Jump to content

cabowen

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    6,786

  • Joined

  • Days Won

    10

 Content Type 

Everything posted by cabowen

  1. cabowen
    Not Shin-to.......Keep them coming.....
  2. cabowen
    Curt- Post some photos of the nakago taken from the mune and ha sides. Also, some closeups of the hamon as it ends in the nakago....
  3. cabowen
    Nope, as I said, it is not a gendaito...
  4. cabowen
    left side is the name of the artist: Tomita Nobukiyo and kao. Left side is his go, X X Sai.....
  5. cabowen
    Nope....not a gendaito...
  6. cabowen
    Any guesses as to what this might be?
  7. cabowen
    From that list, I would look at Birch or alder if you can get it. Stay away from sappy woods like pine, hard woods like Hornbeam, wide grained woods like Ash, etc....
  8. cabowen
    lack of stamp means it didn't go through the military's hands and was purchased privately, most likely through one of many shops that sold them. It may or may not be traditionally made.
  9. cabowen
    I do not know where you are located and thus what is available to you but I have seen alder and magnolia used in the US. A fine grained hardwood on the soft side would be your best bet.
  10. cabowen
    Or most likely not. Do yourself and the sword a favor and stick to properly trained professionals.
  11. cabowen
    There have been fakes of Kajiyama Yasunori and Kotani Yasunori about so it might not be a bad idea, especially if/when you go to sell. For most WWII era blades, kantei-sho don't really add much....
  12. cabowen
    I have many habaki made of solid silver on blades in my keep so it can't be that unusual... I would be careful with which wood I use to make a shirasaya. Stay away from oak, especially white oak, as it has tannic acids that will cause rust very quickly....
  13. cabowen
    Surely without experience and the knowledge needed to discriminate, one might as well be blind... but I can't speak to blind men and paintings so I will just have to take your word for it....
  14. cabowen
    Dated March, Showa 18. Mei reads Isshin　一心
  15. cabowen
    There is a reservoir cut into the very end of the inside of the shirasaya that is there to collect oil. If you apply a lot of oil and store the blade vertically, it will indeed eventually pool there and soak through, exactly as this has.
  16. cabowen
    There's more than enough to make a subjective conclusion about the composition. Judgments about the technical merits would indeed benefit from more info....
  17. cabowen
    Tampa, February 18, 19, 20, 21 2016.....
  18. cabowen
    Here is why I said the horimono, at least to me, is a bit of a question: 1. All of this is a bit much and from what I can see, looks gratuitous. It throws the rest out of balance. 2. This appears too large and looks like a gaping hole. It is poorly proportioned. 3. What is this doing there? It throws things out of balance and it too looks gratuitous. Of course, with the exception of point 2, I am looking at this from an aesthetic standpoint, which is subjective. To each his own...
  19. cabowen
    I think there are plenty of tsuba that while not displaying the technical excellence seen in say, late Edo kinko work, are nonetheless highly valued for their artistic merits. Many katchushi and early tosho tsuba are rather crude in comparison and yet many of these are seen to contain the essence of what Japanese critics value most highly. You see much the same in Japanese ceramics. In other words, I don't think all tsuba highly regarded for their artistic expression are necessary also top examples of craftsmanship. I think it could be argued that certain Japanese aesthetics are almost "anti-craftsmanship" in a sense... In any case, I am with Steve in that I find it difficult to imagine a way to qualitatively assess the artistic merits of a tsuba on some sort of universal scale.
  20. cabowen
    Have you contacted the appropriate authorities?
  21. cabowen
    Let me know if there is anything I can do for you...Hope you can make it but either way you will be taken care of....
  22. cabowen
    My caveat is based primarily on the composition and placement. From the photos, it is difficult to judge the quality. Judgments about the originality of a horimono from the extent it has been polished down are not always accurate; they can be made to look older than they actually are.... Without doubt one needs to evaluate the quality, composition, balance, placement, and similarity of these factors to bona fide examples. It was mentioned as a caveat only and as such, meant to simply raise the possibility of it being done to hide a flaw to encourage close scrutiny and caution.
  23. cabowen
    At your level of experience, I think you are going about things backwards and in such a way as to almost guarantee a bad outcome. Buy a sword in polish, preferably with papers. Otherwise, you are almost sure to get burned. Once you have the knowledge and experience to identify the risk and possible return, you will be much better positioned for success. They way you are approaching this is akin to walking up to a craps table, having never played before, and just throwing a wad of money down.
  24. cabowen
    Neat Shoami....
  25. cabowen
    until
    With great pleasure I would like to announce the return of the NTHK-NPO Shinsa Team to the US. Hosted by Mr. Bill Green of the Southeast Shows and Auctions, the NTHK-NPO will be conducting a shinsa (appraisal) of Japanese sword blades and fittings on February 25-28, 2016. The team will be headed by Mr. Miyano Teiji, who told me personally while I met with him in Tokyo this past July that he would be attending, baring any relapses in his health. Miyano Sensei is one of the top sword appraisers in Japan. Miyano Sensei is getting up there in years and this may well be his last shinsa in the US. For those unable to attend the event, we will once again offer a mail-in service. Space is limited to please make your reservations early. Costs will be as follows: Submission/reservation fee (mailed to me by check to hold your reservation for sword or fitting): $100 per item If the item passes (due at the show in CASH): $175 per item Mail in Service fee (sent to me with your initial registration fee): $100 per item Please contact me at swords@ejapaneseswords.com for further information, questions, and/or reservations. Details can be found online at: http://ejapaneseswords.com/Shinsa_Info.html For info on the show and to reserve a room in Tampa, please contact Mr. Bill Green at: WILLIAM (BILL) GREEN 113A King Street, Saint Augustine FL, 32084 Office: 904.808.0662 Mobile: 904.347.3144 Email: SouthEastShows@hotmail.com
×
×
  • Create New...