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That vid was hard to watch, for me at least, that guys voice was like nails on a chalkboard. Also, that snake blade looked as if it needed some attention, the oxidation looked active.

Stuff I still need to work on, but Tembun 7, November… is visible. 天文七年十一月 Either side of 10 (十) is the old date of Tsuchinoe Inu, 戊戌 土口日 (?… not sure what kind of day this refers to)

Hello Everyone! After 1.5 years in my possession, the kodachi I had acquired is now being sent for shinsa! Wish me luck as we anxiously wait! In other news, to celebrate this occasion, I took new photos of the blade. Feel free to send your thoughts! All the best, Nich

Cheers Michael. Thanks for sharing. I also have a habit of handling my iron tsuba daily. My routine, I will select one tsuba from my collection and carry it with me to work or wherever I go for (usually) at least a few days. Rubbing it while driving, while at work, while watching tv, etc. Many many years ago, a sword polisher I became aquatinted with while living in Japan suggested that the natural oils help stabalize the patina of iron tsuba, and I honestly love the tactile feel. It feels like therapy sometimes. If I have a piece with some active rust, I usually apply a small amount of choji oil with a q-tip, then rub it in a bit and use a cotton cloth to rub the area. I've never used bone or ivory, but occasionally a fingernail. I try to cycle through my pieces to give each one attention fairly, but I have to admit I have my favorites. Damon

Tried to include a few more few close-ups, showing the detailing of the mounts. Each of the components are adorned with cherry-blossoms, with finer-detailing to the backstrap. I suspect the Saya has been done in Dogfish/Eel skin, instead of conventional Rayfish Same- the texture appears very uniform and lacks any variation; being without any obvious "Nodes". One interesting feature to the sword is the folding "retention flap", which secures the blade within the scabbard

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More photos!

Just stumbled across this video by Cross Cultures from the NHK, published on the 12th January: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/shows/2084073/ "The fact that foreign collectors cherish Japanese swords helps to unearth ancient works taken overseas after 1945. It also serves as a force for preserving traditional techniques facing extinction." Nice little time capsule of today's Foreign Japanese Sword Enthusiast.

The Rosetta Stone and Elgin Marbles might argue that statement At least the photos are quite high quality. I can even see the cat number for the Yoshikane, which to me is a really nice piece. Entered the BM inventory in 1992 and came from the Walter Compton Collection through the Christie's auction. They paid $143k. The Zufu states it's quite tired but the fact it's signed/ubu makes it important. And it's almost 1000 years old, so I guess we can cut it some slack. I prefer the Ko Bizen Kageyasu tachi though.