The Blacksmith

Yep, tanto, cannons, an easy mistake to make Alex. There are occasionally some really nice bits on Antique Atlas. Great Scott antiques too is well worth a look.

I had a friend here who was often buying German WW2 daggers etc. All of them were fakes, and he also bought a couple WW2 katanas, again Chinese knock offs both of them. He certainly didn't like it when I told him they were all fakes and why. Motto in his case should have been: buy the item, not the story!

Is that first kabuto a 120 plate example?

worryingly, the bo hi and the kissaki are getting much better now.

Personally I wouldn't put money on ANY of them being original, at best a couple may be bitsa's.

Something that occurred to me Nazar, you might have a look at some guitar strings, maybe bass strings, which come in a variety of different colors, silver plated or brass etc. Possibly, these may be of use for the wound wires? Just a thought that came to me in the middle of the night.

Nice job! However, I wonder if the wire is actually wound and not merely twisted. Twisting wire is, as you say, simple enough, but winding it, if that is what it is, is a different matter. hence my suggestion.

I have usually twisted my own wires, but have on occasion gone to Wilkinson Sword and bought special grip wire from them. Wilkinson are alas no longer making swords, but you might try Pooley Swords for the wire. They may be abe to help you source the correct wire Nazar. Pooley Swords

Bronze scabbard ? We definitely need pictures Robert!

I only wish I could, but alas, not at the moment................................. Good luck with the auction, and many thanks to the donors for their marvelous generosity for the forum!

Had you not mentioned it, I would have missed the third one too! What an odd piece indeed.

@ROKUJURO They are indeed! My mother was Danish and started collecting them years ago. Then after I moved to Norway I saw a couple in a shop and bought them as the motives had meaning to me, but it sort of snowballed from there. I don't collect them as such, but I do have a few. Oldest is 1927. As is often the case, I do not have space to display them where I live now, so only have about six up on the walls.

Thank you Colin, I do well understand the 'thrill of the chase', and this is a topic that we have discussed several times in collecting circles. A friend who has had to sell his collection recently due to divorce, has said the same to me, for him it was also the thrill of the chase, not the actual owning of an item. For myself, well, I buy an item, sometimes an item that I have wanted for many years, and then it goes with the others and becomes merely one of a number, certainly not forgotten, but perhaps rarely looked at and perhaps not appreciated as much as they may merit. I find that strange. I too have sold two collections over the years, but could never imagine doing so again.

@Matsunoki Colin, may I ask what prompted you to sell your collection, or were they all always for sale anyway? I have collected for over sixty years, and yes, there have been times when I haven't had anything at all, but now I simply couldn't imagine not having weapons around me. I do know a friend who buys something, then sells it a few days later and buys somethings else. Thats not for me, I buy it and I keep it, especially now. Probably I may upgrade a few pieces, but otherwise everything stays put.

Errrrrrrrrrr,me!