Bazza

sugu-midare?? Not mimigata. BaZza.

Well, while this is active I'll simply say I have a Tanrenjo blade in Shingunto koshirae with a mei similar to the one I illustrated back in 2020 (above). The sword is somewhat of a wreck and I've been 'gunna' write it up for some time now (there is a story!), but a certain teppou write up comes before that, so patience Ladies and Gentlemen... BaZZa aka Barry 'Gunnadoo' Thomas, Melbourne, Australia

Nicolas, a good buy indeed. Time and your collecting future and direction will tell you when the time is right to release it back into the world. It took me 15 years to release my first buy, a mumei Sue Kotou blade in a very nice Shinguntou koshirae. That the time was right was decided when a top-level ubu Shintou Hizen katana came into my orbit, also in a good Shinguntou koshirae and with a photo album and letter from the Japanese major surrendering it. I still miss my first, more for nostalgic reasons than anything else, though it did exude a feeling of its time and place in history, and it was a real sword that was deemed worthy of taking to war. Congratulations on your journey so far, but its a long and winding road... BaZZa.

Just in time!!! Jamie better like it heaps as my finger was quivering on the trigger. Now I can put the money back towards my sword 'n' teppou bin!!! I enjoyed this chawan very much. Good one Evan. BaZZa.

Sorry for a slightly off-topic comment, but I thought Ken would enjoy it. I've just heard from a mate in Tasmania who is helping on Old Gentleman move out of his early 19th century Country Mansion to down-sized accommodation. My mate is the Mansion-sit guard until settlement and in his words: "An occasional visitor to the (Country Mansion) shot 16 bunnies with this the other night. Claimed head shots at 40 - 60 metres. He was cleaning them when we arrived." You can see a bunny at the top of the pic "in preparation for dinner". Here is a pic of the implement. Nicest piece I've ever seen in that line! BaZZa.

CELLULOSE??? George, the cellulose 'same' I've seen had a yellow-ish cast. Your example IMHO is real same??? BaZZa.

Ask for help, please. We are all busting to know. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone!!! BaZZa.

MINO(? or NOSHU) MIHARA YOSHI ? SAKU KORE BaZZa.

I've seen a case where one child had the blade and the other the nicely lacquered saya and they had been 'going at it'. Pretty sad to see. BaZZa.

It means when I have got my act together and massaged a sufficiently good set of photos of all the features of the teppou. One teaser - the mei has a kao... Another - it retains a feature I have never seen before, but which answered a question. BaZZa aka "Gunnadoo" PS - I will try harder. When I ran the 'Gunnadoo' line to Mal Cox's request for oshigata he wrote back and said "Can you make that 'Gottadoo' "

Yes - BUT - since when did roosters lay eggs??? Hmmmm??? Hmmmm??? The ideal kashira would be - a henpecked hen!!! BaZZa (in a cheeky mood)

Cluck, cluck, cluck of approval. Where is the Nihonto Chicken for his cluck?? Charles, this is a stunner. I'm sure there is a wonderful story of who did the work, where, and how long it took. Charles wrote: > I went and did the thing that everyone tells you to avoid doing. I had new koshirae made for a katana Well, if one uses the right artisans the result speaks for itself. BaZZa.

Well, some solid resonances here. Where are the Lady Collectors and what are their stories?? What historical figure will speak for them??? For a Collector's wife I have observed there are the Three Rings of Marriage: The Engagement ring The Wedding ring, and The Suffering... BaZZa.

Khalid, The last time I looked at this there was a vast literature on the psychology of collecting. Just plug psychology of collecting bibliography into google and take a walk!! BaZZa.

Would I be correct in saying that the 'teardrop' shape at the top of the mei is a tama, in this case as drawn it represents the Jewel of Knowledge with flames rising from it??? This is the same tama as in tamahagane... Any more 'enlightenment' on this??? A very interesting signature indeed. BaZZa.

In correcting my earlier entry I've just remembered another juicy tidbit. Some 20 or so years ago a polisher visited Melbourne under the auspices of a noted lady dealer in Japanese arts. He was a third generation togishi and his grandfather was taught by the Hon'ami of the day. He asked for a sword to be used as a polishing demo sword and I proffered my Yasukuni (Kotani) Yasunori, which really did need a polish. As work progressed on the blade (up to the 5th stone if I remember correctly) he commented that he thought the blade was youtetsu - factory steel. I'm guessing he had never seen a Yasukunitou or knew anything about them. FWIW (who the hell am I!!!) I politely disagreed and told him a little about them. BaZZa.

Bruce Pennington wrote: I have seen a number of late-war smith names that were taken from old famous smiths. It would not surprise me if this blade was a showa era blade. I agree the straight sori hearkens to an older era, but didn't many smiths adopt older styles? I am the absolute wrong guy to be talking kantei on blades, so ignore all of this if I'm off-base; but it would make more sense to me to be a gendaito with the matsu stamp on the end. Agreed. I have seen at least two that I remember: ** (KIKU) MONDO no SHO MASAKIYO. ** Another one I can't remember, but the translated name in Hawley was a 17th century smith. This was decades ago and I puzzled over these two swords, but in the end concluded both blades were Showa. BaZZa. ** (KIKU) MONDO no SHO MASAKIYO. KIKU!!!! What am I talking about?? A single AOI leaf for MASAKIYO

Khalid wrote: > I did get a earful from a few local collectors on having a unsigned blade restored. Congratulations on following your own path. It is the best way in the long run to learn about Nihonto - i.e., make your own mistakes. It took me many years of 'doing it on my own' and I've written about it before. Here are some sayings I give credence to: "To thine own self be true", "The quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten". And my own "Never shell out money on a Japanese sword unless you can afford to lose it totally". You do learn quickly this way!!! Khalid, I have been collecting for 55 years on a shoe-string budget and am never going to get back all the money I've put into it - BUT - the journey has been priceless!! BaZZa. Oh, and some unsigned swords may turn out to be o-suriage mumei blades from the Kamakura or Nambokuchou period - I have two of them!!

And now for something REALLY different - my TEPPOU acquisition for 2021. More photos and detail will appear in the TEPPOU thread by-and-by. BaZZa.

Victoria, the state we're in!!

My Dear JP, I'm sure many of our fellows here know your life situation only too well and feel for you in your travail. It is good you have 'opened up' for that in itself is a part-healing process. The good members of this Board will support you in your troubled times, no apology necessary. For myself I am glad to see you back amongst this fine fellowship and sincerely hope that you will, indeed, 'stay around'. The best people I know in my life are my fellow collectors and so I have always realised that collecting is so much more than merely acquiring 'things', as beautiful as they are. The people are the great joy. Welcome home and come often. Best regards, BaZZa. aka Barry Thomas (Melbourne, Australia)

Gentle folk, Just stumbled upon this FYI: https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/nunome-zogan.html BaZZa.

Shiinogiyaki?? Never seen it before. Any explanations?? BaZZa.

Good morning Mojmir, At least it is morning in my part of Australia!! Never mind the kogatana, could you please post some images of the kozuka itself, both sides. It has the "look" of an old one, possibly Ko Kinko. Better minds than mine will know, but the worn look could be the use of centuries. Happy New year to all. BaZZa.

Greg I feel for Tomoko's and your loss keenly. Tomoko san will need good friends in the coming days and months and her NMB customers and supporters have I hope given her good cheer. Collecting in Oz has lost a few friends of late and only this morning I had news of George Fennell's passing in New South Wales. George was an eclectic collector, but well-known amongst a small group of Oz collectors I hope the New Year is kinder to each of us and all our friends. Bestests, BaZZa.