1kinko

Mac still good, iPhone back to never. Is it the latest iPhone update?

Whatever you did the NMB is back on iPhone and Mac in Virginia. Perfecto!

For what its worth, the spots appear to me to be dot inlays that were not adequately punched in. On several you can see the impression of a larger nanako tagane around the outside of the inlay impression. If this was the only tagane used to place the dot, it would not withstand a lot of handling. Perhaps the intended color of the spots (white silver, yellow brass/gold, brown-grey shibuichi) might be helpful for speciation?

Working well on Mac and slightly better on iPhone here in Virginia. It was really terrible this past weekend on iPhone, so something seems to be working.

Well, there are distinct differences in the reasons whys people subscribed for the promised books. From reading the messages here on the NMB, most are collectors or admirers of tosogu. So your interest is understanding, not in application of techniques. For those of us who actually make this stuff, it’s a different story. I’ve been at it daily for about 10 years now, and, apart from 3 classes (2 with Ford), it’s been trial and error. Had Ford done what we promised, he might have saved me about 5 years. The other fact that only practitioners know, is that Ford only reveals the basics, and there is a lot more to know. However, without even a table of contents, I have no idea what the end product might ever be. For the amount I gambled, I could have bought some pretty nice tools or tosogu. Ford is not the only master that communicates in English, but is a master.

He’s been on his Patreon site for a few years since his heart attack, and he was out and about enough to get Covid. I’m pretty sure he can still type. We all know he reads the NMB and is aware of this discussion so he must be keeping a low profile for a reason.

I taught graduate students for decades. One a thesis is written it is hard to exposure oneself to peer review. Parturition is always difficult, particularly if you don’t write a lot of stuff for publication.

I know nothing about how this (or any other) site works, but now it’s really slow to open the site itself, slower yet to open individual topics, and I frequently just give up on opening posted photos. Bummer.

About 2 years ago I asked Marcus Chambers. He said Ford was working on it. However, I offered to edit the original 8 volumes for clarity (I’ve been a scientific editor for many years) and received only a preliminary introduction consisting of a little autobiography. Then I was informed that he had a publisher in Britain but something was wrong with the proofs. I've never even heard of a table of contents for 1 volume, much less the original promised 8 volumes. There have been requests for a digital form as well. I don’t really get it, if he’d just summarized and updated the Following the Iron Brush information he could have satisfied many of his subscribers. I guess he’s found his Patreon site (which is spotty but quite good) to provide sufficient income to stiff his subscribers. I keep hoping I’m wrong.

I’ve never heard of daikon being used on the patination of iron/steel. It is commonly used to reduce/prevent copper deposition (and consequent yellowing) on fine silver on kinko tosogu.

Two lovely tsuba arrived yesterday, much better in the hand than online. Very easy to order and quick response and delivery. Grev is a pleasure to do do business with.

There are a number of closely related non-destructive methods of elemental analysis of metals and alloys, but the basic method is XRF or EDX. So, if you have a large enough sample size you could describe the elemental components of different tsuba. Some years ago I did this for Marcus Chambers and someone did this for Ford at V and A. Normally this is quite expensive although the analysis takes little time and the calculations are done with internal software. But you might find someone who has access to an instrument that shares your interest. The steel industry does this routinely. The data could be separated into like groups statistically. Perhaps a good chemistry/metallurgy BS thesis subject.

Bummer. He will be missed.

I’ve been trying to reach Ford for about a week without success, but a colleague tells me he’s OK but having a hard time. It’s not clear whether that is financial or health wise. Given the past discussion concerning apparent molds for tosogu that turned out to be impressions of originals to be used as models or for records, I do wonder about these later apparent molds.

I don’t know what they’re called but something like this is used by Noh musicians and the sound could be described as clacking.

Don’t forget the ito either.

The product I couldn’t remember is Sanjet P-636 and it’s sold by Watanbe Shoten for less than $20. My thought was that the condition you described was oxidized urushi but I t’s still not clear to me what caused the discoloration on your saya. Sanjet is like an car polish in that it is a very fine abrasive that won’t scratch and you can control with fingertip pressure. It leaves a mirror finish. So you could work around the edges or in a less noticeable area. A tube will last a lifetime of restoring a fine finish on saya. The people who make urushi fountain pens use it. Just an idea. Cheers!

Renaissance wax won’t hurt it but you may want to try further cleaning. Micromark makes 12,000 grit cloth paper and there is a polishing compound that is finer (but I’ll have to look it up as I’m busy right now- tomorrow).

Gumps in San Francisco sold rings made with kashiras. They looked very uncomfortable to wear though some looked like good workmanship. They were vastly overpriced but I can’t remember how much.

Dale- just a thought- you might want Markus’ e- books so you can expand the font size.

Stephen- Ford does make his own menuki, the traditional Japanese way, uchidashi. That’s how I learned to make menuki. In fact, it’s because I was so appalled at the tosogu on my first katana, that I learned how to make them. Brian got my point perfectly.

Well, for a group that criticizes Chinese katanas, I’m appalled at the acceptance of lost wax menuki. Menuki were/are made using the uchidashi technique to raise the design from sheet metal. Any jeweler could make lost wax menuki, kashira, fuchi, tsuba, etc.

Franco- Not every piece can be restored as completely as shown in Ford’s work and Ford would be unlikely to even accept the initial pieces for restoration. "Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.” Pretty damn good, I’d say.

I mis-spoke earlier and said I thought it was likely 5% silver shibuichi. I should have said something more like 20% silver and I’ve worked with 20% silver shibuichi that patinates to dark grey with rokusho, but without the shine of shakudo. But there are also variations of shakudo both with the amount of gold and the amount of arsenic (and probably everything else).

The Tomei millet seed heads I’ve seen are composed of 7 individual seeds within each seed and they are deeply carved, much deeper than nanako. I don’t see that here, but that may be a function of the photo quality. I was also surprised by the relative lack of solder around the neashi on the back of the quail, but that was pretty common on Tomei work. I’m sure Ford will chime in soon, seeing as he has produced millet in gold himself.