watsonmil

To answer Lorenzo,s questions, .... no there is no hinging mechanism between the cannon barrel mount and the base mount. One simply sat on the other, but was anchored ( when in use ) to each other by a rope to assist in recoil. Your second question regarding the fastening of the barrel to the wooden stock: The breach end inserts into a cavity in the Oak and that area is strengthened by a brass band. Also, the barrel is pinned to the stock by a cross pin which can be seen in the first photograph. Exactly the same way as a regular Japanese Matchlock Musket barrel is anchored to it's wooden stock. ... Ron Watson

As promised in a previous post for the study and/or enjoyment of our membership. Here's something I picked up many years ago at the Chicago Sword Show. The two other Nihonto collectors that I attended the show with were dumbfounded that I would spend what few dollars I had with me on a piece of bronze. As for me I was ecstatic ! Having just aquired " Arms & Armour of the Samurai " by Ian Bottomley & A.P. Hopson, I realized that I had just found a very rare item indeed. If you will refer to Chapter Six, The Arrival of the Southern Barbarians ... page 124 you will see illustrated a cannon which is to be found in the Kyoto Arashiyama Museum in Japan. I based the carriage for the cannon barrel on this example given that they both appeared to be about the same size. Using the very best oak I could obtain, along with some brass, and iron rings I set about mounting this lovely original barrel. I would place the age of the barrel to around 1600 - 1650 given it's small size and the numerous casting flaws, .. each of which were carefully filled with bronze at the time of manufacture. It is well known that the casting of cannon was new to the Japanese, and although the Japanese were well versed in casting, there is no doubt that the perfection of casting large cannon must have been somewhat taxing, especially the bore. Very few large cannon were produced, the Japanese relying on what they could import from European countries for the most part during the early Edo period. Although small in comparison to MOST but NOT all European cannon of the time, these little fellows never the less proved themselves to be extremely versatile. They could be easily moved about by two or three gunners, required only a hand-full of powder thrown down the short barrel, followed by a bag of one monme balls ( .32 inch ) quickly rammed home with a short wooden dowel, a bit of priming powder, and a lit match. Rate of fire would easily be 5 times the rate of loading a full size musket. The effect of a short barrel throwing a full 1/2 pound ( 72 balls ) would have been devastating at close range. They would have been ideal in both an offensive and a defensive position given the close range that all battles of that time were fought. I can see their particular application in the internal defenses of an Edo period castle, ...where should the enemy breach the wall defense, a raking fire from a few of these little fellows stratigically placed would cut down several intruders with each volley. Here are the measurements of the example pictured: Barrel ... 1 1/4 inch bore, length of barrel 7 1/2 inches. OA length of cannon including mounting is 21 inches. OA weight of the mounted cannon is 30 pounds. Elevation was controlled by coiled rope ( loosening a coil lowered the elevation ). The vertical up-right seen behind the rope simply holds the mounting in place when the gun is at rest. Recoil was somewhat controlled by a rope passing through a ring at the back of the cannon barrel mount and then passing through the two rings on the front of the cannon base plate. ........... Ron Watson

Ownership of Swords in Victoria and the Australasian Knife Collectors Club. "While we recognize the legal right of Victorians to seek an exemption to own a sword, the AKC Club was NOT founded to cater for Members with no interest in knives (the core interest of the Club) but just a desire to ‘own a sword’ – and nothing else! The AKC Club will relinquish its sword exemption in Victoria on the 30th September 2010" In Victoria, the Control of Weapons Act 1990 (the Act) lists knives and other bladeware under Prohibited Weapons or Controlled Weapons. If I were a member of this " club " and/or association, ... I would be cancelling my membership EVEN IF I ONLY COLLECTED kinves ! This is just the type of ..... attitude that brings back Martin Niemollers poem : " In Germany, they first came for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Catholic. Then they came for me -- and by that time there was nobody left to speak up ". The only way to fight " facisim " is to face up to it .......... certainly not compromise. The lessons of 70 years ago are soon forgotten, ... all it takes is a " control everything " attitude by one or two Countries that we would like to think of as " Free " to infect the rest of the world. Hopefully I will be long gone before the whole of the so called " Western World " adopts the level of Police State mentality exhibited by the UK, Ireland, Australia. ............ Ron Watson

Darcy, I'm wondering if you are going for too large a magnification. The photo gives the impression of a satellite shot of an " Earth " feature. On my screen there are a lot of red and blues coming thru. A most interesting photograph, ... but perhaps somewhat less magnification might show the feature to a better advantage. ... Ron Watson

Oh, Oh, .... I meant " cerveau " ! I shall never be a smart ass again, .... I promise. ... Ron Watson

Cher Jean, C'est vous etre en defaut, ... Je pense que vous me lavage de cerneau ! Amicalement, .... Ron Watson ( In my very poor French, ... I just explained to Jean my keen eye is aquired from his tutorage.

Hi Klaus, I hope you did get the blade. I too think it to be showato. Kind regards, Ron Watson

Hmmm, .... now I see why Grey was interested in aquiring knowledge re: " SMILIES ". The second tsuba pictured is undoubtably of the Smilie School a sub-group of the ONO ! :D In all sincerity, .... I too really like the ONO school ( a Ono School tsuba was my introduction to collecting ). The forging is always strong and give the feeling of a no nonsence approach to life. I fully agree the condition is near prestine and the Mokume grain most attractive. Very Nice, .... thank you for posting. Kind regards, ... Ron

Dear Louis & all, I too would love to see a section devoted to Samurai Arts/Weapons in general. There is so much more to the understanding of the Samurai than just the Swords. I don't think it would diminish the study of the Swords, and their accessories, ... but rather enhance the interest in Nihonto overall. Perhaps having the section : General Discussion of Nihonto related is enough. I do know among the Nihonto enthusiasts of which I am one there are many who are eager to broaden their knowledge of the Samurai in ALL fields. Lord knows the more interest we have, the more active our membership become in standing up to the various bureocracies determined to destroy any " arms collecting ", ... such as we see in the UK, Australia, etc. Anyways I will over the next few weeks, ... perhaps once a week post an article on Tanegashima, or perhaps Gunsen, or Armor, ... or an interesting blade. Hopefully the NMB members and Moderators in particular will if not approve at least tolerate. I would hope that our membership are not so narrow minded as to exclude everything but NIHONTO, ... as I feel the Tanegashima, etc. accentuate the study of the Japanese Sword, ... not hinder it. I feel like I'm committing sepuku just posting this, as I am sure there are a few who will feel threatened. .... Ron Watson

Dear Lorenzo, Ian, and Justin, I will answer your queries in one rather long post. I hope not too boring as I often get carried away when discussing Tanegashima. The steel bar is a guide to permit the smooth opening and closing of the brass door on the " pin box ". It took me quite awhile to figure this out , as the sliding door and bar were missing when I aquired the pistol. Firstly I too thought the brass guides on the lock plate had nothing to do with the " pin box ". I assumed they were somehow related to the sear or perhaps trigger adjustment. I noted that the " pin Box " brass frame showed no signs of outside wear, and no sign of a hinged door, ... so it had to be an inside sliding door, but how on earth could it slide with no support ?? I was still convinced that the brass guides were related to the lock mechanism in some way. Finally it dawned on me, the slots on the lock plate line up perfectly with the opening to the opening on the brass " pin box " cover, ... and yes by God that is not a chip of wood missing between the lock plate inletting and the " pin box " inletting, ... it is purposely cut out ! So simple and yet so complicated. I was astonished at the allowable tolerances. On reproducing the missing steel arm, .. I swear that there is less than 1/1000 of an inch for allowable error. Anyways after many hours of filing, fitting, and cursing it all functioned perfectly. Since the one end of the steel arm is split to provide tension, and since there is no where that this arm could be modified to act as a " safety ", I am 100 % certain I have it exactly correct. Interestingly this arm does serve another function in that it aids in locking the coiled serpentine spring in place on the serpentine pin. I have restored many many antique weapons over the years from 16th century crossbows to WWI Maxim Machine Guns. I love working on the Tanegashimas especially since ALL were hand built, and a great deal of study goes into getting everything " just right " or as close as possible. The reason for the large trigger guard is that this was a type of trigger guard used by the School of Yonezawa or possibly the Mino/Seki School. The pistol has elements of both schools, but due to the shape of the lock plate, I lean towards the Yonezawa. The barrel is signed Kunitomo which is not surprising in that the Kunitomo gunsmiths as well as other gunsmiths moved about the country, so that we often see confusing combinations of different schools in a single firearm. To answer Ian specifically, ... the two barrel bands were missing, ... the " pin box " lid and mechanism was missing, ... the main spring, sear spring, serpentine and serpentine pin were missing ( the serpentine that came with the gun was a substitute that was added by a " collector " and held in place by a modern bolt ! I therefore had to build a new serpentine. The small brass " boars eye " brass spreader found on the bottom of the stock which aids in the contracting and expansion of the ramrod guide was missing. The Serpentine Pin was missing, as well as the silver bead was missing fro the front sight, .... and oh yes if that wasn't enough the bloody trigger guard was missing. It was a challenging project, BUT also a VER RARE pistol and I took great pains and pleasure in putting it back into what I would consider museum quality. The pistol functions perfectly, and would be quite safe to fire. Thank you all for your interest, .... Ron Watson

A Couple more pictures to complete the set. ..... Ron Watson

On February 25th. Under the TRANSLATION FORUM I posted photos and description of a Tanegashima Pistol that I had just finished restoring. It was requested at that time that I post some photos of an interesting feature rarely seen on any Tanegashima, ... that being a built in box to hold bamboo pins ( used to secure the match in the serpentine ). Attached are the requested photos. For those wishing to see the entire previous posting ... please refer to my February 25th. posting under the Translation Assistance section : " Tanegashima Pistol Barrel ". ...... Ron Watson

Dear David, If banning the offensive weapon is the " Government Answer " in Australia, ... among other countries ( Ireland, UK ) then I suppose Wheelchairs will be banned as well particularily if the Wheelchairs are imported carrying Canadians ! It might be more correct to ban the criminal activity and properly deal with the criminal, .... but this would not be Politically Correct given who purpotated the crime in this case. Regards, .... Ron Watson

Hello John, THE WORLD HAS GONE GOMPLETELY NUTS. Probably because it is being governed by " NUTS ". It is imply a symptom of the current political thinking that Government should " Control Everything ". ... Ron Watson

Dear Simon, I too abhor war, .... to do otherwise would be inconceivable. It must be remembered however that without remembering the past errors of man in this case .. war, ... we allow ourselves the possibilty, .... no I' ll re-phrase that with " the certainty " of repeating it. Probably the ONLY thing that kept us from Nuclear War up till now is the fact that both the major powers post WWII not only remembered the horrors of war, but actually actually participated ( both Kennedy and Kruschev ). Sadly as time goes by, ... man's memory falters to the point that it might well happen again. Hopefully, by keeping those memories alive vis a vis the preservation of the " artifacts " of war ... which one can physically see and feel, the realities of the horror are not " abstract " as we see all too often in the Video Games depicting " war " as something that can be turned " on or off ". It must also be remembered that we are only " guardians " of these artifacts .... be they Picasso's or Nihonto. None of us will leave this world with our treasured swords in-hand. They will be passed on to someone else to study and wonder over. Should we not therefore pass them on as we received them. There is nothing wrong with improving the physical appearance ( polish, ... fittings ), ... but to throw away history because you disapprove is not going to change the past. I see nothing particularily wrong with your choice to mount the sword as you see fit, .... after all you paid the " rent ". I hope you re-consider throwing away the mounts and set them aside for a future owner however ... it really can't hurt, .... and may well be a learning experience to a futue owner for exactly the reasons you desire. Kind regards, ... Ron Watson

It's similar to the flu, ... Lets call it the Irish Flu. Some Politician brought it back after a visit and a few pints of Guinnes to the UK. Then some Australian Politician trying to trace his family roots in the 18th century police records of London carried it back to the Northern Territories of Australia. There have been minor outbreaks in certain US states as well. So far we've kept the this flu out of Canada, ... mostly because the US Border Protection Services won't let Canada import it as it does not necessarily fall under the commodities listed in the North America Free Trade Agreement ( NAFTA ). You can be sure our Government is looking at retaliating. If the rest of the world has the flu my God how dare they deprive Canada. Politicians are the same the world over ..... POWER HUNGRY NARROW MINDED and STUPID . By the way it says little for those who actually vote them into office ! ... Ron Watson

Welcome to the NMB Joe, .... you are on the right track to " read a ton ", .... make that two tons ! I know I too have read a ton over many more years than you, ... and I still continue to study. It also helps to have an understanding spouse ( preferably one with two jobs ). I have been blessed with a wife who not only understands my addiction, ... but takes joy in the " Arts of the Samurai " as well. Best of luck and happy hunting. ... Ron Watson

Carlo, ... has pictured some Japanese examples of multi-barreled ( novelty type ) firearms. These are EDO period and as such much later than the type pictured in your post. Indeed the Japanese experimented with all sorts of types of firearm oddities in an attempt to increase " rate of fire ". Included among these were " matchlock revolvers " no less ! Note also the high quality of the Japanese work. Sorry to say the three barreled variety ORIGINALLY posted bears little in time frame nor workmanship to those made in Japan. The copies ( Korean ) are NOT uncommon to find. The Japanese " experimental " firearms are as scarce as chicken teeth. ........... Ron Watson

As someone who spent 40 + years in the Antique Weapons business, ... I can virtually assure you that the item pictured is a Chinese Copy. Over the years I have been offered such sprious example on more than one occassion. Believe it or not they are often artificially aged by placing in a manure pile for a number of weeks/months. The resulting rust formation is sadly quite convincing. Wherever there is a buck to be made, .... someone will ! Original examples are " VERY CRUDE ", and not nearly so symetrical. .......... Ron Watson

This type of kashira ( pommel ) was used as a shull crusher. A blow downward with the hilt in hand to your oponents skull generally killed instantly. The same device is often seen on WWII daggers as used by Commandos, OSS, SOE. ........ Ron Watson

Hmm, .... Sort of like how Viagra keeps us old guys from rolling out of bed ! ... Ron Watson

In reply to Lorenzo, ... sadly photos of the built-in bamboo pin box will have to wait a couple of weeks. I rely on others to do my photography ( my son ). In reply to Piers, ... I note the similarities between the Mino Seki-ryu and the Yonezawa schools. I lean towards the Yonezawa mainly because of the lock plate shape. The pistol seems to incorporate features from both schools. It was certainly not above the Edo Period Gunsmiths to, ... " beg, borrow or steal " ideas from other areas and smiths. The built in bamboo pin box was a design nightmare. The sliding door mechanism is well designed but too elaborate. The tolerances are unbelievable, ... perhaps a thousandth of an inch for some of the mechanism ( hidden behind the lock plate ). I know because I had to figure the bloody thing out in order to restore it. Attributing some of these guns to a specific school is difficult, ... but at least one does not worry too much about " gimei ", ... unlike the swords ! Kind regards, ... Ron Watson

A couple of weeks ago members of the forum translated most of the Kanji ..... excepting the last two characters. I promised to try and get a better photo of these. See attached photos. I don't know if they are much better, as this area of the barrel has been slightly bruised ... perhaps to the point of making the last two letters un-deciferable. Anyways they are posted. If any one can figure them out, ... you guys will. I also promised to show a photo of the pistol once I had completed restoration. See attached. A couple of interesting features will be noted. Whom ever ordered this pistol pulled out all the stops as far as extras. Note in front of the lock there is a tiny storage box with sliding door built into the box. This box was for the storage of tiny bamboo pins which held the match secure in the serpentine ( hammer ). The match had a habit of blowing out of the serpentine on firing, and the bamboo pin helped secure the match to the serpentine. Spare pins were stored in the little built in box. I have read about this feature, but I have never seen a tanegashima equipped with one, and I have examined many of these firearms. Another feature is not as rare, but not common and that is a silver inlaid bead on the front sight for better sighting. The large brass lined hole in the grip is not likely for the extra match length as found on many tanegashima muskets but rather a primitive laynard ring ( allows a cord to be attached to the pistol and in turn attached to the obi to prevent loss in the heat of action ). The oval opening lined in brass towards the forend of the stock are normally found on musket type tanegashima of large caliber and thought to have been a way of attaching a strap to help hold down the recoil upon firing. In this case being a pistol, ... purely decorative ! Interestingly the pistol was still loaded upon my receipt. I removed by gun worm a couple of wads above the powder charge. The wadding appears to be made out of the inner part of " cattail reed head ", .... although I cannot be certain. Below this was 40 grains of Black Powder as good as the day it was loaded ( amazing in itself ). No ball was present, and it is my supposition that this was done on purpose. When brought into action it would have been a simple matter of dropping a ball down the barrel with a wad on top. If it had contained a ball, riding horseback for instance would soon have shaken it loose from its seated position and perhaps to the point of it falling out of the barrel altogether which would be rather embarrassing .... ie. shooting a blank load when your life depended upon your pistol. The one photo posted shows the pistol with a match, powder charge, wadding, balls, and in the middle the tiny bamboo pins. Only the pwder charge and wads are original to the pistol as found. Pistol is .50 caliber ( 3 monme ). Round with a flat top. The muzzle is swamped. Barrel length is 9 3/4 inches, overall length of pistol is 17 1/4 inches. It is in perfect working order. Thank you for your effort in helping me with the mei. I hope the new photos will be a help. ... Ron Watson

Sadly, .... I think the Political climate in the UK vis-a-vis the UK Sword Ban has as much or MORE to do with the lack applications for the proposed Shinsa than the Economic climate. People from other countries ( Europe let alone North America ) will and for good enough reason avoid hassles with idiotic bureocrats, ... in this case UK Customs with their treasured swords. I attended a Shinsa years ago in Toronto, ... when the post 9-11 bullshit hadn't yet occurred, and I spent the entire trip wondering which Air Line employee would suppliment his income at my expense. Call it paranoia, .... but it is a whole different world out there. Sadly I am convinced that the trend we are seeing here in Canada and the USA to fewer and fewer Gun Shows are more to do with the hassles of inconvenient travel security ( politics ) rather than lack of money or enthusiasm. ... Ron Watson

Hi Stephen, JPG 7, .......... I get the impression on zooming in that the nakago very faintly shows taka-no-ha. Perhaps it is just my eyes. We shall have to wait for Chris to confirm. Regards, ... Ron Watson