Lee Bray

Interesting. I'm staying at the Ana but had intended to be at the DTI all day. I'll have to try and buy up all the meito first thing in the morning then...

I believe I have the wakizashi version of that sword. The menuki are identical but the tsuba is a little different. Saya is the same paint finish; habaki is the same. Bought for the princely sum of HK$50 or US$6.5. The blade on mine is zinc alloy with a ground on hamon, not etched. The fittings are pot metal. Tiffany - the handle should come off the same as a conventional katana. Mine is held on by one mekugi(bamboo pin). One look at your tang should confirm to you that the sword is production.

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=8341

A tsuba from the Muromachi period that has never been mounted? What has it done for 500 years? I'd agree it looks too crisp to be very old but that maybe because of the cleaning and new patina.

Thanks guys. Here is the Tokubetsu kicho paper. Of the 3 kanji to the left of the nakagao, the middle kanji is different to the corresponding kanji on the papers. Perhaps it is as Morita San suggests. And a link to the sword with additional pics if interested. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8593

I have a long wakizashi, nagasa 23 1/2 inches, which is signed - Harima Kanbei No Jo Shigetaka Roku Dai Shison Zo. viewtopic.php?f=15&t=8551 It is dated Kanbun + 3, so 1663. It has Tokubetsu Kicho papers. So, the mei says it is 6th generation Shigetaka but the date of 1663 would suggest 3rd generation, 1661 -1681, according to Hawley. Hawley puts the 6th gen at 1744. Is the information in Hawley wrong or do I have a gimei blade with fake Kicho papers? Or is this another Shigetaka not of the long Echizen lineage? Does anyone have oshigata for the 3rd or 6th gen for comparison? I believe the mei and date are inscribed by the same hand. Pictures of the sword if interested. http://picasaweb.google.com/10838600671 ... Shigetaka# Cheers, Lee

Missed last year but this year my ticket is bought and paid for so I'll be there. My first time.

It's my opinion that "fun" is an important element of NihonTo study during the initial stages of appreciation. One is not born with a love of NihonTo, and from my experience, it is an acquired taste. Entry level into this field is financially daunting; US$1-2000 on beginners books before a blade, then a blade from a reputable dealer in polish with papers is minimum 2k nowadays - a few years back it was probably 20-40% more expensive. To spend US$4k minimum on the basics of a hobby you may not stick with is a big step. Research is part of that initial fun. If your blade is papered and polished then that work is done and the blade just needs appreciation. Something that a rank beginner will know little about. Having an unknown blade in your hand and trawling through your seemingly incomprehensible books at 3 in the morning is part of the learning experience, imo. It's the sort of experience that makes you want more. It doesn't necessarily make you a good student or even teach you anything about NihonTo but it tells you that you want to be doing this 20 years from now. Now, I'm not advocating buying cheap rusty blades, I'm just stating that I think a catalyst is needed for the beginner to develop their learning beyond that initial enthusiasm. Is it better for a beginner to spend US$5000 on books and their first blade in polish only to lose interest and possibly let the blade go rusty/get scratched or is it better to spend $500 on a cheap blade and develop from there? Of course, either could lose interest but in the second option at least no good blades get damaged. That also brings up the point - 'Should a good blade be in the hands of a beginner anyway?'

Rich, Shibata has moved in its entirety to the Daimaru shopping mall. I was there a couple of months back with a seasoned veteran and one of our destinations was the Ginza for Shibata. We were told that it had moved by the staff at Kunikinyo armour shop as the Daimaru is right across the street from them. Shibata now has large premises on the 10th floor.

All the best. Pressie is in the post...

Make sure to allow a couple of hours at least for Shibata. I spent that time and more and only had a good look at one sword in hand.

Thanks, Chris. The last kanji is easier to see if you click the link then click the magnification marker on that page. I think the kanji is the one listed in 'Self and Hirose', # 1137, if you have the book. The 6th generation is interesting as the blade is dated Kanbun + 3, 1663, which should mean the third generation. It also sports kanji horimono on the blade, one side saying Hachiman Daibosatsu and the other reads Kasuga Daimyojin so perhaps the blade was bestowed to a shrine. I'll post pictures in another thread.

I'm stuck on some kanji (?) and the actual meaning. Harima - Understood. Kanbeino Jo - ? Shigetaka - Understood. Roku Dai Gatsu? - 6 ? ? Fu - ? Ji - ? Zo - made http://picasaweb.google.com/108386006718265402653/Misc#5521245300341027362 (larger image if needed) Any help would be greatly appreciated.

There is the Shibata Rei showroom on the 10th floor of the Daimaru shopping centre. Whole host of fittings plus some very good swords. Not sure of the address but this is the place. http://www.daimaru.co.jp/english/tokyo.html

Hi Darcy, As per my pm, I've plenty of time to proof read.

:D I'm talking about the classifieds on this board. Maybe you're confused by 'classifieds'. It's a term for the for sale section on forum, newspapers, etc. I understand too well about the reproductions coming out of China and it's what prevents me from selling on ebay. I'm certain the majority of browsers on ebay would not give me a second look purely for that reason. Irritating but understandable. Let's hope Vitali's site can draw enough of an audience to make it a worthwhile arena yet remain free from fakes and scams from any country.

The two wakizashi I am selling in the classifieds. Hong Kong is China. Don't worry, I know what you're saying about the fakes but I have to speak out against your blanket ban of China as I'd be affected. And it gets my ad some publicity.

You may want to stop rolling on the floor and take a look at the classifieds. There's two genuine Nihon To being sold out of China right now.

I received 3 swords, 2 katana and 1 wakizashi, from Japan a couple of weeks back, shipped via EMS to Hong Kong. Total cost including de-licensing, packaging and dealer fees was around US$550. I assume the country being delivered to by EMS is the problem. As Dr.Barrett says, the best way around it would be to get the item sent to a trustworthy colleague who forwards it on but then you're probably approaching or exceeding the cost of fedex and adding an extra risk.

I have an Echigo Sadaroku - Echigo No Kuni Ju Imai Sadaroku Saku - and dated February 1940. Nagasa is 27 1/4". Gunto mounts with mon on the tsuka. The mei is well cut and the overall quality, to me, is very good. Hamon is suguha but I can't make out the hada. Habuchi seems very clear and consistent. From the few(3 or 4 max) swords of his I've seen on the web and my own, suguha seems to be the norm. Like Chris, I've not seen kokuin on his work before. I found a few bits of info on him via the web/google search but was disappointed that the section on him in Slough's seems to be missing the write up section as it only shows two oshigata but no background. He won the second seat, 1st going to the Yasukuni shrine, in the 1941 Shinsaku Nihon To Tenranki.

Hi Captain. You know me from the other site and you know my opinion on this tsuba. You may get more response here if you sign with your real name, as per the rules. Good luck.

No worries, Paul. I just figured that since this was a beginners book thread, we should stick to that. Mr.Robinson's book has been given so much comment now, it's probably the first book newcomers to the field will buy.

I've no comment on the work as I've never read it, however, as this is a thread on where to begin reading for beginners, I have to ask, "How does a beginner make that selection?" A beginner doesn't have the necessary knowledge to differentiate the good from the bad.

Already done, Brian, but he's been busy. I see him today though, so will remind.

If you're seriously interested in learning more then your best bet is reading until you're confident you can tell the difference between real and fake. Check out the general section of this forum for a book list and check the links at the top of this page. Knowledge is best learned, not told. Good luck on the very, very long road...