Baka Gaijin

Morning all, Excellent thread. Mike Y wrote: Can you expand upon this please Mike? Cheers Malcolm

Morning Marcello This is what would put me off: 1. It looks like a casting. (Look where the wings of the birds meet the outer edge) 2. It has poor definition. (See how "unsharp" the details are) 3. It is crudely finished. (Observe how the shapes of the birds and bamboo are flattened off as they meet the surface level) Cheers

Morning all Thank you for the explanation John. Cheers

Good evening All John wrote: Hi John, can you explain these terms please? Also if I remember was used for dramatic effect by James Clavell in Shogun to dispatch Richard Chamberlain's arch nemesis the Lord Ishido. (How bout that for a mixing of media ) From about 10.38 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RexTzij ... re=related Cheers

Afternoon all Sorry Brian in advance, strictly speaking, I'm asking a non Nihonto related question, well sort of, if you follow my reasoning . Hi Adrian, the spec is pretty impressive, but on a practical level, how deep into the metal does it go? I'm thinking here of an application where something has been gold plated to say 25.4 microns? Normally I would get the file out and whack a corner off and test the metal below a 25.4 micron depth. Cheers Malcolm

Morning Chris Sort of answering my own question, but here goes. Iai use because: Traditional saya with kurikata Classic tsuka Slightly larger (and heavier Iron) Tsuba to push the weight back towards the Tsuka Hi on the blade to lighten it and make the satisfying sound? Cheers Malcolm

Morning all Here's a link to quite a comprehensive Art Glossary courtesy of Daruma Magazine: http://www.darumamagazine.com/new/glossary/ Cheers Malcolm

Hi Piers By the power of You Tube: And if you think your job was tricky......check this out Cheers Malcolm

Hi Grey and Piers Never thought of steaming, i'll have a go myself. The Ojiisan I picked up the water trick from used to take a mouthful of water from a tin cup and spit / spray the shoji......... He suggested a laundry spray as he said he spent half his apprenticeship to get the spit / spray action. (I think he was joking... ) Cheers Malcolm

Hi Piers, Here's a tip from my dim and distant past: If the washi paper is the type of paper used in Shoji, spraying it with plain water from a laundry spray will tighten it to a drum like consistency. But spray sparingly. Cheers Malcolm

Small World Steve, Just arrived back in GB after 10 days at Kirinoya. Did you get to wear the Kabuto from the armour in the corner of his shrine room? Katsumata san is a real Gent. Cheers Malcolm

Evening all I asked a similar question some time back, and John A Stuart kindly replied with some alternative names: Soritsuno Kaeshizuno Kaeritsuno Tsunakuchi Cheers Malcolm

Good afternoon Justin, The helmet and spear of the main character look like the depictions of Kato Kiyomasa. Just a thought. Cheers Malcolm

Good morning all I agree with Brian, usually you can tell these from the thin wires that were used to push through the material of the pouch and thus affix the item. It looks like there is a remnant wire stub at about 8 o'clock on the reverse image. I've heard the term Kanamono applied to these items, but I don't know if this is correct. Cheers Malcolm

Good evening all Here's a link to "Rendezvous with Adventure" shot in Tokyo in 1958. (70 Yen cabs etc...persevere, it has a quaint charm). Cheers Malcolm

Good evening James, Your recollections would be most welcome. Cheers Malcolm

Morning all Here's a 7 part series called Craftsmen of the Japanese Sword. It's in Japanese: Cheers Malcolm

Good evening Eric Thank you for the article, interesting point about only following one way. Regarding the "Flux" comment...I wonder if , as a Carpenter, he saw the process of applying clay prior to Yaki Ire and put two and two together to make three . Back to the Fuigo images, particularly interesting for me was the construction of the "Flap Valve controls"; just using pieces of random leather stitched to random pieces of timber, and also the tube constructed of a circled fold of metal. It's make do and mend simplicity reminded me of the utilitarian paper packing often found under Meijii export itomaki. Cheers Malcolm

Morning all, Spotted this on Yahoo Japan https://www.jauce.com/view2.php?seturl= ... d120804774 Cheers Malcolm

Hi Guido & Alex: Bit of a long shot but there is a quasi medical product called Squalene made from Aizame Shark Liver: http://www.rmsmedical.com/Merchant2/mer ... Code=NTanm By extrapolation if you contact the Squalene production source, might they have skins left over? Cheers Malcolm

Good morning Alex, A thought: Is the colour a result of the original skin or the lacquer coating? See Ohmura san's site for some different Kaigunto samegawa saya colours. http://www.h4.dion.ne.jp/~t-ohmura/gunto_002.htm Cheers Malcolm

Good morning Alex Try this as a beginning: http://www.sharkleather.net/ http://www.sharkleather.net/shark.asp http://www.sharkleather.net/stingray.asp As you are UK based, perhaps investigate Fashion Accessory Importers, it seems to be the realm of wallets, handbags etc... Cheers Malcolm

Morning all Hi Ken, to read the site from Morita san you have to adjust the encoding. Using Google Chrome, go to Customise & Control (The spanner top right) - Click. Go down to Tools (A Menu will appear) Go down the menu to Encoding - Click. It will be one of the Japanese codes, just play around until the kanji appears. Cheers Malcolm

Aloha Ken The 8 clove combination is called Yatsu Choji, scroll down the page for some varients (Courtesy of the Tozando database again btw): http://www.tozandoshop.com/v/vspfiles/k ... ant11.html Cheers Malcolm

Morning all, Clive Sinclaire's recent book will do the job admirably in my opinion. http://www.amazon.com/Samurai-Swords-Cl ... 411&sr=8-1 However, the current Cartier catalogue will probably stand you in better favour. Cheers Malcolm