Markus

I am also more than willing to help. There are so many sleeping beauties in our museums waiting to be discovered. Keep us up to date Grev.

As having spent some half-days on and off the hospital recently because of an annoying stomach ulcer, I had to focus on something which doesn´t require my books. Thus I finished a minor project I was asked for several times over the last months and years. As most of you know, the NBTHK provides an English translation of Dr. Honma´s Nihon-koto-shi on their website, but just the plain translation without any pics. http://www.touken.or.jp/english/nihon_koto_shi.html Non-members of the NBTHK and younger members which don´t have all the back issues of the Token-Bijutsu asked me frequently where to get the pictures or if I am willing to sort them out. Now I fulfilled this request and compiled a paperback version (and an eBook version) of the Nihon-koto-shi with all the pics, but not only that, I added also a lot of pics mentioned in the text but not shown in the Token- Bijutsu reprint. The result is a 320 pages 408 b/w pictures book (7.44 wide x 9.68 tall) available as a personal reference. Once again, this version will not be available in public so if you are interested in a copy, please contact me via "markus.sesko@gmail.com" or via PM here. The price is $60.00 + $10.00 flat shipping rate and determined by the printing costs and the compilation work involved. The eBook version can be downloaded here: http://www.lulu.com/shop/junji-honma/en ... 2054FA7B6F KotoShiContents.pdf PS: I have taken the liberty to adjust the format to my previously published Nihon-shinto-shi, so that it will be a decent set with the upcoming Nihon-shinshinto-shi. :D

Thank you Brian for advertising my blog. Please feel free to use any articles or PDFs posted there as a reference here. I am struggling with some health problems recently so everybody please be patient if posts are somewhat slower than usual on my blog.

Mark, your sayagaki reads: 大磨上無銘　南北朝期延文・貞治型ノ雄勁ナ姿態ヲ呈シ　地刃ニハ同派ノ見所ガ普ク表示サル滋味豊カナル優品也 ô-suriage mumei, Nanbokuchô-ki Enbun-Jôji-gata no yûkei na shitai wo teishi, jiba ni wa dôha no midokoro ga amaneku hyôji-saru jimi yutaka-naru yûhin nari. ô-suriage-mumei. The blade displays the magnificent and strong Nanbokuchô-era Enbun-Jôji shape. A highly tasteful masterwork with a jiba which shows in general the typical features of the school.

I tend to think that Enshin emphasized with the last part that he added a softer core, i.e. "shingane-iri kore o kitau" (真金入鍛之). Usually shingane is written with the characters (心鉄) but also (真金) is possible I guess.

Hi everyone, For those of you seeking more references (and until my next Kantei supplement is finished), I have uploaded a translation to Lulu I have done a while ago. It is the 1967 published JUKKEN which most of you maybe know. It is a full translation, that means with all the oshigata. It features about 130 fine blades, one of it is designated kokuho, seven juyo-bunkazai and twelve juyo-bijutsuhin. 142 pages, b/w, A4, $55.00 (+ $10.00 flat shipping rate) This is not going to be made public so everyone who wants a copy, please contact me via PM or "markus.sesko@gmail.com". I would suggest payments via PayPal but bank transfer is of course also possible. After an order is received, I will have a copy print and sent from Lulu directly to the buyer. The eBook can be downloaded here: http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/ejukken/14000363 Thank you for your attention. Contents.pdf Preview.pdf

Matt is spot on. The only character missing after "Nagasaki" is "ken" (縣), "Prefecture", incsribed in the old variant. The mei ends with "ichidô" (一同) which means "all concerned (of the two above mentioned institutions)".

I guess we will stay at this point when we are not able to get at least somewhere close to 150 participants. As stated in one of my first posts, I sold surprisingly few copies of the Index and wondered where all those future participants would magically come from. I am not mad at all about selling to few copies but I was asking myself for the reasons and came up with the following: 1. Too expensive. 2. Too special. 3. English version not available in hardcover (although I added this option when I published the set but it does not work). 4. Not enough publicity. 5. Quality too low. Now with all the threads over all the months, point 4 can be ruled out. Regarding point 2, I must point out that hardly any book of mine sold over 150 times in that period of time (but maybe this can be put down to me being a lousy author ) Of course there is interest but 100 real buyers might be the "end of the road". Even now as points 1, 3, 4 and 5 have been solved by those (a cordial thank you) pushing the project in general and the price down to a IMHO very reasonable number for this set, we are where we are some months ago. Leaves a strong point 2... So for my part I thought - with those abroad waiting now for a hardcover set in mind - I am able to work at least on points 1 and 3 by adding a lower priced hardcover set on Lulu. I did not want to sabotage the project.

I also assume it is an abbreviated form of the old character for "Seki" which is: 關

I have only one book published in hardcover at Lulu yet but I have to say that the quality is not much but noticeably inferior to that of BoD. Just to clarify this before the discussion goes on. Regardless of my post above, I am of course still with this project.

When we are now start to talk about digital print and on demand, than I think it might be just easier if I reformat the whole two volumes and upload them again on Lulu for hardcover print and set the price lower? Back then the price was set to get some of the time and amount of work back I invested in compiling them. I was not aware that the availability of the initial hardcover set (which is of decent quality) is not given at all for the abroad (US) market and that the price is that discouraging (with Hawleys in mind people get for USD 400 and similar figures). So maybe this is a compromise. Well, people which bought the initial set might be angry to get them too early and paid a higher price but maybe this is just how it goes... That means everybody waiting now for a (not super high-end quality but still decent enough for "just" 900 pages of plain b/w text without any pictures) hardcover set for a better price might be happy as all the problems with shipping and handling would disappear at once with Lulu. Well, just some thoughts. Apart from that, please bear in mind that I am on holiday from Friday onwards and will not be able to participate in the discussion until July 14th. But I will be around at least tomorrow Thursday. Cheers.

Thank you very much John for your kind words. I can´t stop anyway because I just love that subject too much. But from time to time I have to sort out priorities and scheduled deadlines around other projects as bills usually don´t care about the latter.

@Peter: In the course of recent discusions on what should be translated next, I was informed that Harry Watson wants to finish the remaining volumes himself. So if Harry decides not to tackle them, you know where you can find me. :D There is also the tenth Q&A volume which might be of some interest...

Ok, then I will include that in the masterplan. I thought I ask because the first supplement sold in homeopathic numbers what made me think that the first two volumes are maybe enough. I have about 200 new blades around right now which have to be sorted, translated and wrote up. Will be something for late summer/early fall I guess. Thank you for your cooperation so far.

My holiday starts towards the end of the coming week and I have to plan how to rank upcoming projects. I have planned to add another Kantei Supplement with more blades than in the first supplemt (koto, shinto and shinshinto). My aim is to provide a decent reference with this series but I want to ask you first if this is wanted at all. So I would be greatful for a short reply if this series should be continued or not.

I don´t see a "hime" (姫) here. I think the character is just "shin" (臣) shifted to the right because of the mekugi-ana (but maybe I am going blind in my old days;) On the basis of this the mei reads: 應川越臣筧蔵人需 "Kawagoe-shin Kakei Kurondo (or Kurôdo) no motome ni kotae" Made according to the order of the Kawagoe retainer Kakei Kurondo Some months ago I wrote an article on how to read such mei. Please take a look here: http://markussesko.wordpress.com/2013/0 ... ignatures/

As a reference, Ieyasu´s kaô.

To recapitulate: We have quite a decent offer but are still at the hurdle of only 100 copies. As Brian said, with the cancellation ratio in mind, we are far away from the desired fix 150 copies to show up with money at the printer. My royalties are freely negotiable so at least I don´t want to be an additional hurdle in this project if we are just lacking $ 1.000 or so (that means I would refrain from a quarter or even a third of my royalties if it is this which makes it work in the end). I guess now it is the time of the (book) dealers. Brian said in a previous thread "50 or more copies would always sell at sword shows afterwards". Otherwise I fear we will come up magically with 50 participants. And when we have it open that long to get these 50 parties eventually, we will maybe loose 50 at the other end, i.e. of those which were with this project right from the start and lost interest or motivation over the months. In my opinion, everything depends now on getting at least 50 more participants in a reasonable period of time. Only then I think we have reached the point to ask those interested in transferring some real money... PS: I am on our Nihonto Club meeting tomorrow so I might not be able to reply before Sunday evening.

That´s true. As additional info, I add the relevant page from my Nihon-shinto-shi. Nihon-shinto-shi25.pdf

For those interested in then sword prices, please see also my last month´s post on my blog: http://markussesko.wordpress.com/2013/0 ... ed-swords/ And here the link to the Measuring Worth site for those who want to play around with the prices: http://www.measuringworth.com/japancompare/

Interesting find! Thank you for sharing. Look at the price today:

That´s a pity. I will be there on the 22nd and as you can see in our two catalogues, there are always fine and interesting blades to see, hands-on of course. :D How long do you stay in Germany Justin?

Hi Morita-san! Thank you for purchasing my book. The problem with the soejo was for me that they are rather "intangible" and even more rare than the extant origami so I left them out. That means I was not able to find any information about a certain "rule" regarding soejo, if such a rule existed at all, as they were mostly just highly individual notes regarding the blade in question. Also I have no knowledge about a tendency from which Hon´ami appraiser the most soejo are extant. Do you have any article on soejo? If that is the case, I could translate it/them and provide the info on my blog.

The name "Heianjô" for "Kyôto" was in use during all eras. Also Meiji-era and later smiths still used the old name for Kyôto from time to time. But I fear I don´t know who made them by default. I only stumble over some special order pieces by noted swordsmiths or armorers now and then in the net.

But "Heianjô" means just Kyôto, without any indicator of production time.