Schneeds

Edit: my info was wrong.

I've been wondering if anyone has ever tried using Lidar software and 3D printed a blade for this purpose. In a controlled environment with a small object it's incredibly precise. I would test it out but I don't, and never will, have an iPhone.

I've look at it a few times, being partial to Omiya School in general I always enjoy it when one pops up. That o-kissaki is gorgeously wicked. I'm guessing around 9cm in length and a robust blade overall, it does stand out.

What is 'interesting' in terms of collection is extremely subjective. Quality is more objective, but there's always going to be give and take until you're spendjng a great deal of money. People collect for a variety of reasons and value a variety of things. Some people are concerned more with sugata, some with jihada, others the hamon... Others the attribution of the school, the smith, the time period, the level of papers, the provenance... The important thing is to know what you want, why you want it, and the relative price range to achieve it.

That picture is better, but I think you can likely get closer while still in focus, assuming you have a decent phone. Try placing the blade down on a soft surface either in a well lit environment, or under a strong direct light source like a flash light/lamp. If doing the latter, you'll want the light burst on the edge of the frame or just outside the window so you get highlighted details without over exposing the entirety of the image. If just using wide diffused light, you'll have to play with angles of the camera relative to the blade surface to expose the details you want. Place your phone in manual camera mode, and set the focus distance to the shortest possible (.1 meter for example). Put the camera right up to the blade, and slowly back out until you get into focus. That will be your minimum focal length and the closest you can get. That should help. Also, he was comparing it to the finest work of what this high level smith is capable of. That doesn't mean yours is poor in general

Kindly point me in the direction of another book with this level of photography for 36 USD.

That Ichimonji National Treasure sword on the page 24 spread is beyond words. At 92% scale, that alone is worth the price of the book.

That's interesting, like a wicking effect? It probably works to soak any current moisture off the blade and keep new air from circulating in.

The shirasaya is designed to have a much better seal, and therefore moisture barrier.

Bit more to it than that. HOZON TOKEN 1) Edo and earlier blades with correct mei, or mumei blades on which the time period, kuni and group can be identified, may receive Hozon paper. 2) Blades that meet the criteria given above can receive Hozon paper even if they are slightly tired or have kizu, as long as those may be permissible in their appreciation. 3) For Nambokucho and earlier zaimei blades by famous smiths, re-temper can be permissible if the blade is valuable as a reference, and if the jiBa and nakago are sufficiently well preserved. However, this has to be documented in the paper. 4) Repair on jiBa is permissible, unless it significantly impairs the beauty of the blade. 5) Blades made in Meiji and Taisho periods, and those by recently deceased smiths, can receive Hozon paper only when the blade is well made, zaimei and has a ubu-nakago. 6) Blades are put to “reservation” if a decision could not easily be made on the authenticity of the mei. This also applies to mumei blades in which an attribution is difficult to make. 7) Blades with hagire may not receive Hozon paper.

I can understand where Nicholas is coming from, but I just don't think the risk is worth it, especially when talking about koto blades. Like Alex pointed out, all it takes is one instance of something going wrong and the blade is ruined. Personally, I bought a cheap Zsey some time ago so I have a nice looking koshirae and something to swing around when the urge takes me. The only thing at risk is my house, and sometimes my wife.

I finally put the finishing touches on my display. It serves as both a display and a safe, which is close to air tight; the glass is clamped to the frame via magnets so it is removeable. The inside is lined with Aspen, and the fabric is vintage Japanese silk. I installed the light bar and a hygrometer. I also carved katanakake inserts for storing in shirasaya in the summer months when I'm away.

Thank you for posting that. Hard to think of a better way for me to spend $36.

I can't imagine the pressures of working on something like that. Magnificent.

Looks like the auction ended at 2,203,000. I wonder why they didn't just have a new shirasaya made and sell it as is with NBTHK TH on their website.

Dealers should start using/offering Airtags. The cost is very little and they're extremely accurate. U-Haul started putting them in the cargo vans because theft and re-VINing has gotten out of control and law enforcement simply doesn't have the man power and time to deal with it.

I'm sure someone will gamble and try it. I'd love to see how it turns out. I also thought it was interesting it was only papered 8 months ago for the first time.

https://www.samuraim...k-hozon-certificate/ I'm curious what the knowledgeable folks here think of that price.

Those look fantastic and the built in lighting is excellent. One can dream! That got me searching for other options. Here is something a fair bit less expensive and probably much more secure that still looks nice: https://invictasafes...shotgun-invictasafe/

Markus Sesko seems to be of the opinion that it is shigane. If not, what in a mono steel construction would account for hada? Polishing through the kawagane seems like a much simpler explanation. https://markussesko....i-2-jigane-jihada-1/

I looked into the display issue a lot on the forum here before deciding to do a custom internal build on a pullout gun safe. A major concern of displaying bare blades is dust. Dust will penetrate anything that is not air tight, and inherently contains moisture. So if you're talking about long term display you're looking at an airtight build within a safe humidity range <45%

I'm confused by this. Shintetsu is just visible core steel due to over polishing, isn't it? Or are you saying Rai works came out of the forge with shingane already visible? Why would visible shigane ever be a sign of quality, irrespective of the quality of the shigane?

What would be the upside of having it? https://www.Japanese...rdindex.com/kizu.htm

Are there links for those examples, Chris? Excellent post, it would be great to see the pictures.

There is a world of difference between generously highlighting a blade's positive characteristics and condoning deception. Do you have any examples to point to for that claim?