Wickstrom

Thanks for the suggestion Mark, I might have to try that. I have been learning first-hand from a college student from Japan but i am still not so well on my reading...

Lol thanks all, I love how i look all day through kanji books and you guys can figuire it out by the time i refresh the page

Need a bit of help translating this as i cannot read Japanese...yet. I believe this is an older blade, probably Sengoku. Still legible?

Are there any specific signs that indicate too many polishes on the nakago?

I know wakizashi are not worth much, but its not so much about re-selling them and trying to make a profit...my main question is do you think this sword is worth polishing?, i talked to Fred Lohman today and he said he would reccomend his level 2 polish which is basic but brings out whats nice in the blade for around $795. Its not so much as a economic investment as it is just something i can admire for the history of it.

Yes i talked with David Mcdonald and he said that its probably sengoku from the bo-hi. I am really on the edge about this...I have a waki with hozon papers that is out of polish also and was debating on seeing how this blade turns out or getting my papered waki polished and then get the papers up to date instead.

well i got a steal on a modern made yoroi for $200 USD. The owner of this sword wanted 950 i believe but he offered to trade me it for the armor instead.

I see nothing.

More Pictures

Thanks Grey, I'll resize them and re-up right now.

Hello Gentlemen, I am in the process of purchasing this sword from a member of the board here. Recently received It in the mail for inspection and i was wondering if anyone could give me an estimate on restoration? Is it worth restoring?, it has a nice bo-hi and the blade still has a nice shine although it has some medium/bad pitting on the blade. As far as i can see there isn't any blisters or serious flaws. A couple of microscopic chips towards the tip and under the habaki, But nothing terrible. The point of the kissaki has been flattened but this would most likely be repairable. Its Mumei and has never been papered i believe. Estimate on a polishing window? The nagasa is around 20 3/8 i belive. Thanks,

Mass produced WW2 blades were mostly just ordinary pieces of steel milled into the general shape of a samurai sword and then had an arsenal stamp number placed on them. A Hamon is the product of traditional forging and traditional forging only. Although some Aluminium hilted ww2 blades do have a "hamon", it is just acid etched onto the blade to make it look like it has one. Ughh Gaudy indeed.

Twofish, My mistake, from what you said about the blade retaining its edge and toughness i assumed you would be using the blade. . Thaitsuki makes blades merely for heavy training, they are not licensed nihonto smiths as they would be much more expensive. Alas they still make some sturdy blades from what i have personally heard before this article. I believe you could find a couple modern made true nihonto for around $2000. I saw a website posted on the board a while back that had a nice katana made by an American trained smith for around $2200 i believe, but the site has slipped my mind. Cheers, Andrew S. Wickstrom

Twofish, I would not reccomend buying a nihonto if you are looking to cut things with it. When you own the blade you are responsible for anything that may happen to it. I have been studying nihonto for about 6 months now and i am still a bit uneasy handling my wakizashi much more then just usual matienance. If you are looking for something unique and something you can practice kendo/iaido with i would reccomend thaitsuki forge. They have some very nice,custom-made, swords for well within your price range, But please do not rush into buying a nihonto, it is a great responsibility to own one. As we are merely care-takers holding onto them for the future generations to study. Also here is a link to the thaitsuki website- http://thaitsuki.com.p8.hostingprod.com ... ords.shtml Cheers, Andrew S. Wickstrom

Hello Gentlemen, I am on my way to acquiring a nice,mumei, koto wakizashi from one of the members here. It is out of polish but its in decent shape. I read the rules and standards for the NBTHK but i am still unsure about this. Can a mumei blade without a polish still be attributed to a smith or school? I believe it has potential but i have heard it is best to go to shinsa first before putting big bucks into a new polish. I will post a picture of the kissaki and part of the blade that the member sent to me for the board's survey.

Haha well im glad i caused a good laugh :D Thank-you for informing me Ken, although i do not think i will be trying this suit on again anytime soon in this 90+ degree Minnesota weather. :lol:

Hello fellow board members, here are some photos of the yoroi i purchased today, i got a great deal on it. It is a newer one 1980's? But is still a great piece. Might possibly be put up for sale if anyone is interested? i know i have it put on a bit wrong but it didn't come with any sort of stand so it was rather difficult to snap some good photos so i tried it on. please give your thoughts/opinions.

Just purchased this entire yoroi at a yard sale about an hour ago for $200. great day my friends http://www.samurai-store.com/armor/L005SP.html practically perfect condition too.

Thank-you all for the suggestions, these are all very good candidates for my next purchase. Affordability was the main issue as i am only in my 3rd year of high-school. These pieces are not only in my price range but surpassed my quality expectations. cheers NMB

Donald, These look nice but something seems a bit sketchy about the low prices. A full yoroi of edo period armor for $1800? seems a bit suspicious, I'll have to get an opinion from a couple more board members before i purchase from this seller. Thanks for the recommendation though. Cheers

Hello Gentlemen/ladys (if theres any?) I was wondering if anyone knows a good place to purchase a good, reasonably priced dou. It can be a newly made one or old i really don't have a preference as long as it looks decent. A full set of armor is a little out of the price league for me, but i have seen them for sale separately before i was shopping for one (figures). If anyone could point me in the direction of a dealer or a shop that sells/makes them it would be most appreciated. Best wishes to the board,

Thanks for sharing Stephen. This is great footage but also indeed very sad. I could not imagine how those soldiers felt watching their family heirlooms being handed out to random civilians. Although most of the swords that we own once did belong to the men in this footage. It still brings a very heavy heart to watch.

Here are some pictures. Also Stephen what damage is done to the blade with the red uchiko? I've only used it on the blade 1 time.

Hello Gentlemen, I recently purchased my 1st nihonto (i will upload pics later) and was wondering if anybody has any tips on how to preserve the blade and fittings. is it alright to use a oiling kit such as this one? or should i be looking at a higher end one? http://www.unbeatablesale.com/poker2210 ... =POKER2210 Also, how do i remove the tsuka to check out the mei? I know you have to push the pegs out but I have delayed on doing this because i fear i could fray the tsuka wrap as it is late edo turned into a gunto mount

What an amazing temper-line this blade has. Can't be to too old judging by the rust over the file marks but that's just my 2 cents. Still a lovely blade, Congratulations