Jean

I ❤️ when NMB community is unanimous )

Yes, Ken, I was innocent once (however’ can’t remember when )

When I was young and innocent, I bought this book. When I read it, I knew I had been conned. This is the wortheless book I have ever read on Nihonto. You will find very general infos on Bizen, easily uploaded on any Nihonto website, then the list of Bizen smiths listed by Hawleys. That’s all. Nothing worth about Ichimonji, ko Bizen, Osafune, Soden.... NEVER BUY THIS BOOK.... Stephen is 100% right

For 700$ you can get a full Nihonto library, András. Markus Sesko has written a Kantei serie of articles accessible for free which are fantastic

What is the price of an Hasebe Kunishige daito? 430 000¥?

I have solved this issue Guido, I only have Bowen loafers . The leather is very souple and it’s like having slippers. I have given up Tricker’s due to my toes, leather is too rigid

That’s your problem Gordon, I consider the subject close

RIP Harry

First question we should have asked András beforehand is: What is a fortune for you András?

You can buy Nakayama Kokan « The connoisseur book of Japanese swords »it will bring you 70 to 80% of all is to know about the Japanese swords and for 56€ on Amazon...

Peter, I have an Osuriage katana with a double sayagaki (Honma Junji and Tanobe sensei) to Hosho school and put to shinsa came back as Tegai Kanekiyo who forged in running itame/masame: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/17414-achieved-collection-gokaden/ The masame is invisible if you don’t look along the blade at the right angle, otherwise people will describe it as itame... Edit to add, a new polish won’t bring out the masame if it is as tight as mine...

Jean is right (Jean (s) are always right). Question of merchandising, Ninja is top

Koshirae and shirasaya must be stored separately, that’s a rule of thumb, because of humidity needed for lacquer and not for blades

It is a signature

Thanks a lot Manuel. Unfortunately the nakago jiri has been cut away.

Of the Sukemune of course Manuel

Manuel, Can you post a picture of the nakago please?

Just to add, as the French saying goes: A swallow in the sky does not mean It is Spring time. You will always find a counter example but not thousands as in the Koto times. For example the 4th generation Nobutomo is the only one mentioned with blackish jigane among 11 generations...

None late Shinto or Shinshinto....

In fact Luis, I owe you an apologize, Jacques is becoming contagious, I did not read your posts correctly; after rereading them, I see that the dark side of the steel was just a remark and not a kantei point. In fact it is due to the pictures lightening

Jacques, You should stop reacting at my posts, it is becoming an obsession (a boring one) which leads you to quote me and add a stupid example as proof. You should read late Jean d’Ormesson « dislike is bad for health » As everyone knows, Yasutsugu is late Shinto/Shinshinto ???? The Yasutsugu (first generation) began forging still in Koto times. Don’t try to biaise as usual the discussion. Here is an article which settles things concerning the steel in Shinto and Shinshinto times: http://jssh.org/shinto.html#/3 So, goodbye the theory of dark steel in late Shinto, Shinshinto. To come back to Yasutsugu, we can’t say that it is a kantei point of Yasutsugu (perhaps in its youth), for to be a kantei point, it must be a constant in the smith forging which is not the case, taking into account the number of blades made of namban tetsu. All can be said is that some of his blades have the dark steel colour of northern provinces.

The notion of dark steel (identification/kantei point to Northern kuni) is tricky and can’t in no way be ascertained by looking at pictures, be cause as mentioned my friend Paul, it depends on light. You have to study several blades side by side at the beginning to be able to absorb this notion and establish a scale of colour steel. This is a relative notion and that must not be forgotten: it is dark steel compared to.... this notion is only valid for Koto. In Shinto times, steel travelled (on its little legs) and become homogeneous throughout the country. So darker steel in late Shinto or Shinshinto lets me skeptical...

Took my time to read this topic today as it was a day off. There is only one thing to say: hat off, Dave

Rich, You have stated the thing as it should be: collect what you like, and above all, like what you have collected

Because the native language becomes international, no translation needed, universal