Toryu2020

Adding my voice to the consensus, he bought it, doesnt like what he bought, i am sure with period thread and stitching he can get what he paid for it! Seriously, you should not have to refund this. -t

http://ejmas.com/tin/2004tin/tinart_morgan_0404.html An old interview from the pages of the EJMAS - someone mentioned the six degrees of separation. Re-reading this it is fascinating to me how many connections John and I had though none of the frineds and teachers we had in common were responsible for the two of us meeting. Truly he was a man after my own heart, sad though I am he is gone, how happy that he and Sachiko can be reunited. Few will ever live up to their example, we can but keep their memory and strive on. -t

The Japanese text i believe says this is Hirata or some other related school... -t

Wow, I go to work and come home to find a s--t storm caused by my poor post. Seriously Rueben i was trying to help while encouraging your interest. Spoon fed info rarely stays with the recipient. Had you said you had already searched i would have been more forthcoming. As you have seen the brotherhood here quickly stepped up to answer your questions. I apologize if you could not see my smiling face thru my text. I promise you i am always smiling and always ready to help :D -t

Rueben - Seek no more! I am sure if you put "katate-uchi" into the search window you will get lots of good info right here! -t

All - Recently returned from a very busy trip to Japan and had to do some catching up at work.I apologize if anyone was trying to reach me. I am happy to report that the submissions for this year are coming in and the schedule is shaping up nicely. If you are planning on coming to San Francisco this year we expect it to be another great one. If you are thinking about submitting swords for this years shinsa please visit our website; http://www.toryu-mon.com. You may of course contact me thru the board or via email with any questions. I am also happy to announce that one of our local NCJSC members, Cyril Skladany, is handling mail in shinsa submissions for fee. If anyone is looking for an agent you may contact him via email; cyro.nihonto@gmail.com - or by phone 408-394-6639. -t

Would anyone have telephone or email contact info for Chris Randall or John Skabry? Both gentlemen from Florida I believe. Please send me a PM or email toryu@toryu-mon.com thanks, -t

Terrific stuff Dale. Thank you for sharing this very interesting piece. -t

What you guys never heard of ububa!?!

could be the head of a Shinsa group in which case kaicho could be appropos in Kendo and Iaido the head of the event (taikai) would be referred to as Kaicho (event boss) usually but not always chief judge - and rarely will this same person be the head of the federation involved... -t

looks to be Edo period, maybe talking about saya doubt the secrets of the shogunate are written here. why is this here? in tsuka we see all kinds of odd shims how was this found? folded and hidden at the bottom or somehow wrapping the inside or lining the back? interested to see what this turns out to be... -t

it is possible to break a tip doing noto, it is also very possible to break the tip on nukitsuke. for this reason a "iaido" polish includes flattening the ha-saki at the very tip to make it just a touch more robust... we always tell beginners "you can take metal off the tip but you cant put it back on!" -t

Adrian - I see what you mean - has a classic look of ato-bori. i dont see the paper on your link i wonder if there is any notation there? The temper in the kaeri is quite close to the hi on the omote so we should wonder if original hi were not altered? -t

I think it an honest little tsuba, not master work but not the usual subject either. I think the whole thing is copper and other than some gold on the smaller turtle it is all done with patination... -t

I may have met him only once but met with his work often, years of great manga reading thanks to Studio Proteus. RIP

Junichi - If you know the owner - I think we'd all be interested to see the wood inside the fuchi on the tsuka and of course the koiguchi.I'm inclined to see this as late myself, as han-dachi and "wood" koshirae enjoyed a great deal of popularity at the end of the Edo period. It has a terrific "Low-Rider" appeal that I like very much. -t

Rustic yes but beautiful, hang on to this one - with some love and attention i'll bet the patina will come back nicely... -t

A wonderful little tanto Michael - you are most welcome here, Looking forward to seeing and hearing about your discoveries with this very neat inheritance, -t

In a word; UMAI!! Thank you Ian for sharing, -t

my opinion only but does not look like Shoami or 1700 to my eye, much closer to 1900... -t

Jack - i have nearly all of Sasama Sensei's books, if you want i am happy to bring some along to upcoming meetings. i have other references on abumi i am willing to share, PM if you think i can help... -t

Sorry should have said SHINAI with an "eye" not an "II"!! Keith - an interesting question, I think it has more to do with the qualities of the steel and construction. Might be a good question to pose as a separate thread... -t

I would venture that what you are seeing is a clam shell, next to that is the hastily folded court robes and headdress of a court noble. There appears to be another little clam shell in the fold of the robe. I see two posibilities; this is a reference to Kakinomoto Hitomaro a very famous poet of the Manyo era. Pictures of him were revered as a kind of god of poetry and were trotted out for poetry readings and contests. Don't ask me why but the clam-shell always seems to be there. The other is, this is some scene from Genji Monogatari - Kyoto girls played games with painted clam shells, still do, so this image may be an allusion to a couple nearby in another room.... But really I think it is the first of these two ideas. -t

All - I think we need to remember that the troubles of the Bakumatsu era came at the end of 200 plus years of peace. And while ko-ryu kenjutsu that included the battlefield practices of the Sengoku era were still practiced in spots most samurai of the time really only practiced something akin to shinae-kendo. If you try to block a sword, or cut at someones kote or do tsuba-zeriai with a live blade as one does with a bamboo sword, fingers are sure to come off. This is all natural since stepping under another mans swords while trying to cut him illicits a great deal of hesitation in all but the bravest. So two guys swinging at each other but trying hard not to get cut will also most likely produce a lot of loose fingers. And it is true as Chris has said that in those days that after many a fight, fingers were collected up and then messages would be attached supporting the Emperor or the Shogun, these were then tossed into the gardens of the homes of known supporters of one camp or the other. Heads if they were taken were reserved for the most hated persons on the other side... We should also remember that the Shinsengumi modelled their uniforms on those of the Ako Roshi - which might seem strange since the actions of the "47 Samurai" were in fact a rebellion against Tokugawa rule but by the 1860's they were seen by all as exemplars of loyalty. Thus the hachimaki (Hitai-ate) was a choice dictated by what the Ako Roshi wore rather than more practical concerns though they would have proved a useful choice for their mission... -t

Curt - Perhaps I misunderstand so want to ask - where are you getting the saya made? Is the craftsman not producing a new habaki along with a new tsuka to match the shirasaya? Is it just a saya you are having made, one suitable for lacquer and wear as a full koshirae? I only ask because getting a "shirasaya" is generally not a step to re-mounting an old sword... -t