Leaderboard

When someone has a chance, let’s hear some thoughts on the show. I was close to coming this year, but some things came up and I had to defer.

濱野矩随　Hamano Noriyuki

@CarstairsCowboy Please see no malice in my previous comments. I only shared references to help you evaluate your blade. As others have already mentioned, I think there are two important points to keep in mind: - A gimei sword can still be a piece of very fine craftsmanship. - More importantly, this is your family treasure, and it was likely the treasured possession of a Japanese family decades ago as well. Depending on the time, energy, and money you are willing to invest, you could certainly have the sword polished and have a new habaki and shirasaya made. Personally, I would not worry too much about the fittings, but again, this is entirely a personal decision. In the end, it is completely up to you.

The mei is 義重 not 嘉重. AI search is not a good tool for researching Japanese swordsmiths. These tools will hallucinate and give you the information that they think you want (correct or not). I would recommend Markus Sesko's swordsmith compendium for researching swordsmith bios. https://www.lulu.com/shop/markus-sesko/e-swordsmiths-of-Japan/ebook/product-1zk9mrzq.html?page=1&pageSize=4