echoe

I tried to send emails to the Austin, Texas and Houston, Texas clubs listed in Rich Stein’s website. Emails returned. Any info on Texas (or Oklahoma god forbid) clubs? Thank you, Tom

Thanks Mark, Grey and all who replied. I’m just going to bite the bullet and take an Uber. Look forward to the the show. Tom

Uber is $65 one way from midway to Schaumburg. Anyone else coming in on Friday morning from 9-10 am can share a ride? Thx Tom

My experience with PayPal: their legal department will laugh anyone back into the Stone Age for trying to file an international fraud/ complaint claim against a seller. Tom

oops. should read: "'The Origins'" not "Original" tom

I'm probably the last one to the party on this but I just got another great book on 14th century Japan: "The Original of Japan's Medieval World, Courtiers, Clerics, Warriors & Peasants in the Fourteenth Century." ed. Jeffrey P. Mass. It's pretty old (1997) so everybody is probably already aware of it. But just in case I thought I'd mention it. It's a Stanford University product but it's not the usual stodgy, ponderous academic style that I expected. 15 essays by oriental and occidental authors. Anyway, that's it. tom

Malcolm. Thank you! tom

I just got this book "Cartographic Japan, A History in Maps", author Wigen. It's a series of essays with good color illustrations of period Japanese maps. I liked it and it helped me fill in background info of Japanese history, culture and thought. tom

Thanks Mark and Grey. Yep. Uber rates around $75-$80. The hotel recommended American taxi, which supposedly, has a flat rate available. I won't know for sure until I get there and am on the ground. (We all know how that goes). thx tom

Gordon. Thank you. Tom

I am arriving at midway airport April 27 and planning to uber to the hotel/show in schaumburg. anybody have any experience with uber at midway? just looking for some feedback if anyone has any. thx tom

Thank you Chris. Tom

OK. So. No Nihonto/Tosogu collectors in the Oklahoma City area. Tom

Back in the day (1970's) seemed to be numerous active Nihonto collectors in the DFW/Ft. Worth area as well as Houston and Austin. I haven't noticed posts from them on NMB. It could be oversight on my part. I am not an especially frequent flyer on NMB. Appreciate your reply Sprinkler. Tom

Hi all, I am a beginner in the Oklahoma city area. I would appreciate having someone in my area to discuss Nihonto with. I feel like I can only do so much with books and Internet reading. What sparked this is that I discovered yesterday a black dot in the Hamon of my first piece and I got worried because I don't recall seeing it. (Maybe I just hadn't noted it before). I will try and make a photo and post it here. But it would be nice to show it to someone in person and get their input. Thank you Tom PS - I hope to effort to create a Nihonto show/meeting in the Dallas/Fort Worth area succeeds. It was mentioned previously here on NMB last year. There are collectors in the Austin and Houston areas who I think would gladly go to this show. I will definitely go if it happens.

Is there a traditional storage method (tube?) for Oshigata? Thank You Tom

I owe an apology to Michael. I heard from him yesterday. He has indeed had some email problems and is shipping my books. My bad. Tom

I ordered some books from a person named “Michael” at a site associated with the address “satcho”. Did I blunder into a rip-off site? I’ve heard nothing back and never received books. Thx Tom

Les. Thank you for adding some balance to this thread. tom

"How good you may become, papers will always drive the market. No swords are marketable at their just price without a kanteisho." yes jean. i believe this is a true and correct statement

Yes. Bob Haynes certainly has the background and historical/cultural experience to give insight on this. I hadn't seen this article yet. Any organization that holds a monopoly on designating and assigning value to a desirable, valuable commodity and the rules used to control this value is open to a great deal of collusion. Interesting about the Yakuza. Did not know that. Even without the criminal influence, human nature and the temptation to create and control the market for what one is dealing in could be regarded with suspicion. As a beginner I find this depressing. But it is also a good motivator for me to study harder so I can make my own evaluations. Always a good idea to think for yourself despite what other collectors might say, especially when collecting antiques of any category. I've picked up a lot of pieces that other collectors "passed" on because I had the confidence of an experienced eye. Too bad it will be a long time before I can enjoy this same advantage with Japanese swords. tom

thank you stephen.

SGJ OR FRANCO - how to you declare it on the shipping form? i can't imagine you list it as a "weapon" tom

okay. thanks to all for some really viable options. i'll get it figured out before the show. again, thanks tom

Joe. Well, Fed-Ex turned up their noses because it was a weapon. I don't want to trust it to USPS. Thank you for the offer though. tom