Help on a Shin-shinto

[Wickstrom]

I just purchased this sword from a former iaido student whos had it in his garage since he stopped going in 1996, Fairly good condition blade but it has a greatly shortened nakago, huge nagasa for a katana (32 inches) but with a nakago you would expect to see on a tanto. The original signature has been lost i believe but the owner must have re-inscribed the name with red lacquer or paint. Almost impossible to get a good picture of this but i will keep trying to get some decent ones if anyone wants to have a go at it? I had to edit in the last 2 kanji as they have been worn away but i can still make out the outline of them.

 

**figured out the last two kanji, probably a date of some kind? Kazu-ichi (1) ku- (9) Is the third to last character masa maybe?

 

Thanks guys,

[W K Clifford]

you'll have to post better pictures, man.

[Wickstrom]

I'm working on it, The nakago is only about 1.8 cm wide so its proving to be rather frustrating trying to take pictures of it.

 

I appreciate you looking though.

 

Thes two are the best i have gotten so far....

[Wickstrom]

I'll try to get some better shots tomorrow when the sun is out. My thanks to all that tried even with my crap photos

[kuromido]

Hi, A lot of us "choke up on it" or try to get the best/largest shot by getting real close while taking a picture.

A better way for me seems to pull back just until the picture is in complete focus in the screen then once taken crop it to enlarge. Also if you shoot in the next higher dpi

and pull back as described or even a little further, then crop. You should end up with a sharp pic of the size needed.

I hope this helps,

PeterD

[Kai-Gunto]

Red paint on nakago was for assembly purpose.

[Wickstrom]

Hi, A lot of us "choke up on it" or try to get the best/largest shot by getting real close while taking a picture.

A better way for me seems to pull back just until the picture is in complete focus in the screen then once taken crop it to enlarge. Also if you shoot in the next higher dpi

and pull back as described or even a little further, then crop. You should end up with a sharp pic of the size needed.

I hope this helps,

PeterD

 

Thanks Peter, I'll try your advice next time i take the sword out, I was pretty busy today so i didn't have a chance to get out and get some good shots. It doesnt help that my camera is not very great, ancient would be a better way to describe it. Do you think a tripod would help at all?

 

 

Red paint on nakago was for assembly purpose.

 

Like directions to assemble the mounts onto the blade?

[Lindus]

Try useing a flat bed scanner.

Roy

[Kai-Gunto]

When makeing more than one sword koshirae at the time in sword factorys , they marked the nakago with numbers in red paint.

[Kevin]

A better way for me seems to pull back just until the picture is in complete focus in the screen then once taken crop it to enlarge.

 

Yup, concentrate on focus. Also use the smallest aperture that you can get away with for a greater depth of field. Preferably use a tripod and a remote release so that you can use longer exposures with a small aperture. You don't have to use a macro lens - in fact with some mei that is a bad option. Set the camera to produce the highest quality pic it can and crop it.

 

Oh, and get one of those flexible quartz halogen spots - even better, two - and try and light the nakago obliquely. Shows up surface details better.

 

What you see in the viewfinder - leastways with an SLR - is the final arbiter of whether you've got it right. Is it in focus and can you see the details you want?

 

Kevin