drbvac

C'mon Guido - below your Dad but surely well above the Pope

On this and many other topics in Tosuga I will defer to Doctor John - hes the man

You have to look at the descriptions of the technique and pictures at the same time so that you can understand what the toshigi is doing and why the hamon on the blade looks like it does . One highlights the existing hamon to make it more apparent and the other polishes the entire surface and it look like it does! Everyone has preferences the Koshi is pretty apparent and looks flashy the sashikomi is more subtle and harder to do - depending on the hamon prior to polish and the toshigi or owners preference there is a choice.'' My apologies if using this link to this site is a no no and in no way and endoresement http://www.swordpolisher.com/Keisho.html

Rheinhard:: Where have you been - I have missed all your comments even though some may be less than impressed - it used to be great fun - Like Monty Python on crack - live :lol: :lol:

Jean may be busy - you can go to "user control panel" and your "profile" that you created when you signed on and create a signature box to go on your posts automatically. You can take a clear picture of just the document and can place it in translation. You can give my name to anyone that wants to gift any more like this, :D

Here's a web site with a lot of newer smiths. http://www.thejapanesesword.com/

http://www.nihontomessageboard.com/arti ... eaning.pdf This is what you need and will save Guido having to write it out ! There are lots of good sites to answer questions on the main page as well as a list of great articles. Have fun

Well tongue in cheek or not - there is a difference between elitist and discriminatory - we could always have a password but who cares what others think - all you can do is give advice - best advice and hope folks listen. If we shut it down every time someone expressed a counter opinion the ones remaining may as well e-mail each other once a month -( thanks by the way Chris - one would obviously use a broker to assure the right toshigi gets the blade )

David - as said before considering ALL the circumstances you done good. I still think I will leave mine alone rather than risk anyone here OR a novice apprentice in Japan and everyone will be happy. That said, for an interesting half hour you can watch Okisato Fujishiro explain how its done properly in this clip from the Met where many of us know Morihiro Ogawa went to be curator after he left the Boston Museum of fine art. Enjoy

As with any debate depending on perspectives there will always be two sides - so if I state I am on the side that will send any blade worthy of restoration and preservation to Japan, how does one know when it is gone for two years to Japan that unless it is worth many thousands of dollars it will be polished by the newest apprentice of the toshigi? I perfectly understand what all are saying but am a little gun shy about sending one of my babies 15000 miles away with all the inherent hassles of postage and customs but in reality - no one unless they go with the blade can be sure that they are getting what they think they are. Comments about surgeons etc are applicable unless you are being treated at a teaching hospital in which case although the "big man" may be in the OR. your heart or whatever may be in the hands of a first year surgical resident as they gotta learn somewhere ! I guess its more of a process deal and in my case it would be better to leave them alone and appreciate what they are than take the chance in either case

David: You deserve a lot of credit for the money and effort you have spent to conserve this nihonto and its history. I am aware that the cost is always a factor and David did a great job of restoring a rusty piece of steel. I imagine this was the only way for you to go about it and in a cost/benefit situation I figure you did well. Some of the comments re: trained and untrained polishers may have to do as well with some of the compromises you have had to make and the polisher letting it happen. No toshigi wants any of us to ruin his work and the damage that could be done putting the freshly polised blade in an old saya is well known. The other point I no some may have been referring to is the making of the shirasaya on the finished blade. Usually if being made once the foundation polish is done the new habaki and shirasaya are constructed so they will be ready to hold the finished blade. In any event you did what you could under the circumstances you had to work under so that is all that can be done. Did he mention any more frequent oiling for the first month or two:? Some want you to - i guess it can't hurt but I wouldn't use any uchiko on a newly polished blade. You did mention having a wooden Tsuka made and a wooden saya but a shirasaya when constructed has both and they are made together, so $450 is pretty good. There probably said 10 wrong things but hopefully if dangerous in suggestions someone will correct me

Pete: Isn't that a beautiful blade - price reflects it as well

IMHO the hada looks fairly fine and would tend to suggest if it is either of these it is Nashiji I believe this was made by some of the Yamashiro smiths but as usual I await correction

This is more likely to be a genuine signed blade but I am sorry I can't translate the mei.

Certainly not anywhere near enough pics to judge fully but based on the tsuba and the general appearance it is a fake or a late war product

Curtis: Very nice indeed. Is that the studio/film maker that did the Sword film for John Martin - Art of the Samauri Sword? I think they may have a lot of these small videos but I cant find the link to the site !

Well forewarned is forearmed as they say and it is good to see these types of problems. That said I have probably spent several thousand dollars through pay-pal without giving out my credit card , chequing or banking information and have had zero problems.

Great memory Eric - very strange tang and now its for sale you can see the blade @

Looks like a fake made by Inca's or possibly early Egyptian metal workers.

IMHO and I am in no way any sort of expert on gunto blades but it looks better than I would expect in this type of mounts. The hamon is fairly visible in the pics and although it is mumei the absence of any arsenal marks or serial numbers is a good thing ! Almost certainly a WWII weapon and as I said better than average blade - but as always and maybe as expected stand to be corrected

Already 2012 in Japan and 13 hours to go here on the other side of the world - all the best in the New Year to all my friends and acquaintanses on NMB.

Very Nice - week late Christmas gift

You should take a careful look at it - I had a koto tachi where the yokote was REMOVED with "Autosol metal polish". It removed a miniscule amount of metal but enough to blur the line !!

I wonder how far the decoration has to go to be considered "garish" and lacking taste? I sort of like this one although that said it is the only one I have with any decoration at all. Does this make me a heathen <

Thanks Curtis - every time I watch one of these artisans at work I am amazed at how long it must take to create a masterpiece not counting how many re-makes are done - and to do it in the traditional matter without a power hammer - I note he did state he is making a living at it but he is still probably working for a pittance per hour.