kusunokimasahige

Just be sure to post pictures, and we'll be happy! KM

Which one? KM

Wauw i did not know Maurits received those, and well the French nicking them.... We should demand them back !! Reminds me of the Elgin marbles debate or the mirror of the Royal Charles haha which is still in our Rijksmuseum... no chance there... I think they have more than one in Leiden, however the last time i spoke to mr. van Gulik was years back when i studied Japanese Language and Culture here... however i am starting up history again so probably will get access to some things again!! I dont know wether there is some info still to be found in the archives here.. The document of Philip II interests me! Since it is a little before the Dutch gain a strong foothold in Japan. So how did the Haramaki come into English posession? KM

Wow thats interesting news indeed!! Well here in Leiden we do have a few things given to our royal family by the Tokugawa of course... highly likely also some diplomatic sets of armour! But since i havent been to the museum of Ethnology lately i am not sure wether the armours they have there were given by the lord of the Shimazu-clan or by the Shogunate... In the Netherlands there is a lot of Japanese stuff around anyway... Keep us posted! KM

What a great story Ian! Especially the ceremony performed by your mother made me think of a samurai wedding ceremony in which the mother does the same! :lol: We all know you of course from the work you do/did at the Royal Armouries and some of the Discovery/NatGeo documentaries aired worldwide. Keep enlightening us with your knowledge, as well as the other "silverbacks" on here!! best wishes, KM

WHY AM I NOT RICH! KM

Getting up to 39 here.... (DAMMIT!) LOLZ Bought one sword three years back, signed minamoto masayuki ( not certain if its Gimei or not since it hasnt been to shinsa) still needs a polish, its in WWII 94 aluminium saya. Bought it for 400 EU from a WWII collector who didnt know his stuff. Its my prize posession. Working as teacher of history so not that rich, and have too many hobbies... collect too many things... ie WWII aviation gear. I fly on a regular basis, real planes as well as RC (warbirds) my airfleet is clogging my house LOL... Practice Kendo and still want to start katori shinto ryu one day Do a lot of Re-enactment, Roman mainly, some WWII some WWI, Medieval and Samurai. Own one gusoku and two high end replica swords for re-enactment displays. Love Japan, its culture and its history. Not the youngest, and not the oldest on here LOL... KM

Jaques.... that was a joke.... LOL KM

KM

This is not about leaving things alone Brian, it is a question on attesting swords since I am trying to discern how the system actually works with NihonTo. Since there is Gimei, and also flawed attribuations by the Hon'Ami family et cetera, and since there are the NBTHK board and others who issue papers, I am trying to inventory the several thoughts on attesting swords to smiths through the ages for an article i am working on. I need to reach a thorough conlcusion so i have to ask questions which in your eyes might be awkward, but they certainly are not invalid. Henk-Jan

So would it be a valid assumption that attributing a sword could be called a pseudo science which began in the early samurai days and has continued well into the present? or is it actually a science? KM

Interesting discussion indeed! Good points! Personally i regard a cutting test higher than any attribution, however that is forbidden these days.... So ill settle for a board of scholars instead... KM

it is me who gets the nasty legal threats if we are wrong Well that should be a compliment because some people out there regard our opinion and knowledge on nihonto as decisive... KM

Ah ok i see now that Nisshu is post Meiji. I was talking about PRE-Meiji !!! To me any "nihonto" made after the Meiji restoration is not real since they were not used by the Samurai Class which was treacherousely abolished. But thats a personal opinion and a totally different standard.... not a widely accepted one of course.... (just my two cents) KM

Strike me down in anger but i could not let this one go unnoticed... misunderstandings in the past and my tone. It eventually sounded harsher to native speakers than I intended to. Reinhard ( German name ) KM

I think that totally depends on the era it was in use. KM

As a Somali Pirate i must protest in the strongest terms against the allegation of thread hijacking! We hijack ships! NOT threads!! For the rest i like the openness of the discussion and i hope this thread will survive indefinetely. KM

Fake and 13 pos comments.... stay away! KM

wether or not its a regular blade is not the point here, it was reviewd and attested by a Honami. Thats far more important than any NBTHK paper!! KM

gor yhe wecord, tou sre zbsolutely tight! :lol: KM

Ah thank you John!! i knew there was one, just forgot it! they had so many festivities in the Roman Empire it dazzles from time to time!! KM

That would be a great idea Carlo, try if you go there to take some photographs indeed!! And now i am off watching a few more crucifixion films, irritating myself on the totally wrong and distorted way they portray us Romans...... ( LOL) Fot those who believe, happy Easter/Passover, for the Germanic pagans among us, happy Ostara, for the Jewish among us happy Pesach, and well i dont think in Bhuddism, Shinto or Roman pagan beliefs we have a word for the coming days... We just enjoy them... KM

Piers, you are absolutely right! same here when we as Romans display, vans loaded up, shields, spears, artillery, tents and tent posts, wall postings cooking utensils, earthenware, shovels, pickaxes, armour, swords and especially the ballistae, onagers and other artillery pieces prove hassle. (thank god the Dutch society only has one scorpio) Re-enactment is fun but getting the stuff to where it has to be is often cumbersome. Great display story!! KM

I do not think it is an ugly blade at all, and well the signature, from the nakago i can see its not shinshinto, nor gendaito, so who knows who made it.... KM

Look at the saw back on the sword.... just like the saw blade bajonets of WWI KM