Tanegashima label -Any chance of a translation?

[Brian]

This one might not be possible due to the condition.

I recently acquired a tanegashima that I am busy restoring. It came with a very old label glued onto the wood on the left hand side. But the condition means it is probably not legible anymore. I was wondering if any of this can be made out at all, to determine if this is related to the matchlock, or is it just a shopping list or rice transaction, or "if found, please return to....." :lol:

Would preserve it on the gun if it relates, but if it is irrellevant I might remove it carefully. Appreciate any help at all.

Pics of the rifle will follow as I progress.

Will also need any pics that people have of ama-ooi from different angles. I have all the pics currently available online everywhere, but need some more. Especially the back side and from the front and back.

 

Thanks all,

Brian

[kunitaro]

It is Address and name.

 

長崎県佐世保市福石町一九七　Nagashi-ken Sasebo-shi Fukuishi-cho 197

XXX　（？？？）

和田久義　Wada Hisayoshi

[Brian]

Wow Kunitaro san, thank you very much. That was fast and much more than I expected to be able to learn from it.

Hmm...I wonder why and when someone would have lebelled their matchlock like this. Were they handed in after the war like swords maybe, or could this label be much earlier?

Is the address form a modern (post 1900) or antique one?

 

Brian

 

Edit to add: After some research, I see that Sasebo-shi in Nagasaki prefecture was only founded on April 1, 1902 so therefore this labelling must have been much later.

I suspect it was handed in after the war and taken to the USA possibly?

[Jean]

Kunitaro sama

 

Brian,

 

if found, please return to..... :lol:

 

You could not have been righter, you've got the name and address

[Brian]

Jean,

It's scary with modern technology, I can actually pull up a map of the area, and if I knew how addresses worked there, probably pull up a picture of the area/address.

http://diddlefinger.com/m/nagasakiken/saseboshi/457796

Always tempting to try and locate a relative or the original owner, even if just to say "it is being taken care of and is in safe hands" but usually that is a dead end. If the address exists today though, it is not impossible I expect.

This all assuming it is a type of "surrender tag" of course.

 

Brian

[cabowen]

In many areas the address system was changed after the war.

[Dr Fox]

And recent revelations as to the demolition that is going on, the address is now probably a supermarket! Sad.

[Justin Grant]

Brian,

 

As someone who just made an ama ooi, I asked some of the same questions and photos can be found here http://nihon-no-katchu.proboards.com/thread/571/amaooi

 

Justin

[Brian]

Thanks Justin,

I had read that thread a number of times. Mine appears similar to Eric's I think. But I am lacking a picture of an ama-ooi from the back, and maybe front to back. I am trying to see if that "ledge" extends the length of it, and the profile from the front. Eric posted a great pic, just need a few more like it, and I can tackle mine.

Your posts there are a big help. My bisen is stuck fast, and while it is ok to leave it like that, I am pedantic and want it loose. Penetrating oil has done nothing. Heat next. Piers and Ron have been giving me advice too.

Will post updates here.

 

Brian

[Justin Grant]

Brian,

 

My ledge extended about 3/4 of the way, and had two opposite corresponding angles, very complicated. I used silly putty (clay will work) and made a mold of the cavity and this was my template for working the brass into shape.

[estcrh]

My bisen is stuck fast, and while it is ok to leave it like that, I am pedantic and want it loose. Penetrating oil has done nothing. Heat next. Piers and Ron have been giving me advice too.

Will post updates here.

 

Brian

Brian, on automotive parts with the same problem I have used ice on one part and heat on the other (not extreme heat), this causes the parts to contract in opposite directions.

[estcrh]

I used silly putty (clay will work) and made a mold of the cavity and this was my template for working the brass into shape.

 

Good idea.

[Brian]

Thanks both. Might only get to the heat next week. Handy having a gunsmith workshop at work. But want to take it slow. The length of the bisen is what makes it a challenge I guess. Oil is not doing anything.

Will tackle the ama-ooi when I get some suitable brass. Got some good pics from Geraint. Still have never seen a pic of the back of one though.

Mine looks to have a full length shelf, and the groove in the barrel looks ok still. Nice original pan.

I wonder why soooo many of these guns are missing the ama-ooi? Almost seems like more than half have it missing.

 

Brian

[watsonmil]

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

[Justin Grant]

Thanks for the education Ron, you are a brilliant man!

 

Brian, I used cardboard to make the amaooi shape, and then scribed it on the brass, then cut to shape. The notch can be soldered on or you can cut one out of thicker material and file away the ice skate shape of the ama-ooi. I'd suggest you make a clay or putty mold to figure out what you are dealing with in terms of shape for the groove. I am going to redo mine later this year and will use all my lessons from the first to improve the second. I found making the bands much easier!

 

PM me your address and I'll ship you some brass, it's available in all places here in 1/8" and 1/4" thickness (flat or round)