Rich S

A 10 week mail strike!!?? For us (U.S.) it would mean not being able to pay bills, etc. Therefore electricity, heating gas, phone, internet, TV, etc., etc., would be cut off. Like you said, the economy would collapse and anarchy would prevail. Why does the government allow that? Dumb question; government never functions anyway at least it hasn't here in many years - just watch the news Hope your JSSUS and NCJSC newsletters show up. Have you ever thought of immigrating to the US? We can always use a great computer guy here in some 100K paying start-up company. Also, no hassle about owning, buying, selling, shipping swords, etc. Think about it. Rich S

I've made leather spacers on several occasions to make tsuba fit properly without rattling. I place the leather "seppa" between the regular seppa and the tsuba. Works just fine. No rattle, no shake, tight fit. Easy to make; just use the regular tsuba to draw an outline on the leather; cut it out and put it in place. Fine for both display and iaido. Rich S

Does anyone have or know where to get a copy of known Honami kao? Thanks Rich

Brian - Do you mean Java or Javascript? Have the Javascript, but not Java (and won't). Mozilla has blacklisted Java due to security concerns. It won't run on Mozilla. I don't know anything about Invision, but almost all the boards I'm on use vBulletin and don't seem to have any problems with it. Just my $0.02. Was kidding of course about the old geezer forum - I do enough of that now. Not kidding about "live chat"; I recently found out that "Bluetooth" isn't a type of make-up used by punk rockers or goths. Rich

Brian - I'm on several sites that use VBulletin software. I can email you their URL's so you can see their various setups if that would be of any use to you. What is "live chat" anyway? I don't have a mic or speakers on my 'puter (I don't like machines that bleep, burp or make noise at me). Two suggestions for when the new software goes online: Keep it simple for us old geezers who don't know all the new 'net stuff and have a sub-forum for old geezers who just want to bs about the good old days or ramble on about nothing of importance to anyone :-) Rich

Doug - Interesting idea. I think of NMB as the hub now. However, I've found (like Brian has) that many (if not most) websites don't keep their links updated or don't even have a links page (I can't find one on SFI; the Ethnographic Weapons site does list NMB as a resource on their geographical links page). I think Brian has quite enough to do just to keep this wonderful resource running. I do recommend it to anyone posting about Nihonto on other message boards/forums that I read. Perhaps other members could do the same. Perhaps that will accomplish the same result with a lot less work. Maybe put the URL/name for NMB in their signature file on whatever site they read. Just a thought. Rich

Geraint - Glad you found the JSI useful. It still exists thanks to Brian. However, I can't keep the links pages updated. I did go through and delete dead links a couple weeks ago, but I haven't added any new ones unless directly asked in a long time. I did somehow delete Andy's site. I've added it back in and sent an update to Brian. I think you'll find this site, NMB, has a much more complete and up to date set of links than does JSI. Thanks again Brian. Rich S

Doug - I understand what you mean. Back when I was engaged in iaido, one of the best moments of my life came after hours of practice one day when I did a kata, it just did itself. No mind, no thought, just the sword (my trusty Teruhide in civilian mounts) and I were one for a brief moment in time (or no-time as the case may be). Swords have a life of their own. Yes, I know I'm being anthropomorphic, but many of you will know what I mean. Rich S

One way to tell with pretty good accuracy if a tsuba is cast, it to look for casting flanges on the inside of the sukashi, hitsu ana and nakago ana. While some cast tsuba have had the flanges filed off, many still have them and IMHO are a dead give away that a tsuba is cast. Cast tsuba commonly also have a grainy texture to the surface,but distinquishing that from good carving, nanako, etc. is sometimes difficulty. Also, though less accurate, cast tsuba don't tend to "ring" to the extent that carved tsuba do. Hold the tsuba lightly between you thumb and forefinger and lightly strike the tsuba with your thumbnail (opposite hand :-). Many carved tsuba will have a nice "ringing" sound while most cast one are pretty dead sounding. Not always a 100% technique, but nothing ever is. Just have to take the totality of the evidence to decide and of course seek counsel from others when possible. Just some of my "tricks" that works for me pretty well.Others may have other methods and may even disagree with mine. As with all things Nihonto, experience and seeing lots of good examples and comparing them to poor ones is the best learning. Rich S

Nice set and some nice tsuba. I have a Mito daisho tsuba of sleeping puppies that I got back in '04 as a sentimental set when my dog Po died. Not a high grade set, but one I love and will always keep. I think most all cultures like puppies. Samurai would certainly have the class breeding to like them after all several fine breeds were developed in Japan. Rich

It's pretty, but not very tasty :-) Rich S

I don't know if this is still available, but it is a great intro/middle book. Nihon-to Koza: Vol VI; Kodogu I & II translated by Harry Watson Rich S

Brian - You might want to email your files to Adrian also. Just a thought. Rich S

Jim - I have five articles from Jim Kurrasch's website that are not on the Sydney Token Kai site. I have forwarded them to Adrian. Hope he can use them and doesn't delete my email as a scam,virus or crackpot :-) Rich S

Found it! http://www.sydneytokenkai.com/p5.htm I have some pages that are not on that website if anyone thinks it's ok to upload them. Let me know. Rich S

Likewise, I exchanged many emails with Jim. A great guy greatly missed. I did copy and save about 6-8 pages from his old website that I could zip and upload if that is permissible and folks would like to have them. Although I thought someone had saved and put his website online in their archives? Am I just delusional or does anyone remember that? Rich S

It's a Koa Isshin Mantetsu. See: http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/koa.htm for more info. Rich S

I just tried running ToShow using all the various compatibility modes available on Win 8.1 - none worked Let us know if anyone finds a fix. I wish Peter McCollum would do an updated version. BTW, there is a swordsmith search database at http://www.jssus.org/nkb/ It doesn't show up on their home webpage??? Rich S

TOSHOW wouldn't work on Win 8.1, but did fine on my XP. I really miss it; such a useful program. If anyone finds a fix so it will work on 8.1, PLEASE let us know. I use to use it all the time. Rich S

The Saotome were a long lasting school, but I would think the Heianjo tsuba would be contemporary with the same style Saotome plate; i.e., Muromachi. As you know, the Saotome supplied plates to a number of other schools for adornment. Just my $0.02 on it. No hard facts. Rich S

I have one of exactly the same design, metal work, etc. I also think it is Heianjo on a Saotome plate. I think Saotome plate as I have several tsuba of the same design and style of metal work but without the brass inlay. The daisho set has NBTHK and NTHK origami to Saotome. See my Saotome tsuba page and the daisho tsuba page on my website for pics. http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/tsuba/saotome.htm (tsuba a lower right) http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/tsuba/tsubadai.htm (daisho set/3rd row/left) Rich S

Brandon - Really nice Nagamitsu. Don't let anyone put it down :-) A mint type 3 Nagamitsu was my first nice sword about 40 years ago. It was my most expensive sword at that time ($300). My first sword I got at a gun show for $145 - shobu wakizashi in en suite mounts (Shoami) with NBTHK letter (Bizen Osafune Sukesada); dated Bunmei something (I don't recall exact date). Classic Sukesada crab claw choji hamon. Unfortunately rusted and I didn't know better then, so cleaned it with steel wool. Still have both of them. I've since acquired several Nagamitsu (he and Emura are my favorite gendai smiths). Rich S

Congrats. A lovely sword. Emura is one of my favorite Gendai smiths. You should have years of enjoyment from it. Rich S

Brian - You're amazing. I could not have begun to do that; no idea how you did it, but THANKS. I think that's the difference between a computer professional like Brian and a old, decrepit and probably senile, self-taught hack programmer like myself. I still use Notepad for writing code (such as it is). Brian, thanks again for saving my rear end and website. All you folks the use the Japanese Sword Index need to thank Brian. Without him there would be no JSI. Rich

Sorry guys, the site search is history. Don't recall the login or password I haven't used it in years. I upload a revised page to Brian deleting the site search. Can't delete it from all pages as that would mean rewriting the entire site. Sorry. Rich S