Ken-Hawaii

Kunitaro-san, you are going to be an excellent resource on this forum, & your English is just fine. I am not certain that your initial exposure to Nihonto is unique among forum members, but I haven't heard of anyone else who learned about blades directly from togishi & other sensei. Brian & Jean, has a survey been done to find out how our members became interested in the art of the sword? I couldn't find one with a cursory search. Ken

I have a very special Nihonto that I keep in shirasaya, but feel that it deserves to have custom period-correct koshirae & furniture for the blade to be "complete." I've spoken to several of my sword society members about this potential project, & about half feel it's a waste of time & money, while the rest think it's a great idea. Comments? Suggestions? Ken

Let's just say it has a lot to do with meteors & leave it at that for now, Adam. Ken

Funny you should mention that, Adam. I'm haggling as we speak.... Won't be done any time soon, though. Ken

Christophe, by all means find & buy all sizes of weapons for your collection! I thought you were asking the question about which size Nihonto gave you the most bang for your buck, so that is what I addressed. My collection certainly has everything from tachi to tanto. I am particularly lucky because not only do I swing blades in two iaido ryuha, but my wife does also. So when we plan for a purchase, I don't have the common problem of convincing my spouse why I need still another "butcher knife" in my collection. As you're just starting your collecting days, I strongly recommend that you read this article written by a very advanced NMB member, Guido Schiller: http://jssh.org/tips.html. It will very likely save you much time & money. If not, read it again! Ken

Did we ever find out for sure why Brian asked this question...? Ken

Christophe, I've found that, in general, you get the most for your money buying a wakizashi. That doesn't mean you can't get great deals on tachi, katana, tanto, naginata, etc., but if I am looking for a particular smith & have a specific budget, I'm most likely to buy that blade as a wakizashi. Do I prefer that? No, but unless I'm independently wealthy, a wakizashi is probably the best fit for my budget. Interestingly, at my sword society meetings there are seldom wakizashi that come up for sale. Ken

That is correct, Hans, only Nihonto (by definition a sharp blade) can be used. Perhaps I ought to amend that by asking if anyone knows of Nihonto that weren't sharpened? Our Sensei (Menkyo Kaiden) has developed an entirely new ryuha that corresponds with many of the kata in Shinto Muso-Ryu jodo, & in fact I am just finishing up the training DVD that will be sent out to jodo sensei all over the world. He also has us train outside on the side of a mountain, rain or shine, although we don't get our Nihonto wet. It is a much more realistic way to understand MSR jodo. Ken

Hans, I've trained in iaido for several decades, so using a sharpened blade doesn't pose much risk...as long as I'm paying really close attention! In our Muso Jikiden Eishin-Ryu dojo, only iaito are allowed, even for those of us who are very experienced. In our Shinto-Ryu dojo, on the other hand, only Nihonto are allowed. Different Sensei with different goals & objectives. I apologize for not stating that Nihonto, although defined literally as "Japanese swords," are in my case considered to be Shinshinto or earlier. I use a nice Bizen Nihonto that's about 450 years old, while my wife uses an even nicer 400-year-old Soshu blade. For tameshigiri, she uses a shinken from Cold Steel, while I use one forged somewhere in the Midwest. Ken

Hans, you've asked several questions. For iaido, most of us use iaito, which are aluminum-alloy blades that cannot be sharpened. More advanced students use iaito made from steel, also with a dulled edge. A very few of us also use Nihonto for non-contact iaido. None of us use Nihonto for tameshigiri, or at least none who know what they are doing. We use shinken, which are sharp steel "live blades," for tameshigiri. Cutting tatami omote or bamboo will scratch the surface of your blade because of the silicon which both contain, so of course as careful caretakers of our Nihonto, we all know that it would be a very bad idea to use them. Ken

Nothing that I collect, & it's two islands away from where I live, but I'd be happy to help get it to an NMB member. Ken

Hoanh, if you only need three tries to get a good image, you're head-&-shoulders over most of us! I've taken as many as 30 shots,while varying lights, exposure, & depth-of-field before I got an image I could live with. If you're not already doing so, I suggest that you keep a written log of what you have tried & the results; that has saved me many hours of trying to recall exactly what it was I did to get a specific look-&-feel. Ken

An excellent idea, David, & thank you. But I have a question, probably best answered by Brian: Should we be sending our articles to NMB as well as to JSS/US? Ken

If a patina forms on gold, then the gold is simply not pure. 24-karat gold does not oxidize. Ken

Yeah, I know, Chris. I've already sent him a little note suggesting that he not try to "cheat." Ken

Josh, your wish has been granted. There's an alleged Kiyomaro sword on sale at http://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-Samurai-Sword-Katana-Signed-MINAMOTO-KIYOMARO-August-1851-AD-/230847822537?pt=Asian_Antiques&hash=item35bf9a3ac9 for "only" $27,500 or best offer. No papers, but not a bad-looking blade. Ken

In any case, I have received communication from Grey & the JSS/US Board of Directors saying that they are okay with other groups using their articles as long as permission is granted in advance, & nothing is used for commercial purposes. They would also appreciate reciprocation so that if you use one of their articles, you send them something they can use in return. That sounds pretty darn fair to me, especially as JSS/US has a huge base of great articles. A small group like mine can't match them one-for-one, but I think that if we all send them useful articles of our own for them to publish - & also become affiliated members so they can continue doing their translations & other good work - everyone will benefit. My Japanese Sword Society of Hawaii is certainly going to work with them! Ken

Uh, yeah, Christian, I did misunderstand. Still scratching my head, in fact.... Ken

Brian, no complaint about your display, but I am wondering about long-term care of the blades. Koshirae are simply not set up to keep moisture out over a period of years; that's why katanadansu are used. Perhaps you live in a fairly dry location & this isn't a worry, but it certainly is for those of us who live within spitting distance of the ocean or other bodies of water. Ken P.S. I also leave my few rack-mounted (non-Nihonto) blades oriented with the tsuka to the right. They are in my private bedroom, & if someone comes in there uninvited, they will certainly find out why I keep them that way! :D

Christian, what did Grey say that leads you to believe that JSS/US's decision to share articles is a bad thing? I feel exactly the opposite! Ken

I just got the word that our local public access TV station has agreed to do a no-charge documentary on our show, & will give the video rights to us as a non-profit. So I may be able to post at least a YouTube video for all & sundry. It strikes me that other sword exhibitions may also want to contact their public access stations to see if they can do the same. Ken

That's too bad, Thomas! Not sure why Bob didn't mention our show as he's a good-size chunk of it. September 29 & 30, 2012. Ken

Aloha, all: Well, we're closing in on holding our first sword exhibition since the 1960s, & here is the press release: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Japanese Sword Society of Hawaii is pleased to present the first annual Exhibit of Japanese Swords at Soto Mission of Hawaii. The JSSH warmly welcomes and invites all interested parties to attend this exceptional event, the first of its kind in Hawaii in 50 years. The exhibition will be comprised of an extensive range of some of the world's finest Samurai-era art and weaponry, including swords by important swordsmiths, sword furniture, full suits of armor, and various other Samurai objects, all of outstanding quality. The sword collection represents a fantastic opportunity for anyone interested in Japan or Japanese culture to experience a quintessential element of Japanese aesthetics. Along with swords approaching 800 years of age, contemporary blades are also to be included in the exhibit, reminding us that sword-making is a living art. Of particular note, swords made by many well-known sword smiths will be on display. Representative work from the five styles of Japanese sword making, including examples from numerous historical periods, is a key feature of the exhibit, as well as award-winning koshirae and tosogu (sword mounts and fittings). Many of the artists included were among the most well-known of their respective eras. Also on view will be a collection of The Hawaii Bonsai Association's premier trees, in addition to Ukiyo-e and Calligraphy presentations by Mr. Robyn Buntin, and Togishi demonstrations (Japanese sword polishing) by Mr. Robert Benson and Mr. Woodrow Hall. A traditional Lion Dance will be performed by the Asia Arts Association, headed by Sifu Vernon Rieta. The exhibition will be held on September 29-30 at the Soto Mission's main hall, 1708 Nuuanu Avenue, Honolulu 96817, with free parking. Tickets are $10.00 at the door. Please contact Dr. Glenn Hayashi, Exhibit Chairman, at (808) 597-1624, or Albert Keliikuloa at (808) 554-6846 for more information. --30-- So any of you who happen to be out this way or need a good excuse to come play in the sun & surf are invited to attend. Here is a link to a rather cool poster that we have been distributing: https://www.box.com/s/62co0uler2ncj2u5llaz. We conservatively estimate that our Nihonto on display will have a value well over US$1 million (Rai, Kotetsu, Kiyomaro, etc.). I look forward to meeting even more NMB members. Ken

Um, no, Rick - not a god idea at all. Uchiko won't do his blade any good at this point, & will just remove even more material. That isn't what the blade needs to uncover the hamon, flaws, etc. It's already missing a lot of the original material. Ken

In the condition it's in, Shawn, I think your best bet is to have some of our expert members give you their opinions, rather than sending it anywhere. In the meantime, I hope you're keeping the blade lightly oiled & somewhere where it's not exposed to moisture! Ken