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Crest on a kabuto (I think!)

A new one would be better than nothing, but are you sure you’re not talking about 98’s scrute barrels? Oh, and a nice tassel would be great too! Those models had the leather ones with a buckle.

Looks cast and not so old to me. But I don’t know much about Tsuba. I think I’ve seen better looking ones on wall hangers!

Oops! I especially meant Monkey! Showa is less of a con artist!

Ron, although I hate to say it, your best bet for an original is from the reviled Showa 22. This guy is a moron, selles overpriced stuff, but he makes so many frankenswords that he sells parts too. I hate giving him business though. ... or you can post in the Want to Buy section whether one of our kind members has a spare one. That would be so much better.

Yes, real one! You can probably find a new retaining screw on eBay. Congrats on your new acquisition and thank your wife for this great gift!

Great video. Very instructive. Thank you!

I guess for the same reason as mine. One day, I’ll buy a Japanese armor but I don’t know if I can afford the real deal.

Might be wrong, but I’m leaning towards Gendaito.

Looks like you and I are pursuing a similar endeavor! You with 95s and me with Mantetsu! Thank God, Brice will be our guide. And I feel for you (and me!) in front of the immensity of the work! :lol

What a shame! This guy is a disgrace!

very, very fake, unfortunately

Yes, that’s the one I’m referring to!

Mantetsu Tanzo Kore. Probably one of the 5000 sent unfinished to Tokyo.

Dear Santa Claus, For Christmas, I would like you to bring me a whole lot, and I REALLY mean a whole lot of money! So I can buy the swords posted on NMB. You can keep the shirts, the DVDs and such. The money will be enough. 6 or 7 zeros would be great. I won’t leave a sock near the chimney. Please place the stacks of banknotes or bearer bonds in the suitcase nearby. I’ve been a very nice boy this year! Thank you dear Santa. Don’t catch cold! All the Best, JP

Showato made in Seki, so not traditionally made

I don’t know, Chris. Follow the line from the Boshi. I think this is the real Hamon. Try different angles. I think the Hamon as we see it is the result of polishing and the nioiguchi is lost in the middle of it.

Yep! I’m banging my head against the wall for not having the cash, that would be an instant buy otherwise.

You’re right Brian, when I said oil tempered, I meant it in type 98 oil tempered, so differentially tempered. The 95, I believe are through tempered in oil or water. As such, they don’t have a nioi temper line. Chris, I think the 98s are in their majority differentially tempered. Now, it doesn’t mean they didn’t experiment and I wouldn’t me surprised if some were spring tempered with an etched Hamon added. It could have been an experiment like gensuito. A spring tempered blade is very resilient (at least, modern ones are!) and we know that they were making experiment to make better gunto, so that’s not out of the realm of possibilities. Then again, the blade you’re showing seems to show a real Hamon, especially in the kissaki, so who knows? Besides, there seems to be a discrepancy in the transition between the Boshi and the Ji. I think the real Hamon is closer to the ha and the hazy Hamon goes higher than the nioiguchi.

Even an oil tempered blade produces a nioi line. Here, we just see a cloudy white band, so I’m in the artificially etched bandwagon.

Page isn’t showing for me, Ken.

I don’t know when that was made, but I do agree that a tang was welded on a real Wakizashi, so probably fake.

Yes, you are probably right. I’ve just noticed the yasurime was Keisha, so bye bye Koto...

I haven’t read enough of the text to confirm or deny. However, I saw a whole passage, very near this bit of info, that was dealing with the numbering of the Mantetsu. So maybe that will offer an explanation. I was too busy, chain- translating to read much! Edit 1:Also, wouldn’t it be possible that there was a single registry for both Koa and non Koa? Edit 2: K. Morita is also mentioned in Ohmura’s text, so I think he’s read it and has probably more information than we have, at least I hope. As they say, stay tuned!

Wasn’t there also something about stolen blank green papers? I thought I’d read that somewhere.