WoodbridgeGaijin

Oh you are absolutely right. I can't wait but I also saw how many blades were already on the go. There must be 15 or so in various stages around the workshop so I know when he says "a year to a year and a half " that it's likely going to be a while. Val Giardina.

Not even sure where to post this. Just got back from a month in Japan and a great visit with Yoshindo Yoshihara. A daisho is in the works for me, hopefully I won't have to sell my car to finish paying for it. LOL. Anyways, what a kind and interesting gentleman he was. He showed me practically every inch of his home inside and out as well as his smithy and workshop. He makes a mean iced tea as well! I have video of an exquisite double edged tanto he made that I would love to post if I can figure out how to compress it. I was lucky enough to watch his son taking pictures for their upcoming book. (Out of respect for them and their new book I wont post any pictures of the work they were doing.) Still can't comprehend the dexterity and skill it must take to carve horimono. He was showing me how he does it on a wakizashi he was making and after seeing the carving tools which he makes himself....it was amazing to see, it almost looked like he was carving lead. It looked like the metal was incredibly soft as he did it and I will never forgive myself for not snapping a pic of the finished horimono which was a Buddhist deity. I didn't realize that he also has studios in Seattle and San Francisco. Val Giardina.

I strongly agree with both Simon and Darcy, Lacquer will almost certainly remove "permanent marker" and Urethanes can change the color of permanent marker dyes from Black to a lighter Purplish color. I would leave it alone. If an actual sayagaki is refused for some reason I would at least try for the Urushi signature. His work never ceases to amaze me. You have an outstanding example of a work of art by someone I personally feel is among the best ever smiths.

I used to live in Malton! You wouldn't recognize the airport now. Its becoming exponentially larger as we speak. As for Yorkville, its changed quite a bit since the late 90s, no more Versace on Bloor St. No more Armani, most of the cigar shops I frequented are all gone, Cartier is the size of a shoe box, Bulgari is gone, Sassafraz burned... but at least you can still eat decent Japanese at Yamato. I would crumble and die without that place. How is your current location? "Artic Coast" sounds serene and peacefull.

Thanks for the info Darcy. I had always wanted to visit you when you were still selling swords but I never had enough money to be comfortable coming to see you cause I would most likely lust after something I could not afford. I should have bought something from you when I had the chance.I spend a lot of time in Yorkville so I have had many a chance to visit the ROM. Sadly...their displays are laughable. I appreciate the time it took for the reply.

Do any members know if there are any worthwhile shows here in Ontario?

What are the odds of that happening? I guess it really is a small world

Henry, was this done with tsubas of higher metallurgical value or iron tsubas as well?

An old post about Yasukuni blades rekindled an interest. While reading about Kenzo Kotani A.K.A Yasunori A.K.A Takenori I learned that he was awarded the character 武 for his name. My question is....is "Take" a prestigious or special name prefix in its own right? Or was it to be highly regarded in this case because the General who gave his name to Yasunori was an aide of the Emperors?

My apologies, It was this one. Val Giardina http://cgi.ebay.ca/Japanese-Samurai-Sword-FUJIWARA-NOBUTAKA-w-BOHI_W0QQitemZ160123033978QQihZ006QQcategoryZ73466QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Is it common to have two different styles of Bo-Hi on a nihonto such as this?http://antiques.listings.ebay.ca/Asian-Antiques_Japanese_W0QQfromZR4QQsacatZ37934QQsocmdZListingItemList Val Giardina

I assume you paid roughly $15-$20 on the sword plus $70-$100 on shipping? I suggest trying to sell it , and not as a Japanese blade either. Take whatever money you get and buy a book on Nihonto. The sting of buying a fake lingers long after the thrill of a bargain is gone. The story's some vendors come up with sometimes seem convincing("my uncle was plowing a field dug this up") but rest assured if its coming out of China.... it was made there and not in Japan. Val Giardina

Depending on the type of material, I am assuming it's silk? I have used Woolite to a great degree of success. You can also use very hot water with a few drops of dish detergent and a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda per litre/quart of water. You know the water is hot enough if the baking soda foams voraciously when you pour it in. Baking soda will leave a white residue if you don't rinse it well but it is harmless, just rinse well again. Don't forget to shape the tassel before you hang it to dry. You can also loosely wrap it with thread to keep its shape while drying. Good luck! Val Giardina

Is anyone familiar with this type of finish on saya? I would love to find out how the pattern on the last saya was made. Urushi over cork? Or is that some type of sea shell? Val Giardina

Me------>Q: You clazy? You ask too much. I give you my daughter, two baby pigs and a yoyo for trade. Daughter ugry, but plow field like an ox...even though only one arm! You send sword now. 28-May-07 A: Me no clazy you clazy. Me fight you for sword. Meet you two thirty. Two thirty because me eat too much chocorate. By the way its spelled disconcerting. Val Giardina.