watsonmil

Dear Piers, I believe SOSHUN can also be read MUNETOSHI ..... is this correct ... Ron Watson

Dear Piers, Ah, ... so now I have to redesign my serpentine " pin " box to an automatic pan opening lever. Oh well, ... better to get it corrected now. I will have to also rewrite my article on this feature once I have gotten the proper mechanism working and in place. I can see where this weekend is heading ... %&!*# ! ... Ron Watson

Dear Chogi, Welcome to the NMB. I hope you learn, but also partake in discussions. I will at this time ask you to kindly sign your posts with your real name, ... A first name plus initial is sufficient and required under our rules. ... Ron Watson

The reason so many ama-ooi are missing is that they were a difficult item to fix securely as you will find out and Justin I think already has. Many gunsmiths used cedar wedges to tighten the ama-ooi when a tight friction fit with brass alone was not to be. Once the cedar wedge rots or dries out it shrinks ... the ama-ooi again becomes loose and gets misplaced or lost. ... Ron Watson

Dear All, Coming from a Military background going back to at least my Great Great Grandfather, ... I think my Uncle Fred who served with the Strathcona Horse ( tank regiment ) in Sicily and Italy during WWII summed it up, ... the best way to fight a war is to: " Arm the Politicians who start them and so eagerly send boys to do their dirty business and then see how many wars are quickly averted ". ... Ron Watson

My Dear Ford, I am not one for " NEW ANYTHING ", ... but feel modernistic copies or original works by modern artists tend to belittle those that came before and indeed for the uninitiated may pose a threat as to what artifact is genuine and which is replica. In your case I am happy to say .... NO ONE can emulate in todays world and VERY FEW in times past the Artistic Merit nor the Technical Skill you exhibit. Were I a younger and wealthier man, .... I would offer you a commission instantly. We can only hope that you have many more years of production ahead in the future. I wish to join the others on the NMB to congratulate you for your on going achievements in being one of the finest Tsubashi to have ever lived. ... Ron Watson

Dear Barry, Absolutely beautiful, .... ... Ron Watson

Dear Sir, As per forum rules, ... please sign your posts with at least a first name. As far as the swords go, ... I would not pay 3.50 Euro for either let alone 350.00 Euro. I would say both appear to be fakes. ... Ron Watson

Henk-Jan, You are 100% correct. The so called rope cutters have flatter sharp edges whereas these Y shaped heads simply increased your chance of hitting. ... Ron Watson

Dear Barry, I must disagree with Jean C. ........ the arrow points and arrow are most certainly Japanese. Although two are not of high quality, ... they are non the less the real McCoy ! I have similar examples in my collection which were purchased from Japan at least 30 years ago ... long before the Chinese entered the copy/fake scene. I would also congratulate you on the Yumi purchases you made. Both examples are very very nice. Good to see ... thank you ! ... Ron Watson

Dear Stephen, Yes, ... the stock is always one piece. viewtopic.php?f=9&t=9771&hilit=acquiring+a+tanegashima ... Ron Watson

Dear Stephen, Here for you are the steps in breaking down a Tanegashima. Just don't BREAK it :D ! ... Ron Watson QTaking apart a Tanegashima A The following steps will make life easier for anyone contemplating separating the barrel and stock of their Tanegashima matchlock, in order to read the Mei. Illustrations below, Pics 1~5. PART ONE......OPENING 1. Remove the Karuka (ramrod). This allows the stock to relax its grip on the barrel. 2. Don't touch any pins connected with the mechanism, the pan lid or any to the rear of the mechanism. Remove the two (sometimes one, or three or four) horizontal Mekugi pins from the Mekugi-ana in the wooden stock, forward of the mechanism, pushing from left to right with the gun muzzle pointing away from you. (Pic 1) You can use your Nihonto Mekugi-nuki punch to get them started from the left side. They should be made of bamboo, (preferably smoked) but some Mekugi pins may be brass. You may encounter difficulty if the pins have been inserted incorrectly after their arrival in the West. Adjust accordingly. Note 1: Note they will be of slightly differing sizes. Lay them out in order to help you remember correct replacement. Note 2: When replacing you will know the barrel is sitting in the correct position if the pins slip back miraculously into their original positions. Note 3: Some guns have an extra brass band holding the stock and barrel muzzle together. Slip this off, noting whether it has an inherent 'correct' direction to it. 3. You are now nearly ready to separate the barrel from the stock. WAIT. Place the butt of the gun onto a soft object like a slipper and hold the gun upright. 4. Pull back the serpentine into locked open position. It's delicate, and may fall, but be patient and try again. 5. Hold the gun stock near the muzzle, between the straightened fingers and thumb of your left hand, barrel towards your left palm, (Pic 2 and Pic 3) ) and push the top of the barrel out with the heel of your right hand against the muzzle itself, until the barrel releases from where it is normally seated, with increasing strength if necessary. Some stocks have shrunk over the years, so you may need to bang the barrel out with hits from the palm/heel of your hand. Note: A rubber mallet may be necessary, but in that case you may want to save yourself trouble next time by candle-waxing the inside of the stock to decrease stickiness. (Or whatever your preferred method of gentle lubrication might be.) 6. The barrel should still be seated at the breech end, split out at an angle of about 10~20 degrees. Lift the whole barrel out gently so as not to damage the lock or stock sides. 7. On the underside of the barrel, (Pic 4) you may find the Mei, which is often the location and the gunsmith's name, (as in Nihonto), an indication as to the method of manufacture, and in very rare cases may give a date. You may also find some numbers indicating manufacturing process or related parts for castle guns or guns made in pairs or in quantity. Note: There is a high possibility that it will be badly rusted and almost illegible. Be careful not to attack the rust with any approach that you may regret later. How to deal with that is a separate subject, and is treated the same as the nakago of a Japanese sword. 8. Look for any lettering (possibly in brush and ink) inside the stock itself which may tell you something about the carpenter. 9. If you are lucky, the large, usually square-headed, Bi-sen ('bee sen') plug-screw will twizzle out of the barrel breech (Pic 5) ) and make cleaning it 100 times easier. Don't damage the Bisen with a heavy wrench. It will always carry the scars, not good; in the worst scenario the screw will split and shear in half, drastically devaluing your antique Tanegashima. There are methods of removing stuck Bisen screws, but that too is another specialized subject. (Initially you can insert penetrating oil from both ends and tap in all directions with a rubber mallet, and repeat over several days or weeks as necessary) PART TWO .......... REPLACING 1. Having cleaned the inside of the barrel and having lightly oiled everything, replace the Bisen. Note: Close too tightly, and a square-headed one may not fit into the receiving square hole in the mechanism area of the stock. Make sure the serpentine is cocked open. Line the screw head with the stock hole, even if you have to back off 1/8 of a turn. Holding the gun upright as before, lower the breech end of the barrel into place and swing the barrel shut. At this point, as with a Nihonto, a light tap will help it fall into the exact place. You may want to drop the whole gun an inch butt-first onto the slipper, but be very careful not to damage the end of the butt. A carpeted floor will be better than stone, for example. Note: You may find a few squeezes will help the barrel sit down deeply and firmly into the whole length of the stock. 2. The Mekugi pins should fit back into their respective holes. Remember, replacing, so start Right, through to Left. They should be fairly tight as they lock down through the loops on the underside of the barrel. Tap them home and see if they feel comfortable on both sides when you hold and aim the gun. Note: The pins may vary in size, depending on their position and the relative thickness of the stock. Don't mix them up! 3. Lower the serpentine gently, as always. Never allow the serpentine to fall directly onto the pan lid without a matchcord. Bad for both the lid and the serpentine. Insert a finger to catch and cushion it if you don't have a length of cord handy. 4. Replace the Karuka, (narrow end first), twist to find the tight spot .

Dear John L. The definition of an EXPERT : Someone who knows more and more about less and less. Now if you've ever spent an evening with two Medical Doctors let alone Specialist Medical Doctors ... then you'll know what I mean. They are so narrow minded and focused on ONE THING ( medicine ) that they generally have little or none of the character traits that one expects of good company or conversation. I have been studying Japanese Antiques ( not limiting myself to Nihonto however ) for well over 30 years ( make that closer to 40 years ) and I often find the NMB somewhat elitist, arrogant, and abusive. May you never become such an individual. Rather enjoy the Japanese Sword as well as other aspects of Japanese Art. As John Stuart put it study an example you may own or a school that catches your fancy, .... or develop a general knowledge of the Sword. It is not a prerequisite to be an EXPERT to enjoy some art form. It is a prerequisite to enjoy the educational experience of learning and the beauty of an object however no matter what level of expertise you attain. ... Ron Watson

Dear Piers, The quality appears to be suitable for a 本多家 or a girlfriend/boyfriend. More unusual Japanese customs of the Samurai era . ... anonymouse Ron

Dear Piers, A little akin to kissing death ( girls with black teeth ). The Japanese did/do have some strange customs ( in the eyes of a Westerner ) ! I think it would now make a fine Bon Bon container rather than some of the other uses suggested. It is very beautiful . ... anonymouse Ron

Dear Piers, A Japanese Bon Bon Bowl ! ... anonymouse Ron

It may not be Nihonto related, ... but a truly lovely piece in mine eyes for posting. ... Ron Watson

Actually Grey, ... I thought that was you in the orange shirt shoving a hundred dollar bill into the pocket ! Sorry I must have been mistaken ! ... Ron Watson

Dear Mark, Thank you so much for the photographs. I recognize a few faces from the times I used to attend. Older now, ... but so very nice to see them again. Some lovely swords as well by the way. ... Ron Watson

Dear Jeffrey, Please see my post ( scroll down to watsonmil ) : viewtopic.php?f=3&t=18623 It is really quite disgusting what these " important auction houses " continue to get away with. 20 years ago I visited Christie's in London at their New Bond Street address and I was treated like a King. Today, ... I would not meet their standards, I suppose and surmise I would quickly be shown the door. ... Ron Watson

Once again for the viewing pleasure of those of us who for a multitude of reasons were unable to attend, .... would a few of you attendees post some photographs for us less fortunate to enjoy. Thank you. ... Ron Watson

Dear All, Forgive me for re-erecting this thread, ... but this short video made our National News here in Canada tonight. Gives one thought about checking in your swords ( or any luggage ) at an airport https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQZYPjRPUb0 ... Ron Watson

Dear Stephen, I appreciate a good sense of humour , . NEVER LOSE it Stephen. ... Ron

Dear Stephen, Thank you for the link, .... I am in full agreement with you. As for the racoon, ... I know what I'd do with him given that around here they are considered pure vermin. ... Ron Watson

Dear Terry, Discussing philosophy with these die hard perfectionists will get you nothing but rebuttal. We are all impermanent as are the objects we behold as necessities of life or .... art. Some seek only the finest examples of kodogu or cars. My personal tastes are to acquire the very best examples of the various Japanese artifacts .... I hesitate on using the word ART, as the idea that these Japanese tsuba, swords, tanegashima, kiseru were designed as art works is quite incidental to their intended purpose. I have a friend who collects old west type firearms, ... the rustier the better. He feels that they represent the true feeling of the old west ( and its impermanence ). To most collectors he is a fool to waste money on anything but the finest examples of Colts, Winchesters, Remingtons, etc, but to him the essence is the FEELING ( emotions ) he gets from well used artifacts of an era long past NEVER TO RETURN. Now the fact that I try to avoid rust by no means makes me smarter or better. We simply have a different philosophy. He is happy in his world and I am happy in mine. It does not mean that I cannot or will not respect his perception of what is worthy. I hope you get the meaning of my ramble even if others do not. ... Ron Watson