Bazza

I recall reading somewhere that even as the castle was burning the Toyotomi samurai passed swords down to the Tokugawa samurai by rope to save them. Anyone have more details?? BaZZa.

@mickie G'day Mickie, dunno how I missed this. What a stunner you are. Agree 100% with @Ian B3HR2UH and then some. Very impressive. There are many dyed in the wool collectors who could not have achieved what you have. I with everyone else around the Nihontou world will follow the story of your sword. If genuine (it looks good) and if restoration is desired by your family the sword must only be seen by the highest caliber of professional in Japan. Regards and best wishes, Barry Thomas aka BaZZa Melbourne, Australia.

Interesting google results Bruce. Try mine: Kinnoto/kinnotoh https://studyingjapa...ds.com/tag/kinno-to/ Meiji Ishin-To Right before the Meiji Restoration, long swords (approx. 3 feet) with no curvature were made. Sa Yukihide (from Tosa) forged this type of sword. Saigo Takamori (西郷隆盛)、 Sakamoto Ryoma (坂本龍馬) owned this type of swords. Both are famous historical characters during the Meiji Restoration, called Meiji Ishin (明治維新). Both of them were a part of the Kin’no-to (勤皇党) group which supported the Emperor and renewed the political system. BaZZa.

Brian wrote: > Anyone want to guess why one pair are signed something else besides Yasuchika? Because there was a whole bunch of them with famous names all made in the same 'workshop'?? It has just come to me that my mate Laurie's were signed SHOZUI but pinked as gimei - this is a some 45 year old memory guys 'n' gals!! I'll have to try and find my paperwork on this - it does exist - somewhere... BaZZa.

Decades ago my old mate Laurie Allen had a pair of near identical menuki with solid backs. I doubt I could find photos, but I do remember they were signed SHOZUI. The memory is faint, but I think he submitted them for papers. Again, I probably have a copy of the paper 'somewhere', but it would take me a week of looking and even then not find them. BaZZa.

Having read this thread I'm reminded that a member once suggested a "beginners' place" where one could read the ins and outs of the oft-repeated questions such as those posted here. I was immediately reminded of this thread: wherein I wrote: Well, there it is above!! Board software 1, BaZZa 0... Markus Sesko's website is well worth a thorough trawl by anyone contemplating a lifelong run down rabbit holes!! Knowledge is power even if it takes you decades to approach, yet never master...

A toad, even a handsome one, is not a frog no matter how much thinking might make it so. Adam in Poland, this sword needs to be seen by the NBTHK in Tokyo, nobody else, anywhere else. Myself and others on this Board have papered Hizen Tadayoshi school blades - shodai, nidai,sandai, godai, etc. I have a possible Mutsu wakizashi, a stout blade with a 'presence', but it needs a polish AND a Shinsa before I can say anything else about it. Until you have an NBTHK paper the maker of your sword is an open question and the 'rank' of the presenting collector has nothing at all to do with this process. As Paul said, accept your sword as a nice work and continue study. Line up some Tadayoshi in UK collections and go to England to study them. Best of an essential ingredient in collecting - luck plus study... BaZZa. (Melbourne, Australia)

Well, on the note of serious study, goose-making time coming up for me!! Brickbats welcome, bouquets more so. I may be wrong in 'precise' details and stand correction, but the message intent should be clear. A note on precision in measurement. A length specified as 60cm in metrology (the scientific study of measurement https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrology) is understood to have a precision of 1cm, i.e., 59.5cm to 60.5cm. In other words, the 'uncertainty interval' is +/-0.5cm. Similarly, a measurement written as 60.6cm is understood to have a precision of 0.1cm, i.e., 60.55cm to 60.65cm. In other words, the uncertainty interval is +/-0.05cm. So, if one is relying on a description of a katana length as 60cm one had darned well better go and carefully measure it himself, or ask for a measurement to be made to the nearest 0.1cm (or 0.10cm to be more precise!!) Let the conversation continue... BaZZa.

Sharkskin??? It has denticles rather than scales... https://ocean.si.edu...icry-shark-denticles BaZZa.

Can we see a photo of the nakago and mei please Mark? BaZZa.

On June 8th Jeremy (the OP) said: One question (among many) that I have is, what is this armature sticking up from the mountain side? (circled in red) It kind of looks like a tori that is missing one of its legs. However, that doesn’t make any sense being that the carving is almost definitely deliberate. Can anyone shine a light on what it is? Well, I have no insight, but I did see the following on a mate's sword and wondered if it 'fits the bill'. BaZZa.

For the interest of our 'new' Nihontophiles to the Board I looked at Steve's link above and was surprised that I hadn't seen it before. Here is the link to the website itself and there is a lot of material there that I'm sure will be of great interest to those look into it: https://www.touken-world.jp/en/ BaZZa.

HAHAHAHA - John, you stirrer you!!! Its no world beater for sure, but I'll write it up with photos when I get a chance. You know that drill, desu ne?? BaZZa, aka Bary "Gunnadoo" Thomas.

Ffolkes, I too was confused about 'sleepy' and thought it referred to the hamon, which I have seen described this way. BUT, here in Australia the 'go to' expression for a good find 'out of the woodwork' is sleeper, of which I had another one recently. Sadly, nothing to write home to Mother about, but a good, clean, mumei piece in Shinguntou koshira. A nice sleeper from the family of the man who brought it back from his service in the Islands 1939 - 45. BaZZa.

Jeremy, I had one similar decades ago in copper/yamagane. Shoulda kept it!! With that bushy tail I described it as "an over-endowed rabbit", but Robert Haynes suggested a fox. Somewhere around I have a photo of it. Memories... Thanks Piers san for explanation of 'hidden meaning'. I have never heard of rusu-moyo in those words, so tickled Dr Google and found this, which is germane to our interest: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/hidden-meanings-david-ito/ BaZZa.

IMHO - gimei, but of course it may otherwise be a good and worthy sword... BaZZa.

Amber, the years will teach you, and all it costs is money!!! BaZZa.

Nick, From what I can see your sword came to you NOT in a WW2 saya, but an antique lacquered saya with handachi fittings from the late Edo period. Care to put up photos of the handle & fittings and tsuba??? These are all worthy of preservation as many earlier swords like yours were remounted in the later Edo period for the wars of the time. If you eventually get the sword polished do try and get a tsunagi (wooden copy of the blade) to preserve the antique mountings as well. That would be my line of restoration. BaZZa.

Jimmie, thanks. Very interested to see this as I have a Nambokuchou Ko Mihara katana with Tanobe sayagaki. Can we see your sayagaki, please? BaZZa.

> this Tanto has two different hamon > one side is in gunome choji in Bizen style > other is worked in soshu.. I believe this is called konotegashiwa?? BaZZa.

Luca wrote: > What is your take? I'LL TAKE IT!!!!! Quite one of the nicest pieces I've seen in a while. Congratulations Luca. BaZZa.

I once had a big Shinshinto katana with a red-lacquered same tsuka. I still have a Shinshinto katana with a gold-lacquered same tsuka. BaZZa.

Piers san, Yes I'm fine thanks. Delayed by Mother's Day here and a slight attack of empty bottle plus granddaughter baby sitting today!! I'll be back on the PM 'ere long. I've also dug out some old files from my arrow head collecting mate's days of the UCHINE he made. He did the eggshell lacquer as well and polished the arrowhead. Photos below FYI. Also attached is a document with info from a search I made at the time. Best regards to all, Barry T. Classical Weaponry of Japan - UCHINE info.doc

Shooting from the (not so well informed) lip - the first one with the kanji is indeed elegant, also possibly quite old and quite possibly of shakudo that the finish has been polished off. See the remnant colour clinging to the hitsuana and nakago ana outlines. However, the reddish present surface colour is lovely and best left unmolested, I think. BaZZa.

Amber, imagine being 10 years in the future and looking back. You will be amazed at your journey and where it took you and what your view is 'then'. I've been a blade person for 60 years, but I do follow tsuba and tosogu and have a small eclectic collection. For tsuba and discussions alone you will find this Board an amazing place to be and wonder how you found time to go to work!!! However, for a close to the truth, if not the bone view of collecting tsuba one of my favourite tsuba reads is this one below. Its a bottler... Do give us your thoughts when you've read it. Best regards, and to finish with a great closing quote of a famous Nihontou sensei "Gambatte kudasai". BaZZa. aka Barry Thomas.