doug e lewis

Brian, what does "take this to pm" mean? doug e

Keith, Once there you can't go back. tried vegimite --- must be an aquired taste. to go bvack to topic: i am bidding on one of goinlower's items, i doubt that i will get it .... but what are some ways to ascertain a seller's honesty -- not so much on e-bay, but private sites [or even on NMB] i will hum gilligan's island while awaiitng respnses thank you [and you brian for the nudge] doug e

and remember, the length of the sword ---nagasa -- is measured from the munemachi --the notch on the back of the sword by the habaki --- to the tip of the sword [kissaki]. dr. stein's page has excellant diagrams of swords, labled, etc, so you know what to measure [everything --we want everything! i apologize if you already know or have been informed of the above. just trying to help somebody who seems to be as in the dark about nihonto as i was not so long ago. doug e

Jean, i, for one, cannot understand a horse speaking French, especially if with a Parisian accent. was Secret Agent Man dubbed into French? doug e

HI John, it would seem that giving a seller a "heads up" about an item they are selling is one way to determine if they are true & honest, or just scamers and flim flam artists. you could then note they seller --- either way --- and proceed from there. by the by --- what was the lonest successful shot you have taken [at a target -- anything else would be classified, right?]? doug e

Hi Oneshot, please excuse my ingnorance, and even though i could guess, the term "Sniper forum" is new to me and i ask that you explain it and describe how they work. i was confused about auctions and private seller sites; i apologize. i agree with position re correcting false or misleading information, especially to protect the reputation of one of our own. thank you doug e

Hi John & Stephen, we a from the same [close] generation, so i think i know just the thing to get those peskey commercial jingles out of our heads. try ... A horse is horse, of course, of course And Nobody [for Moriyama san] can talk to a horse, of course Unless, of course, the horse is the famous Mr. Ed. you might be humming that one all day. or Candid Camera , or Secret Agent Man. there were so many good shows when we were young. doug e

thank you Jean, for putting my somewhat over expansive praise of NMB into a more realistic perspective. doug e

hi Meredith, it took me many months of lerking around NMB before i posted anything. glad they have this intro thing now to get people into things. what i have found is that even a profoundly stupid or uninformed comment or opinion is not met with ridicule here. you will be corrected, offered places or books to go to study, but all good otherwise. lots of fun, and there are even folks who you would not mind meeting in person. Nice to find fellow eccentrics. doug e

Hi Daniel, i had a katana [i am told late Kota, bundle sword of the style of the Uda school, but i have yet to get second, third opinions] with a slight bend. i thought of trying to straighten it myself, but in a moment of sanity, i asked my friend Mike Virgadamo, a sayashi, to look at it [his opinion about sword origin]. he very, very carefully and gently used one of wood vices and made it all better. no charge. unless you know what your doing, take it to a pro. or try it yourself -- nothing ventured, nothing gained. doug e

Hi Dave, it would depend on the name the smith wanted to use -- family, school or place attribution, if he had an honorific, wanted to give a date made, etc. is there anything written on the other side? doug e

by the by: for anyone interested in Giant Rock http://www.lucernevalley.net/giantrock/ doug e

George, just re-read your last post and i thought that one good reason for hiding identity is to prevent ripoffs and theft. think of the several thefts of swords from homes the past few years. i agree very much with you, Bruno i've wanted to go to Australia for years, ever since i started exchanging e-mails with Rich Turner snd joined NMB. never met an Aussie i didn't like. i know there must some bad eggs there, but they sure keep their heads down. would be fun, if all could afford it, to have a NMB nihonto conference there. but where? Melbourne? Sidney? Perth? Darwin? and are there any NMB members under 40? doug e

george, i did not take it personlly [ just having some fun with a post], but i certainly feel your frustration when you see an item, go to bid on it only to find it has been taken down be cause some "helpful" person whispered some supposed "secret knowledge" in the sellers ear. a seller should do their own research, even to asking questions of NMB members. but as i indicated, there is not much you, me, NMB, or anyone can do about, other that to act rightously, and trust the it will all turn out good in the end. Yes stephen, i live in Johnson Valley [as noted under my dragon], about 6 miles west of Landers and Giant Rock. Marines are being held off for now. Makes all my critters happy; just finished feeding breakfast to three of my local coyotes, in fact. Should you have time on your trip [going to Australia?] please stop by. we can fill a cooler and go the Rock to watch the UFOs circle for landing [air strip still there]. doug e

Hi Clive, do you know where that book may be purchased? i missed the posting where it was mentioned, if that answered my question. tho i guess i could research book sellers, but if the NMB member preferred a site, or it can be bought from him, i would prefer to do that, even if it cost a little [not a lot] more. thank you doug e

Hi George, while the un-solicited giving of information to a seller about an item may have a negative impact on another person who may have had an interest in the item, as long as that information is reasonably accurate, i don't really have any big ethical issue with it. giving false information to a seller to give oneself some sort of preceived advantage is unethical. i understand that you saw an item that you thought was mis-identified and so wanted to "pounce" on what you saw as an opportunity. nothing wrong with that. a seller should know what they are selling, and if not, all the better for someone more enlightened. that someone decided to enlighten the seller, un-solicited, is unfortunate and really not in the spirit of an auction. part of the find is finding a "deal". why they would do this is beyond me, unless they get some perverse glee from scewing with people. if you know the seller that is, of course, a different matter. a friend would help a friend and prevent them from making a regretable error, unasked. IMHO you can not force someone to be ethical. all that can be done is encourage good behavior, provided peer pressure, and lead by example. by the way, i am American, live in the High Mojave Desert of California near Joshua Tree National Monument, am 59 years old, and use the dragon as my avatar because 1) i like it -- off a T-shirt i got in Soucilito 30 years ago, and 2) i am not that good looking, so do not want to offend anyone with a picture of my red headed (hence shojo), aged apperance. DOUG E

yes baZZa, my slip was showing. but so very apt as i read over what i wrote. :lol: it felt good. doug e

as they do not want to "pounce" on an item, all i can think of is that 1) they think they are doing a favor to the seller, and don't consider that it may affect the price or availabiity; the Good Samaritan rational, or 2) they are evil and enjoy scewing things up for serious bidders; purhaps even have some moral objection to selling weapons [even antiques] on line. either way, George, it really sucks. i did not know that was being done as i haven't looked at ebay to bid in years, and only went there resently to reseach going prices for a Vendo 86 coke machine i have and want to sell [ya got to come get it, though] good hunting for your next pounce. doug e

thank you very much for sharing the piece of history inwhich your grandpa was involved. these are the details of WWII that are rarely told, but make the war human, and not just a recitation of a series of battles. i hope you are able to keep these "war booty" and care for the sword and pistol as grandpa did for 60+ years. doug e

Hi John, obviously Nobody got the site where i believe i saw the 1868 Gendito date. great site to wander in. your knowledge of nihonto is amazing, and i know you do it all off the top of your head, without consulting any books, etc. a project i have is to learn to read kanji [and even speak Japanese beyond simple sushi bar or dojo words and phases] you mention the smith in question as working in "western style" . i know that different irons and alloys were tried, but is there a way of constructing the sword, or hamon, etc, that can be identified as being significantly "western" ? this my be your personal term, but .. you know what i mean. and there is the term shinsakudo for post 1953 [i think] swords. thank you for the continued flow of information. doug e

I just read on Nihonto Kanji Pages - Tosogu Kanteisho, i believe, that the Gendito period began in 1868. guess there is some leeway among the authorites that define such hard to delineate time periods [unlike the rise and fall of shogunates, whose dates are usually easy to define] :| by the by -- like your web site, John. doug e

thank you Franco. must easier on the eyes, and ... no fuss! :D my pc started making funny noises when opening that jpg , must learn that format thing. very pleasing katana; must be comfortable to hold with all its fittings on. yes, must see all the furnature. please. thank you for sharing, doug e

Hello all, checked out goinlower's tsuba, and other items, on Ebay and noticed that other than "real" Japanese, and "pre'-1800's" there is no information on the items offered. in my limited experience i have not seen "bumpy" or "lumpy" tsuba like these so beyond iron work or kinko? i got nothing. anyone else have opinions they wish to share. including the yone. and what the Hachiman is a hariware? looks wicked. just curious. doug e

this i know, Jean san. but i was in a fantasy, of swords, caused by kitune and tanuki, and of course hairy red haired shojo. i will post my sue-koto, ichikizu katana, mumie, ubu -- a rescue, it was without shirasaya, leaning against a wall. and it cost nothing. my brother's shame and he let me hold it in trust. the tsuba and menuki and other fittings i posted here so time ago. they are late edo, and are intersting in that they match. nice copper habaki. again edo. a tied old bade that has, i think, battle marks [or maybe bushes] one too many polishes, some skin showing. but some one kept it safe for 500 years. a nothing nihonto. yet priceless in its own way. doug e

["]Klaus, Dear Jean, Sorry for my stupide question I read it but am always fascinated of the price of such "items" and I think maybe..... :? - it seems that I am to naive. But you can be sure, I would never buy such expensive item on eBay ah, but you can buy expensive "good" stuff on ebay. even if ya do't want to.-- my wife, while i was out walking the dog, bought a used Range Rover. nice car but did not need it; especially after dauhter stressed the engine with reduced oil imput. eventually sold it, face to mechanic face, for a slight 5k loss afer five three year. if i had the $$ i would buy that tanto, and Kevin's, also. doug e