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Mark Green

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Everything posted by Mark Green

  1. Jason, I would say the 'plug' matches very well. It is likely shakudo, a copper, and gold alloy. It looks quite nice to me. Yes, it is fine to use a tsube with a kozuke ana if there is no Kozuke. Many later period tsuba have these ana. You don't have to have the tools.
  2. Mark Green

    Help.

    It is big time fun Curran. I did about 12 smelts of many flavors this last year, and can't wait for spring to get here. I have been roasting ore all winter. I have about 200lbs of Magnetite, and 400 lbs of hematite ready to go when the weather gets better. Besides tsuba, I'm making all kinds of early midieval blades, and stuff. My new Chubby faced girl should have a wonderful grain, much like the original. We will see. https://picasaweb.google.com/1068001968 ... imalFires# Mark
  3. Mark Green

    Help.

    Ya, that was me Curran. I am making it again using my own iron, that I smelted in my back yard, from ore I dug one county away.
  4. Mark Green

    Help.

    Thanks Steve, that sounds about right. M
  5. Mark Green

    Help.

    Hi Gang, Does anyone know the maker of this tsuba? Or know where a larger picture can be found? We talked about it here a few years ago, and I lost my info. Thanks for any help, Mark
  6. That's my man Tomoyuki, isn't it? Very bad boy! The Prince looks very dapper. I would like to get a look at those swords! Mark G Ah, here is the General's sword. Made by Shinto, Kanenaga. On display at West point Museum
  7. The tsuba is very nice imho. I like it a lot. Could be gemei, but still very nice. Mark G
  8. IMHO, the picture is staged. This armor would likely have not been in use when this pic was taken. The back shields were more then likely reindeer, or seal hide. Probably a wild screen more then anything else. The armor could have been very old, and the guy with the camera, got these fellas to dress up, and look mean. very much like old west, and African, and war photo guys from all periods of history have. The koryak are indigenous peoples of NE Siberia. It is a very harsh life even today. I'm sure they have made war with their neighboring clans for ever. But, they were nearly wiped out by disease, and invading Cossacks, and others, likely even the Mongols, in the day. I think today, they live on what is very like a native American reservation. Likely without the government assistance. Found it on wiki ." These two men are modeling armor Jochelson purchased for the American Museum of Natural History" I would like to see these close up. Mark G
  9. Hi Gang, Not much to add to Ian's post. I feel Lamellar armor was likely the most prevalent armor next to chain mail. From Eastern Europe and on East, to the end of the world. The Mongols took it everywhere, that it wasn't already. The Samurai, already had a good armor design for use in their style of combat. It is very similar, just coated with lacquer, and laced for ease of movement with a bow. Having worn many armors, for days at a time, in full SCA combat. I can tell you. Nothing is more comfortable to wear for extended periods. Samurai armor is next in line. All others, including chain are very restrictive and slow you down badly, relative to how much protection they provide. Ian, I made that Wisby armor, Out of very thick bison rawhide, and wore it for many years. It was very comfortable. I still wear one very much like it today. Very protective, for the amount of weight. Wasn't there a partial Lamellar armor found somewhere in the mid east or maybe Turkey from BC days? Mark
  10. Svend, Sorry about your loss. Nice sword, And wonderful tsuba. Could we get some better pics of the tsuba please. The sword looks in good order, from what you can see. Ma be worth restoring. Get some fine oil on it soon. Thanks for sharing. Mark G
  11. Yes, the other side may help some. It looks like most of the inlay is missing. It is depicting some mons, Myoshi ? Not sure. Maybe the circles are some other form of clan id. Or maybe stars? Show us the other side please. Mark G
  12. It is too bad someone had to try to fake the signiture. This tsuba is very nice in my eyes. Mark G
  13. That could be Chris. Or maybe they could have looked at it, as the soul never made it into the sword that died in the quench. Or maybe just recycled into armor, or other utilities. You would know better the I. But now that I know how to recycle iron and steel, I keep every scrap. That 2800 deg fire sure cleans up some impurities Mark
  14. Adrian and All, It is very easy to recycle old swords (whatever), into new steel for making new swords. Many people in the world today, and in the very distant past, have done, and do it all the time. The steel from this recycling can be very nice, and very difficult to tell if it was not original Tamahagane. The process of recycling usually adds a fair amount of carbon back into the steel, if you do it the old way. Here is how it is done at home. making very nice blade steel, once it is folded out. http://www.followingtheironbrush.org/vi ... f=9&t=2462 I have not seen any Japanese reference to it, but I'm sure it happened all the time. As blades often crack badly during quenching. So, as people do today, I'm more then sure, the smiths of old were doing the same recycling. Why wouldn't they! Mark
  15. Not likely! They look like hand made, shibuichi & gold to me.
  16. Keith, Your tsuba looks very 'new'. A few more pics may help, but my guess, would be very new. Mark G
  17. I'm with Jean, the yasuri me seems a bit odd to me too. Mark G
  18. Hi Jan, From what I was told, he was one of the best Yari makers of the Shinto period. But it still comes down to what people will pay. Mark G
  19. I have a wonderful Suketoshi, Yari Here is my mei. Some silly person cleaned the tang. The yari is wonderful.
  20. Sweet! Love it. Great Job on the clean up. Thanks for sharing. MarkG
  21. Kevin, For many years, there were dozens of smiths signing 'Sa'. And much later, there were even more "Fakers" signing good looking blades to make people think they were buying a real O-Sa. So, as said above, if it matters to you, send it to shinsa. There are a couple happening this year here in the US. You never know. But to me, your blade does not have that great organic look of O-Sa. And he was very early period.
  22. Hi Sandy, I don't know of anyone here in NC that will fix those handles. There are a few in the US now though. Check the links above for a few. Some others may see your post and contact you. Cheers, Mark G
  23. Good price though. :lol: Signed too. Likely made by a kettle-maker, back in the olden days. Mark
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