xxlotus8xx

Much thanks. Would the datestamp indicate forge date or?? I will check it out this weekend and post how it turns out.

Hmmmmm...

Greetings, I humbly seek advise on this mei and blade. My novice eyes tell me the blade *LOOKS* authentic enough. And that it is WW2 military. Someone is selling for 500.00 (which is probably what it is worth....but??) http://www.flickr.com/photos/xxlotus8xx/5191339510/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/xxlotus8xx/5191339302/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/xxlotus8xx/5191339118/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/xxlotus8xx/5190744557/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/xxlotus8xx/5191338646/ Many thanks in advance.

Moss your a little late but if you want to drag this out fine. It's quite funny that I am accused of quick judgment because it seemed like Keith was being a little quick to judge. But whatever. I am removing anymore replies to this subject (last nights) because it's starting to feel like high school around here. So please. Continue with the original topic and exclude my rant last night.

So I will apologize for my short temper and perhaps reading to deeply into what you were saying. BUT really. It came across as "better than thou." and very snobish.. I also think that my post was taken word for word with out seeing the 30% humor. I also will not be deterred by you trying to discourage me from my own study . I actually enjoy it a lot. Almost as much as making music. Sometimes I think the "experts" really need to step back from themselves and try and be a little more humble. 99.5% of board members here are exactly that. I also think people only comment on the last post without reading the whole thing. I read the whole thing before I posted my "opinion". And AGAIN. I do know the value of mei authentication and school attribution and shinsa and all that. But as Brian pointed out there is no need to reinvent the wheel and I'm not trying to.. It is what it is. But really...thinking out of the box sometimes is good. Keeps you young instead of grumpy and judgmental.

OK now its personal. Quality is quality with or without a Mei. So if you think a 300+ year old Sosho Wakizashi that has traversed time and was recieved to my Grand-dad on the island of Iwo Jima during that famous battle is a "clunker" then the blade company you keep must be along the lines of Excaliber. And as a matter of fact I think more than myself would be insulted by your show of disrespect to blade lineages. I can appreciate the attribution to school and tradition AND the period just as much as the next enthusiast. And I also believe Shinsa serves a good purpose. What I do not appreciate is being judged from someone who knows absolutely nothing about me or what I consider fantasy or not. If you consider history fantasy the yes I am guilty. And actually if you read the entire thread I was actually echoing some things that were already said. So excuse me if I do not meet up to YOUR standard of someone who can appreciate Nihonto. If I don't fall into your category then don't waste words on me because you taught me no lesson here. The fact is I know what I can appreciate and what I like and really that's not for you to judge. Afterall there is no "Shnisa" for character and you are hardly my master. So go ahead and do your buying/selling thing because making a profit is what really matters...right? Or at least that is the impression you gave me.

And it's football Sunday..

Do you have a picture of your doll you can share? And for the record I have no fixation for anything. I only brought that up because he has arrows in his backpack. And I think my mom mentioned it to me at some point. I going to read up a bit on Yoshitune and then grill him for identification under heat lamps... He'll talk eventually But thanks for sharing the info both Ron and Tom. Is there anyway to figure out how old he may be?

You know...I'm looking at this closer and it is quite possible that his pack was slid in under his belt. Answers always bring more questions...What a frustrating thing to study... :|

Now that's just weird. I can't possibly see his pack belonging to some other doll. Unless these clothes are inter-changeable like Barbi clothes. The proportions are right as well as the coloring. But anything is possible. And actually in his pack there is a fan. How do I tell if it is a war fan? But this brings me back to the possible missing bow. Would not a Samurai have some minimal tools in case he needs to replace his bow? Or make arrows? Or did they have Bass Pro Shops back then?

I know Brian. But I was just sayin.... I also know that I have a true "Sagami no ju Yukimitsu" Wakizashi...(Or at least it's nice to think that!!). But I don't trip. And really does it matter? The fact is Nihonto is a historical study that is highly documented. And regardless of the Mei it still blows my mind to ponder on the history these blades have gone through. IMO I would be more interested in the history of the blade owners and lineage. To find out the blades journey and how it ended up in my hands.

Hi Ron. Thanks for the reply. His height his about 8.5 inches. His knees are slightly bent and based on the position they are in sitting on a stool would be about perfect. I think I'm wrong about the missing bow as the hole in his hands seem perfect to hold the items in his backpack. Once again NMB amazes me. There is no other place on the internet that has such a fantastic collective of knowledge. I posted some better pics here. http://www.flickr.com/photos/xxlotus8xx ... 316063624/ :"HOLE" not "WHOLE" Ray! Geeez..

I'm having flashbacks. A lot of points in this thread I have queried about and due to the "taboo" of Gimei I just keep my mouth shut. Even if the blade is quality. Hell I even got the proverbial message board flame. viewtopic.php?f=9&t=8099 I do not see where anyone brought up in this thread that perhaps the main reason mei is soooo important is if the blade passes shinsa the value of the blade goes through the roof. But also being that the smiths are so well documented it's very nice to make a historical connections to something you own. It really stimulates the imagination.

Hi Tom. And much gratitude for the reply. 1) The display case is a rig from my grandpa. 2) The thing on his back is a saw. I think he is missing a bow as he also a quiver of arrows at his back. 3) His hand has a hollowed out hole that I think would actually hold the bow. 4) The materials used in his making are all natural and he is hand painted.

Hmmm..anyone know what the doll type is called maybe??? :D

Greetings NMB friends As some of you know I am the steward to my Grandfather's WW2 relics of which he collected during the Pacific campaign. He was a US Marine and landed Iwo Jima during that historical battle. Of these relics I have inherited the collective education of NMB has provided deep insight and provided many answers to mysteries that I would have taken years to figure out (and would have most likely got it wrong anyways) These relics include A ancient Wakizashi with an impossible Mei. 3 Japanese flags that are signed and messaged. and this Samurai doll. The doll itself "feels" old and someone spent a great deal of time creating him. But I know nothing about these doll types and the backstory. So once again I consult. Pictures can be seen here. http://www.flickr.com/photos/xxlotus8xx ... 316063624/ And thanks in advance to any information.

Streamed this from Netflix. Documentary title called Samurai: The Last Warrior. http://www.netflix.com/WiMovie/Samurai- ... kid=438381

Relic from Buck Rogers?

Being extremely left handed I can attest to some advantage in fencing. Some years back I was part of a fencing school and I was able to score quit easily on even the more advanced students. That is until someone had my number and then I would get destroyed (Unforgettable match with a 17 year old Junior Olympic girl...) I have also found this advantage in shinai sparring. I do not think that many "righty's" are a custom to left handed techniques. So I encourage all parents to put socks on the right hand of your children to force them left handed.

I am also a beginning beginner. Blade comparison of what's out there should be helpful. There are plenty of documented blades (Era, smiths, provinces) on the Internet to compare your blade characteristics as well as validate your hunches. But beware. It's a slippery slope my friend. Also the resources of the members of this board can prove very valuable. As long as you don't mind getting scolded once in a while..

I'm with Paul. Top is original. Looks more naturally age worn.

Though I have no huge collection I think these insignia are rare and used as menuki? Even rarer? viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7769

Comrades. I completely failed at taking pictures and I apologize. Mainly because I was walking around in a state of wonder. Like a 5 year old at Willy Wonka's candy factory. Lot's of cool and amazing stuff. Lots of over priced stuff. Lots of stuff that seemed fairly priced. But man! Was there ever a lot of stuff!!!!!! I did meet a few people and had some cool discussions with some of the dealers. But over shadowed a vibe of predator and prey.

Looking forward to meeting NMB members tomorrow. I'll be the big mean looking guy with fangs..Oh wait sorry thats Tom . Guy in Marshall Amplification shirt is me walking around with a big ol wookie looking friend. And for you go'ers tonight. Behave. I don't want to read about any crazy drunk people running around the peninsula with katana's and wakizashi's...

Hi Jim, You know the smith, and period of the smith and the region. I would compare your waki's to other of around the same timeframe and region. There are several examples of how to measure sword's characteristics and from these measurements you can compare to swords that are documented. This might help.