Mark S.

First kanji is: ??? Middle kanji is: Kane Last kanji is: Masa? VERY wild guess based on entry in Sesko Nihonto Compendium.

Don’t worry… it took us all a long time to realize (unfortunately) that what you hope for is not the goal in these threads.

It is overwhelming in the best way possible!

Blade at Usagiya site. I did not realize saiha (retempered) blades could paper (unless very famous smith or significant blade)? NOT a judgment of NBTHK, blade, or the seller. Just found this info interesting.

I very much like the original example. Tea ceremony theme items are one of my areas of interest.

Very dark room. Blade at an angle away from you with single light source opposite you as look down the length of the blade. Degree of angle up or down is based on angle of light source and eye to get best view. Hamon left or right does not matter as it depends which side of blade you wish to observe. I guess if your not being exact, this is relatively more horizontal. Then sometimes turn and have light source behind you (over shoulder). Different angles, light sources, etc provide different results. I guess if your not being exact, this position is relatively more vertical. Pic: angle view, light from front. Both images are from Usagiya website.

I do appreciate the detailed explanation… thank you!

In an effort to learn, I’ll risk embarrassment and ask the uneducated question… did the quarries close because quality stones were no longer available, or because it no longer makes economical sense to search for, cut, and process what might be left? If artificial stones become the only alternative in the future, the collecting community may have to adjust their expectations of what a quality polish looks like and polishers may have to adjust their techniques to get the most out of ‘new technology’.

I guess you know why I’m asking then. The example I chose was just a little clearer than the one I own now. Just wanted to learn more.

Looks like it.

As the blade is for sale on a Japanese Dealers website, I didn’t post the whole picture. I’m not deciding to buy it, I was just using it because it had a clear photo of what I was asking about. If posting the whole nakago is an issue, I’ll ask Brian to delete.

Please excuse if this has been asked/answered before. Wasn’t sure what term to use in search function. Found this example on line and have seen it before. There is a distinct line on the nakago of this suriage blade. Was it a ‘guide’ for the person shortening the blade or was it placed to determine ‘old’ from ‘new’? Very obviously on this blade, it differentiates the where the file marks change. Not all suriage blades have this mark. Finally, does this line have a ‘name’? Any discussion or thoughts on this are invited. Interesting also is that (to me) the upper mekugi-ana seem older than the lower one, which you would think would be opposite.

No no no… I’m all in. This has been enlightening and liberating. You see, for the longest time I have believed that all tsuba are the same… whether iron, iron with inlay, and soft metal… no matter school, age, maker, style, or quality and that I can improve them all by restoring them to bare metal with various acid treatments, steel wool, and other chemical/abrasive treatments. Also, in an effort to improve them, I believe it best to experiment with different DIY treatments to restore what I believe was their original state. Shiny is much better than the destructive patina from ages of neglect. It really is the only way to ‘learn’ and who knows what is hidden under all the patina, grime, and years of handling? It is up to me to unlock all their secrets by removing all that junk. Besides, who made the ‘rule’ that patina is ‘good’? Why are we locked into silly traditions and limited by past notions and practices? HELL NO I SAY!!! People here are just holding me back. My only fear was the dinosaurs here who would criticize my methods and rain down heaps of negativity upon me. While my controversial views might not be for everyone, I finally feel like I have found a brother in arms. The rest here don’t understand us. The best part is I know I am right simply because I believe I am right and that is all the justification I need. Let’s face it, no one can stop me anyway, so they might as well all just roll over and accept it… Sooner or later they all have to realize… it’s them… not me…

OK… everyone should do whatever they want to whatever they want in any way they want no matter what and we should be required to support and celebrate it. Is that more along the lines of the positivity you are looking for? I apologize to member Hokke for disagreeing with his “they just don’t care” theory. Maybe I was wrong…. Joe is right… an amateur destroying a blade is the only way to learn and should be considered a ‘best practice’. Damn the advice from naysayers… full speed ahead.

AKA “opening a window”. A QUALIFIED polisher will select one or more locations on a blade and PROPERLY polish just that area(s) until activity can be seen so blade can be evaluated. Now… why do I say QUALIFIED? Because they also know how to polish the window so that if the blade warrants a full polish, the window they previously polished isn’t detrimental to the future full polish.

Remembered I had this 16-petal one in the mix. Came off a mismatched very poor koshirae. I know nothing about it and really never gave it much thought.

There are a couple old threads related to this smith. WW2 undocumented smith. The search function should get you more.

… and for those that think I haven’t made any mistakes. Long ago I purchased a WW2 US M1 carbine bayonet for about (at that time) $50. I decided in my ‘inifinite wisdom’ that it would be cool to sharpen it. I took what is now worth about $150 (give or take) and made it worth $0. I have kept that blade as a monument to me “not knowing what I didn’t know” and as a reminder that my arrogance has consequences. Regret is a terrible teacher and destroying a piece oh history a poor legacy on my part..

I don’t believe they don’t care… initially. I believe they don’t ‘know’ or ‘understand’ what they are contemplating doing. We are here to help them with that. After we do that… if they still proceed… THEN they don’t care. And here is where I struggle with some of our members and the “how” we do it. Yes, we can be sarcastic, or rude, or make snide comments, or be so direct that a kick in the nuts seems tame and claim “we are just being brutally straightforward and everyone immediately needs tough love because that’s what happened to us”, or we can try to understand that they “just don’t know what they don’t know” and try to guide and teach. There is always time for a boot to the sack later if they won’t listen.

I think this IS the point… a beginner (and I mean no offense as I still put myself in that category) doesn’t know the difference and worse “doesn’t know what they don’t know”. In fact I’ll turn your scenario in the other direction… they buy a blade and then come here asking for our advice, and when we give it to them (both blade quality and amateur polish), they are all offended and flip out at the advice. If you don’t know enough to evaluate a blade AND know you don’t have the qualifications or skill to polish a blade, you shouldn’t. Let’s face it, most of us who have been here long enough have learned not to touch a blade.

No one said that. What we are saying is we don’t support it, recommend it, justify it, talk about it, teach it, or acknowledge it as a proper practice here. PLEASE read (or reread) the very first post in this thread. It answers all the ‘why’s’.

Mei is tough to read. Guessing second character is 光 “mitsu”. Working on first. Maybe a few more pictures with different light and slightly different angles.

Dogs and bikes don’t usually mix! Hope the recovery is quick. Rest up and get well soon.

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