cuttingedge59

Hi All , Sharing a custom sageo that i have received today from Japan . Hand made in Silk to my required width to fit my Tanto saya shito-Dome . Very pleased with the finished item and for those looking for a special or odd sized Sageo i would recommend this store. Very easy to deal with and lots of communication before making and sending. https://kiryudo.co.jp/English.html Some pics of the unwrap , love the attention to detail . Regards Chris NZ

Hi All, Merry xmas to all and wishing everyone a better year for 2021. It only can get better. A tanto project recently completed and returned from Thomas Buck. Period Tsuba, Fuchi and Kashira , Menuki, seppa supplied by me. Regards Chris NZ

Hi All , Further to the above thread is anyone currently having any form of communication with Tom. Things have gone silent and i would like some form of update as to what is progress if any . Regards, Chris NZ

Hi all , I would like any feedback from anyone who has used Tom's tsukamaki services please . I have a Tanto with him for some time now and are unable to get any recent replies to my recent messages or photo;s of work completed. This was sent for new Tsuka and tsukamaki Last reply was a month ago and at that stage he stated it should be done within a week as he was awaiting ito from Japan which had shown up in the USA. As he has everything asoociated with this tanto ie tosogu ,blade and saya I am feeling concerned. I know he has read my last message and yet no reply. I acknowelge that the US is in a state of turmoil , however communication goes a long way. Feeling like i just want everything back now. Chris NZ

Tim, No international shipping is really limiting your market but i sure you are aware of that. As a matter of interest i shipped a tanto to the states a month or so ago and it took longer to leave NZ than it did to get to the consignee. Chris NZ

Hi , I have this book which i brought from Japan a few years back . All swords featured are photographed full size , fittings etc are enlarged to better view the detail. All discriptions are in English , done I believe by Paul Martin . I can't really take photo's of the photo's that would show the details you are looking for . But in my novice opinion is a really nice book. Regards Chris NZ

Hi All , There is a fund started to get the main man off this site to the DTi in Japan this year. If you ask for translation help I would suggest that perhaps as this is free that you would consider donating to the fund. Every little bit helps and Brian will not only visit the DTI but spread the word amongst the nihonto community with in Japan, every little bit helps, Regards Chris NZ https://www.gofundme.com/f/send-brian-robinson-to-dti-2020

Hi , This is a self published book thru a Japanese printing company. I think there was a post on facebook recently. regards Chris NZ

Don , As this appears to be the wakizashi on trademe at the moment it would seem that the seller has answered most of your questions. Chris NZ

Hi Peter , I have never heard of him and asking around don't know anyone who has brought anything off him. However that doesn't mean anything as the collecting circle here is quite small and some just keep to them selves. Chris NZ

Hi David, As a kiwi (nz) collector Who has purchased items from the USA and Japan many times it has to go Fedex is not a correct statement . What the items have to have is a reasonable description and are well packed. From the states items have always been shipped UPS with no problems and tracked .The same with Japan Shipped Ems and always no problems. I always track my items day to day to ensure I can react to any problems and as such have never had anything go any where but direct. The usual route is thru either Los Angles or San Francisco to Auckland NZ and then NZ post to me. I have never brought Firearms but swords and fittings have certainly come through ok. Chris NZ

very nice package Chris , The other Chris in NZ, Chris NZ

Hi Ryan , Both of these polishers are not Japanese trained and you are paying for what you get. Traditionally trained polishers are priced at USD $100 per inch. However IF you where to use one of these then Hoffine would be the one based on price . STAY AWAY from San Francisco sword society and Eric Roush as both will cause you nothing but pain and grieve never mind a crap polish . I would recommend either Benson in Hawaii or Woody Hall in Las Vegas. If polished you will need to have a shirasaya made or a new saya. Regards Chris NZ

Hi All, Recieved this wakizashi tsuka recently and would like a little help in identifying some aspects of what it is . First of i would like to add that i buy items like this because they appeal but in this case the mei on the fuchi and being silver helped. Plus the workmanship was a little different The sellers translation is : Seki Tamenao Hijikata Bunsen 12 Tsuchioto shu-jitsu Nagasato Mitsutoki (No ) chu with Kao So my understanding is in the Autumn of 1829 , Tamenao Hijikata made this while residing in Seki. With help or input from Nagasato Mitsutoki. I can find examples of Hijikata's work mainly tsuba but any info on Mitsutoki eludes me. Any info or help would be very much appreciated. Regards Chris NZ

Hmm At the moment if a Ishido school item came up then I would be interested . other than that then something that moves me be it hamon or fittings or something interesting. Chris NZ

As one who has done the fitting of a tsuba to a nakago i always go the path of no modifications to any Tosogu. I simply fit the habaki and seppa to the nakago and then measure the dimensions at the point where the tsuba will fit with a pair of engineers verniers. Then it is simply a matter of looking at the dealers offerings to find a combination of size and theme to suit the rest of the koshirae. it can take time and patience but well worth while in the long run. Chris NZ

Hi All, I was under the impression that the 2019 shinsa was being held in Tampa ,Florida . If there is a San Francisco Shinsa could some one please provide a link or details. Chris NZ

Hi All I know Hans Koga has Whale Baleen , I have seen it hanging on his wall in some of his FB posts . He has also mentioned it on FB. Cheers Chris NZ

Hi Many years ago I worked in our public health system at a local hospital. one of the guys I worked with was an older English gentleman who had been part of the English occupation forces after the war had finished on mainland Japan. He had many tails to tell some not so nice. Anyway he told me of been part of a team who had towed barges out to the middle of a lake and scuttled them. they where load with arms of all types , but he remembered a lot of swords amongst them . He had three bring backs but alas I never got to see them and he has now since passed on and the items have disappeared. Chris NZ

pm sent Chris

Thanks for the replys Guys . Especially the in depth over view from Mark. It would seem that attendance is required to perhaps find find items to add to the collection. We simply don't have anything close here , I probably could count the active collectors on my fingers . And I don't think Aussie has anything similar either, perhaps milteria shows would be the closest. regards Chris NZ

Hi All A question for those that regularly attend the US sword shows . From a face book correspondence today and similar ones in the past after or during shows it would seem that there are dealers in attendance that are normally under the radar so to speak at other times. The question being that is this the case especially for collectors , accumulators out side of the USA. This is the second time that I have been given a dealers name to follow up on from a f/b posting that doesn't seem to have a web page . So unknown . Chris NZ

First off the sword has to move me in some way , whether it be the workmanship of the smith or perhaps the mountings. Then I look at price and the current exchange rate. there are very few for sale in country. If it passes the first too then the nakago is the next consideration. Mumei and ubu is fine , as I like them to be as the smith made them. Mei must have a paper as buying from photo's I simply don't have the skills to make a decicision on gimei or not. So the two exceptions to the nakago rule is a papered surige tachi and a signed gimei tanto. the tanto was cheap and the workmanship is really good even though gimei. The tachi I thought was better than it is but has some nice fittings as mounted as a katana. Chris NZ

hi Tom yes I know of one with years of experience and still active. I don't know if he is active here but is often on F/B . His name is Sam Young . So a face book search should find him , he breeds dogs as well and has a very large collection. Chris NZ