Ted Tenold

Robert, Thank you for keeping in touch with Guido's family and letting us know. I was so sad to hear that he was stricken with the stroke and hoped he'd somehow pull out of it. For a while I felt that if anyone could, it would be Guido. A couple of other European friends kept me informed of his condition. My thoughts and wishes go out to his family, friends, and colleagues. I think of Guido often and reflect upon our "adventures in drinking" in Tokyo when I visited, our email exchanges, and the times we share here on NMB as moderators for Brian. Gads, how many years ago has it been now? Guido blessed us all with his glib logic, acerbic wit, and diplomatic ability to tell someone to go to hell in such a way as they'd actually look forward to the trip. :-) I will add him to the list of cherished friends that I have been blessed to know, introduced through the joy and enthusiasm of Nihonto. While he has departed our company, there will be hearty laughter echoing from whatever part of the universe Guido wandered off to next. Guido, mein freund... Aufwiedersehen! Gute Reise! Wir sehen uns im nächsten Leben wieder!!

This is perhaps the most difficult message that I've ever had to write. I am not sure there are suitable words that can appropriately express my devastation and grief. It is with the deepest sorrow that I must share that our friend, our colleague, our mentor, and one of the Nihonto communitys most committed scholars, Darcy Brockbank, has passed away. There is little more information that can be shared at this time, and there will be a great many things for the family and those closest to him to set in order in the coming weeks. While I want to encourage everyone to express their prayers and wishes, I would ask that questions be deferred for the time being to hold some space for those closest to him to process this tragedy, and focus on the tasks now set before them. For those of you that have pending, continuing, or unfinished business matters, please contact me directly. This is truly one of the saddest days of my life.

I have known, and worked with Ray for many years now. I hold him in the highest regard, and beyond reproach. He is reasoned, kind, uber helpful, and compassionate. The fact that the sword was packaged so well and did not suffer damage despite mishandling and temporary loss, shows that he had care and concern for the recipient and the item before trouble even began.

Call it Emeritus tier for Rich. 🙂

These are called Hakata Ningyo (博多人形). They were extensively made in many many different themes of people performing daily tasks, folk arts, trades, arts, etc and popular souvenirs in post war Japan.. I have a couple of them also.

Nakago appears to be an effort to contrive toward Hankei. Also looks like there may have been a mei removed. The workmanship in the sword looks compromised, disorganized, inconsistent, and I would suspect it is re-tempered.

I remember back in the days when I collected Militaria. One of the dealers I visited often had a US Calvary bugle hanging from it's cord and tassle on the wall. It had several bad dings and dent in the brass tubing an old white tag attached to it on which was written; "US Cavaly Bugle. Late 1800's. This bugle was worn by one of George Custer's men during the Battle of Little Big Horn. You can see where the horse stepped on it. It must be true because the fella that sold it to me said so."

Finding someone to polish one is possible, but be prepared to pay multiples of the cost per inch ratio. Most owners won't embrace that.

That describes pretty much the gamut of Uda and many Hokurikudo swords.

I had a sword papered Hozon to Uda Tomotsugu recently. I thought that an unusually direct attribution for a mumei osuriage katana.

Nope, it's counter-intuitive, but it's the opposite. I live in a dryer environment than the swords that come to me are from (Japan). Relative humidity is very low here and they shrink and sieze up. I take them to the humidity of Japan and they expand and loosen up. The difference is that a shirasaya has a hollow center with two walls in cross-section to absorb or lose moisture rather than a solid mass like a plank or board. The shrinkage and expansion occurs effectually from the hollow center out when expanding (absorbing), and to the hollow center when drying (shrinking). It's an effect of mass expanding out or shrinking in. This is also evidenced in old tsuka which have dried out and are very tight, and/or have cracked along the corners of where the nakago sits.

Mike, yes, but you have to be careful to determine if the habaki is really the culprit first. Sometimes the interior of the saya at the tip is binding and it may appear the habaki is jamming when it's not. To find out mark the point where the daijiri of the habaki (the end of the habaki that would contact the seppa) on the nakago with light pencil mark, remove the habaki and slowly put the sword back in the saya. If it bottoms out prior to the mark flushing with the koiguchi of the saya, then the habaki may only be part or not at all the problem, and altering the habaki's contact with the koiguchi won't resolve the real issue.

I agree with Grey, but I'd go so far as to say submerging is a very bad idea for many reasons. Like everything else, there is a process, and that process is also dependant in the glue that was used being ammenable to rehydrating and releasing. Living in a very dry environment myself, occasionally I encounter a blade that is stuck fast in the shirasaya. The first thing I try is the same method as is normal for removing the tsuka from the sword, but holding the sayajiri end in hand instead of the tsuka. Sometimes that will free it enough to remove it from the saya. Beyond that with a naginata you should have enough proud edge at the koiguchi to use an atekizuchi (hammer and striker tool for removing stuck tsuka). Lay the Naginata flat in on top of a bed or padded counter and use the atekizuchi to dislodge the saya away from the blade.

I encourage all NBTHK members to submit an answer to this. Enthusiastic participation is the only thing that will generate a motivation to retain it as a regular medium for access to education. In the past, I've heard objections about how difficult it is to navigate to and retrieve the transation, figure out what info goes where on the post card to submit an answer, get the right postage on the card, mail it. How much easier does it get? Submit your answers folks. Your willingness to respond and participate in the effort the Honbu has made to reach out to it's member in a difficult time will show them that these kinds of improvements are valued, effective, and efficient means of communicatig and learning. It's my feeling that if members don't show their appreciation and support by participating in this exercise, then they aren't entitled to complain about not having more on-line access in the future.

I've known you for many years Guido. You're capable of doing all these at the same time. You've had years of government training! Seriously, Congratulations! Quite the achievement and addition!