Bazza

FUJIWARA SAN - I love it. A wonderful insight into Cary Condell's sense of humour. I get the occasional similar reminder from my collecting mates... Thanks for this delightful snippet that made my morning. BaZZa.

Gentle Folk, I see the original thread http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/16293-higo-tsuba-%E8%82%A5%E5%BE%8C%E9%8D%94-dandyism-expressed-through-iron/?hl=dandyism is locked. However, a friend (a reader of the Japan Times) has sent me a link that may be interesting reading to some: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2015/06/30/arts/edo-samurai-knew-look-sharp/#.VZKLk6oRU0N Best regards, BaZZa.

Need higher resolution pics and closeup of mei and kao. BaZZa.

37 years ago I acquired a Shinshinto katana with a distressed, though original handachi koshirae. The blade had an overcoat of rust and the edge had several chips, however I was convinced there was potential hidden underneath all this. I feel that my patience and careful study have now been rewarded after all these years holding onto this sword. It’s finally been polished and I'm deeply impressed with what has been revealed, I wanted to share it with everyone here on the board. It was polished by Andrew Ickeringill, whose hard years training in Japan have obviously paid off, he did a tremendous job. Andrew also photographed the sword and gave it a write-up on his website, here's the direct link: http://touken-togishi.com/hyakuryushi-nagashige/ Enjoy! Best regards, Barry Thomas aka BaZZa.

Goodness me!! I think I missed this once before. Grev, as a bloke who has worked with Excel etc etc I take my hat off to you in a Grand Sweep. Some deja vu here and I fear after 50+ years "in swords" and at 71 yo I'm starting to lose it, which is why I'll do my PayPal duty right now... Thanks for giving it a bump for an old bloke. BaZZa.

I'm reminded too that sometimes with hagire one can see a sort of "dimple" at the end of the crack due, I guess, to released stresses inherent in the blade. BaZZa.

As said, it doesn't look too good, but I note the following: - if a crack there is no impact evident at the very edge, so either not a crack at all and just a gouge of some cause, or a very old crack followed by a polish. - in the third photo the crack appears to go past the hamon into the jigane. I have seen this but only where the blade has been distorted with bad treatment. In this case the blade shows no sign of being abused so I'm surprised to see a crack propagating past the hamon??? BaZZa.

In the sense that there appears to be firescale on the nakago??? BaZZa.

I get a feeling that the tsuba was clear-lacquered (urushi) long ago... BaZZa.

FWIW I have seen a Mino KANEFUSA wakizashi that had a habaki the same as the one pictured, only the one I saw was beautifully finished and had original shakudo colour. It was very, very nice and it's a real pity that the one here has been overcleaned. Having said that, the blade here does not look like a Kanefusa hamon, so I've merely added my "habaki" two cents worth. Bestests, BaZZa.

I actually thought caps were quite OK for new subjects - they are a form of heading after all and they stand out and by default I understand that as such they do not "shout". Rather, they herald a new subject. Could I have been so wrong????? BaZZa.

I offer photos of a small teppo that I was able to examine recently. Its not a bajouzutsu, it just seems "small", like a boy's BB gun or Daisy Rifle and very light to handle. The barrel is 53.9cm with a bore of 10mm/11mm and the overall length is 87.3cm. The barrel is signed MAKIBARI, suggesting a single wrap, a cheaper manufacturing method. There is a province I can't reconcile with any, so I guess a variant kanji I'm not familiar with. The inscription reads ? SHU JU. Below that is a name I can't read either, but I fancy I can see a -YASU for the second character. The condition of the gun is good save for the octagonal barrel, which is heavily rusted. Another feature suggesting cheaper manufacture for a boy is that the priming pan cover is sheet brass fixed with a rivet. Having said all that, the lock is beautifully made with a maker's stamp and in perfect working order. For anyone wanting more I have high res versions of all the images as well as numerous other closeups. BaZZa.

Dare I speak the unspeakable???? BaZZa.

Gentle Ffolke, The following item has sold on eprey. It is billed as a naginata but looks more like a Persian scimitar with its huge sori. I have no doubt it is a genuine Japanese item, but that sori... Any comments??? http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/181656280560?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 BaZZa.

Eric, Just a note on your habaki. You mention "rainbow colours" - these could be from a very thin coating of oil, or from a developing patination after an origianl shakudo colour has been cleaned off by a nuff nuff (not an Aussie term, but I love it!!!). High quality shakudo when cleaned back to bright copper will self-patinate. It can occur fairly quickly (months) or with poorer quality shakudo (less gold in the copper - 15 grades of quality I believe) it can take quite a few years. So my suggestion is to clean your habaki with isopropyl alcohol and keep it scrupulously clean from any oil, including finger prints. Also, do not oil any of the soft metal fittings, not even iron fittings. Only the blade. For temporay storage a newspaper scabbard is a perfectly reasonable way to keep a blade. Best regards, BaZZa.

One can see pitting in parts that suggests gold-coloured paint over iron??? (small edit) BaZZa.

FWIW, a friend of mine has a karimata yanone signed MOTOYASU. A beautiful piece. If there is interest I'll try and put up a photo of it - it is a long way away from me and my friend is not technologically gifted so it might take awhile. Bestests, BaZZa.

Somewhat reminiscent of Mino Kanefusa??? BaZZa.

Robert, Thank you for your thoughts. The rust is that "pock marked" kind that thoroughly obliterates kanji, however, I can see what might be a remnant stroke that is suggestive of a Showa date and it follows that it would also have been signed. Of course, this could be sheer over-imagination on my part!! I'm not "sure" that it is a Gendaito. I am sure that it is a reasonably well-made blade. I have an impression of Gendaito because of the "look" of the steel and the polish itself, both reminiscent of a Showa era work. I did of course note the kiri nakago jiri suggestive of suriage, but some swords are made this way. Thomas said "older than Gendaito" and it may prove to be so. I would think no earlier than Shinshinto, but I'll have a collective opinion from a couple of mates later in the day. Bestests, BaZZa.

HAHAHAHAHAHA - the thought hadn't escaped me, except that the "hook" is on the right hand vertical stroke instead of the left!!!! Brian, agreed about the ' i ' kanji lacking any professionalism in execution, however I thought it might be someone's idiosyncrasy, rather than an idiotsyncracy!! Older than Gendai?? As we all know, harder without the sword in hand. I'll be showing it to others later today, so there may be more revelations - I pray they are not considered ravelations!!! Thank you all for your thoughts. I don't post often but spend more time than my wife would like in my "cave" absorbing NMB ... BaZZa.

Dear Brethren, I have on loan a Shingunto that has a traditionally made blade 28.8 cm long that I'm sure is a gendaitou. The hamon is nie in gunome midare with some tsume formations. The hamon has a look of quality, with ashi and you. The nakago is, regrettably, completely rusted although I'm reasonably sure it was once signed and dated. Interestingly, there is a small kanji right at the tip of the nakago that appears to be ' i ' - 井. Is this sufficient for anyone to have a stab (!) at the swordsmith??? Two pics below. Thanks, BaZZa.

Joe, a very,very nice sword with quiet quality. Note especially the hitodome on the kurikata - base gold plate, with shakudo plate next, then last the gold closing plug (I'm sure all these minute bits have separate names - koseppa???). You couldn't hope to do better for a first sword. Goodness me, even with the sageo and original bag AND the tsukaito (hilt binding) nicely intact. So often old silk is crumbling away, or beginning to, with sometimes a menuki missing. Oh, and the lacquer with nary a blemish. SWEET. And the price!!! In my book this is more than excellent value, it is a steal. I wish you good fortune for your future collecting, but you are unlikely to do as well for a very long time - unless you have pots of money, of course. I have a friend who sprung a nidai Tadahiro wakizashi out of an arms and militaria shop in an original koshirae, the whole koshirae of the same quiet quality as your sword. I told my friend he was unlikely to ever do that again, and he paid a similar price to you. Nice to know it still happens. Best regards BaZZa.

01 is I think WAKIZASHI NYUMON, probably by Mitsuo Shibata. BaZZa.

Well, let me be the first to stick my neck out!! Even though I can scarcely make out the kanji, let alone read them, this inscription is on the ura so I might opine that it is a date??? Being a tanto (??) it is not likely to be a tachimei?? Is there nothing on the the other side of the nakago, Klaus??? **RABID SPECULATION** If there is nothing on the other side then maybe - MAYBE - a Muramasa mei has been excised and the date left??? BaZZa.

AND??? Brian, can we insert voice clips as per photos??? C'mon Jean, we need an audio file to hear exactly what your accent is. My most memorable French accent isn't Maurice Chevalier (though it does resonate inside my head still); no, it is Pepé Le Pew. As Pepé might say, and certainly Maurice, Vive la difference!! BaZZa.