doug e lewis

Hi Mark, i have learned more from that little book than 10 years of going to my sayashi friend's house when invited to look at some of the quality swords he gets every so often. as a curiosity, could you post pics of the tsuba, tsuka ito, & menuki? doug e

hey Moss, i could only make a crude firearm -- and the black powder is touchy. but most any of us could forge a servicable tanto, or even wak [katana ??/ ], so such prohibition laws would end up having the same effect the USofA Prohibition of alcohol had. qua;ity falls off, $$ opportunity for criminals, and honest citizens made into criminals. but the news got great ratings, i bet! got to avoid these threads! i get too worked up. i'll still go to Australia, if i get the chance. country and people [most] are just too nice. doug e

hey Rich, "a copy of an Aizu Shoami tsuba (just my opinion of course)" even if not the "real thing" the farmer did a fair copy, maybe not signed and papered, but if ya like it ... it has a certain pleasing style. if you can't afford Piccaso original, the print copy can still look good on some wall in your shack i guess i set my sights low now, until bank account is high doug e Three Kats

so, we all walk because some nut tried to kill someone with their car. no more glass -- broken too sharp! and karate-ka like myself, Shotokan since 1972, and those who know how to use a quarter staff - english - bo = Japanese/Okinowan, ie broom handle/pool cue ---- we all stay at home and watch Oprah. vote these idiots out of office --get new idiots who don't pander to the public's hyesteria over every sensational crime story. at least here in the High Desert i can see them when they come to confiscate my toys & art for miles. grab, water, sword, wife, dog and RUN. not even in australia and angry, doug e

Hi Rich, you are always an education for me ... being very ignorant in these matters. the "kooky" tsuba looks like a beer barrel to me. or sake barrel, to be more Nipponese. all of the tsuba, except the sake barrel, look super to me. i have seen and own low end tsuba, but not enough middle or high end. i hope to get the chance in SF in August. could not the sword be saved somehow? is the boshi to far gone not to re-shape the kassaki into a ko-kassaki shape? or is too much $$$?? a shame to lose even low end nihonto, eh? doug e

it is a mental desease that seems to affect politicos around election time. the shout of Law & Order, goes above reason. look what manditory sentancing did for CA prisons; doubled the population with mostly shop lifters and pot smokers!! WHERE THEY LEARN TO MAKE KNIVES FROM SHARPENED TOOTHBRUSHES!! i first read your post as "Bumbly" gov. slip of the mind? just to be safe i am joining some sword clubs in the US, so i can claim long time membership when that Victoria maddness infects the USA like swine flu. not directly affected by Australian insanity [and i thought Aussies were such a nice bunch], but mad about it anyway. doug e

John, your dire situation brings to mind a possible solution .... at least i like it. i would be happy to store your twenty something "Singapore Banned" swords in my safe house out here in Johnson Valley, CA ---- the High Mojave Desert. no humidity to speak of and i would inspect and oil [if needed -- your schedule] them regularly. :D no charge! you could even ask Rich Turner to come down and inspect their housing, as he will be in SF for the Token Kai in August. only 400 mi. south to my place what do ya think? doug e

really nice bit of schlarship, Mr, Martin san! I have better understanding now of the different sword styles and how then developed over the yers. you also gove me many ideas. and areas of study to follow. all in all, super!! doug e

that sure is a bog pile of steel! would think there would be 1 or 2 "real" swords among them. Or maybe just all gunto? some look a little rough around the edges, also. if i still lived in Philadelphia i would go check them out [actually, no --i'd be snowed in]. but could only afford one (the best one of the bunch, of course) even with no shipping how can he expect to sell them all bundled together as one? it may be a hassel going thru them to find the good ones, but might be worth it if that good one is coveted Muramasa guess i'll save my $$ doug e

Ok Piers, 1. is that sword just ancient or gendaito left in the rain? 2. is little silver crab bell, right? 3. modern art? doug e

Ah, that good Australian iron ore. no wonder their fakes are looking better. i understand that Victoriia has passed some pretty draconian anti-sword laws. with little difference made for antiques and their collectors. you there, or are you in Syndey. Or better yet, Perth, so you can take lunch with Rich Turner :D well, back to blades and all thing nihonto or Japanese related. doug e

Fantastic, Carlo. Beautiful photography. thank you for sharing. doug e

Thank you Clive! Very nice. i love the individual details not found in the histories, etc., i've read on this period. Going to make some copies for a couple of compter/cyberspace challenged friends, if that is OK with you. again , doug e

well, i guess that kills our detante with China! Hope they don't decide to redeem all their US Treasury bonds fecause of our dissing their faux nihonto industry. doug e

OK Dave, so you don't crazy red-headed shojo [a red haired, mythical creature in Japan who likes to drink sake - --- and lots of it!!] as companion on trip. very wise decision on your part! i have not yet been able to afford a polish yet, but from feed back from NMB members, and from a sayashi friend of mine, Mike Virgadamo [some members might know of him] i have heard Robert Benson as being THE premire polisher in the US. unfortunately, he, like any other good sword polisher in the US of A, probably has a 1 or two year waiting list. check out the Links page and the top of this page, go to restoration. there are several polishers listed; all good i'm sure. some, like Fred Loman, also sell swords, offer sayashi services, etc. look and compare. and wait for a senior member to give you better direction. they have had polishes done to their swords, so can give you an opinion based on real experience. do we at least get a postcard from Japan? doug e

IMHO --of course a person could have a sword brake no matter what sword they are using --- this is obvious, but since i am a newbie i'll say it anyway --- it depends on the skill of the smith forging the sword, also. as the senior members know, the ichikizu swords of the late Sengoku broken with regularity. even Masamune's swords probably broke sometimes [splitting one too many kabuto, maybe] one reason for the dearth of Koto swords?? rust, fire, re-cycling by shortening into another weapon, and melting down to make giant Buddhas. doug e

A few years ago i bought Seki kitchen knife as a gift at a downtown LA wholesale supplyer to Japanese resturants. had temper line, with special intructions care & sharpening. very sharp! cost $125. wanted to get one for my sister, also. but she is left handed. there was special knife for left handed people. $180!!! the chef at my favorate sushi bar knew of the place, approved the knife, then showed me his; it was a cut above, if you like puns, and $250! even German knives i have seen were not that sharp. soug e

now that is a "bitter" result of placing getting a "deal" over quality from, as you say, a smith with a good reputation. especially if cutting is your purpose, and not just learning to draw a sword properly. and spilling your blood on the dojo floor will not be appreciated by your sensei! did not know of so many Chen out there making swords. it is a shame, with so many good smiths working in China, that the China junk tanishes the rep of the good. would not buy anything nihonto related out of China because you ust don't know who to trust. doug e

is not there a more dependable, better known, and made sword for iato, made by a smith who is known and respected in the iato world. Paul Chen comes to mind, and i am sure there others. something like this, especially with the comments by past customers, seem not to be worth the chance -- no matter how good a deal it seems to be. Remember: "the bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten" just MHO doug e

Dave, i am available to serve as your baggage carrier during your trip to Japan --- no salary, just travel & a small per diem for food [i will sleep on a blanket in front of your door as sentry] i understand that right outside the Tokyo train station there are several super sword stores --with both old and shinshakudo (modern -1953 on - made swords). I meant Naha in Okinawa. Nara is in Honshu, and was the imperial capital at one time. Shari was the home of Shari-te, and Naha the home of Naha-te. two Okinawa-te styles which sensei Funakoshi learned in the 1880s. he eventually combined them with jujitsu, judo, various weapon trainings, and some inovations of his own [such as controled sparing so one could practice fighting without maiming or killing your buddy who you're going to go drinking with later] man do i digress! hints on successfully photographing swords is in a article in a link at the top of this page. i think it is by Darcy, a NMB member who sets the standard, IMHO. sorry to yammer on like this. enjoy Japan! doug e

HI dave, sorry if i was a little teachy, and assumed because this was an heirloom sword to you that you did not know the basic Japanese sword terminology. should have at least thought that a smart guy like you [you have to smart because you came to NMB with your questions, right?] could have gone to Dr Stein's Japanese Sword Index and learned the basic terms to use just like i did. i could not see much in those photos; not focused, and to show the hamon the light has to be at the correct angle. still better than my old koto, which has lots of little chips. tokyo shushi and osaka sushi are different, i am told. so try both. and cold sake, only. tastes the best. the members who live in Japan should be able to direct you to the best sushi bars. if you can, go to the grave of Musashi on the island of Kyushu. lite some insense at his grave for me if you do manage to go there. vist Shari castle on Okinawa. WWII did not destropy it completely, and it is, from pictures i have seen, super. also, Shari and Nara prefictures are the homes of the two basic Okinawin karate forms which are the core of Shotokan Karate-do, developed by Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of modern Japanese karate-do [and my style] i do run on. send us all a post card from the Land of the Rising Sun. doug e

shawn, all you did was direct us to another posting you made at NMB. those photos were not enough, as Stephen pointed out. we need ---rather the members who are much more knowledgeable need ---full, in focus photos of the tang (nakago) with the habaki removed and with the point of sword facing up. by the way --- DO NOT CLEAN THE TANG ---, and i think a close up the point of the sword (kissaki) would be interesting. the tang is the most important. [by the way, i am sure one of moderators is going to point out to you that you should not open 2 postings on the same topic. no doubt you were just trying to find the right forum, i am sure] thank you for putting up the requests for more photos. doug e

HEy austin, thank you. isn't getting these close up photos tough. the yakote looks well defined, as far as ican tell. and not much active rust. [you know not to touch the blade with your bare hand as it will cause it to rust, in the shape of your fingerprint [my brother's imprint on my katana is proof]. taking a picture of the temper line - hamon -- is very hard. check out the links at the top of the page for hints on photographing swords. written by some of the best at doing it. thanks for sharing doug e

Hi Tag [forgot signature on post], i love to see these war trophy swords because you never know if it will turn out to be gunto, or a family heirloom lost in the war. my kanji abilities are rudimentary, at best, so i won't try. i would like to see close ups of the sword tip -- kissaki -- and the entire tang -- nakago --- as that would tell much about the sword. now listen to the guys on NMB who really know their stuff. i'm just trying to move things along. doug e

IMHO Considering the high cost of shipping the real polearm, or even replica, from Japan i would think that buying a replica here, if ya just want decoration to fill out range of polearms on your wall, would be the way to go. to me they are ugly, but they are a part of the history of Japan, so good to know about them, anyway. still think LAPD should look into getting a few. doug e