Lee Bray

'My' understanding of traditional is "hand made and differentially hardened in the traditional manner". With Japanese smiths using their own home made steels and the high likelihood that some Hizen smiths occasionally used namban tetsu, using tamahagane is not a strict requirement for traditional nihonto. This is only the way I see it. I dare say it could be said that the swords made from any other steel other than the official tatara tamahagane are non traditional. One of Nihonto grey areas or perhaps just poor understanding on my part.

Only grudgingly. Now I'm here and trying to take it back from the Chinese.

I'm sure the sword I linked to would be classed as Gendaito as opposed to Showato. What my question is, is are Gendaito and Showato classed as period categories such as Koto and Shinto? In other words, is it Koto - Shinto - Shinshinto - Showato - Gendaito - Shinsakuto or Koto - Shinto - Shinshinto - Shinsakuto, as I believe it is? My understanding was Gendaito and Showato as categories were only brought about to easily label blades made during the war periods, Gendaito being traditionally made and Showato being non traditionally made.

If Aoi Art sell swords made in Hong Kong in 1943 with Hozon papers, then that's good enough for me. http://www.aoi-art.com/sword/katana/08439.html Note the date should read 1943, not 1843. If I had the cash, I'd bring this one home purely for the fact it's made in Hong Kong. I suppose this would fall under Gendai, though. Is Gendai a legitimate category or is it Shinto - ShinShinto - Shinshakuto?

...easily fixed. "Shinsakuto ...... are they Nihonto?" Yes.

I hadn't commented as my answer has already been given. A is real. B is real but Yoshimitsu makes copies of older works and I think this is an example, hence the 'shortened' nakago that still looks pristine. However, now knowing there are convincing fakes of his out there, I'm not so sure.

Hi Ford, That's at the root of my worry - you're an artist and should be making the stuff, not talking about it. (Please don't read that as me telling you what to do.) I did say it's a great idea but I still think you're going to have to become a robot to cope with the routine. It's one thing to do something for love on a daily basis; it's quite another to do it for money. I think my recent actions have proved my respect for you and your work and I would certainly pay to hear your thoughts on tosugu on a daily basis, I just think making a job out of it will affect you. Perhaps consider alternative payment methods. I would subscribe but I don't use paypal and TT charges will be more than the subscribtion cost.

Honestly? Great idea but I think you'll be pulling your hair out after 2 weeks and you'll be sick of discussing tosugu. One item a day involving your time to study, type your opinion and discuss is going to be excessive. I'd say if the private discussions are getting to the point where you're considering this, it maybe better to try and scale that back somehow. Easier said than done, I imagine. Perhaps my opinion is based on a lack of self discipline - I know I couldn't look at and discuss anything once a day indefinitely and I know I'd regret making that commitment.

Thanks, Jacques.

Yasurime are in kesho style which is late shinto, shinshinto. I'd say that's one mark for it being gimei.

Jason, if your polisher cannot differentiate between Shinto and Koto with the blade in hand, I'd seriously consider using another polisher. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=7381&view=unread#unread

I have a modern cast tsuba that rings like a bell. I have a modern wrought iron tsuba that I made myself that doesn't ring. Surely the fact that most bells are cast must say a lot on this matter?

Are you sure this latest piece is cast? I can't believe they would add a shakudo fukurin if it were cast, seems too much trouble. I honestly don't see it as 'obviously cast' but that's not saying a great deal...

Hi Jason. This sukashi piece, https://www.aoi-art.com/fittings/tsuba/F10133.html, makes for a good comparison between thick rust and thick patina. Sorry I can't help with school.

All great info, thank you. There is a Kunimori close to where I live in poor Chinese polish being offered at HK$110,000 - approx. US$14,000. I managed to contain my shock at the offer and graciously declined...

If you sign with your real name. Which the rest of us do.

You say tomato, I say tomato. I see his comments as blunt, certainly not sugar coated but truthful and to the point. I'm not trying to start a fan club here but I've had help from Reinhard via PM which I found concise and accurate. I honestly don't see the point on jumping on him every time he posts. He's always posted with the same attitude, that's his way. If he offends, don't read him. Anyway, said my bit. Apologies to all for the derail.

Here we go again... Edit - Sorry, that wasn't meant to be a glib comment, I just don't want to see another thread/idea run down because of personal differences. Perhaps some thicker skin (I need some myself) and some allowance for cultural differences?

You may well have started this yourself by changing your board name.

Reinhard would be a more than worthy contributor.

Veiled? I think everyone saw me coming a mile away... :D Give it to me and I'll promise to get it polished immediately. You're more than welcome to the pics. Thanks for clarifying the mei. I have access to a lot of Shibata Rei oshigata through a friend and the index I have shows 4 or 5 Toshinaga but none are niji-mei. Mutsu No Kami Fujiwara Toshinaga - TOS290 - Ise Bushu Ju Yamamoto Geki Toshinaga - TOS74 - Musashi Mino No Kami Fujiwara Toshinaga (or Jiyumiyou) - JU32 - Mino (Kyoto) Yamashiro No Kami Fujiwara Toshinaga - TOS287 - Yamashiro I'll be able to check the oshigata tomorrow as we have a sword day planned so I'll see if your niji-mei is close to any of the above.

Well, if you don't like it. I think it has quite a pleasing shape, condition aside. I'd be dubious about the mei. Crude and newer rust inside the strokes.

If my post has caused any confusion, allow me to clarify. I asked about the cross hatch/fine lines as, to me, their presence would indicate nunome-zogan. If there are no cross hatchings then, I believe, it is mercury gilded which is brushed on and requires no cross hatching. *Edit to further clarify... * As Peter said it has lines evident, I presume it is nunome-zogan.

Keep studying real swords on authentic dealer sites and where ever you can find a blade that is genuine. Don't try and learn from ebay. With enough of the real thing, you will soon come to see the real thing from the fake just by a reasonably quick glance. I only say 'reasonably' as some of the more modern day copies are getting better. Most are very obvious after you've taught your eyes to see. Even if a genuine blade is rusty, chipped, bent, whatever, the trained eye can see it. A missing habaki or a missing whichever piece of koshirae makes no difference to the blade. So 'looke' for real swords. Keep looking at them. Then look at some more. Have I stressed that enough? Only then go look at ebay and laugh heartily at the cheap and nasty imitations.

There was a free auction site opened by an admin over on Don Foggs' Bladesmiths forum. I helped with testing. It was primarily for knives and smiths tools but didn't seem to take off due to low volume of viewers. Perhaps a collaboration between forums to get more people interested would be beneficial to us all, however, ebay has such a high flow of viewers that competing with them is going to be hard.