Ken-Hawaii

I've bought from them before, & if you can find what you need, their prices are really good.

I agree with Ian. I also had a lead weight in a kashira, & it took me forever to figure it out! Hold your finger over it, & shake it - that's how I found mine, from the vibrations.

Mike, some photos will help us to help you. In general, find a piece of ivory (antler or piano key), & use that to scrape away at the active rust. If you can't find ivory, an older copper penny (pre-1982) will work. Since it's a Showato, there's probably little or no black rust (the good kind) that has formed, you don't have to be quite as gentle as you would be with an older blade. Once you've gotten the rust off, put a light coat of choji oil on the whole blade - this is one of the few times you can put oil on the nakago. Next time, I suggest not buying a rusty blade. It just shows that the caretaker wasn't watching out for its condition,

Happy 70th, Grev.

Join the crowd, Piers! If all those swords are this quality, I would need a second mortgage!

Christian, please click on your avatar & go to your Profile, where you can add your first name just one time in your signature. All of us were anxious, at one time, to buy our first Japanese sword, so we understand what you're feeling. So, please trust us when we tell you to stay away from eBay, like the plague! After you've spent a year or three studying, & handled some blades, then you can go back, because you'll be looking with different eyes. The NMB For Sale section is a good place to consider for your first blade, but there are other long-time sellers. I love browsing therough Ed Marshall's yakiba.com, & I've bought a number of his well-documented swords. You can learn a lot by just looking at his photography. One other piece of advice. You do NOT have to start with a katana! One little secret is that a well-made tanto will sell for just as much as a well-made katana.

Why is it unsafe to cut bamboo in wintertime? Snow? Ice? Attack by heat-seeking wallabies?

This gaijin would like to own it.

How much was the freight charge, Greg?

Don't do Sea Mail! Lost one blade, & another was damaged (bent!). Never was able to collect on the second one.

I really like that third tsuba. Have to chck him out. Thanks!

Been around for a long time.

John, can you please edit the original post to show which have been sold?

Very nice collection, Mike.

No, I draw a 30.5-inch blade in iaijutsu, so that extra 0.6" is manageable. It's the $60K that isn't! Beautiful blade, JP.

Your photos are okay, but need to be much higher resolution to show the details. Nice blade. Please show us when you have it dressed out in koshirae.

You're probably not buying there for their accuracy, Dale. It looks like they've spaced the hands far enough out from the tsuba, so it's unlikely that they'll rub. If they offered the movement without a tsuba, I'd be tempted to buy one.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/The-one-and-only-antique-Tsuba-Clock-in-the-world-with-registered-utility-model/402283716685 https://www.ebay.com/itm/The-one-and-only-antique-Tsuba-Clock-in-the-world-with-registered-utility-model/402283710890 https://www.ebay.com/itm/The-one-and-only-antique-Tsuba-Clock-in-the-world-with-registered-utility-model/402283655035 At least it appears to be non-destructive.

My only advice is to get one in full polish. I tried for several years to find someone to polish my plain jumonji yari, but they all said it was too complex, & would take too long.

I think #7 was a bid I lost to you. Good eye!

Looks like a tosho I'd like to go visit next time I'm back there. Thanks!

Yes, you're correct, but talc has a Mohs hardness of 1, while uchiko has a Mohs hardness of between 7-8. Diamond is 10, as a reference, & steel is around 5.5. Read https://blog.yuhindo.com/uchiko-considered-harmful/ for detailed info on why to not use uchiko.

Michael, please buy what you like, for your own reasons, not because of our opinions Is there some reason you're not looking for a papered (authenticated) blade?

Did a bang-up job, Piers - thanks! Wife & I are looking forward to coming back to visit.