Dr Bob

I am a retired veterinarian. I have a BS in Bacteriology and an MS in Veterinary Science from the University of Idaho, and a DVM degree from Washington State University. I retired in February of 2021 after 38+ years in veterinary medicine. My wife is also a retired veterinarian, and we have two adult children. I have a Godan in Shorin-ryu karate, and teach a non-profit class two nights per week.

I lived in Tachikawa, Japan from 1965 to 1970 while my father was posted to Tachikawa Air Force Base for the second time. My mother was Japanese, and I spent a lot of time with my cousins, aunts and uncle and grandmother who lived in Tachikawa. I was fluent in conversational Japanese, but have been getting rusty since my mother passed away.

My father purchased two Japanese swords before we returned stateside in 1970. Those were passed on to me when I graduated from Veterinary School in 1982, and I have been collecting Nihonto ever since. I live in Boise, Idaho. Swords are not that common here due to the small population of the state. I have not had the luxury of limiting myself to any particular school of swordsmiths; I am happy to look at anything that happens to surface. When I had a few dry years for finding Nihonto, I admit that I strayed and started collecting bronze age weaponry. Having good, reputable contacts and your own X-ray machines really helps to weed out the fakes; and I have sent back multiple items that the dealers did not know were fake before they were radiographed. Since I retired I have re-engaged with the JSS/US and the NCJSC groups, and am again actively looking for Nihonto.  My wife is saying that now that I have no actual income I should develop something called a “budget.” Kind of late for that, I think. She is probably right, though.