Darcy

Any weird problems, if you could list the browser version like Brian did, this will help me try to support things. Netscape 7 gah 2003! I'm surprised it worked as well as it did. That scrollbar thing is indeed the spacing issue I was mentioning before. Guess it is a bit wonky still on older stuff. I'll have to fiddle more, I'm trying to have things be less hackish to get the same features as I have on the other pages. The book getting out of its frame bug, for some reason IE is not obeying a , will look into that... thanks for the screenshots, it helps.

Every browser version number does things differently from its predecessor... so anything that looks funky, please let me know the version numbers. I've only tried it on IE7. 6 and earlier may do bizarre spacing stuff, they are notoriously bad for following standards. About the books, I am still shooting for Soshu until August. After August I start editing in earnest, and can maybe put out the book around October/November. The process is sped up because I get to leverage a lot of the learning and design work that went into the first book. It takes a long, long, long time to hammer out the simple issue of color management in order to produce good results . About the gradients, it always has to fade to full transparency because if it does not, when someone drags the window very wide, the only other option you have is to repeat the existing gradient, or else mirror it. Either is disconcerting. I'm going to I think use the approach I have there now, just the gradient on the introductory frame and matching frames from there on in. I could probably resolve space issues going forward by joining the two frames (header/body) instead of relying on the browser to align them. Uglier programming but maybe faster rendering too and won't have any potential alignment issues. So Brian, if you can just take a screen shot of whatever renders funky and email to me or post it'll help me figure out... pls. include browser versions.

As mentioned in my site design thread, though I have not put any swords up on my site I still get a lot of inquiries about blades for sale... I was thinking this week that I might open up my website for people to consign blades on. Right now, consigning a sword with a dealer will generally run you a 20% commission. What I am thinking of doing with my site is having a consignment area that buyers and sellers can come together, sellers can write up a piece and provide their own photographs. I'll post the submissions, add research notes if applicable and I will hold their contact info with the price listed. Inquiries that come in, I would just direct to the seller and buyer and seller can negotiate their price. I would charge a 5% commission and if necessary act as escrow. It would give people a well visited place to list their items for sale, they wouldn't have to risk shipping their sword until a buyer is lined up, and it beats having to pay out 20%. Downside is that for the most part photography will not be uniform or as complete. Does that sound like a welcome service?

I threw in some various combination of transparency effects now for evaluation...

The heading sections just gradually get lighter when moving to the right. I put the second box with an alternate effect, just a dark bar for the heading. I'm not sure which one I prefer, I like the contrast from dark to light but am a bit worried about it being too noisy. I'm not sure what the forced scroll comment means... is the horizontal scrollbar popping up? I have to do a few tricks to make the fixed elements work under IE, and from time to time some CSS related issues cause the horizontal dimensions of the page to be miscalculated. It's not from the copyright tag but is related to the other nonsense I am doing if this is what you're getting at. Which browser version Brian? I'm going to be completing the series of books of course, and am considering letting people list swords on my site providing their own pictures. I am still getting a lot of traffic and people asking me about swords so might be a good thing for everyone. I just don't want to do paperwork import/export etc. anymore :-).

I've gotten sick of my black-and-white so am updating my site design. I fooled around for the last couple days and have some design elements I am testing out. If you would care to look and give me a thumbs up / thumbs down, and if there is anything you particularly like or don't like, please let me know. If you really don't like, don't be afraid to say so, I need to know if people will be happy looking at this in order to know if I should make the effort to go down this road further. I don't think I will change any of the sword pages, since they are very clear and straight forward and the layout there is good for that. I am just looking for a way to brighten things up a bit while stretching my programming muscles a bit and to try to group together subjects on the front page a bit better. http://www.nihonto.ca/test/ It is known to work on Firefox 2.0 and 3.0 betas, as well as IE 6 and IE 7 (though I have not banged out every little detail on those browsers, just did a quick check and looks 90% ok). If you're running something else and want to let me know if it passes or fails, please do. No idea if this will work on Safari either.

Thank you Moriyama san!

Hi, does anyone have contact information for Fujishiro sensei? A friend of mine would like to send a sword for polish and we're having trouble digging it up (seems like a squatter has taken over http://www.nihontou.com unfortunately).

Milt, if you want, email me your address and I'll send you a book if you want to show it to people in the area who might be interested. It helps when people have an idea of what it's about... I'm sending one up to Nick K. too, he suggested I make the trip. Ideally I should have set this up as Chicago vs. New York bragging rights!

The New York photo session went very well, I shot over 40 swords and will have to return to do another 25 or more. I will be at the Midwest Token Kai from May 1-4 to shoot swords in the area or any brought to the show. http://www.nihonto.ca/chicago/ For additional info. Please send me an email if you are interested in having your sword photographed. You get copies of the photos, and there is no charge.

Your friend for this much can commission a new sword from a skillful Japanese smith, that will be well made for both kata and for cutting if he so desires. It will be true nihonto, without any issues of destroying a historical item in case of disaster. Just pride and limbs will be at stake.

It is a nice sugata and typical of a Kamakura piece. I think you should send it to Bob Benson for his kantei. He will probably tell you to remove the signature and submit it to shinsa and he will in this likely give you a good opinion about the school. He can remove the signature for you and repatinate the nakago. The cost for this is minimal. It was probably made mumei. I'm curious to know how it works out and what your further decisions are, so please keep us posted.

FYI, I will be heading to New York to photograph your swords if you want... for publication in the book series. http://militaria.co.za/nihontomessagebo ... 7809#17809

I'm going to be heading to New York to photograph swords in Eastern US collections for anyone who wants to get their swords up that way. I'm going to be there for the weekend starting January 18th, provided that I'm allowed to enter the USA with my photography equipment. The swords will be published in the remaining series of books on Japanese Swords in North American collections. Reference: http://stores.lulu.com/nihonto The invitation form is here in Word and PDF forms: http://www.nihonto.ca/invitation.doc http://www.nihonto.ca/invitation.pdf You can fill in by hand and fax to me, or fill in with Word and email to me via the website. If you need the fax number, drop me an email note. I would like to publish any quality piece of any period and tradition (including Bizen, there will be a second volume devoted to this). I am going to attempt to get oshigata done if possible for swords that are not Juyo and don't have NBTHK papers. I have someone in Canada and someone in the USA lined up to produce these, but arranging for them is going to depend on owner flexibility. People submitting swords will get their choice of electronic high res copies of the photographs of their pieces and/or a frameable glossy 8x10 print, as well as copies of the oshigata if they make their piece available for this. Also the joy of seeing their stuff in print :-). I am not sure right now if I am going to be overwhelmed or twiddling my thumbs, so the submission form / invitation is meant to help organization and keep items sorted out. Please please please come and bring swords. If I am denied entry I will email everyone who supplies an email address and post here to inform that immigration turned me back with my camera. I've hired an immigration attorney and contacted US immigration, and there is not supposed to be a problem with coming in, but in the end all entry decisions are made by the agent on the ground on the spot and is at their discretion. Given heightened border issues, this can be a bit touch and go. So just giving a heads up in case.

This may help: http://www.ncjsc.org/yasurime-1.html

I don't think there are any signed Kuniyuki tanto just off the top of my head. Stuff from that period is rare to non-existent. You see them popping up in the beginning of the late Kamakura, after this smith's period. How long is the blade? It's hard to get a good handle on the sugata because you're shooting down with the tanto pointed away from you. Stand with the blade going across your body and it won't distort because the average difference in distance of each part to the camera is smaller. Machi was moved up 3/4 of an inch I guess, the bottom holes are probably original. I think the yasurime should be kiri, can't make them out. Rai hada is just core steel showing through because the blades tend to be thin skinned. I have owned three swords by Rai Kunitoshi and Niji Kunitoshi. None showed any Rai hada. Hada of a Rai piece is generally fine and beautiful, top quality. Lots of ware showing through on your piece. The hamon on a well made suguba Rai piece should be very even and expect a turnback that may be medium to fairly long. See: http://www.sho-shin.com/sanji2.jpg In particular your hamon flares through the boshi, and is different on both sides. Looks like lots of hakikake in there. Consider the overall shape of masame turning up through the kissaki, this is the source of the underlying structure of the hakikake. The hamon is pretty deep, moreso than a Rai blade would be I think. All told what I am looking at makes me think of a Yamato blade rather than a Yamashiro blade. If the style were closer to Rai the faker would likely have put a Rai Kunitoshi mei on it. I think when going to an older smith in this line before the school evened out its form they are going for the fudge factor of having no examples to compare to, and that the older style of Rai shows features in the hada and hamon more similar to this. Just guessing. As Ted points out could be one of the descending schools from Rai that loses some of the standard form and some of the skill, and some of these pick up some Yamato I think. Would have to look at the books. I think it is a legit old tanto that is worth having the mei removed and sent for papers. Furisode nakago is supposed to nail it fairly close to or in the Kamakura period.

I'm going to outline the steps of a good import, along with pitfalls and why you want to do things right at each stage. I learned this over the period of years, of making errors and corrections, and of educating myself as to what my responsibilities are. It seems to be a moving target as there is a lot to know. Truly, people have their professions built around import/export, but since we deal with such a small scope it should be something that each of us can master if given the right start. DISCLAIMER I am not a customs broker or a lawyer. This is intended as a guideline to help you get your stuff straight, comply with the law, and protect your sword. If it fails to do any of the above, it's not my fault. Always confirm advice like this by calling customs in your local country. You are the only one responsible for an item being imported. Not me, not the exporter, only the importer! I hope this helps you and provides some useful information, but once again, *everything* needs to be confirmed by looking up the specifics for your country. Your Goals Your goals are simple: compliance with the law, payment of proper duties and taxes, safe and undamaged arrival of the item. Ideally you want to avoid inspection, because it is during inspection that careless handling will cause damage to your piece. I had a Tokubetsu Juyo sword not returned into its saya properly. As a result on the final stage of shipping the sword was bouncing around inside the saya and caused three abrasions in the ji. This could have been prevented if I had in advance educated myself properly in the import process. First a note on Customs Laws. Customs laws are draconian. They are written so that Customs can determine you guilty of smuggling without any proof necessary. You are required then to establish your innocence. Given the number of people who purposefully improperly declare to customs, it is easily imaginable why customs requires this kind of power. In general it is used responsibly and given their role in trying to fight major smuggling operations, and/or narcotics and firearms, the tools are very necessary in order to defend a border. In general the average citizen will not encounter them other than in a situation where a package is missing some required information and a customs agent is skeptical over it being a case of duties and taxes trying to be avoided. Because customs can make these "findings of fact", it is in your best interest to answer every possible question in advance by providing proper paperwork and descriptions. This shows that you know your responsibilities, you have made a good importation declaration, and now you are no longer arguing uphill. Things will go your way if you have a professional quality import declaration. Duties and Taxes I am a bit familiar with other countries because of my export experience, and am most familiar with Canada for my imports. Here is generally what you are facing duty and tax wise for various countries for your imports. Antique Swords An antique sword is one that is made over 100 years ago. Italy: duty free. VAT 20% reduced to 10% non-EU origin, 0% EU origin. England: duty free. VAT 17.5% reduced to 5% non-EU origin, 0% EU origin. Belgium: duty free. VAT 6% non-EU origin, 0% EU origin. Canada: duty free. GST 6%. Provincial sales tax applies as well, Alberta has no provincial tax. USA: duty free. State sales tax applies. Montana has no state sales tax (as well as a couple other states). This is not meant to be a comprehensive list, just shows that antique swords in general are duty free, and often come into reduced VAT rates. In several cases importation is totally duty and tax free. It is just your job to properly support this claim you are making with extensive information. Remember, soooo many people lie to customs, they have to regard a duty and tax free claim with skepticism. As long as you have the right backing information it will be fine. Non-Antique Swords There are two types of these swords by my determinations (which obviously don't carry a ton of legal weight). Generic "swords" such as a bayonet, and then an ethnographic sword. And example of an ethnographic sword would be a hand made Kukri from around 1920, or a hand made Japanese sword right up until modern era. Customs allows for duty free importation of a special class of items which is fairly wide. In this class falls things like mineral specimens, dinosaur fossils, and the items we are concerned with which are historical and/or ethnographic interest items which are collectible. Gendai collectors and Shinsakuto collectors need to be aware of this, because their swords should fall into the same duty free provisions as antique swords, where a generic thing like a bayonet probably won't unless it has some special historical significance. The two components of historical and ethnographic interest are embraced through the fact that Japanese swords are an important part of the cultural heritage of Japan, and are made nowhere else in the world. For example, a piece of silverware could be made anywhere... even if it has some regional flavoring, it is not going to fly as being culturally or ethnographically important. Because the Japanese Ministry of Education continues to sponsor the system wherein swordsmiths must pass certain criteria to be licensed and their output is limited by law, it really proves the point that these items are culturally significant (i.e. ethnographic) and as well since the ministry is acting to preserve a historical lineage of skills from teacher to student that goes back 1,000 years, the historical aspect is also secured (you only need one or another). Individual items like a Gassan made for an Admiral in WWII will have an additional piece of historical significance allowing for a duty free and tax reduced claim. The last component that they be collectible is self-evident and shouldn't be worried about being established. There is a point where 2+2 = 4 has to be assumed and not proven. If you are a gendai collector, it will do you some good to research the Ministry of Education program and have a little document prepared in advance. Guiding your Item through the Process Here are the stages then: 1. Describe Your Item in Full Bad: Japanese sword -or- Japanese sword more than 100 years old. Good: Antique Japanese sword, ca. 1666, by "Sukehiro", approx. 350 years old. Harmonized Tariff 9706.00.00.90, accompanied by scabbard approx 150 years old, Harmonized Tariff 9706.00.00.90. When your item passes a border it is processed by a clerk who works for the shipper. This clerk takes the information you present on the package and submits it into the customs computer system. If the information is incomplete or dubious, it will be stopped for inspection. A customs agent will probably have the shipper bring the item to customs, which will delay the shipment, introduce the possibility of damage, and put you in a situation of arguing "uphill" for your case in regards to duties and taxes. The worst case situation over an improper declaration includes criminal charges, and seizure/destruction of your item. Even if an exporter has signed the document for importation, it is the *importer's* responsibility to ensure it is correct. 2. Include a Third Party Attestation In addition to the description paragraph, attach photocopies of any paperwork that the sword has, and translate key areas. For the above Sukehiro, I would translate the swordsmith's name, and the date if necessary, and write that the documents were created by the Nippon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai (Japanese Sword Museum), in Tokyo Japan. This is very important for customs, as it is a third party attestation to the item as being genuine, and from here I can easily establish the work period of Sukehiro with a photocopied page of a book. I would not supply the page in advance but I know I can supply it having established this as a genuine work of Sukehiro. If the sword has no NBTHK or NTHK papers, it should have at the very least an evaluation by someone of standing. Someone holding a directorship position of the NBTHK/AB with a long standing reputation as a sword vendor would work. A well regarded auctioneer, such as Christie's or Sotheby's is a very strong attestation and maybe in the eyes of a layman might be the strongest since these are very high profile. At the worst case, a single page from the vendor, documenting the maker, period, and that it is a "guarantee", with a signature and date is going to go a long way. For my clients I put this information into the sales invoice, for the most part I am deferring the judgment to the NBTHK. If I am to guarantee something I am only going to guarantee within the scope of my skill. This should be a separate document from the commercial invoice, something that would go with your files for the future, like something you would keep with the sword to assist you with a future sale. 3. Establish the Value Make sure it is exact. Even though the exporter signs these documents, you are the one who has the responsibility for correction if the information is wrong. It is possible to include a photocopied proof of payment (i.e. wire transfer receipt, photocopied check), if you want to go that far. If the item is a return from polish/shirasaya/lacquer/etc., the value is simply the value you were charged for the work. There are special codes for modifications, see below. 4. Fingerprint the Sword Not real fingerprints of course! If you bought it on ebay, have the vendor include a copy of the ebay transaction page, showing photos, vendor and buyer. If it is a Juyo Token you bought from a dealer, have them photocopy the oshigata and put it in. If a Tokuju, photocopy the picture. I have sometimes included pictures of my swords that I took myself. This helps you in the case you are accused of swapping pieces, and also if you pay your taxes and the item arrives and you need to return it (example: you're on a payment plan, can't make payments and want to return the blade), this will help you because you can on re-export establish that this is the same piece. 5. Establish Importation History If you previously imported the piece, keep your documents forever! It will show that it has already been processed. If you are sending an item out for polish, keep your receipt from the post office or whomever! Ask the polisher to save your box and be sure to use it for return. You can then fax them a copy of your export receipt if necessary, to attach to the return documents, that help establish your item was previously imported. If you were taxed once, you should not be taxed again, but again it is *your* responsibility to verify this claim with customs. It is easier to verify the claim in advance then it is after the fact. Arguing Uphill or Downhill Once your item gets stopped because of a sloppy, incomplete, or unsubstantiated declaration, you are now depending on the good graces of the agent. Once stopped, I would consider that effectively the judgment is made that you have to pay duties and taxes and you have to disprove the situation. This is not going to be because your customs are corrupt: it is probably because so many corrupt people are trying to sneak stuff by them, that you now have to bear the brunt of all of that. You just don't want to be here, so that's why it's important to support your claims as much as possible in advance rather than after the fact. You will get two different attitudes as a result of how much you support the facts. If you are claiming it to be an antique for instance, you need to support the claim... so you have either (1) third party attestation (2) photo of the date on the blade with a translation (3) photo of the signature and then a page out of fujishiro with the work period for the same smith. Anything that shows you are trying to support the claim is better than asking a customs officer to accept your word that you should not be taxed or dutied. If you put yourself in their shoes for a day you would understand why that doesn't fly. Also remember, they're not sword experts so they can't just glance at your blade and know. Always put yourself in a position where you are arguing downhill. Help yourself as much as possible, in advance. Notes on Harmonized Tariff Codes This is probably the most important part of your entire declaration. This allows someone at a glance to determine what the item is and what its tax and duty status should be. If you don't state one yourself, then a clerk is going to pick one for you. Sometimes even when you *do* state one if the clerk is sleepy they will pick one for you and that's really irritating. However if you have stated one, at the very least if they pick a different code you now have the luxury of returning to customs with the discrepancy and you are arguing downhill rather than uphill. On the codes: these harmonized tariffs are common to the WTO and are the same for most countries. The first two numbers refer to the chapter under which the item falls in the tariff document. An antique sword of 9706.00.00 is item 06 in chapter 97. The other four numbers provide for fine tuning, and then there are an additional two which may show up like 9706.00.00.90. The last two are for statistics, in this case they say the item is made of iron or steel. Your country is collecting this information and using it to negotiate trade pacts and duty rates, etc. Some important codes to remember: 9307.00.00: swords, bayonets, etc. A serial number stamped Japanese sword falls under this category. There is no duty preference to it, it will receive some charge. It's a generic category where repro swords would fall under it too... if there is nothing special about the blade, this is where it goes. Use the code when the item is part of a transaction. 9706.00.00: antique item more than 100 years old. Remember, you need to support the 100 years old claim! Most swords will fall under this. Use the code when the item is part of a transaction. 9705.00.00: item of historical or ethnographic interest (etc.) claiming special duty/tax provisions as a result. If your sword is less than 100 years old but handmade and NIHONTO, you should use this code. Use the code when the item is part of a transaction. 9813.00.00 or 9802.00.40: these codes are used to establish temporary import/export for repair. For instance, if I find a sword in Canada, and send it to Bob Benson in the USA, I use 9813.00.00 to describe it. To US customs this says "this is an item being sent to the USA for temporary import, to be returned to the sender after repairs are done." When Bob sends it back to me, he would put on the *same* code. To Canada customs, it says "this is an item that *was* sent to the USA temporarily, and is now returning to Canada." So the same code describes it, there is just a slight change in interpretation based on which way the item is moving. If you are in the USA, and found a sword locally and are sending to Japan, you would need to find the right export code to Japan, but their return code to you would be 9802.00.40. You should call customs and confirm these codes if you use them, especially in other countries than Canada/USA. 9814.00.00 or 9802.00.80: item previously imported to your country, which was subsequently exported for repair, and is now being re-imported. A Canadian who bought a sword in the USA, would initially say receive it as a 9706.00.00 (antique sword). After review, it is sent to the USA to a sword polisher. The Canadian labels it as 9813.00.00 (temporary export to the USA for repair), and puts it in the mail. Polisher receives it, polishes it, and returns it to Canada... this time though it is a 9814.00.00 (not 9813.00.00) because the Canadian initially *bought* the sword abroad and imported it paying his duties. This is where some country-specific stuff falls into place and why you need to call customs to fine tune these for your use. In these cases where an item has its value adjusted abroad, the *new* importation value is set not to the cumulative value, but to the value of the alterations. So the polisher would set the import value to be the charge related to his work. Taxes may apply. If a shirasaya is made, same thing, even though the shirasaya is NEW it is considered a MODIFICATION to an antique item. You should not be paying duty on it, just sales tax, the classification of your sword does not change... and this is the general group that your re-importation falls under. You should call customs and confirm this code if you use it, to be sure I am not citing something Canada-specific. People in the USA receiving back their previously-exported-for-repair (i.e. to Japan) would use 9802.00.80. 9992.00.00 or 9801.00.10: item was exported, no changes made to it, and now it is being re-imported. Example: I sent a sword to the NBTHK/AB for an educational presentation in San Francisco. It is sent back to me with a 9992.00.00 code. Note that when I send this sword out, I need to find the right code for a temporary import to the country in which it is being sent (USA is listed below). 9992.00.00 falls under a section of the tariff code that is reserved for "temporary assignments", each country can use these parts according to their own desires, so it can be different. Don't use a 9992.00.00 unless you're sending something back to Canada. If another country, you need to find the right code. The USA uses 9801.00.10 for "products of the USA being returned without being advanced in value." If it was a previous import, then 9801.00.20. There are a lot of these codes for the USA for specific items. Your first step: Call Customs. They are usually very happy to help you get your imports and exports correct in advance! 8211.92.00: A Japanese hocho you bought would fall under this code. 9812.00.20 or 9813.00.70: 9812 is the code used for importation into the USA for a temporary exhibition by an organization devoted to the advancement of arts (or sciences). If I am sending a sword to San Francisco for display by the NBTHK, I would attach this code to it. It would help me when the sword is returned as well when I claim it is not a new import, to show the matching export paperwork to customs. It might be different in your own country, so look up the code. 9813.00.70 would be the code used by a lecturer to bring in swords to accompany his lecture, for instance what Gordon Robson would do when bringing swords from Japan to the USA for an NTHK lecture in San Francisco. Conclusion All of these codes should be available online. They are really important to make your life as easy as possible, and all imports you make are your responsibility to get right. If you are having trouble finding the right code, default to a letter to customs attached to your import stating at length what went on. That you sent it out on X date for polish in country Y, and it is now being returned, the cost of the polish was Z." Always keep your import documents, and your export documents. It will help you to establish that a piece has already been processed and taxes/duties paid. Remember, you can always call customs in advance... get the agent's name and write down his advice. Say that you want to be sure you export and re-import an item correctly and use the right codes. They should be happy to assist you.

To contradict myself on the time issue, after a quick look I am leaning towards gimei, just on the Shinkai signature. The strokes seem to lack some confidence, and the first character of the Inoue seems poorly laid out. The Shin character looks particularly weak. Still, verify this one and I'll keep out hope for you.

I'm reserving an opinion until I can spend some time looking at it closely. I would say this though, someone either had super huge balls to make this if it is a fake (haha), or else it is an out of the park home run. Because of the importance of such a find if it is legitimate, I think that you must submit it to shinsa even if everyone says it is gimei. The Nosada I used for kantei a while back, almost everyone said it was gimei and it passed Hozon without a problem. If you have the Nihonto Koza, start by going to the section on Kajihei and see what he did if there are examples of him faking either smith (I think there may be). Kajihei was kind of a lazy genius and I gather he made the mei good enough to pass though he was capable of extremely good fakery in this regard. I'd suspect him first of something like this, he certainly had the balls.

Thanks for the additional info Jacques... I'm happy to have a suspicion confirmed rather than rejected! That shows the usefulness of a full library, I have neglected mine in recent years .

the province in this case is just part of his title. He works in Owari. He made some works with Daido, and originally comes from Settsu. This is from Fujishiro. Since there is a Yoshimichi (Mishina) line in Settsu, I suspect that this smith has his origin with the Yoshimichi line and then brought that to Owari. Maybe this will help you a bit in your study, look to the sword and see if it has Mishina school attributes.

Roland, that is pretty much correct. The lesson is that everything counts, even the small stuff. These guys worked on making a perfect package, and they took care of the details as a result. If the details are wrong, you need to find the answer why.

I didn't see the two previous questions. My first comment would be to take what I wrote here as an indicator but not as a ruling. By all means continue to do your own homework and if the work looks good, the mei looks good, but this mekugiana seems off, call that a strike against the piece but by all means seek confirmation. That is if you already own the sword, try for papers if all else seems good. Roland, the example you posted I think is gimei. Aside from the mekugiana red flag, the tagane seems to be a larger size than the smith used (compare the thickness of the lines to the mei examples posted higher up). As well there are differences, the guchi character shows breaks in it because the left side is misplaced, where the sho-shin do not. The Tada character, a notable habit of the smith seems to be to extend the upper left vertical above the box shape so it sticks out, and the gimei example does not have this. The mei seems to be jammed up against the mune as well, and it should have more free space because the smith lined things up along the shinogi... none of the other examples give this crowded feeling, this may be because the faker wrote his characters a bit too big (tagane too large plus the meiji themselves might be a little oversized). Remember that these two smiths were meticulous. Something should not feel improperly balanced. The tagane is a really important thing... I also just noticed on the original sword there is a glaringly missing atari in the first character.

I haven't done any work related to Australia, but you do want to call customs I would think and ask them directly. What you want to say is that you are going to import an antique art sword from Japan, that has a "harmonized tariff code" of 9706.00.00.90. You would like to know the duty rates (it will be duty free 99% sure), and tax rates (some countries have reduced taxes on antiques). Have the seller or sender put a photocopy of the NBTHK or NTHK papers for the sword in with the external paperwork. This is justification for antique status (if it is more than 100 years old). Translate the key items, like for instance if it just has a mei or a mumei attribution, translate the mei. Indicate then what period the swordsmith or school worked in. Write this right on the photocopy. If no papers, and the sword is dated, put in a scan/print of the nakago, both sides with date. Same for mei if you can match up to a book. Customs will just want justification for a lowered duty/tax rate. If it is not more than 100 years old and it is an art sword, it is a "collectible item of historcal/ethnographic interest." 9705.00.00.90. You will need to justify why... one thing is that it is a 1,000 year old tradition, only made in Japan... WWII and earlier swords are easiest to justify, newer ones may be harder. See my posts on this subject for more info. 9705 has the same properties as 9706 in terms of duties and probably taxes. If you have no date, no papers, no mei, no nothing, then you can still claim this status but the agent may deny it and assign you 9307.00.00.90 (swords). That will get you duty and max tax rate. You could probably appeal afterwards, but it's better to get this stuff straight in advance. Calling customs, and talking to an agent in advance, getting their name "if you have more questions" can certainly help if your sword is stopped on import. If you call and can say that you talked to agent X in advance and did your best to document everything, then you are informed and prepared and that makes a customs agent feel more comfortable giving you the benefit of the doubt that you're not pulling a fast one. I don't know about Aussie customs, but in Canada, these guys have always been really great to deal with when calling for information or assistance. They're usually rougher when something is stopped and they're trying to figure things out, but in my case even when stopped for more info, I've supplied and they've always ruled correctly.

I agree that the contamination is probably minimal. I wouldn't worry about it unless it manifests itself somehow (i.e. more beading). If so the gun cleaning approach sounds good.