bdgrange

I am not sure I should weigh in on this one but I think it bears repeating in this particular discussion. I was once told not to give up if I recieved a "pink paper" on a signature by the NTHK. "Wait and either resubmit or send to the NBTHK". This did happen to me. I submitted a Gassan Sadakatsu in new Japanese polish with special Minatogawa atributions to the NTHK because it would be quicker. I wanted it back for the Tai Kai. They rejected it and charged me. This was a bitter dissapointment and others could not believe this had happened either. Those that had seen it, that is. We had an oshigata made and left for Mr. Tanobe of the NBTHK who looked at it later and said it looked o.k. to him. Months later it went back to Japan and it was approved "hozon" by the NBTHK and returned with a beautifull sayagaki by Tanobe san. It sold at the subsequent tai kai for $15,000. I wish I still had it but could not turn down that many $100. bills all at one time. This was then spent on other works to keep the hobby alive and well. I have a piece in Japan for polish and again to be submitted to NTHK. I do not worry about it as I think of the previous as water under the bridge. (this one is mumei though). I too have bought and sold through AOI art. Someone once said ask plenty of questions first and they will give honest answers. The key is to not rely just on their description and pics. but to question them. kind regards Bill Delagrange

Hi Steve What is grade ko? What is grade otsu? tks Bill D

This is Hideaki a major gendai smith who's work is worth much money when the signature is correct. AOI art has one for sale dated 1931, also a tanto. Tanto are rare among gendaito. The yasurime are poorly done with the one listed by e-bay. AKA Toshihide He did a number of pieces with steel from the Mikasa. Soughs book pg. 174. The seller here is a good person. best Bill Delagrange

While we are on the subject. This listing of a Tadayoshi looks like one I saw a few months ago. What reminds me is the lack of menuki and the comment by listing person about its not being there on purpose. This person has 0 history and refuses escrow and paypal. Low price at $6000. and no shinsa info. Thought some of you may have seen this before as well. See item 180097470601 regards Bill Delagrange

I believe it says mumei and then within the parenthesis you will see who it is attributed to. regards bdgrange

Auction over some did well others did not many thanks bdgrange

Nigel Yours having three mekugiana is unusual for a gunto. It looks like stainless and an anchor stamp would be for the Toyokawa naval arsenal, circle and anchor I believe. Given only the nakago and sig. I am not sure what may or not be going on with this. The smith is unknown to me as well. The yakiba on these swords may or may not be real with actual nioi present. This has not been established by anyone. I am still learning about these as well and there is not much in the way of source material. best bdgrange

I also have a stainless blade with the naval arsenal anchor stamp. They also have well cut inscriptions. Kanenaga develolped a special stainless steel for navy blades. This is an excellent example of kai-gunto mounts and the blade in excellent condition. It is not traditionally made and is not a gendaito, however. It is a stainless blade in my opinion as well. It is worth the price. The navy did receive traditionally made blades from the Minatogawa jinja and the Yasukuni smiths as well. None have any stamp and the presence of one indicates that it is not traditionally made. There is one exception, arguably, and that is the star stamp on late war blades. Any attempt to send this to Japan, for instance, would result in it being confiscated. It is still a nice piece of militaria from WW2. which is where this belongs. Mike Yamaguchi is a very respectable dealer as well. regards bdgrange

I would say that these might be sumegane, or tiny carbon holes or dots left from the forging process, which can appear anywhere. They are not a fatal flaw and most would pass by these as insignificant as well. If the piece is by a good smith and beautifull it should not make a bit of difference. They can be removed but sometimes best left alone. kind regards Bdgrange

Perhaps the fact that it has Hozon Tokubetsu origami would address the quality aspect of the piece. This is very hard to get. Perhaps the question as to what year this was given would help. I would think the price is in line given condition and papers. They have a no question return policy and questions can be asked and answered before purchase as well. Hawleys point system is not necessarily a good reference as to quality, in my humble opinion. We all know that any one piece may reflect better workmanship than another by the same smith from time to time. Hence NBTHK hozon for a Sadakazu and tokubetsu hozon for another piece by the same smith. Also sometimes the adjectives are not what we might use given our experience with English. But the pictures and origami speak for themselves, hopefully. kind regards Bdgrange

Have bought from this dealer and found him to be professional and knowleageable. Highly recommend. Has wide selection on Nihonto. regards Bill Delagrange

Bob Benson in Hawaii removes mei and patinates. Submits for NBTHK shinsa as well. bushido Japanese swords regards Bill Delagrange[/u]

He closed the auction "to take time evaluating the piece". He says has rec'd other offers and advice. You can e mail him and he will discuss the treasure. I think that the "orikaeshi" mei might be an insertion from another piece. The metal looks different from the nakago it is inserted in. It was not uncommon for these things to be done. In any event shinsa in Japan is likely to be very conservative. The owner swears it is folded over and not just inserted. The pictures do not necessarily support this. This may show up again but with a slightly higher reserve. regards Bill Delagrange

You can buy gun blue and browning solution from a gun store and expriment with the color you want and mix or apply one and then the other. Kind of like using nagui powder and mixing. regards Bill Delagrange

You need to measure from the fuchi back on the tsuka, the distance from where it begins on the nakago with all seppa and tsuba in place to the front of the ana. If you get it wrong and it is to the front of the hole the whole works will move back with a good pull. You better have some same the same color and size available and some wood dough if you get it wrong. Larger size mekugi ana can make up for some errors. I drill with the tsuka in place and go through one side of the tsuka and then take a look to see where you are using a smaller drill. good luck Bill Delagrange

Japanese culture and history are good topics as well within this heading. Swords may have two aspects that we might enjoy and study, as once said by a fine teacher and collector Cary Condell. One aspect is the sword as it relates to actual history and another is its construction and all of its attributes. One might spend all his time understanding just one theme and not have wasted a moment. bdgrange

This listing is hard to believe. See for yourself. Listed as a Yasunori with minimal pictures. Another no history seller with dubious intentions. Tell me how to insert url and I will do so. Meantime look at item no. 270037056016 at e-bay. regards Bill Delagrange

This listing has all the warning signs. Private listing no history will not accept pay pal wants account credited Big name, cutting test, high quality kodogu all for a low price. Wonder who will bite? Who is this? 6 hours will tell

Minamoto Kiyomaro was a great smith argueably the greatest of the shin shinto period. Kiyomaro was the only toko able to produce so much technical skill in his work. He produced many famous swords. There are changes in the way he inscribed his mei from year to year and also changes in the way he made swords from period to period. The hamon itself changes from ko choji midare with narrow nioguchi to gonome midare with vigarous sunagashi to the varied hamon of gonome which in turn became fairly large, to the o gonome of his twilight years in which the kashira were fairly uniform or umo no ha (horse teeth). Taken from the "Nihonto Koza. delagrange

No pictures but... Happened to be reading about this very subject last night in Leon Kaps book:Modern Japanese swords...pg 74 and 75. paraphrased from this: Confiscated swords were in the Akabane Arsenal in 1945, shows pic. of a huge stack. Gen'l McArthurs headquarters authorized an evaluation committee to asses the confiscated swords in the Tokyo area, which were in the Akabane Arsenal. This was accomplished through the efforts of Col. Cadwell and Honma Kunzan and Sato Kanzan. After setting up the special committee and even while all of this was being done the army continued to give away swords to any occupation forces member who requested one. Each judge was paid seventy sen per day (equal to a Coke). Many of the confiscated swords in Akabane were destroyed although 4,575 of these blades were eventually selected by the committee and preserved in the Tokyo National Museum. These were only recently examined and restored after resting for some fifty years in the basement. In 1995 the diet had ordered that the swords be returned to their owners. An exhibit of these Akabane swords took place in April 2000. Earlier due to all of this the NBTHk was formed. with Honma the first chairman. On another note my understanding is that the sword world has lost another great student Herman Walenga. I just re-read his treatise on the Minatogawa jinja published by the JSSUS. He did leave the world a little richer by publishing this and other articles in the JSSUS.