b.hennick

John Yamoto did write one sayagaki and did get hell for doing it. The blade is not a wakizashi but a large katana by Tadakuni. The sword is in his book twice as there is a photo of the three body cutting test and the Tadakuni mei. Nabeshima did the polish, habaki and shirasaya. It was the first great sword I ever held and after the death of the owner I was able to buy it from the estate. Previously it was never for sale.

I have a great tanto by a Hizen smith Shigehide - a samurai smith.

I can hardly wait for the volume! You have got the Go now you need to photograph a ghost or 3 to go with them....I would be happy to start a pre-sale list. I am prepared to pre-pay as well.

Keep up this great effort!!

I have started my packing for the San Francisco sword show. A friend who collected swords and fittings about 20-25 years ago has consigned them to me. So please drop by and see the offerings. They have not been out of his hands for a couple of decades. Six swords under $2k, a bunch of tsuba and kozuka +++. He is interested in liquidating them and I have priced them accordingly.

Please drop by and introduce yourself. I know the names of many on the list but not the faces.

Yes he is back in the States. He placed an ad in the last issue of the JSSUS Newsletter.

I recently had an opportunity to make an offer on a very expensive rare sword. So expensive that I had to consider selling most of my swords. This made me consider each one and decide what I could, with regret, let go. It was an interesting experience. How far are you willing to go to reach for something outstanding? I had several sleepless nights and in the end made my best offer. It was refused, as was my over the top offer. I am sleeping easier now

So what did I end up putting in the keep pile? Just three swords - my best sword, a sword that an older collector entrusted me to take care of (late Heian early Kamakura Naminohira one hole ubu tachi) and the first good sword that I ever held. That sword was a senior collectors treasure - not for sale. He moved away, passed away and I bought the sword from his estate.

So although I am not expecting you to write what you would offer or keep, I think that the exercise is a good one for you to go through.

Hi:

It looks like a Chinese copy of a Japanese koshirae - early one. These are not as good as the more recent copies.

Can I suggest that you look at this page on Masahiro blades that I did a long time ago

http://www.barryhennick.20megsfree.com/index.html

Or if you go to http://www.hennick.ca there is a PowerPoint presentation on Hizento you can also look at. Click on the Hizento link on the left side.

My problem is not with the mei but with the jigane. Please compare what you see in your blade to what I have in mine.

If interested in an first or second generation Masahiro please PM me.

I was sent the jpg below to translate. I think that it reads Yamashiro ju ? Tada.

I am not sure of the last two characters. Even the Tada is doubtful. All assistance is appreciated.

Although the blade has masame hada and lots of it I do not think of it as an early Yamato Hosho blade. There is not enough hataraki in the hamon and the boshi is not as strong as early work. I do not see enough fimbari as well. The patina on the tang is also not black enough for me for an early koto piece. If koto I think it a late piece.

Hi Ford et al:

I remember reading the term "Trotskyite" and wondering about it myself. I guess it was a joke...

They got me on that :D

Hi:

I see Bob at the Tampa sword show every year. His table is usually worth the time to look.

I have seen two Soshu Norishige blades with evidence of actual use in battle (kiri kome, hakobori). Certainly artful pieces by a famous smith but also true weapons. I do not think that most koto smiths went about making art but they did make weapons that happen to be artful.

(Non-sword related - congratulations to the Spanish among us for a good final win - well deserved!)

Thanks for the addition! I agree that one has to see a good suguha to appreciate what can be done with "the simple" hamon. I also agree with your thoughts on "good tsuba". At the last show in Chicago Fred Geyer had a wonderful tsuba display. It could give a person cause to reevaluate what a "good tusba" is.

My final point about learning and study could use your view with reference to tsuba. How can one improve one's knowledge, taste etc.?

One's view of what is art or a great blade varies with time and experience. How many new collectors think that the suguha hamon is bland and not worth much. In contrast to that many more experienced collectors enjoy and look for the suguha hamon. What, as new collectors, we thing of as great, later on we may think of as showy or gaudy. It takes time to develop taste in art and in swords. So as a beginner what you see as art you may in later years not think so highly of. The point is that our knowledge of swords and feel for swords changes.

When I started collecting in the mid 1970s any sword was art to me. Now I am more picky. As a beginning collector I wanted as many swords as I could buy to study and learn from each. Now I look at many and see only a few I realy want. My view of art has changed.

To learn what you actually have and to learn about your blade I recommend taking the time to draw a full oshigata. With that exercise you will examine every millimeter of the blade and see things for the first time. Once you have done that you will appreciate more what you have in hand. It will help you to see more as well. If the opportunity arrises ask a polisher to look at a blade with you. Ask him to describe what he sees. You wll be amazed at what he saw and you missed. Both of these learning experiences will help. (Thank you again to the polishers who have shared their knowledge with me in the past! )

Thanks for the upgraded photos. I could not tell from the originals but these leave no doubt. I realy like that style of wrap.

The style of wrap in your picture is quite different. This is a string wrap where as yours seem to be tsuka aito.

Both photos are upside down. Makes reading difficult

Here is a tsuba somewhat similar. Mine looks a little like Mickey mouse hats. I think that they may be drawer pulls.

Can anyone tell me the name of this type of wrapping? Can you recommend someone who can do this type of work?

Thanks!

First let me express my thanks to Moriyama san. Thank you for stepping forward where others did not.

I did not supply information as I posted to the "translation assistance" section rather than the "Nihonto" section of the MessageBoard. I struggled with this unusual mei and asked for assistance as I was asked by a person whose father got this blade during WWII. I was trying to help him. I have passed the information on to him.

All help will be appreciated. I read the signature as Mitsumoto but could not find the smith.

Hi Brian et al:

I think that would make for an interesting article. The JSSUS would publish it in it Newsletter. If you take this on when finished please send it to Grey, me. A new editor is in the process of taking over and I am not sure as to which email address to give you for him.

The JSSUS is always looking for articles to publish. It is a great learning experience for you to take a subject and work up an article. You can only benefit from the experience.

Hi Tony:

There is one fully qualified polisher Takeo Seki in Vancouver. There are other people who polish who have not undegone full Japanese formal training.

Hi:

I sold a daisho to someone who wanted to use Paypal and agreed to pay all fees. Although he has paid the full price for the daisho he has not paid the fees. He made several payments and after each payment I told him what the fees were. He did not complain at any point until near the end. He does not reply to my emails. Can anyone offer a suggestion? I have never had a problem like this before or since.

Here is a list of the fees that I paid to end up with U.S. funds in my account.

Paypal charged me a fee to receive the payment.

Paypal charged me a fee to transfer to my Canadian account

My bank charged me a fee to convert the Canadian dollars back to U.S. dollars.

Each fee was detailed. They add up to about 6%

I no longer ship blades to a purchser until they are paid in full (unless they are well known to me).

I guess my main problem is that I am a teacher by profession and not a business man.