Toryu2020

Looking at old picture of a tanto that looks to be signed SANJO Hoping someone on the forum has images of Sanjo Munechika or Yoshiie tanto especially the nakago. If no images I would appreciate anyone who can point me to references that might have what I am looking for. I include two rather poor photos for your edification... -t

Barry - There should be a link in my post just above. (http://www.ncjsc.org/ncjsc_membership.htm) -t

Brian - Thank you so much for your continued support of the Northern California Japanese Sword Club. We welcome persons of all ages and levels of interest to our meetings, should any NMB member be coming thru San Francisco please look us up. Our little newsletter is hardly breaking new ground but we put a lot of effort into it's publication. I have some very good news for our overseas members, we now accept Paypal! Thanks in large part to your inquiries Brian. Please follow the link below and while you are there do check out the rest of our website; http://www.ncjsc.org/ncjsc_membership.htm -t

Peter - it would not be unusual for a Shinshin-to blade to have ubu-ba or a flat spot on the cutting edge at the habaki. Could we see photos of the blade itself? The nakago and inscription look good and would be historically important if genuine. Hoping to see more... -t

I think it is supposed to look like that - look up Dôgu-chirashi A nice piece imho... -t

From the gates of the Toryu-mon we shout it "So long 2011, best wishes to all for a safe, happy and prosperous New Year!!"

http://www.toryu-mon.com/Toryu-Mon/Gallery/Gallery.html You'll find a variety of different sword-stands pictured among the galleries on our website - my favorite being the Taisho era three sword Tachi-kake - all of them though are the epitome of good taste IMHO... :D -t

Dear all - I would vote against vertical storage. Yes in dry places like California you can get away with it but; Storing vertically means the habaki, which is a wedge, drives down on the koiguchi and for shirasaya this often means a spilt. A proper shirasaya is made for horizontal storage and minimizes the points where the blade touches the wood. A vertical blade means any oil drains toward the tip, the little resevoir at the end of the saya gets sticky it then attracts dust, this then stains the tip of the blade. Take a good look at swords you encounter and see how many have the first few millimeters discoloured. No crime for a gunto perhaps but a shame if your sword is in polish. Things are done the way they are because they have been tested over time - not my idea but you might look into fire-proof horizontal file-cabinets, lockable and at the same time inconspicuous... -t

Curtis - Nice work indeed! Where did you find the great hardware? It took me 25 years of searching to find mine. Note it has three drawers - the racks in the top drawer are wider on one side for swords in koshirae (with tsuba) - in the other drawers the racks are the usual ones seen for swords in shirasaya. I am sure I posted these on here somewhere else apologies for repeating myself... -t

Alan - Very tough call. Thin temper accompanied by prominent hada and dry looking nakago would suggest to me saiha (re-temper). You would not get a certificate in that case. Of course looking at photos can be a real guessing game. We welcome all submissions but would not want anyone to spend money needlessly. Perhaps those additional photos you spoke of would be helpful. -t

Swords can easily be drawn when worn over the back if you know how it is to be done. Notô is a trick as well unless you know what you're doin... -t

Klaus - For the first look at kanji with the mizu(水) hen for the second look at kanji with the take (竹) hen. Should be quite easy and worth your while to suss it out on your own... -t

Adam, sorry when replying it cut your name off. Chris - granted but if saiha there should be other evidence as I suggested. and since none of us has it in hand it may be an unanswered question. From the photos, (here we go) to my eye, it looks like it is supposed to look, fits the attribution and is not saiha. my humble opinion only... -t

Sorry didn't catch the name Runga? If they cut new machi and lost as much temper as suggested then you would see definite nie in the nakago where the old temper line was. If it is saiha the color/texture of the nakago would show it, most likely you would see mizukage of some sort and the jigane would also appear grainy and dry. To me it looks like it was remounted several times but looks pretty like it was supposed to. As noted the Sengo guys did squarish "koshiba" on many of their works. I wonder do you have it in hand? What exactly are you seeing? -t

Dear All - Nows the time to make your plans for Super Bowl Sunday and the upcoming Tampa Sword Show, only two months away now. Reservations for the 2012 NTHK Shinsa are coming in briskly and we suggest that you send yours in now before year-end business takes up all your time. It is possible to get slots at the last minute but not for the most coveted times, so be sure and register now! We have attached the reservation forms for your convenience. If you have questions please visit the FAQ page on our website; http://www.toryu-mon.com Hoping to see you all there, -t 2012Reservation.doc 2012flyer.doc

Mariusz - No worries - you should post some pictures in the "show us your sword room" forum when you get the final look you're after. Cheers, -t

Maruisz - I would caution that bags are for storage and racks are for display - so technically you would not see a sword in a bag on a rack in a Buke household. Of course all rules are general and subject to place, time and prevailing taste. Which is to say that I have seen many people rack their swords in bags, dojo, museums and sword shops where they did this. But if you are looking for correctness I would advise that you display the swords so the koshirae may be seen. Paul has said the tsuka should face to the left which is correct, though I have heard that if you are expecting a difficult or unwanted guest you place the swords on the rack with the tsuka to the right so they are ready to use in a moments notice. You would hope of course that your guest would pick up on this and not over stay his welcome. The only absolute rule I know of is katana edge up and tachi edge down for all others exceptions abound... -t

Master of understatement! VERY interesting tsuba... -t

Brock - sorry to step on your post but I would strongly advise against using Hanwei blades. While I agree with the sentiment that one should not use true antiques for tameshigiri or iai - these Chinese blades are unreliable to the point of catastrophic failure and people have been injured. The situation has prompted the AUSKF to advise its members to use only equipment made in Japan. Not as protectionism for Japanese suppliers but as protection for their students and teachers. By extension your support of Chinese suppliers also motivates the fakers that this list goes to great lengths to decry. Use of a live blade for sword practice is inherently dangerous and should be approached with caution under the guidance of a qualified teacher. Add to this, choose your equipment with care... -t

Are we sure this is Japanese?

http://tinyurl.com/7ot7wpk Joe et al - Oshigata and high quality photos are one thing - if you really want to display your blades as art, this guy, Atarashi Yoshitaka is the man to see. He turns the greatest works in steel in to works of art in lacquer. His own father was a kantei-ka and he grew up with an appreciation for swords. The photos on the website hardly do the work justice - upon close examination it is very hard to tell that there are not made of metal. He can do custom backgrounds and even famous works of kodogu. If I had the money I can think of a few blades I'd love to see hanging on my wall... -t

JP - Start with what Ryuha do you follow? Some schools work better with certain swords and certain teachers have strong opinions about what swords should be used. It is also important that we state clearly that practice with a live blade is a very dangerous thing and should never be attempted by someone without proper experience and instruction. Use of antique swords for Iai or tameshigiri practice is anathema to the purpose of this board, which is preservation of items of irreplaceable historical value. Tameshigiri can quickly ruin a sword, and while Iai is much less destructive it is wear and tear on a blade and on scabbard and fittings as well. If you must and your teacher approves there are a couple of ways to go; For the reasons stated above Shinsakuto are best, you choose the blade configuration that is right for you and your school, you choose your own fittings and since it is all modern made you can trust the integrity of the tsuka and no one will cry foul if you put a few scratches on the blade. Use of a gunto works for many as they are made to take the abuse and generally have better shape and balance than say the swords coming out of China. But as noted they tend to be shorter and you will have to outfit them with appropriate koshirae which could eat up your budget. Then again you really shouldn't be using up old fittings on your practice sword. Though there are low quality antiques out there they are no longer making them these days. Using higher quality antique fittings is more appealing but also irresponsible. If you are on the west coast then I recommend you visit the San Francisco sword show a few times - many styles of swords at many different price ranges. There are even sellers who specifically refit old blades with minor flaws to used for Iai. The ones I have seen are well within your budget and none is an undiscovered treasure awaiting restoration. If you know what you are doing you can find old blades suitable for practice and put together older fittings to go with it for a reasonable price but this often takes time. Knowing what to look for is the problem and so many folks do not take the time to seek the right advice. I wish you success in your search and success in your study your friend in the way, -tc Muso Jiki-Den Eishin Ryu 6 Dan Renshi

Ugh! Please don't make us look at that I think I'm gonna be sick! -t

志津三郎兼氏作？ not sure about the Saburo... -t

Matt et al - I think we are seeing something like this; 元治元歳子十月日 Genji-gan toshi (or sai) Ne Ju-gatsu hi - maybe read Genji-gan Ne-doshi Jugatsu Hi A day in the First year of Genji (Ganji), year of the rat. I think John is on to something there, the Shu could be the beginning of a title such as Mondo no sho, but who can tell at this point. Might be nice to have more pictures to consider... -t