Jock

Hi Folks, I saw the following and did a deep search into the deepest chambers of my little heart: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "The typical collector is a male, usually unbalanced in some direction, who, if he were normal, would not need to collect odd bits and pieces. I believe that any collector suffers from some kind of mental or psychological aberration, and that his collecting is a therapy which may run into a great deal of expense but which protects his sanity and allows him to operate in other fields fairly normally." James A. Michener --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Next time your wife complains about you spending $ 3000 on a sword - just show her this quotation and tell her if you don't buy it, the alternative is that you would be roaming through your back yard eating grass whilst barking like a dog.....unable to look after job, wife and kids --- maybe --- just maybe -- she might tell you to buy 2 or 3..... ) Jock PS: what does it mean for the ones who give up collecting? Gone Insane or Healed? Who knows = to risky I better go on collecting......! ;o)

Thank you Peter & Grey .....any other opinion on the smith/origin of this blade? Regards, Jock

...some more pics...some more details.....

...sorry ....almost forgot the following pics:

...one last point: sori = the highest point of the curv. is exaclty half way along the blade..... Thank you for your valuable advise/opinion! Regards, Jock

...one last point: sori = the highest point of the curv. is exaclty half way along the blade.....

....more pics and a few additional points: a) the blades I have seen so far were thick at the habaki then became narrow and about the yokote became thick again....not so with this one as you see in the pics = it becomes a little thicker at the yokote, but nothing in comparison with other blades I have seen....any thought on this one?? b) shortly after the habaki - on the ridge there is a strange circular/oval shape? see one of the pics above...never came across this....has this to do with the production/tempering???

more pics....

pics....

Hi Folks, I just got a new blade and would appreciate your advise/opinion on this one: Kissaki: 40mm width at habaki: 31mm width at yokote: 22mm Sori: 18mm nakago length: 21.2cm total length: 93cm cutting edge: 72cm thick at habaki: 7mm thick at yoote: 6mm Ihori mune Head shaped boshi ji-nie + ashi + nioi + nie + kinsuji visible File marks suji-chigai slanting left (see drawing at 1) the hamon reachies into the shinogi and at 2) there is a 4.5cm temperline visible as painted... Pics will follow within the hour....

Hi Folks, Thought that might be of interest for some of you: Japanese Sword Identification Book http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... :IT&ih=025 item No: Item number: 380045657373 Regards, Jock

....I can hardly wait for the end of this auction .... I'd like to put a $ 30,000 bit on this historical treasure... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 2759.l1259 Jock

.....and the other one:

Hi Folks, Following you will see a closeup of the Chen Mei and the other Mei - I certainly don't have Piers' superior discernment to see what he sees. Regards, Jock

I'm sorry I don't see what you, Piers see - the 2 blades I have taken pics of the natago from are a) my new one b) the Kami from Paul Chen I personally do not believe that the first one is a Paul Chen and even if it reads McDonalds in Indochinese or Pygmiragamy the difference in workmanship is too much - I bought a Kami from Chen for half price on ebay and compared it with the blade - these have nothing in common. If you tell me that Chen had a different production line that copied WW2 smith's work more detailed etc then I'm more than happy to agree - sorry Piers I don't! And yes I take some of the comments above as an insult! Looking at the Mei of the both blades as well as the natago in total - sorry I can't see the connection - indicating that I misled people and purpously wasted their time......thanks! Offence taken! Thank you very much Stephen for discerning my real intentions and I also believe that your statement is closest to describe the blade that I hold in my hand. Regards, Jock

....and this is only the natago...same counts for temperline etc etc... This is what caused me to doubt your statement - giving the benefit of a doubt....has Paul Chen ever produced such quality? Regards, Jock

Hi Piers, The following 2 pics are of my Paul Chen Kami Katana - Chen claims that this is the katana with the best of the best and highest in Quality koshirae etc etc..... Regards, Jock

.............I see what you say Piers, just one point: I owe a paul chen kami katana - one of the better ones from Hanwei....if I compare the mei/natagos/temperlines etc etc - I can't see that there should be a similarity in quality. Do you say that Paul Chen produced higher quality blades in the past? Regards, Jock

Hi, Do you mean: æ¾æž— æ”¿é‡ (Matsubayashi Masashige) ?? Regards, Jock

Hi Piers, You lost me at "Poland" - strange coming from a German - to answer your question: I was born in Germany lived for 11 years in Scotland - am married to a Norwegian woman and have a son born in Scotland and all of us live in Australia - we classify ourselves as "Earthlings" ) Help me with the "Poland thing" ....please Jock

Hi folks, Forgot to mention one point: The seller claimed that he got the blade over 10 years ago and that is was in WW2 fittings that were in very bad conditons. He (claims) that he got new fittings /koshirae from Fred Lohman - Fred confirmed that the fittings are from him. Just to avoid any mixup concerning the Koshirae. Regards, Jock

....Did I mention that whosoever comes up with an answer about the mei - I buy you a drink! (this means a lot as I lived for 11 years in Scotland! - that's where they started calling me Jock!) Thanks for your help and knowledgable opinions. Regards, Jock

.....file-work nakago......

.....it has a temperline along the whole cutting edge - wavery in the first 25% of the blade and then fairly straight - about 7-8mm wide....

...comment to one of my previous pics - the one showing the mune: the mune looks like being out of centre = my lack of photographic skills (light reflection covers parts of it) - it is dead centre. Following the back of the nakago: