Bugyotsuji

What do you see in here? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Rorschach1.jpg

Wanna buy some magic saya, mista ? reinhard Yes, a sword dealer said this to me the other day. Not quite sure what he meant, but he mentioned people inserting a bent iai sword back in the saya, and hey presto, ... presumably after some time, when they removed the sword... lo and behold... :lol:

................. I would, however, like to put this question to the forum. Choose one.... or maybe I should start a poll? Should the point of a spear or sword a) bend, b) buckle or c) snap under stress? Several arguments have been put forth. Here are some I have heard recently. What do you think? 1. A spear has to be super sharp; strong enough to penetrate armour/armor. A bendy tip is unthinkable and proves the spear is no good. 2. Many dealers like to explain that the troops sometimes used their spears to adjust logs in the campfire. The heated tips were then either allowed to cool naturally, or dipped in water, depending on the circumstances, often affecting the yaki. 3. Nihonto chip and bend naturally during iai and get sent off for repair. Some bending sorts itself naturally within the saya. Twisty bends tend to be difficult to remove. Bending, in and of itself is not necessarily an indication of how well or badly a blade has been made. 4. Some spears were made specifically to be stabbed repeatedly into castle gates in order to gradually shred the wood and destroy its integrity. My thoughts. A long thin blade with a fine point would be fine for artistic appreciation, and sticking into animals or a lightly armoured enemy, maybe. For real serious armour/armor penetration and long-term blade integrity, a short stubby yari blade with ryo shinogi might be best. What other theories/stories/illustrations are there?

Apologies for the temporary diversion, Jacques, :lol: but the phone just rang to say the yari has come back from the polishers with the tip "sorted". A fierce argument has been raging over whether, in general, a spear tip under stress should bend, or snap. Two schools of thought prevail, and I am yet to be convinced either way. Be that as it may, I am now eagerly getting ready to go there, and then, having seen the repair, make the final decision on whether to actually purchase this yari as I did originally promise I would. Please watch this space! :D ... (Three hours later.) Not that space, this space! (Better leave some space for you all to watch... ) Well, as with many things, the answer was not quite what I was expecting. It has been fixed, yes, but not what I would call perfectly. That is, I can tell it has been straightened and polished out. It's now at home in its yari-bukuro, and when the wife asks about it, I shall follow the advice of this forum and say, with perfect truth, that I sent a yari for repair.

Congratulations! I hope you will treasure your father too!

You're right Piers, my apologies to all. Apology accepted! My apology for mentioning it.

OK, so.... It's a Tanto. You are considering buying it. You have not touched it. You have photos, taken by yourself (or someone else)? James. Please give this kind of information in advance! People here can then judge how seriously to undertake such work. Lack of background can make translation unnecessarily heavy and stressful. Even with such information, it can take hours of cross-referencing, consulting, etc. Many

What, the whole lot?

Surely this thread hasn't stopped here? It was just getting interesting!

Someone once mentioned shooting in the shade, and not in direct sunlight. You could try 10 shots at different light angles and post the best two or three of those. (Sounds as though I'm trying to teach my grandmother to suck eggs.)

One has to take into account that by following this policy, There is a big risk to be in a graveyard before starting collecting/buying... Jean, just sometimes you say the right thing.

Carlo, very good! I have a funa-tansu and had a set of keys made for it, so I think I can guess what you are saying! Actually if you include the little black makura yari I now have 5. They're pretty things, but... the poor man's katana? Brian, thanks for the warm words. The opposite could also be said, cf Reinhard on previous page; one of my closest Japanese friends has already chewed me out over this yari and the holes in my thinking.(= taken me to task.) Long lecture! Shades of: "Study and wait for ten years. Smear the glass panes of showcases in sword museums with the sweat of your forehead. When you can truly judge a sword, that will be the time to buy. Until then you are... !" This is one of the things I like about this world. You collect conflicting opinions, sometimes harsh, and allow them to sharpen you up! (Frisk?)

I love it! Yup, it carries enough truth to pass as fact! Hahahahahaha.... And yet, we guys think we're being very naughty and very clever, but she's somehow getting the attention she craves into the bargain... All's Well that Ends Well! hehehehe It gets a bit harder when you buy a yellow sports car on impulse though, and then wonder where to put it and how to explain it away.

Believe me, Piers, I had 4 katanas on a 5 stand katanakake, Four slots were used and I put my Kanetomo tanto on the bottom lot. It has been there for 2 months and my wife did not notice it Best thing to do, if she notices it, is to say that you have trade it for other items (bit and odds) Very good! You just have to find the right way of explaining it!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

OK, so I admit it was impulsive, (and Meat Loaf put it well) but it's not a bad yari per se, is it?!!!! :lol: Now all I have to do is convince the wife that there were always 4 yari in the house, not 3!

My pleasure entirely, Jean! :D

　Lacquer-filled è¡€æº on flat side. Sankaku-gata, sasaho blade.

She said she didn't know how to remove the blade and would I do it for her? She was married to his father for X number of years and never touched anything???

Nipped round there this arvo and discovered his mother keeping shop. The yari was still there ready for the polisher. She said she wouldn't mind my taking a few quick shots. It is usually kept in a really nice full-length yari-bukuro.

Looks difficult to photograph. No better shots available?

Look at that! It's wonderful to see the rivets, and the signature so clearly. Brings it all really close and the time distance rapidly erodes. Nice photo!

Oh, absolutely, there's some good meaty reading in there! Thank you so much for that. Now I've just got to find a good solid period of time to read and absorb this background. Run off my feet right now... aaarrrggghhhh...........

Most grateful for the further clarification, Jean. It's all grist to the mill. Now all I have to do is 'see' with my own eyes and brain what those 'unmistakeable trademarks' are.

Ah, thank you. They are funny things, aren't they! I have some rather ordinary Kagamibuta Netsuke, but I know Jim Lewis has some real corkers/beauties along the lines of what you have been creating... (Nothing to do with the price of fish, really, but in the past I have thought long and hard about the process through which kagamibuta might have evolved.)

Reminds me of the song "Paradise by the dashboard light" (Meat Loaf). Don't go for instant thrills when it comes to NihonTo; you'll end up with babies unwanted. reinhard Sigh.... So true! PS Never listened to Meat Loaf. Worth buying the album with that track in it? PPS Found it. Good stuff! http://www.jango.com/beta/MeatLoaf