Lee Bray

Looks like Higo work to me. Possibly Jingo school, later work, circa 18th century.

You've been here for over a year with 97 posts so I think Mariusz was correct to pull you up on the name thing. That's what makes this place a little easier to loosen up and have a good time...knowing that we're all known amongst each other as many of us know each other off the board. As for the sword, Hoanh has the facts.

I think you're right, Adam. There are a couple of blemishes to the left of the Kuni kanji which are the same and the rust to the upper left of the nakago ana appears the same.

I won't say gimei or not but a trait of Tadakuni was to shape his nakago with a very slight kink on the ha side. I've circled the area I mean in the last pic you posted. This kink is present on the nakago of your sword.

Didn't think I was debating anything since I'd already stated that I thought there were no items but have it your way.

I missed the shipping blurb, Stephen. If they are shipping from Hong Kong, I wonder if the items are here(if there are any items)? It's unlikely they'd ship them from Tibet to HK then onto wherever it maybe, though that would explain the $120 shipping fees. As for their statement, "because customs Does not allow express mail shipped sharp weapon , so I can only provide the hong kong Post SAL (surface Air Lifted) shipped service, is about 30 days to arrive." - that's nonsense. I've shipped plenty of sharp weapons internationally using regular airmail and there are no problems. I shipped a naginata to Canada recently and it took eight days. Perhaps they are in Tibet where international shipping is restricted, therefore using HK as a hub. It seems we are a magnet for that as large shipments of new ivory have been found coming through our ports and into mainland China. It could be possible to contact the relevant gov authorities over here...ha ha ha...just kidding... Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if our Chief Executive got 5% for every fake sold...

I think you're more likely to get nothing except a lighter wallet.

The pics with the black background are from Ohmura's site. The pics with the white background are just fakes. Where they are is anyone's bet. Best not to subsidise these criminals, I think.

How about sending 100 samurai at the front wall with ladders while slipping 10 men round the back with grapples? Beeston castle, near my familys home, is situated on a large hill, one side of which is vertical rock face. The area above the rockface was not as well defended as the rest of the castle. In the English civil war, eight men scaled that rockface in the middle of the night and took the entire castle. Would you have given that order or led the assault? War is war, not logic. Kam seems to have the way of it. A multi use tool. Maybe some were made for a specific task, hard to say. That Ron's piece is well made and 'customised' with a mon may just be down to individual taste - some of us use custom made knives while others are happy with production pieces. Good topic, Ron. Cheers.

I see what you mean, now. I'm not sure cloth wraps would cover much noise from a pound of steel hitting your roof or wall, especially as those points scrape across the surface before finding purchase. I don't see why it couldn't be multi purpose. "Hey, Mr.Wall climbing/ship snaring Samurai - your house is on fire!"

I don't understand your point. We were discussing the chain, not the height of the walls or the speculated life or death of the climber...

I'm a rigger and have used grapples and climbed more rope than is good for you...or me, anyway, which is why my back is broken nowadays. The short chain is no problem to throw whatsoever. It is fairly necessary to make a safe grapple. You have almost zero control where the grapple places itself, so it is very unlikely to land on the outside lip of the wall which is the only safe place a chainless grapple could hold. Rope running over the edge of a wall is worn away very quickly under the erratic force of a climber: it's not a smooth force, it's jerking up and down and from side to side. Without a chain, hemp rope would part very quickly. No offence to your 'expert', I like him, but if he wants to comment anonymously, he should change the background to his photos...

Looks like a seam/join right down the middle of the pictured piece. Probably two piece construction with the upper portion of each piece split into two and the hooks forged. Then each piece with two hooks forge welded together to produce the four hooks. Interesting piece and story.

Titebond wood glue, both II and III (2 & 3) are known to have issues with rusting/staining carbon steel. Titebond (original) wood glue causes no issues. May or may not be what was used on the kake and felt but just thought it should be known.

Fancy a swap for my above linked tanto, Guido?

I think you're probably closer to the mark with your parenthesised comment, as I've seen several sets like this since buying mine. That Brian has another set, as no doubt do a few others, is further proof of such. I believe I've seen it described as 'rain'. A 'fitting' description...

A very similar set with tsuba and possible Hosogawa mon on the fuchi. https://plus.google.com/photos/10838600 ... n6bvg4nfTw My very first Nihonto. With matching quality pictures.

Hi Steve, I appreciate the explanation, my 'dead horse' needs a little flogging sometimes... I hadn't realised the condition issues, just thought it was as presented.

I'm with Henry on this one. Perhaps it is the pictures but the iron of the first "Saotome" looks nothing like the quality of the iron of the rest. Nor does the shaping of the hitsuana or the quality of the sukashi work. Could this 'Saotome' not be an utsushi of Yamakichibei?

No, Bob's a full time professor and part time sword dealer. Or at least he was a few years back...we're all getting older...

I thought I might add this as a way of making a 'safer' sekigane. It relies on a friction fit inside the tsuba ana therefore does not need peening into place so avoiding errant hammer blows on your antique patina. It's just a piece of copper sheet, though you could use brass, which is the same thickness or slightly thinner than the tsuba. You'll need a piercing(jeweler's) saw, some small files and some patience to get it right but it's safer than hammering the normal sekigane into place. Of course, this is the amateur way of doing it. You really want to send it to the pros to fit proper sekigane. That way, they know how to fix the patina when they hit it with a hammer...

Ford's sekigane tutorial no longer seems to be up. Unless you're supremely confident of hitting a very small piece of copper with a very small hammer with 100% accuracy many times, I wouldn't try this technique on antique tsuba.

Mei doesn't look bad. Possible nidai?

How do you remount a mount? Blades need mounting; there is no blade. Unless we're talking about remounting a tsunagi?

Thanks, guys. Owner sends his thanks, too.