Isshu

Hi Guys, Thought I would share an interesting habaki that is on my latest katana purchase. I haven't seen one like this before so if anyone has any thoughts on it, it would be great to hear about it. Regards, John C.

Hi Clive, I live in Queensland and have a number of yari. I have never had any issues in receiving them from Japan, the latest one arriving last November. I have always used EMS and had them sent registered mail with a description of "Antique Japanese yari spear over 100 years old". There could be an issue with a Ken as it can be seen as a double edged sword due to the short "sword" like nakago. They have all been purchased from dealers and not through auctions which might change things. If you live in Victoria there maybe an issue but if your a member of the "Goshu Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kai Inc." that will be beneficial and required. Hope this has been helpful. John C.

Hi Mike, I have about 10 items I could submit. A couple would depend on where in the country the shinsa is as they are long in length eg a yari and naginata. Thanks for the thought, it would be nice to have another shinsa I missed out on the first two. John C.

Hi Les, I purchased a blade from Taiseido in 2014. I had the opportunity to view the blade in Tokyo during a visit. So buying from his photos on the web site I can not comment on. The transaction went smoothly, it was packed well and sent in a timely manner. So overall I was happy with the purchase. Hope this helps. John C

Having a closer look at the "mei" side of the tsuba there is a slight dip/concavity in the seppa-dai area. Any thoughts as to why a mei would be (possibly) removed from a tsuba? Thanks. John C.

Thanks for the replies. Attached is the reverse side. Regards John C.

Hello all, Would someone be so kind as to translate the kanji on this tsuba please. Any additional information would also be greatly appreciated if possible. Thank you in advance John C.

Hi All, I thought that I would share my recent addition to my collection. It's a Chidori jumonji yari signed by Echigo no kami Kanesada (Terukane). It is newly polished, papered (TH) and in new shirasaya. It's such a beautiful little yari and it's hard to stop admiring it since I received it. The photos are not the best but I think you can see the comparison for a before and after. Regards John C.

Thanks Guido and John, Great to see some other similar examples. Is there a "translation" for Zaboshizunari and Tenkokuzannari that determines the differences from one and the other? Also wondering if that Rare Kabuto book is available somewhere? Could anyone suggest if the hachi is finished in urushi or is a base metal finish? I am grateful for all the input from everyone. It's all very interesting. Regards John C.

Thanks guys for the additional information and help. I think that is great looking kabuto! Regards John C.

Hi All, Just received my recently purchased Kabuto and was wondering if any of the members can suggest more information than I have. From my reading it appears to be a Etchu Zunari with a hineno shikoro that was made in the Edo period. The appeal of this kabuto are the raised rivets, brow wrinkles and the "decorative" additions to the bowl which I haven't seen often on other Zunari. Also could it kabuto shape be classed as a Tenkokuzan nari when looking at the side photos? So I was wondering, can the photos narrow down the options of possible school, area of and/or date of manufacture or any other points of interest? Thank you in advance for any information. John C.

Hi Guy, Thanks for your comments. I think my skills as a photographer are lacking but there is a Nie based hamon that is hard to see in hand as well as in the photos. However, as most of you have guessed it is commissioned shinsakuto work dated 2018. The school is Miyairi (Akihira). The smith is Kato Shinpei from Tochigi prefecture. Kato san trained initially under Miyairi Akihira until his death and finished his training under Kanbayashi Tsunehira. He has won many awards over the years and most have been in the Tanto section. The commission request was for the shape and size as indicated in the initial post but for the Jigane in the style of a Matsukawa- hada. Kato san initial wasn't prepared to attempt this type of jigane as there was a good chance that openings would occur between the layers, but was prepared to try as long as I was aware of this issue. As it turned out it is a perfect blade with no openings at all. Three types of iron were used in the construction, tamahagane and two other different types of old iron. I was informed that due to this type of jigane the Nioi based hamon I requested was not possible due to the steel structure, carbon content and temperature required during Yaki-ire. As mentioned above the hamon is Nie based and is difficult to visualise but happy to say is there! Also it was certainly not acid etched. Attached are the requested Nakago shots with it's very beautiful solid silver Habaki. Regards John C.

Hi All, Just received my first ever Tanto and I'm so happy with it I thought I would share it with you all. Also because it is quite unusual a Kantei of the blade might be fun for any who are interested. The shape is Kata-kirba, Shobu Zukuri with a blade length of 29.8 cm, hamachi width of 3.2 cm and a kasane of .6 cm. So it is a big blade for a Tanto. It was difficult to photo but I think the overall effect has been captured. So if anyone wants to have a go at Kantei I'll wait a couple of days and supply the answer to three questions. The only hint is that it is in Soshu tradition. -School -Swordsmith -Era Regards John C.

Hi All, It must be nice to live in a country that has the ability to have shinsa every year, where here in Australia they are few and far between. Basic mathematics with a bag of rocks justifying the upgrading/changeover of certificates works well for dealers who can value add the cost to their products they sell. However, I am only a small time collector who did purchase items with green and blue papers that were considered OK at the time prior to the "recall". I no longer purchase items that don't have the acceptable certificates (except one, oops!) due to the information supplied by NMB. It would be nice to send my cherished swords to Japan to obtain Hozon+ but does that mean I will enjoy my blades any better? However, for me the "basic mathematics" is that the additional cost to send an item to Japan, engage an intermediate, shinsa costs, posting it home and the possibility of GST tax is not justifiable. I will just have to hope that in the future there will be another shinsa in Australia to up grade my old papers. I think that if you happy with the items in your collection it doesn't really matter if it has no papers, old papers or current certificates, the important thing is to ENJOY them. Regards John C

Jean, Michael and Thomas thank you for your reply's Regards John C..