Mark S.

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.

PM sent

NTHK-NPO to be specific. Not trying to be nit picky, but there is a NTHK & a NTHK-NPO. Two separate groups. Newer members may not be aware.

And another important question that doesn’t get asked enough, “Are you buying it for us or for you?”

No, the NBTHK does not make their records available to the general public.

Wishing you the best on a speedy recovery. Hope you will be able to enjoy the holidays in good health. We always appreciate all you do to make this site available to us.

From Grey Doffin’s site… guy with big hat in rain.

A expert here tells us we can’t tell anything without blade in hand. This is a useless endeavor.

We’re all very proud of you…

So, before I add my response, I do not quote the following or the response to belittle, or make a mockery of this in-depth and intellectual discussion. I simply think it addresses some of the ideas discussed. So with all respect: “We are what they grow beyond. That is the true burden of all masters." - Yoda And in an on-line discussion of the meaning of the quote: “But to sum it up: firstly, I don’t think Yoda is meaning that their students automatically SURPASS their teachers’s achievements/abilities…the “true burden of all masters” (or, in other words, the difficulty all teachers make for themselves) is that their legacy is not directly created by themselves, but by how their students use the knowledge that the teachers imparted on them. Some students excel, performing beyond what even their master ever could. Others falter, and fail. As a mentor and teacher, a Master’s burden is to accept both outcomes equally.” I think the reverence for the Shodai has to do with the respect and tradition of the Sensei/student relationship. Also, the idea that the better the student the better the Master must have been. Unfortunately, the student’s work can sometimes be overlooked or undervalued. I know much of what I state has already been mentioned in one form or another.

I guess I’m more on the quantity side. I try to buy solid pieces, but I also enjoy different shapes, sizes, characteristics, etc. Once you start adding in yari, naginata, etc. it’s easy for it to start adding up. Also, every so often I come across something that just speaks to me or I can’t pass up and it joins the family. EDIT: I have also started to have a few of the better, more interesting (to me), solid blades restored, so some funds are now diverted from ‘quantity’ to improving ‘quality’ and caretaking.

Condition leaves A LOT to be desired. Wouldn’t give this one a second glance.

Based on the current system(s), I just don’t think an organization like this would be given the opportunity to gain credibility and therefore would not last long.

Thank you all. Some nice looking tsuba… thank you for sharing. There was another one I was eyeing…

Arboricultural is my career. The best way I can explain the odor is… vomit. Sorry, but it is that bad. In college, there were large female ginkgos along a main walkway on campus. Students would walk through the down fruit and classrooms would stink to high heaven. It was stomach turning.

Just added to the collection. Ginkgo are one of my favorite themes. Do not have it in hand yet. Other than some missing gold (possibly added later?) and maybe the carving is a bit thin, any other red flags? Maybe overcleaned? Lack of rust and bellybutton lint in ana a concern?

From Sesko Shinto Meikan

From Sesko: KUNIMASA (国正), 1st gen., Manji (万治, 1658-1661), Iyo – “Kunimasa” (国正), “Suruga no Kami Fujiwara Kunimasa” (駿河守藤原国正), real name Nishimoto Ichi´emon (西本市右衛門), Fujishiro lists him with the first name Ichibei (市兵衛), he came originally from Ninomiya (二宮) in Tosa province but was hired by the Uwajima fief (宇和島藩) of Iyo province, he was the 1st gen. of the shintō-era Iyo-Kunimasa line, he studied under the 2nd gen. Iyo Chikugo no Kami Kunifusa (筑後守国房), under Yamato no Kami Yasusada (大和守安定), and under Hōjōji Masahiro (法城寺正弘), blades which are just signed with a niji-mei “Kunimasa” are often mixed-up with works of Horikawa Kunimasa (堀川国正), the honorary title Suruga no Kami was granted to him in the fourth year of Kanbun (寛文, 1664), he died in the tenth month Hōei two (宝永, 1705), chū-saku

You’re going to have to narrow your search a bit. What do you like? What do you want? What is your favorite smith/school/era/other. You’re not just buying a blade because it is Tok Hozon or because it is $12,000. If you walk into one of the larger dealer shops and say “I want to buy a blade for $12,000”, they will probably look at you and shrug their shoulders. They probably have as many $12,000 blades as $5,000 blades. A small shop may have 1 or 2 $12,000 blades and only show you what they have and you have to pick from that. Study until you know what you want FIRST.

If you haven’t seen it, here is a newspaper saya tutorial. Safest is to oil blade and leave as is, however in this condition, some clean-up with high quality uchiko is not out of question.