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You are doing it wrong, Jacques. You are supposed to say "I am but an eternal student of the sword, humble in knowledge". You friend is then supposed to chime in with "Jacques is a Scholarly Scholar! Celestial star, who shines over the True Path", etc. etc..

I think everyone here knows you VERY well too Jacques. Personally I'm veering more towards provocative at this point. I meant it in exactly the way Bobby says. No one said the traits are unique to Shintogo but the similarities in forging style of that Awataguchi Nobukuni tanto and an archetypical Shintogo produced tanto suggest that there had been some influence in swordmaking technology, through contact with Nobukuni or any of his close associates. Historical references put them in the same region of Japan at the same time. So you're discounting any influence by the Awataguchi school? And why is it pointless to attempt to understand and test hypotheses on the origins and influences on Shintogo's swordmaking. No one will truly know of course since there are no contemporary historical documents to consult, but that still shouldn't prevent discussion on the subject.

I’ve already thought about this more than once. I agree that at the present time we have very favorable conditions for purchasing tosogu. https://nihonto.com/nakai-koshirae/ I’ve already cited this article as an example before - it shows very clearly that for each option, such as nanako, inlay with specific metals, additional carving - there was a substantial surcharge for every request. Now, however, the work can cost less than the price of the metal itself, simply because demand for these items is low. But if we ask someone to recreate something comparable to the work of a great master, as Ford Hallam did, the price would really surprise us and would most likely be higher than that of an Edo-period piece.

Freely translated from "Histoire des inscriptions sur les sabres japonais anciens" by Franz Baldauff - 2003.

Probably because a sword did not take a day to make, the smith did not regard a certain day as the manufacture day...but a period of time. When was it finished? On the final quench? When it came back from polish? When the koshirae was finished? I suspect the generalization was an acknowledgement that the sword was a process, and not just one day. Brian

Absolutely no, I can see when someone knows or don't know. You are far from being in this case. I have no reason to be modest. I know my limits, and you have a very long way to go before you reach them. Am I clear enough?

With the price of gold now - I am considering melting down my wedding ring! [Heck, she won't notice!]