Bazza

It looks a bit like a Hou-ou bird... The Japanese Phoenix. A closer, better detail photo should clinch it. http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/ho-oo-phoenix.shtml BaZZa.

An enemy could have done it with the equivalent of the now famed Ukrainian response to a Russian navy ship... BaZZa.

It might be just a tight friction fit. Try prying it apart with your fingernails!! I say finger nails, nothing metal for sure. Less haste, more speed and if in doubt don't. I'm sure the handle (tsuka) is removable. It's just a case of patience and I'm sure more advice will be forthcoming. This could well pass as a Shotou (shorter sword of a pair) to a katana that turned up here recently. Same lacquer. I'll post a picture later today. BaZZa.

Ted, I'm in disbelief. Darcy's website is the stuff of legends, certainly of a man dedicated in the extremis to Nihonto. His untimely passing should be mourned as long as we all here are alive - and then some. My sincerest condolences to his family. My heart is still beating fast at the shock of reading this dreadful news. Barry Thomas.

Like it or lump it - it is all a genuine art genre. Just ask the Japanese!!! BaZZa.

Georg, Two completely different news items. The first has nothing at all to do with the auction. Its about the lost National Treasure sword NORISHIGE found in Australia and written up here on the Board. See in the articles section "The Lost Norishige" by Ian Brooks. BaZZa.

Brilliant coup, brilliant. Surely this can be classified as a horidashimono. However, as Jeremiah illustrates, such luck comes with hours and hours of study and appreciation - and lateral study at that. I've seen a very few such finds in my own pond, once myself finding a Shodai Sukehiro (Soboro) katana that is on my polish list. Bask in the glow of your find mate, as we bask with you. Thank you so much for showing and sharing this lovely piece. BaZZa.

Ian, its worth adding a little emphasis here for those not inculcated into machine shop practice. The precise function of the taper is to LOCK the 'fitter' into the 'fittee', so to speak. For example, the purpose of the taper on the rear axle of a car is to 'lock' the axle to the taper of the hub. Those who have tried to get a hub off with out a puller will know exactly the problem. Even those using a puller will sometimes have difficulty getting things to come apart. Similarly, a tsuka made by a highly skilled artisan will 'lock' the tapered nakago of the blade into the tsuka and the tapered habaki then 'locks' the blade into the saya. Thus, a properly fitted Japanese sword can be held upside down without the mekugi in place and the blade will remain secured in the saya. The passage of time, of course, gradually weakens this dynamic. BaZZa.

> (But that will require you to come out west of Hoppers Crossing) TOMORROW?????? BaZZa

With those cracks the tsuba looks more like a casting to me. BaZZa.

Well, I've heard it said that to a dealer if buying it is a wakizashi, if selling a katana!!! The point about it is, I believe, that in their day of the 16th century they were considered katana and should still be so today, IMHO. BaZZa.

A further point for discussion: George wrote; > Blade needed finish polish. From my life's experience I opine there is NO such a thing as a 'finish polish', believing I understand what George means by this. Not even the occasionally vaunted 'needs finger stones only' stands up to scrutiny. OBSERVATION 1 Maybe 20 years ago a friend showed around his 'as found' near mint katana in impeccable polish, so much so most collectors looking at it might say it didn't need a polish. A polisher visiting from Japan was at the gathering and observed "Hmmm, the polish is fading - I would start on the second stone." No such thing as a finish polish here. OBSERVATION 2 A Togishi told me he had never polished a sword that he didn't need to first straighten before beginning the work. But that's an aside. A sword that may be thought to only need a 'finish polish' in the hands of a togishi may in fact first need shitaji, a foundation polish where the 'shape' needs re-setting due to past errors in polish. These can be very subtle and need the trained eyes of a properly qualified togishi to make the call. After shitajii comes the shiage, the finish polish. etc etc etc Regards, BaZZa.

Rivkin wrote above: > Which is more than can be said for very many western properly trained polishers, unfortunately. I do not take exception to anything Rivkin said, However, I should point out for those newer to the Board that our resident Australian togishi Andrew Ickeringill is properly trained and credentialed. See his website and Facebook pages: http://touken-togishi.com/ https://www.facebook.com/toukentogishi And on our own NMB see this thread: https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/11751-2013-nbsk-competition-results/#comment-121567 And while polish is being discussed this thread is a timely re-read: https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/35486-a-word-about-amateur-polishing/#comment-367040 BaZZa. aka Barry Thomas.

I seem to recall a shumei RAI KUNIMITSU or KUNITOSHI that made some USD 12K or thereabouts. Went JUYOU in Japan as I recall. BaZZa.

Do I correctly recall that Nagahama is also the seat of a castle from Hideyoshi's day?? I recall a katana I once had (SEKI SHU?) NAGAHAMA JU KIYOTSUGU (SAKU?)??? BaZZa.

Mr Tsuku, can you share a photo of the kozuka itself, please, both sides??? BaZZa.

Gimei. BaZZa.

My sediments exactly!! BaZZa.

Here is a blade in a cane stick/walking stick koshirae I saw on ebay in November 2009. It has a quite straight blade. BaZZa.

Could also have been used for a shikomizue (cane stick sword). I have seen a quite reasonable one or two such blades in interesting mounts. BaZZa.

Agree with ray. Definitely NOT a shoshin 3rd generation. However, for a grand it might be a halfway decent sword!! BaZZa.

Hi there Guys and Gals/Blokes and Sheilas, here is something I just stumbled upon FYI, or FYA: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?comment_id=10158783163101819&v=884462375714328&notif_id=1642586694481518&notif_t=comment_mention&ref=notif I was interested to hear of a Takahashi Naganobu as I have a katana by him. BaZZa.

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G... In the West Australian desert!!! I know a bloke who found a saiha Kotetsu in Marble Bar 40-ish years ago. There might once have been a modest collection somewhere 'out West'. BaZZa.

I have put this one up quite some time ago, but here it is just for this thread. The blade has a short, wide groove with gold characters in it. It is not polished, but on that side I can see the ko nie of a hamon with a full-tempered point area. BaZZa.

The very, very straight bare blade is interesting only because I have a wrecked, beat-up blade just like it. No mei, no nothing, it has been a puzzle. BaZZa.