Brian

Incredible work. Huge thanks on behalf of everyone.

Notifications go out if you have them set on. Check all the notification settings in your profile. If you aren't receiving them, then they are likely going into spam, or being blocked by your mail server. If you are using Gmail etc, then the odds of getting emails like this go down drastically, there are too many filters, and getting mails past Gmail and Yahoo is proving increasingly difficult. Best is to check back on your thread regularly, then you miss nothing. Also, you can customize your "feed" by going through the options in activity above, so you get any combination of posts you like.

Search the forum for Moritsugu Norisada. He's popped up a few times. Good smith, quality work.

Really appreciate it, and thanks on behalf of all the members go out to the family. Wondering if anyone out there has compiled these into one large file yet? Would be much more accessible and useful, even if it would be a large file to download.

They aren't tapered, but usually slightly oval. There are lots of poles available in Japan. I think often they find unregistered yari, destroy the blade and sell the poles. I also struggle with the same thing, shipping to SA is impossible. But frankly, although I am opposed to cutting a genuine one, cutting it and having it properly re-attached (there are ways it would be not visible) is preferable to having a new one made. Sorry I don't have answers, I was lucky to find 2 original yari with poles here in South Africa a few years back, something I would have thought unlikely. Also, I believe they cut a section out of the top part....essentially a slice down the middle and then a cross cut. They then inlet for the nakago, and the cut out piece is reattached and secured with bindings/glue etc. This is how they do the inletting of the tang. Btw, the comment above about oval poles may relate more to naginata. Yari poles may be round, the oval section of a naginata pole is to orientate where the cutting edge is.

Bullshippo?

@Scogg or @Ganko Anywhere near you?

Amazing work, really impressed

Why go to the trouble of importing into the UK around that value when you will likely get a very mediocre sword for that price, pay a fortune for shipping and then maube even pay vat/duties or clearing? You can likely find better deals within the UK. At the higher level I can understand, but 2K (GBP?) doesn't get you much in Japan.

Indeed, and such an amazing person...both her and her husband.

His videos on TT do a lot for education, and I find him a pleasant guy who does have a passion. I'm glad to have him on TikTok, and I know he looks up to Ray Singer for advice. Enjoy watching his stuff.

Received via CC payment, many thanks Xander and Peter.

Indeed a non-traditionally made WW2 "Showato" sword. A lot of the value would have been in the fittings, this won't appeal to the militaria collectors So you have a user sword that is genuine WW2 but likely worth around max $500 or so?

The pin is "disposable" and is the only thing keeping everything together. It's irrelevant to the history or completeness. You can carve one from a bamboo chopstick in 1 minute and press it in. It's tapered, so identify which side is slightly smaller. Needs to have one.

Grey, please extend out thanks to Mr Kirker

Hi all, This was sent to me via email, and thought it pertinent to post it here. Sounds like an extremely worthwhile project. Memorial Monument for Suishinshi Masahide — Groundbreaking and Unveiling at His Birthplace in Yamagata, Japan (2026) Hello everyone, I'd like to share some news that may be of interest to those who follow the history of the Shinshintō period. In Nanyo City, Yamagata Prefecture — the birthplace of Suishinshi Masahide (水心子正秀, 1750–1825), founder of the Shinshintō revival — a local memorial committee, working together with the city government, has built the first monument ever erected specifically at his birthplace, in the former village of Nakayama. - Groundbreaking ceremony (kōjō-shiki): August 3, 2026 - Unveiling ceremony (jomaku-shiki): September 27, 2026 — which also marks 201 years since Masahide's death (Bunsei 8, 9th month, 27th day / 1825) - A memorial service, "Shōshūki 201," will be held the same day at his family temple, Eiun-ji, in the Nakagawa district of Nanyo City The project is organized by the Suishinshi Masahide 200th Anniversary Memorial Project Committee, together with the Suishinshi Masahide Birthplace Monument Unveiling Committee.

Nope..look legit and pretty decent quality to me.

Great, except the US just decided to punish SA with an extra 15% duties on most goods...we are not in the good books (right or wrong) and so imports from here get punished.

He's just plain wrong. It's that simple.

I could be completely wrong, but I usually consider ones like these to be practice arrows. Have seen many that have the writing on them. Not sure if they were made for general practice or military training, but maybe hunting or target arrows? Had to say what the value is. They don;t have "battle" points, so my guess would be a few hundred for the set. But maybe someone who knows more can elaborate. Maybe @Bugyotsuji can advise if he has seen these around Japan.

Ray gave you a good link to his swords. They are considered decent WW2 traditionally made swords. Value imho would be between about $1500 and $2000.

Free image resizers are everywhere on the internet. It's likely dpi that needs to come down, image sixes allowed here are more than enough to show everything.

I think you need to do some research into the concept of gimei, and the fact that there are more gimei swords (false signatures) out there then genuine ones most likely. It was extremely common, going back hundreds of years, to add false signatures on real swords. Check out the FAQ above, there is a section on gimei. I'd say you have 90% chance of it being gimei. Doesn't mean it is a fake sword it worthless. Just one of the hundreds of thousands of swords signed with a name that isn't the maker. But if you want it checked out, send it to Andrew as mentioned. Any shop you send it to is going to know less than many of the guys here, and it's pointless flying anyone out to look at it, that is an unnecessary expense. If it turns out to have possibilities, then an expensive polish and papers are the next step but you could spend $3000 on restoration and have it come back gimei. That damage is also a serious factor, and affects it quite a bit. Can't see that being from a horimono.

We have a number of Japanese members, not least of which are Moriyama san, Morita san, and others. Plus a significant number of Westerners who live and work in Japan.