cabowen

I picked up some Eesox the other day. It is said to dry after application. I wonder about buildup over time and how easy it is to remove. Any chance you could look at these issues at the conclusion of the corrosion test with your test samples?

No doubt there were those other than samurai who owned wakizashi. How many? I would suspect the truth is somewhere in between very few and many. Regardless, there is the perception that many wakizashi were owned by those outside the samurai class. Markets are controlled to a great extent by perceptions, thus, we see wakizashi discounted. Recognizing this can result in buying opportunities...

Rubber bands make great clamps for surfaces like this....

Many times a new box is better than an old one...

Excellent!

I'm having a hard time understanding how that is possible, unless the yakiotoshi is several inches above the original hamachi.....Or are you inferring that the yakiotoshi could result from heating the blade to remove the hamon to make the suriage easier?

Translation isn't quite right... " Shin gane iri" 眞金入 means something like "made with true metal" not "core steel". 包鉄 Ho-tetsu means wrapped steel but not necessarily kobuse construction.

Thanks Markus as always for your insights.... I should mention that many years ago, after the NBTHK ceased publication of the English Token Bijutsu, I had the opportunity while visiting the NBTHK to talk with one of the higher ups and asked why exactly they stopped the English publication. I was told they had lost their translator and couldn't find anyone to take on the task. Well, I will volunteer! Um, well, gee....deep air sucking....thanks for the offer but it was decided there just isn't a large enough demand for the English edition....Huh? Mmmmm, Ooooookaaaay........ I think the issue in getting permission to translate or republish has a lot to do with worries about copyright on the surface. This is tatemae. The power structure in these organizations has been compared to a doughnut with a hole in the middle. The honne of the situation is no one really has the wherewithal to do the work to generate a consensus of opinion to support it- usually a single person doesn't have the individual authority to make any such decision by themselves- they need to get consensus. No one wants to step up, stick out, make a wave, rock the boat, etc. There simply isn't a payoff. Inertia in the government/quasi-government is the same everywhere but really big in Japan. What it would probably take is a few nights out drinking with the right politician in the right government branch of government (say, someone in the ministry where funding decisions are made..) who could be persuaded to make a call to the Director to put a bug in his ear about how good it might look if they started to "internationalize" the organization by say, reprinting info in English...The backdoor is where you enter if you want to accomplish something. Trying the front door usually leads to a pleasant cup of tea, a short chat with the guy at the top of the boss's $hit list, and a vague but polite brush off about how they would look into it/ it would be difficult...

Indeed. Good luck collecting that, Mr. Revenuer....

Maybe 水心子　すいしんし　Suishinshi.....HINT: Points to a specific well known shinshinto smith....

Yeah, that does appear to be a bit of a puzzle! I think there are two possibilities: one, it could be a friction fit with possibly some pitch holding it tight. Or, the two menuki (metal pieces on the sides of the handle) are covering a pin through the handle. They look attached though so maybe a friction fit...You need to find someone that knows what they are doing to check... In any case, if you can buy them both for $2000 I think no matter what you find you will be ok...

To me the obvious answer is the American Branch of the NBTHK. Or the Euro branch. I would think they would be the pipeline to communicate with the home office and they would be the advocate for these kinds of projects. Has anyone asked them to pursue these things? Have they already? That is where I would start. I would think it only logical that they would be the prime mover in making these sorts of things happen...

I don't think you will lose anything at $2000 for the pair. No photo of the nakago (tang) of the shorter sword? Long sword is signed Kaneyoshi. Probably a Mino smith...Looks like a decent sword.

They are worried about people copying and circulating the PDF's which would violate copyright law. Also, they may have had permission from the authors to publish a magazine but did not have permission to make and distribute digital copies. Copyright law is one of the most complex and convoluted branches of law. I had my own go around with the Diet library trying to get pdfs of their digital copies of a 60 year old magazine. They told me I had to get signed copyright releases from all living authors or proof of death more than 50 years previous of any deceased author. Copyright is valid for 50 years after death in Japan as I recall being told...

Well, when you buy something online from a retailer located in another state, the only people charged sales tax are those ordering from the same state as that where the retailer is located and the sale is made. I have never received anything from my state requesting sales tax on items I purchased out of state or out of the country, ever, and that is a lot of merchandise over decades...Maybe I'm lucky?

The hakogaki says 政盧　”マサヤス” Masayasu. There is a similar kanji: 蘆 which can be read "yoshi". A typo perhaps somewhere?

皇紀二千百三年三月吉日 Koki 2603 Nen 3 Gatsu Kichi Jitsu An auspicious day in March, 1943

Which is why when sending a sword to someone I usually write "returning to owner following restoration/appraisal- not a commercial transaction" on the customs form. Seems to work...

They are real and look to be rather nice. Condition is above average. Without seeing the nakago (tangs) it is hard to say what they may be worth but I would probably feel comfortable spending up to $5000 for the pair, provided the blades show no serious flaws.

State based sales taxes in the US are paid to the state in which a retail sale occurs. They are not paid on items a resident purchases outside of the state of residence.

They get past licensing for various reasons on occasion. It doesn't mean the law has changed. It's Japan.

Whoops, Tempo 8 is the date the artist died. Sorry for the error. And thanks to Guido for pointing that out.

Clearly it hasn't led a pampered life...Thanks for the additional photos.

Doesn't seem from the last photos that it has been polished much...The nakago looks to be in rather poor shape if it is shinshinto...and on the crude side, as is the forging...

It appears that the blade is noticeably thicker right where your left thumb is touching the nakago. Can you get a closeup of that spot?