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Yeah, well I was thinking about buying stuff from them to restore an armor... looks like I’ll be buying somewhere else!

Those really are beautiful swords...

I’m also still in the "it’s real" team. The mountings are 100% fake and maybe Ray has part of the truth here. Someone may have found a blade in Shirasaya with wooden Habaki and wanted to mount it as a wakizashi, bought one of those awful repros, ditched the blade and mounted that one in. If so, bad idea, a Shirasaya would have looked better. Gordan, let me add that if in doubt though. You should trust Ray's opinion wayyyyyy over mine!

Steve, That doesn’t look like a Chinese polish either. Here, you see the shape of the Hamon as a dark area. the Chinese usually have little difference in color between Hamon and ji. Usually, they just overdo the habuchi with acid. I think it would show on a repro sword. Now, I’m not saying the blade is real or false. Truth is , if I had to just judge according to the pictures, I’d go with real, but since Ray raised a very interesting point, I’ll admit now I’m baffled as to what it is.

Actually, looking at it again, while I still have doubts about the blade, I’m starting to think the Habaki won’t move because it isn’t a Habaki. The shape looks suspicious, just like a big piece of yellow copper pipe fitted and maybe cemented to the blade.

Weird.... I was thinking real blade and fake, cobbled up mountings too. If the blade is fake, it looks seriously real, at least from afar.

Sad to see a sword die...

Like yourself, I’m not sure at all. What makes me think Shinshinto is that very long, ubu nakago with a shinobi ana often seen on Shinshinto kinnoto. Then again, I may be 100% wrong.

I really like your sword Adam. Love the katate maki on the very long tsuka. Makes it look like a real war sword. And those two Habaki are beautiful. Congrats Adam. The nakago is also very rusty so looks old, but are you sure it is Muromachi? With that sugata, I would have almost bet on Shinshinto.

Do you have closer pictures of where the tang meets the blade?

Well, if someone hung a green and red Tanto in my Christmas tree, I think it would renew by belief in Santa Claus! 😋

Thanks, I learned something new today.

Now, if you really want opposite colors, the opposite color to red is green in the chromatic wheel.

4 or 7 for me. The reason I’m going for black and jabara maki is because there seems to be some black intermixed with the red of the saya. So black would recall that. But cream looks classy too.

I’ve been recommended Les too. I have a sword ready for him. Just waiting to see how Brexit goes in terms of custom fees.

Interesting! I've always wondered how people make the difference as I’ve never seen an actual one. Can you please elaborate?

But that’s the point! Sorry again, but I even think what follows about Komonjo blades (still don’t know what they actually are but pretty sure they are Japanese iaito). Even if shortcuts are applied, you say yourself they can later be retired and applied an art polish, so why use them and risk damaging them when they can become art swords later? Yes, the Japanese use them (but they don’t have another choice, do they?) and yes, they are numerous... today! In two hundred years, they’ll be antiquities and much less numerous. So the question is, do we have the right to risk damaging them when there are valid alternatives available?

Nice, Gwyn. Incidentally, just type Buffalo Horn on eBay. A lot of people are selling full blocks for a few bucks.

Impressive, Dick. Somehow, I think I’ve seen that Phantom on Sideshow Freaks.

If only I could...

I’d go with black jabara ito. Nice tanto!

Can you see a Kaeri (turn back)? If not, it was probably forged that way and isn’t a naginata naoshi. Beautiful blade by the way.

That is beautiful, Dick. Indeed, I have a few guns from you. That’s pretty accurate stuff too! I used to sculpt 1/6 heads for customs back when I had time, so I’m curious, what stuff did you use to make the photos? For sculpting I used sculpt, but I guess sculpting guns requires a completely different process. Is it wax?

Nice sword, John!

Wow, Dick, that’s absolutely beautiful. Being a 1/6 collector and having often bought from Cotswold, I must have had some of your designs in my hand. Sir, you are an artist!