Baka Gaijin

Hi Curtis, From the picture, you are at the beginning of the formation of a real patina, not just rust. This may help explain: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_oxide Cheers

Excellent Piers, Just did a bit of searching and found their site which looks to have some interesting information and resources. http://www.nihonkamon.com/ Some excellent links in there also Cheers

Hi Matt http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/r ... 5-level-1/ http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/ga ... Japan.aspx http://www.wallacecollection.org/thecol ... sandarmour Cheers

Hi Piers No secret knowledge, just a condiment...... http://www.tozandoshop.com/v/vspfiles/kamon/plant1.html about half way down the page. Cheers

Morning Piers, Try Mitsu Oi Sugi Cheers

Hi James The first Kamon may be described as Maruni Hittotsu Chanomi. The second as Maruni Chigai Takano Ha. Cheers

Morning Rusty, The Kamon may be described as Maruni Shipō Hanakaku. Cheers

Here's something more: http://www.city.sakai.lg.jp/english/vis ... index.html Cheers

Good morning all, Here's a link to the Osaka University Nonaka Kofun Project in English: http://www.let.osaka-u.ac.jp/kouko/nonaka/en/index.html Plenty to read and some Field dig Archaeology Videos including Armour and Swords. Also a link to Osaka Museum website in English: http://www.chikatsu-asuka.jp/chikatsuasukafudoki.html Cheers

Good morning Piers, It looks like a Baleen bristle, what was called Whalebone by Corsetier and Corsetière, some can be as much as 3.5 metres in length depending upon species. (The Baleen that is........... ). Cheers

Good evening Piers, Would the material be Baleen? Cheers

Good evening Jan, Just a wild guess that it's meant to be 火 (Fire) and the curvature of the back edge would not accomodate the full character. It suggests that the circle was a separate branding iron. Cheers

Good morning all, Just a brief academic point regarding the name Odon in Jacques' posting. Odon was variously known as Eudes de Pins and Odo de Pins, He was was 23rd Grand master of the Knights Hospitaler (1294 - 1296), his dates do not match with the Bayeux Tapestry period. However, Odo was Earl of Kent, Bishop of Bayeux, son of Herleva and Herluin de Conteville and thus half brother to William. As he is humorously captioned in the Tapestry "Hic Odo Eps Episcopus Baculum Tenens Confortat Puerens" (Here Odo the Bishop, holding a club, strengthens the Boys...) He died at Palermo in early 1097 en route for the Holy Land, it is said, following a debauched and dissolute life. It is interesting to note that there is also some lively dispute amidst textile academics regarding the exact date, and origin of the original Tapestry. Cheers

Thank you Henry Cheers

Good afternoon all, Wooly theory time: A device which may have been a natural magnetic compass such as a Lodestone is mentioned as a tool for divination as early as the Chinese Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD). Later, the compass was used in Song Dynasty China by the military for navigational orienteering by 1040-1044, and was used for maritime navigation by 1111 to 1117. However, it was used for its South bearing, not its North bearing as we in the West were using by the early 1100's. Will Adams' arrival on Japanese soil in April 1600 is certainly pivotal in the use of the Compass for navigation. He was known by various titles including Anjin Sama (Lord Navigator) and slightly more prosaic "Needle Watcher". Given the Japanese use and adaptation of all forms of Chinese Divination and Geomancy, it is in my mind, reasonable to suppose that a compass like device of some sort was used in Japan from earlier times than the early 17th Century, but this may have been held as a secret knowledge within something like a craft guild of Shamanistic Geomancers. If you fancy an interesting read, and possibly the inspiration for part of James Clavell's "Shogun" check this out: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Needle-Watc ... 080481094X Cheers

Morning Jack E. The design on the side of the Abumi looks a little like the Kamon called Sangai Bishi. Cheers

Good afternoon all, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkw7UeX_p74 Cheers

Thank you Brian, I have an answer. Please remove this post. Cheers

Good evening all, Try Maruni Hitotsu Hirako. Cheers

Good morning Tobias Check out the top image taken from Kensen san's excellent article on Paul's site http://www.thejapanesesword.com/forum/v ... f=29&t=118 Cheers

Morning Roy, I have used our local Mailboxesetc here in Bath for several years and have found their services excellent. They double box fragile items and photograph the item as it is packed. They offer compensation cover at 2.5% of the declared value also. They will offer you a variety of carriers and their services are completely trackable. Peter, I had a look at HMC and they seem quite impressive for really heavy or delicate items of high value, love the way the marble putto disappears into a nest of foam block.... Cheers

Morning all, NMB member DaveT is trained in the application and restoration of Urushi. http://nihon-no-katchu.com/ Cheers

Morning all "Dave, thanks to you and Ian and anyone else who helped you with this, it is a much needed addition to anyone's samurai armor library." Says it all. Well done and looking forward to seeing more......... Cheers

Hi Ian, Quite a few of Takeshi's "Art Beat" series are now on You Tube. Here's a direct link to Yoshindo Yoshihara san's programme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqH8jAR3oAc Cheers

Good call Piers....I was wondering that one too