Toryu2020

It is a great opportunity to study, in-hand, the work of just about any of the most important artists. Decide what you want to see, visit every booth and note the items you'd like to study in-hand, go back and spend uninterrupted time with each piece on your list. There are few places you can say I want to see Yamashiro works today and have twenty such pieces on hand. By all means attend the Kamakura kantei-kai and the Yakatabune trip but I would focus on getting there early and spending the day studying the best swords you can see...

Yagyu design - Ono execution

Two more

My favorite. A modern subject presented with age old Japanese aesthetic in a Higo style. Tokkuri. Ochoko and two drops of spilled sake, just sublime.

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Took me many years but I found a sword that checked off many boxes for me, so now while I enjoy looking at swords I no longer have the compulsion to buy. Tsuba are another thing, I would say yes they are addictive, especially since I started to focus on sword-maker tsuba, my tsuba drawer is now full and I am not sure how many I have. The idea of my wife reading this forum is hilarious to me, she would rather have her eyes put out I think than read about sword collecting... -t

60+ started when I was 19. One great aspect of this hobby is how it brings the generations together...

Day one!

Eric - if you are asking me, I have to say I do not know who might have made these though my impression is that it is later work, say 1800's... -t

I would say it is not Ono since they were an Owari group so they didn't do pieces as detailed as yours - simple Owari and Yagyu designs. The "anchor" I believe is a rice bail hook and not an anchor... -t

They do show up - look at the Japanese websites - most have an "Antiques" or "Other" page where these will be listed... -t

No worries Sam - I am proud to share it, no sense in hiding it in a closet. The presentation is by the NBTHK/AB these are usually open to all attendees though sometimes there is a small fee... -t

Bunkacho has extended the wait to at least four weeks - express service no longer an option. They claim to be severely backed up…

I will indeed be at the San Francisco show for sure and so will the sword. The NBTHK/AB are doing a presentation on Nanboku-cho Bizen and this sword will be available for hands-on examination...

Like a stripper with a bad tattoo - I like strippers too though...

PS - I own a Juyo To-ken Morisuke with a serious chip - some cannot look at it, I love it!

Historically significant if the chip was indeed acquired in the Sakurada-mon Incident. If you want romanticism this has it in buckets...

The NTHK Novice Course was recently re-edited and is available now. FREE with any new membership to the NCJSC... Publications (ncjsc.org) -tch

You could try contacting Mike Yamasaki of tetsugendo.com he can help with the restoration. Jimmy Hayashi, the top polisher in the U.S. is located in San Francisco... -t