xxlotus8xx

Thanks.

Never buffed to my knowledge. Grand-dad brought it back from WW2, he filed it in a closet with his other memorabilia, and passed it on to me when he died. The reason I bring this up is that I read in respected paper under section "The Evolution of the Work Style of the Soshu-den" "...However in general katana sized works are few with wakizashi and tanto being the majority. Many of these are o-hira-zukura, unokubi-zukuri or other unusual constructions..."

Better pic. http://www.flickr.com/photos/xxlotus8xx ... otostream/

I'll see if I can take a better picture. But I meant not polished since my granddad or me has been in it's possession.

Actually never polished. The blade itself has been around possibly since Kamakura era and been through hell. But as to the tip it really looks like it was forged that way. And the picture sucks as well..

Over the past months while watching TV I have been keeping my hands busy by rubbing out the waki with Uchiko powder and non-abrasive cloth. I just now made the comparison and though I'd share! Check it out! http://www.flickr.com/photos/xxlotus8xx ... /lightbox/

Greetings! Just want to check if I am understanding this correctly. Kanmuri-otoshi is when there is no yokote per-say and just a declining plane to the kissaki? If so is this common? Is this specific to school/region? Thanks in advance for the assistance. Example can be seen here. http://www.flickr.com/photos/xxlotus8xx/5534743007/

It's simply art. How seriously would a Samurai be taken when he pulls his katana and his tsuba is this? The laughter would be endless I think.

Very useful link!

Let us expand these prayers to the workers of the nuclear power plant that they may get the cooling system back up and prevent a meltdown.

What exactly is a sword chair? http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/fuo/2219600725.html

@Jean: Is there a prize if I figure it out? j/k @Tom: Really looking forward to the March meeting!

Well excuse me. I thought I did from a earlier thread. "This sword is signed Sagami no Ju Yukimitsu, 相模住行光 I see Stephen answered already. This sword should be checked by experts in hand. I see tsuba wear on the nakago and a good patina. It could be faked, but...?? It may not be Masamune Den if that applies to his father, but, I can't say for or against. I checked the one oshigata in Fujishiro's and the mei is clearly different and the mitsu nanori is especially written different as well he used Soshu not Sagami in his mei. Went through some other books and can not find a smith that signed in this fashion. John"

OK so maybe it was Sagami and Soshu with same kanji?? Hmmm.. note to self: Check before post.

So aren't "Bizen" and "Soshu" the same Kanji? (Disclaimer: If I just put my foot in my mouth it's ummm....my wife's fault!)

Very nice. I echo your thankfullness!

If anyone cares or is interested. The design on the tsuba is a Akechi clan ka-mon. http://www.flickr.com/photos/xxlotus8xx/4517059652/ There is also one on the fuchi. In this thread it was spoken that these tsubas were quite common but yet I can't find anything similar on the internet. Perhaps someone has a link to a tsuba like this one? It would be nice to know that there is more than one in the world.

Very interesting commentary gentlemen and merits further study. If anyone knows of any other reference material please post. In our modern western society where attention span is becoming limited and objects are disposable it is easy to see how quickly forgotten object history has become. Or for that matter sensitivity to "vibes" (for lack of a better term) that objects may possess. A perfect example would is when I brought my teenage daughter to Austria when I was living there I took her to several Gothic and baroque cathedrals that were seeping all kinds of vibes and history from every corner. Or even explaining that the wakizashi I inherited has some 350-500 years of history. But she really couldn't be bothered or so it seemed. Hmmm..maybe I expected to much. But when I was a teenager I think I would have been in awe.

While an inanimate object may not possess a soul I believe inanimate objects can retain energy. In this case the energy or the intent of the person wielding the nihonto. And the person before them. And as far back as a swords lineage goes. In some cases this may be a very long time with many owners that may have harbored ill intent. Without straying to far off topic and as a person that has experienced, umm...supernatural events and experiences throughout my life it has become quite clear that there is MUCH more than meets the eye...

I'm sure some of you folks have read this already. But what really struck me is the references to other supernatural forces and influences. http://www.aikidojournal.com/article?articleID=598

So just to follow up the fix was to swap the seppa's and re-seat the menugi. Thanks again folks. :D

Tom: As always very sound advise. But this is not a practical blade for this reason. I have horrid visions of striking a target and splitting the tsuka and having a razor sharp blade go flying *shudder*. And to all others thank you for the advise and tips! From a external examination the habaki is a good fit and I suspect the mekugi is worn or a poor fit and/or the seppa(s); (2 currently) is not ideal for the assembly. The seppa that sits on top of the fuchi looks really thin. Like smaller than 1/20th of an inch.

Thanks guys. I have tried the leather solution which works pretty good but it seems like kind of a hack. But whatever works right? My friend has made seppa's for me before and I'll probably just ask him to make me a thicker one. The Tsuba It is REALLY annoying rattling around. :D

Greetings, Does anyone know of a effective way to tighten up how snugly a tsuka fits up against the tsuba? Thicker seppa maybe?

West Coast California checking in. Happy new years to all and lets do 2011 right. Ray