watsonmil

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

Perhaps my eyes deceive me, but the yasurime looks V shaped ( taka-no-ha ) to me which might well point to Yamato. Perhaps Chris could advise. Whether Koto or Shinto, .... Chris it is a very lovely blade. ... Ron Watson

Hello Chris, A very lovely old ( koto ) blade. Very quiet and dignified. The jigane is indeed lovely and evenly forged. The flaw ( opening ) in the shinogi-ji is really not interfering with the appreciation of the overall beauty of the blade, and from speaking to others far more knowledable than I, .. and having seen highly rated blades ( papered ) with similar flaws in the shinogi-ji it would be my opinion that although noted it would not affect the overall rating of a very beautiful specimen. The flaw will and is bothering you more than others who will admire your aquisition. Any collector here who would turn down owning such a specimen is in my opinion a foolish man. Congratulations. Kind regards, ... Ron Watson

Dear Reinhard, .... in my short article I managed to refer to you as Heinrich. I am sorry for this. I was interrupted in my typing by a customer by the name of Heinrich, ... and example learned DO NOT TYPE when talking on the phone, My sincere apology for my error. Regards, ... Ron Watson

I can see both sides of this argument/discussion. The comming of Commodore Perry's Black Ships had an immense influence on the Ploitical and Social climate of the formerly insulated Japanese Culture. It was the beginning of the end of the Feudal System in Japan and consequently the demise and eventual disbandment of the Samurai Class. It should not go un-noticed of course that subtle changes from the times of the unification of Japan under the Tokogawa were already in place. The Samurai sword and it's fittings gradually moved from the very simple yet effective weapons of war to a quiet reserved sword and fittings as peace and stability came to Japan. As the era of peace continued we see a slow but steady trend towards more flamboyant sword style, and more expressive fittings until by the end of the Shin Shinto period the swords and fittings are somewhat overly influenced by louder and louder ( for the Japanese at least ) expressions of ART over utilitarianism. It continued this established trend into the Meiji era. It seems to me at least this was a natural internal transition rather than one immensly influenced by European likes and dislikes. There is no doubt that the Europeans bringing there culture to bear upon the Japanese would have some influence. To think otherwise would be to say that foreign immigration to Canada or the Uk has not had cultural influence on those nations. I have not yet seen Heinrich present a piece that demonstrates that the Japanese artisan deliberately changed the aestetics of his work to western influence ( although some may exhist ), I do not see that the Japanese were doing anything that the Japanese themselves were not already demanding in their fittings due to internal stagnation in the militarism of the country. The samurai turned more and more towards the visual stimulation that comes from Art rather than the physical stimulation that comes from Warfare. The Europeans certainly influenced all aspects of Japanese culture with that I agree, ... but I think ART was one of the least influenced. Art generally is a CULTURAL manifestation and not subject to the same forces of influence as are the scientific, medical, inventions and politics of other counties intrusions. Just my observations, ... Ron Watson

Hi Eric, The only other eample I have seen is pictured in " Stone's ... Glossary of the Construction Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor ", page 325. For anyone who does not have this fine old book, ... you are missing out on an excellent general reference bible of arms and armor. It would seem Mr. Stone had a particular passion of Japanese Arms and Armor as virtually every page has some Japanese references. Regards, ... Ron Watson

Hello Klause, You are not stupid, ... you have a desire to learn and boy you'd better enjoy learning ! To elaborate a wee bit further on the groves or " yose-tagane ", ... they often help anchor the small copper fillers that are hammered into place and then filed to fit a specific blade. See the illustrated tuba that Barry shows on the left. You will note the copper fitted into and somewhat anchored by the yose-tagane. Katana, Wakizashi, and Tanto tsuba are always pictured cutting edge up, while the older Tachi type sword tsuba are pictured cutting edge down. The side groves or punch marks simply served to narrow the opening of the tang hole ( Nakago-ana ). Kind regardsm, ... Ron Watson

I think it's high time I made another contribution to the NMB. My God, ... the knowledge shared with me, ... the camaraderie. I sincerely hope you all realize that in this day and age to find such a wealth of assistance without strings attached in itself deserves a JUYO rating. I too have shared some expertise in my specialized fields over the years simply because I feel that knowledge is a gift to be shared. I more often than not have been ridiculed by my peers as having been stupid enough to give away knowledge that is marketable. This site is a most refreshing vindication of what I and you people obviously believe in, .... Sharing. Hopefully I can get better closeups of the last two kanji, if I may indulge your patience. ...... Ron Watson

Dear Bazza, Here's a slightly different angle of the signature. I do not do digital photography, ... I rely on my son's expertise and I won't see him again for a couple of weeks. The last kanji appears poorly engraved, ... or more likely has suffered a slight ding. I appreciate your help and above all patience. Regards, ... Ron Watson

Jacques, ... Firstly I respect your opinions on the subject of swords about as high as anyone. You may be correct that this is a ghost work by the Nidai, ... but having looked at oshigata of known examples of the Nidai ghost signatures, ... the mei on this naginata is to my eyes quite different from the way the Nidai signed for his father, whereas once again I refer to the same reference book only this time to page 88 and 89 wherein the same sword is again pictured . Paragraph 7 states .... " Each of the signatures was signed by each of these two smiths ( including the mon )." I do not have your knowledge and I most certainly respect your opinion, ... but on the basis of my studies I must disagree with you on this one. ... Amicalement, ... Ron Watson