Brian

Well..they do say that imitation is the best form of flattery Would be nice if they credited each section with the original site though. Brian

I can only echo what Rich, Pete and everyone else has already said so well. Moriyama san, I know you are a humble man, but you take the time to help us all constantly. It is not about how much anyone knows, but how they use what they do know, and you are an inspiration to us all. Regards, Brian and the entire NMB

Yep..it is in the implementation and regulations that you will see all the nasty aspect appear. That is where they throw in limitations that make life difficult, as seen here in SA. I expect you are going to find it extremely difficult to import and export swords, and will have to jump through hoops. Luckily you have groups working for your best interests..without them all would be lost. My comments about a spy are a bit misleading. But you definitely have someone or a group posing as a "Collectors & Re-enactors Organisation" (let's call them C&RG for short) As an example: the question Should curved, single edged swords (sometimes known as “samurai swords”) be added to the Offensive Weapons Order? - One C&RG says yes..the rest no. The question: Do you agree with the defi nition as suggested and should there also be a minimum length of blade for the weapon? One C&RG votes yes. The question: Should there be any exemptions for genuine Japanese swords? One C&RG votes No ??! The question: Should there be an exemption for martial arts practitioners? One C&RG votes No. The question: Are there any exceptions, exemptions or defences in respect of existing offensive weapons which should be added? One C&RG votes No Notice a pattern? I fail to see any logic there at all, unless the supposed group is actually an anti-organisation posing as a C&RG...or they should be closed down. They are not acting in the interests of any supposed members they may have. Just pointing it out. Would love to know who they are. Brian

Stephen, No idea, never seen it. The request was sent to me via email by a friend. Brian

Thanks very much Patrick, Yep..this one looks way too young to be 1600's, and with that name I am going to assume it is gimei. Student of Kotetsu. I'll pass on the info. Brian

Hi all, I was asked via email if anyone can assist with this one, and if anyone has any info on him? Thanks in advance. Brian

Mikolaj, That is the find of the year...congratulations and thanks! It's gonna hurt the dial-up..but will be worth it. Everyone...wait a day before you get it..I need all the bandwidth I can get :D :lol: Brian

As someone who has seen legislation basically shut down his business, I don't think it is good. Shocking and embarassing in fact. But I do think it is the best you could have hoped for under the circumstances, and I think those who were lobbying against it did a great job. Now you will have to see how the regulations are written, which is usually where they sneak in all the nasty stuff. Those of us in the USA, RSA and many other countries will know what i mean when I act disgusted at them making you lock up simple sharp pointy objects and prove to them why you have a need for it. The English govt should hang its head in shame. Btw..please note carefully that you have a "spy" among you. Note that their is a "collectors or re-enactors" association that voted against every single positive aspect of this. They can't possibly represent collectors or re-enactors!? Find out who they are. Oh well..we wait and see. Brian

Hi Don (can we get a name and initial please, makes it easier to know who is who, thanks) Very little I can tell from the pics. I think it is probably real, and probably a showa era WW2 oil quenched sword, but you will have to wait for it to arrive to give us better pics. Without being able to see the kissaki and nakago properly, and any hada and hamon, not much we can say about it yet. Brian

Item 180190955166 is about 5cm across...so more likely for a tanto? He really needs to add pics of the other sides and give the measurements. These are a risk you take I guess. Brian

Reinhard actually has a good point there. It completely slipped past me that this wasn't in the eBay section. My apologies..since I did say I would tighten up on that. Moving it now. Btw..don't let the discussion of these tsuba fool anyone. They aren't anything to get too excited over. Mediocre tsuba in the line of the average Po-Edo stuff. Most would be nice to get for 100 bucks or so for a mounting project or similar, but not in the same league as most we discuss in the tosogu forum. Some ok ones, but not the stuff you buy to study great tsuba as the tsuba guys here will tell you. Brian

I won't :D I am a pretty mean sniper myself. One of us is going to be paying too much :D Brian

Michel, Once I figured out it was a heron and a crow, a google search turned up all the info http://ww2.netnitco.net/users/legend01/heron.htm "Herons are fabled to be the enemies of eagles and the friends of crows. In Japan and China a heron and a crow may be pictured together as a symbol of the yin-yang." http://books.google.com/books?id=rZPrsy ... #PPA241,M1 A lot of info there on page 241. http://www.kiseido.com/printss/p10-1.htm In his album Momo Chidori (One Hundred Plovers) Utamaro portrays a snow-white heron with a black crow, traditionally symbols of the black and white go stones. Hope this helps. Brian

Ok, I don't normally post these strange ones here, but I just found this one very odd: http://cgi.ebay.com/Pre-WWII-Japanese-D ... dZViewItem The seller clearly states "I have had a lot of request to remove the handle and insure its signed on the tang. I don't want to risk damaging the handle..." and then goes on to picture a tsuka that has been removed but no nakago pics? Also states that the tsuba is signed, but you can't see that unless the tsuka has been removed. Hmm... A guarantee that it is signed means nothing if the signature is less than desirable or the nakago is ruined. Discression advised. Brian

Mariusz, Judging by the bidding now..I think the seller owes you some commission :D Wonder how many of those bidders are forum members? Pre-book your tsuba now folks..before Milt hauls out the sniper rifle :lol: Brian

Hi Dino, Rotated the pics so they are a bit easier to read. You say you have just started studying Nihonto? Well..you seem to have acquired some nice pieces there judging by this one Brian

Ravings? Far from it Paul! That is excellent work, and a great summary. I know that it will be referenced often every time someone searches the NMB for Torigoe San. These kind of posts accumulate to become the online Nihonto encyclopedia for years to come Brian

Well..I'm not a tsuba expert, but from the few I looked at, yes they appear real to me. Nothing top class though, just low to medium tsuba. From the lack of descriptions, I would say the seller just came into a small collection and is selling them off. He does seem to have a history of selling Japanese goods. Nothing on eBay is a bargain until it ends. Starting prices mean very little. Brian

Not fakes. Not everything at a low starting price with no reserve is a fake Hmm...I am watching quite a few of these now. Brian

Patrick, Thanks for that, always good to hear it from ppl who are actually doing it. That f/k looks nicely done. You and Ford must be the forum resident craftsmen Brian

I'm with Grey on this one. Having used tumblers for reloading before, I think that there is a huge risk of damage and overpolishing. I also like it as is. Might consider the ivory method for a bit of the rust) but I wouldn't do any more than that. The patina on the brass is important and shouldn't be touched. The rule with tsuba should always be: "when in doubt, leave it alone" Brian

Hi... (please sign with a name) Although I don't have the mei translation yet, this looks to me to be a typical WW2 soldiers or pilots tanto that we often see taken to war. Judging by the shape and gut feel, I don't think this is older than WW2, and many/most of them are fairly crude with an oil temper and lack of forging/hada. Some of them are called "kamikaze dirks" or similar, and I think they were often for morale and symbolism. Anyone else have a different opinion, as this is just a quick impression. Brian

I don't have a pic of the punch, but as I understand it, it is just a thin punch with a cup shaped depression underneath, and yes..they are done one at a time. I believe that skilled workers can do this at an amazing speed with precision. Btw..slightly off topic, but just found this here: http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/c/choukin.htm and thought it interesting: Brian

Jean, You get that look to the samè when people buy a nice big piece from Namikawa etc, and try and get as many jobs out of it that they can..without using the desired cut with the larger nodes. Getting the samè to look a bit aged is also the trick I think. It had some very nice fittings from what I can see...menuki/fuchi etc, but I wasn't in love with the blade. Fairish price I guess from the quick look I had. Brian

Steve, I assume this was 2 questions? One about http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0193468088 that you were watching and interested in...and the other about the sword in the pic that you already have? Hard to say if anything is worthy of restoration based just on the signature. As you will see on any forum, easy to guess at gimei, but no-one will easily commit to a shoshin for obvious reasons. I have learned that when looking at signatures, it is much easier to find differences than find similarities with papered ones Brian