Oaken

I think this newsletter is wonderful. Thank you, Brian.
I was successfully directed here when opening the forum.

Hello all.
I was wondering-
-What exactly are kakure kirishitan tsuba? 
-Are all cross shaped tsuba kakure kirishitan tsuba? How does one know whether a tsuba is a kakure kirishitan tsuba or not?
-If these tsuba were examples of 'hidden' Christian faith, was it not obvious to others that these guards belonged to Christians? 

Hello, everyone.
I hope you're all doing well. 
I know I'm introducing myself rather late, but better late than never, correct? 
I'm interested in nihonto and the military culture of Japan from the Heian to the Showa period. Although I started talking to people who deal in nihonto and started learning the very basics of the blades a long time ago, it is only now that I started to seriously study them. Thus, I'm kind of new to this, and would definitely appreciate books or articles or resources in general. 
Although studying nihonto seriously will be hard for me- because I cannot concentrate much, and I don't remember very well at the moment- they are definitely something I want to learn more about. Maybe someday, I can even own a nihonto. 
Thank you for reading my rather long and rambling message. 
I hope you have a wonderful day. 
 

On this topic- may I ask how much time it takes approximately for your eyes to start noticing the little subtleties that give away fakes? 

Hello, everyone.
I hope you're all doing well. 
I was wondering about the works of the smith Kiyomaro. I had a few questions about him.
-Why was his work important to the nihonto community?

-What are the characteristics of his work? 
-Where can I learn more about him? (Specifically, which books should I use to learn more about him?)
Thank you all. 
I hope I'm not bothering anybody. 

19 hours ago, Rivkin said:

Not for anime purposes, but these are the swords that actual clans carried.

For example, Hattori were real people with real swords - they are just not what you see in movies.

I see. But we don't have concrete evidence proving that shinobi would actually ever favor a certain style of sword- i.e the ninja-to- over katana? 
I'm really sorry if I still appear to not understand I just want to be sure. 

27 minutes ago, Rivkin said:

Surprisingly with all the nonsense that goes with the ninja subject, there are swords which were supposedly ordered by the heads of some of the most recognized schools or those heavily associated with such families. 

Standard swords, on a straight-short-heavy side.

We are talking about Edo period here.

Would said swords have been considered ninjato, then? 

I'm sorry if the questions sounds amateurish but, I have been confused about this for a long time. So:
-Were ninja-to ever used historically? 
-Were they ever used with the 'techniques' ninjutsu dojos claim they were used with- such as holding the sageo in the mouth and 'probing' with the sheath, pushing the sword into the ground and standing on it, etc.? 
-When do we first see ninja-to begin to appear? 
-What is the earliest historical account we have of ninja-to?

I'm sorry for asking so much! I'm simply curious. 

What exactly are semegane? Why are they present on saya? Are there different styles of semegane? What materials could they be made of? 

7 hours ago, ROKUJURO said:

Abdul,

welcome to the board!

Industrially made wartime sword blades are mostly made of modern tool steel which has to be quenched in oil to prevent cracks. Traditionally made blades from TAMAHAGANE steel have to be hardened in water. These blades have an inner structure and show HADA. Polishing is very different and does not have similar results. 

Looking at different blades will soon train your eyes!

 Thank you Jean! Do you have any idea where I can find galleries to view nihonto? 

How can I tell apart oil quenched hamon and water quenched hamon? Are there differing levels of activity? Both types can be polished in the same techniques, right? 
I'm sorry if my questions seem dumb, I'm just a newish beginner.