of mokume (o-hada) might be the result of the sword being tired (after all kasane is only 0.53 cm - no offence meant, Hoanh, I also have tired swords). Just my two cents at the end of this game.

There was one hanging on eBay for ages... Other than that, there was a brief thread here: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=313&hilit=antler+tsuba+ebay Nice find! Love the patina

Interesting... The blade is a later "addition", but was it made as a shrine offering? The fact that it is mumei would suggest so, or not? Comment?

Thank you Morita-sensei

You could say so :-) I can't recall the source, but his shape of the kissaki (with a straight fukura) was allegedly typical until the 13th century.

Stumbled upon these pictures today, perhaps someone has seen this sword? http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/news.html Very interesting to see such an old sword, that has not lost meat due to polishing. Please note the fukura on this sword. Usagiya's sword smith is bitching about hadori (as always), but am sure that the job has been entrusted to an excellent polisher. I would love to see it

Jean, this is precisely what I was saying. The fact that somebody has got an excellent deal on eBay doesn't mean that chances are high.

Hoanh, here is an article, which deals with the meaning of life... sorry, of "den" http://www.nihonto.ca/classification.html

And it got papered? Congratulations! Some people win in the lottery, too.