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I have some good news to share today! I received a call from the supervisor at my local USPS office to say that they "found" my sword after 4 days of it going missing, and I've just picked it up and have verified that it's undamaged. I assume that the USPS theft report an the police report that I filed helped get the necessary attention, and the USPS supervisor will also be looking into the matter of the fake delivery attempt by his delivery person. Thanks again to everyone for their helpful suggestions on addressing the situation!

He is breaking the door and carrying his shield with his left arm. Ref. Lyon Collection : Print : Fan Kuai (樊噲) breaking down a door in the Emperor's palace from the series <i>Kan-So gundan</i> (<i>Military Tales of the Han and Chu</i> - 漢楚軍談). [1827c Kunisada Fan Kuai] (woodblockprints.org)

Under the cover which has not been seen since the cover was fitted all those years ago

Kai Gunto Koshirae with the gilt remaining: https://page.auction.../auction/b1157203409

I recommend hiring @SteveM to translate this sayagaki for you. His fee is reasonable and he provides a nice printable translation.

Memory cell has sparked…..I sold it through Sothebys Bond Street eons ago and it was bought by the (late) Barry Davis…a Mayfair based Japanese Art dealer with a stunning gallery. He was sitting near me in the sale and I heard him say something like…”when you see one like that you’ve got to buy it” . It was actually more like 35 years ago and I believe I did quite well on it🙂. The image above does not do it justice. Memories of exciting times.

Perhaps 以餅鐵盛岡住山内藤源國多作 - Motte Mochitetsu Morioka ju Yamauchi Fujiwara Kunikazu saku

I

Enjoy! Uwe. G.

Echizen ju Kanesada Province = Echizen Swordsmith = Kanesada

The 2 above show the stage, drum, curtain etc for a gagaku performance. out of interest I owned the lower (brass) one in Dale’s image above. Sold it over twenty years ago. Bought if for £100 from memory. Those days long gone!

Many years ago at an early morning market in Fukuyama, I was looking at some Edo period coins. A middle-aged man handed me a bag. "These are all fakes. Study them carefully", he said, walking off. I was left speechless! In my experience there are more real cash coins around. I have a box of Ichi monsen, yon monsen, ju monsen and Tempo hyaku monsen in various conditions. 一文銭、四文銭、（宝永通宝1708~）十文銭、天保の百文銭 As to Koban, they are so valuable it would be strange if there were not fakers out there. One coin dealer in Tsuyama looked at my little Hime-koban for me and told me that the better fakes are actually worth quite a bit; some people even collect them. There is an organization in Tokyo who will for a sum give you a certificate if they deem your koban to be genuine. Hard enough to judge in the hand, the problem will surely be magnified buying off FleaBay. If you are up for a gamble, though...

Something to consider is a PO Box, or having valuables sent directly to the post office.

Please keep your eyes out on government auction sites as often the stolen swords will end up here. A trick that seems to be employed by criminal postal workers and their contractors is that the delivery label is intentionally destroyed and then the package is placed in a bin ready to go to auction. In reality, a package with a damaged label is supposed to go to a special office where it should be inspected to find information about the shipper and/or the recipient so the package can get back on its way. The USPS has 90-days to do this. After that period of time, the package is considered "lost" and becomes the property of the Post Office and can be auctioned. But what we are finding is that the packages end up in bins that are heading for auction in less than 30 days and are picked up by assumed accomplices for a song. You will find police and agencies like the FBI will not touch these cases because the only U.S. law enforcement agency with jurisdiction is the U.S. Postal Inspectors, and from my experience, I have found them to be absolutely not interested in these cases, especially if there is insurance coverage. The other place to keep an eye out for stolen swords is on the Reddit Katana pages as I have discovered that on several occasions the purchaser of the sword from the USPS auction will post stolen blades here, asking for information about the value of the swords for resale. From what I hear from custom brokers and Japanese dealers, these crimes are on the rise and as I said there is zero interest in combating them. When it comes to very very rare and valuable pieces, I urge you to ask the dealers to ship your swords from Japan by UPS. It is more expensive and will almost always involve extra charges for inspections by CBP and Fish and Wildlife inspectors, but in terms of peace of mind, it is money well spent. Hope this helps.

There have been quite a few reports of people using airtags or other GPS tracking systems to lead police on search warrants. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-08-26/apple-airtags-are-helping-cops-catch-thieves-heres-how-you-can-protect-yourself

AOI Art included them in my two most recent EMS shipments from them. Thankfully, we did not need to track them. Including an Airtag is a good idea, especially if a sword’s value exceeds the EMS insurance limit.

Dealers should start using/offering Airtags. The cost is very little and they're extremely accurate. U-Haul started putting them in the cargo vans because theft and re-VINing has gotten out of control and law enforcement simply doesn't have the man power and time to deal with it.

My kaigunto, with silver mon on menuki. Good quality fittings with same-nuri saya. Blade by Ishido Mitsunobu (aka Teruhide) + Koa. Although I no longer own it, I previously had a kaigunto with silver mon on kabuto (crossed hawk feather design). That was a Shinto blade signed: “ Hoki no kami Fujiwara Nobutaka” and it had a surrender label which gave owners name as Surgeon Lieutenant Yasuo Ono. The label was included in Richard Fuller’s book on surrender tags / labels, page 95. I mention that because in that book approx 70 pages show army surrender labels whilst only about a dozen pages show navy. So, this question of why more silver mons on Shingunto than kaigunto can equally be applied to surrender labels. I suspect it has little to do with status or wealth and everything to do with personal choice and numerical statistics of those swords which survived. Heavy losses of their main capital ships, on which one assumes many senior officers perished along with their swords is a known fact. For a demonstration of that, take the largest number of Japanese officers known to surrender in one place, ie Jan 1946 Bangkok, Siam to Maj. Gen. Evans…that consisted of eighteen army Generals and just two navy admirals. So my guess is, we see fewer mon on kaigunto when compared with Shingunto simply because there are fewer to see. Kevin.

Here's a tsuba with design of the rays from the Sun Goddess Amaterasu shining from her cave retreat while Amenokoyane forces the rock door open https://collections.mfa.org/objects/11762 I have a tsuba with a similar drum and rooster. Does anyone have more information on it?

Much appreciated and no you weren’t teaching me to suck eggs. i checked the sword index and found one Kanenori Seki region. but I digress. Translation is what I really need and I am grateful for your help.

Vajo yes the wood covered saya has a hessian covering with a shrunk fit leather covering ..

Mumei $2750 sukenaga $5500 Jumyo $5500 y

Hi Ronen, Sorry, I'll try to add a bit to what you've worked out, the numbers of the paragraphs below refer to those in your OP: 3. Length 長 - 1 shaku (尺)= 33cm, 7 sun (1 sun 寸= 3.03cm so) 21.21 cm, total = 54.21cm but, as you noted, 弱 means "a little less". Info here on traditional Japanese measurements: https://en.wikipedia...units_of_measurement 4. It means the (in this case) sword described on the right, so a mumei wakizashi attributed to Kanenori. 6. Yes it needs to be translated into the Western calendar, so to begin, you need to look up the relevant Nengo era (these track the reigns of the Japanese Emperors) and the current one is Reiwa which commenced on 1st May 2019, so the 6th year is 2024 (count on the number of years from the start of the era and then deduct one to change it into the Western calendar). This is the date the paper was issued. 8. 保存 = Hozon meaning "worthy of preservation" as opposed to 特別保存 tokubetsu hozon, especially worthy of preservation. Just so you know (and sorry if you already do), all of the information to the left of the first three columns is pretty much pro-forma and appears on every paper. Only the first three columns are specific to the blade appraised. I think you have a reasonable translation of the rest of it and I hope I haven't been teaching you to suck eggs. One more egg: this kanji for kane 兼 is the one used by smiths from Mino/ Seki province and related schools so that might point you towards some further research for the maker of your sword. I hope that has given you a bit to go on. *Edit: should have said, I gained most of my knowledge from the Nihontocraft website so please add salt to the above and season to your taste, I'd relied on it in the past and wasn't aware if the issues that Nobody san spotted.

The drum with cockerel/chicken perched upon it is generally accepted as symbolic of peace……”the drums of war beat no more” type of thing. I’ve never encountered it in connection with Amaterasu. See legends in Japanese art…….

Another W marked Katana Bruce.

I read this interview with 大崎靖宗 Osaki Yasumune, and the interviewer is 栗原謙二 Kurihara Kenji, a apprentice of the second-generation 小林康広 Kobayashi Yasuhiro. In the article, some interesting story is mentioned, where 靖宗 Yasumune talks about"In fact,we use oil to soften the blade after water quenching to improve it's flexibility.And this method was invented by Dr.Kuto Haruto 工藤治人(The chariman of Yasuki Steel Mill Company 安來鋼製作所 ）.It was certainly a better method for cooling down the entire blade more evenly than the traditional method."

Some references refer to Noshi [shaved dried abalone] as being wrapped in coloured paper or fabric - so you may be correct both ways. Things change and now Noshi can refer to the paper "gift wrapping" alone. I guess the more elaborate the Noshi the more thought has gone into the gift? A group of nine-item engagement gifts, including dried abalone (2nd from right), dried bonito (4th from right), dried inkfish (5th from right), dried kelp (6th from right)

There have been a number of swords from this seller with very questionable provenance added. The last was a sword supposedly owned by a Prince with Hakogaki and special Kyu Gunto Koshirae. To the trained eye it was clear this had been whipped up recently.

I read this interview with 大崎靖宗 Osaki Yasumune, and the interviewer is 栗原謙二 Kurihara Kenji, a apprentice of the second-generation 小林康広 Kobayashi Yasuhiro. In the article, some interesting story is mentioned, where 靖宗 Yasumune talks about"In fact,we use oil to soften the blade after water quenching to improve it's flexibility.And this method was invented by Dr.Kuto Haruto 工藤治人(The chariman of Yasuki Steel Mill Company 安來鋼製作所 ）.It was certainly a better method for cooling down the entire blade more evenly than the traditional method."

I never use USPS now either for sending or receiving. When I lived in Florida during the pandemic I was shocked how they stole as ravens, mostly my wife's shampoo and beauty products for some reason but I have never encountered another organization where it was treated as normal and how hard you have to work to get someone to do something about it. Once had an open package with opened products "found" and delivered after a couple months with about half a bottle of shampoo used Never had any problems with any other US shipping companies, they usually came through as good if not better then the couriers I'm used to here in Europe.

Just an FYI, in order to use the postal scanners an employee has to scan in their I.D. when you scan a package, it also records the GPS location where it was scanned and they're pretty darn accurate unless you live out in the sticks. Basically what I'm saying is the postmaster should be able to see where it "disappeared" and who scanned it. If it disappeared at one of the hubs though its a whole other can of worms.

I actually had a USPS person just drop off a daisho at my front door when I wasn't home that was sent via EMS, and faked my "signature" on it. I had to get my neighbor to grab it before anyone took it off my porch.

UPS offers a higher insurance limit, but I still prefer EMS/USPS. Every sword I have received from Japan via EMS required a signature, and my local USPS carriers honor that. My local UPS, on the other hand, has left high value items outside my front door, despite a signature requirement and me being home to receive the package. I think porch pirates are a greater risk than internal USPS theft.

Thanks everyone for your words of support. I actually treat it as a probability issue, and was expecting that as I get more swords shipped over, this was bound to happen. The only upside is that it didn't happen to a higher value sword. What really set off my suspicions was that the tracking website showed that the sword went missing for a day going between the regional USPS center and my local post office. It then got "scanned in" yesterday morning at 4.38am, after leaving the regional post office the previous day at 8.38am. All the other swords I've received lately, made the trip from the regional center to the local post office within 2 hours, because it's a 10 mile journey. So my assumption is that the sword was stolen before getting scanned into the local post office by someone there, and this person somehow continued the tracking of the package to make it seem like the package was still en route. And good idea on making a police report, for which I've so already. Now my problem is, I still have a few swords waiting to get the paperwork done to be sent over, so I don't want to risk it going through my local post office any longer. I'll have to figure out where to send these swords instead.

I think the Jūyō results would pop up around early December at NBTHK website.

Hello everyone! If the admins will permit it, I am helping a dear friend sell a very interesting sword. Some of you may know Kazuhiro-sama of the NY nihonto collectors society. He has come into possession of the blade listed below, but he now finds himself in poor health, so I am assisting where I can. Offered for sale is a Oku Yamatonokami Tairano Ason Motohira Category: Katana Era: Edo Kanse （1790 February） Produce place: Satuma (Kagoshima prefecture) NBTHK Ceritificate: Juyo Token Length 71.2 cm Hamon Notare with gunome Jigane Koitame Sayagaki done by Tanobe Yukihiro Sensei. The asking price is $48,000 USD. To help save his energy, I will act as intermediary for the beginning of any interactions, questions, or negotiations. If someone wishes to make a purchase, I will put you directly in touch with my friend so that any final sale arrangements can be made. Please note that I do not have this blade in my possession, but if more pictures are requested, I will do my best to get them for you. Please know It may take some time.

Similar, but different.

looks very interesting can we get some pics of the whole blade?

G'day Guys, I was recently tempted by this nice gunto. The type 94 koshirae has a sakura, chuso release button and mon on the menuki. The blade is mumei, shinshinto and attributed by the NTHK to Chounsai Tsunatoshi. The blade is a little unusual in that the nagasa is only 63.6cm, but it is very stout at the machi and tapers down to normal dimensions at the yokote. Cheers, Bryce

Yoshimune was an excellent smith and rated at 2 million Yen. He only made High to Superior Grade Gendaito. As with many swords from the Shinshinto period forward, the hada is a tight ko-itame or muji. Neil's sword is pictured on page 199 of Slough's. It is the one on the right with the Hachiman Daibosatsu inscription. The one on the left next to it is excellent as well.

Franco, if you bother to do a little research, you'll find the Yoshimune, only made Gendaito. You seem to be fixated on it not being traditional.

From what I've experimented with when taking photos of my collection is using an umbrella light. There are some cheap options on amazon, I think I got mine for 25 bucks when they were on sale. I have 2 of those set up and lay the object on black fabric. If taking a picture with your phone. Turn off all the AI adjustment and auto focusing as that will drown out some important details. It takes a little longer to take the photographs, but the result is worth it. Hope this helps! Great pictures and great swords!

Rather than "bickering" as Hamfish says, I will accept the challenge from Franco D and try and take better photos. As "oli" suggested, I will rig up better lighting. My original post was photographed as I was doing its regular clean and oil, and not set up for photography. So how about we take a rain check on the discussion, and I will post (hopefully) better photos.

And of course the homepage of the komiya family: http://www.siroukunimitu.com/?mode=pc

Thanks John, I like them, discret, simple, not tacky. Very appropriate for showing your swords.

John, this one just posted by @Bencld HERE.

One of my Kai gunto has a mon on both menuki ( photo of one attached ) and an identical one on the Kabuto gane . I haven't seen this on a Kaigunto before. Interestingly there is considerable writing under the fuchi some of which reads Kaigun hira maki ( Navy flat binding ) and Mon menuki nyu ( Mon set in menuki ) I can offer no real explanation for John's original observation but agree that the percentage of kai gunto with mon on is lower than the percentage of Shin gunto with mon on them. Ian Brooks

As usual as soon as you think you haven't seen many examples they crop up everywhere. Here is an interesting Mon on a Kai Gunto: https://www.ebay.com/itm/WW2-Japanese-Navy-Sword/124296718260?hash=item1cf0a967b4:g:TQcAAOSwzLJfNHtq

Ok, did a double check on my Kais, and found a another mon on a menuki.

Some really nice Gunto gents. Jim, I friendly advise that you may want to have your blades lying on a towel or something else that wont damage the surface of the blade instead of on a metal chair. All the best. Greg