Guido

Actually neither "roninjje's" (so much for forum policies) nor Thierry's Tsuba show an Oni (yes, I noticed that the description of Thierry's Tsuba in the Japanese book states "Oni face 鬼面", but nonetheless). It's not an Oni 鬼 but a Shikami 魅. They are easily distinguished by their horns. Oni have square heads with small, conical, stubby horns. The Shikami has the face of a Shishi, and the ears and horns of an oxen, and is frequently depicted without a lower jaw (but not always). One will only see the head of a Shikami, but never the body. Shikami are sometimes described as Onimen Shishi 鬼面獅子, "devil/demon-faced lions". From the Nambokuchô period on, the Shikami was one of the favorite subjects of Maedate, like on my mid-Edo period Gosoku:

The first year Jimmu is 660, so 2600 minus 659 = 1941.

The material you're looking for is Delrin. However, Mekugi are mostly made of seasoned, smoked bamboo (Susudake すす竹) because of its elastic yet tough fibers. Even when it breaks, the fibers hold the Mekugi together, so that the blade doesn't slip out. Horn simply snaps. It is important to note, however, that the Mekugi is not solely responsible for holding the handle to the blade: The friction on the blade’s tang caused by a perfectly inlet Tsuka is another very important factor, perhaps even more important than the Mekugi itself. The fact that "the bamboo ones frequently break" is alarming, and can have two causes: a) crappy inletting of the Tsuka, or b) abusing the sword / bad cutting form. Maybe you should have a new Tsuka made instead of looking for a "better" Mekugi material - a broken Mekugi is extremely rare in (traditional) JSA, and one should try to find the reason for this instead of treating the symptoms.

The thing to remember is that each time of life has its appropriate rewards, whereas when you're divorced it's like living in Cleveland.

Without even cracking open a book for reference, the Mei *srceames* Gimei. OTOH, you never know how Shinkai signed while being under the influence ... Oh, and the Ura says "Tsuda Echizen no Kami Sukehiro" - geez, how many famous names can you squeeze on one Nakago?

Although I generally agree with you, there is IMO (based on having lived in China for almost 5 years) no child slave labor to speak of, and I've seen quite a few so called "Satsuma rebellion swords" where the Itomaki is twisted in the same direction. I think with Chinese fakes it's just a sloppy job without an eye for detail; alternative twisting shouldn't take longer than doing it in the same direction.

First time I hear something like that. I personally would inscribe FLAWED BLADE on the Shinogiji with a dremel instead of spending big bucks on a Shakudô Habaki. Anyhow, Shakudô Habaki are not very common, so I can't come up with any statistics of my own. Buth then again, statistically speaking, every person on earth has one testicle and one ovary. I think that pretty much sums it up. :D

Two years ago I posted about Ôno's visit to my house on SFI; here's the link for those interested: http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.php?t=38230

Look at his ID history: it's mackstar2001 who changed his ID - the third time already, I wonder why ....

The Nihontô Meikan has a list exactly like that - well, except for the meaning of the town names, which would be quite a research project by itself. No offense intended, but it's not exactly like in the US where even your grandpa might remember the first homesteads in your town, and how the settlement later was named ... Anyhow, this reminds me of when I lived in NY, and coming brack from a trip to the Southwest told my bank teller how impressed I was by the Grand Canyon. He said "you Europeans are always so proud of your 1,000 year old cathedrals and castles, but do you have something like *that* over there?"

Yes, it's wrong; I have no idea how Mike could have made that mistake, he usually knows his stuff. And it would be "Bijutsukan", not "Hakubutsukan", anyhow.

Martin, your papers are not issued by the Nihon Tosogu Bijutsukan (日本刀装具美術館) but by the Nihon Tosoguu Kenkyu kai (日本刀装具研究会). I've seen them occasionally, and heard that they are quite cheap (only Yen 5,000), but don't know anything else about this group.

The annual sword forging competition is held since 1955; its name changed twice untile now: 1955: Sakutô Gijutsu Happyôkai 作刀技術発表会 public presentation of the art of sword making 1965: Shinsaku Meitô Ten 新作名刀展 exhibition of newly made fine swords 1991: Shinsakutô Tenrankai 新作刀展覧会 newly made sword exhibition Although it’s called Shinsakutô exhibition, it includes Horimono and Kodôgu as well; however, there’s a separate competition for Koshirae 拵, Shirasaya 白鞘, Habaki and Seppa (Shirogane 白金) and Tsukamaki 柄巻. When the results of the competition are publicised in English, the awards are sometimes called “1’st prize, 2’nd prize†etc. This is done for the sake of convenience – the actual names of the awards are rather lengthy, and would need quite some explanations – but can be a little misleading, particularly with regard to the “Nyûsen awardâ€. This isn’t a reward or prize at all, although it is considered a great honor to be “rewarded†acceptance. Let me explain in more detail. A panel of judges examines the swords submitted, and decides which ones will be accepted; this is called Nyûsen 入選 (accepted for competition). The Nyûshô 入賞 (award winners) are then chosen from the Nyûsen entries during two rounds of scoring: In the first round of scoring the blade only is judged. In the second round, the judges examine the Nakago and its finish in relation and proportion to the blade. The scores are added and divided by two. There are the following awards: 1. Swordmaking Division (Sakutô no Bu 作刀の部) Tachi 太刀 – Katana 刀 – Wakizashi 脇指 – Naginata 薙刀 – Yari 槍 Tokushô 特賞 (special awards) Masamune Award (producing Nie of the most outstanding quality in the Ji and Ha) (Masamune Shô 正宗賞) Prince Takamatsu Award (Takamatsu no Miya Shô 髙松宮賞) General Director of the Agency for Cultural Affairs Award (Bunkachô Chôkan Shô 文化庁長官賞) (Mainichi Newspaper, Co. Award [now defunct] [Mainichi Shimbunsha Shô 毎日新聞社賞]) Honorary Chairman of the Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword Award (Nihon Bijutsu Tôken Hozon Kyôkai Meiyo Kaichô Shô 日本美術刀剣保存協会名誉会長賞) Chairman of the Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword Award (Nihon Bijutsu Tôken Hozon Kyôkai Kaichô Shô 日本美術刀剣保存協会会長賞) Kunzan Award (named after the late Dr. Satô Kanichi) (Kunzan Shô 薫山賞) Kanzan Award (named after the late Dr. Homma Junji) (Kanzan Shô 寒山賞) All Japan Swordsmiths Association Director's Award (Zen-Nihon Tôshôkai Kaichô Shô 全日本刀匠会会長賞) Other Awards Yûshû Shô 優秀賞 (Excellence Award) (formerly Shôrei Shô 奨励賞 [award to encourage further efforts]) Doryoku Shô 努力賞 (Effort Award) (award to recognize remarkable efforts) Ko-Wakizashi 小脇指 – Tantô 短刀 - Ken 剣 Yûshû Shô 優秀賞 (Excellence Award) Doryoku Shô 努力賞 (Effort Award) (award to recognize remarkable efforts) 2. Sword Engraving Division (Tôshinbori no Bu 刀身彫の部) Doryoku Shô 努力賞 (Effort Award) (award to recognize remarkable efforts) 3. Sword Fittings Division (Chôkin no Bu 彫金の部) Chairman of the Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword Award (Nihon Bijutsu Tôken Hozon Kyôkai Kaichô Shô 日本美術刀剣保存協会会長賞) Yûshû Shô 優秀賞 (Excellence Award) Doryoku Shô 努力賞 (Effort Award) (award to recognize remarkable efforts) Swords made by smiths with Mukansa ranking are exhibited without the examination process – that’s what Mukansa 無鑑査 means, “exempt from examinationâ€. To the Mukansa group belong the Jûyô Mukei Bunkazai Hojisha 重要無形文化財保持者 (important intangible cultural property holder), commonly called Ningen Kokuhô 人間国宝 (living national treasure); the Mukansa 無鑑査 proper; and the Mukansa-Taigû 無鑑査待遇 (treated as Mukansa). Since the level of Mukansa work is considered above competition, no awards will be granted to this group. To become a Mukansa, a smith has to win a Tokushô (special pize) at least eight times, and usually among those the Takamatsu no Miya award three times. The rank of living national treasure is usually given to Mukansa towards the end of their carreer in appreciation of their life’s work and development. They then receive a modest stipend from the government, and are in turn expected to teach their craft to the younger smiths. The Masamune Award is seldomly granted, and even Mukansa (but not Ningen Kokuhô) are eligible for this most distinguished prize.

Well, what can I say? If you ever go to the South Bronx and refuse to hand over your money to Jamal and his homies when being asked for, and hear the line " I'm gonna cut you ... cut you baaad!" make sure to explain to them that you fail to see the connection between being cut and being killed. I'm sure they'll explain the fine points to you immediately. P.S.: The location, events and characters depicted in this post are fictious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental. No racial stereotypes were intended. The Humane Society was present whenever an animal got involved into posting.

There are two ways to write *kiru*: 切る = the "regular" cutting, and 斬る = cutting with a sword.

Well, what you're saying is confirmed, by instance, by the Shintô / Shinshintô Kunishige smiths, singning their blades 備中国水田住國重 and 備中國水田住国重 alternatively depending on the generation, writing "kuni" with either 国 or 國. However, Inoue Shinkai is an example of *not* doing this, writing "kuni" both times the same way (see attachment). Just two examples off of the back of my head. Isn't this fun?

What Koichi said. Here's the Chinese (and in brackets the Japanese) reading: 中國 = ZHONG-GUO (CHŪ-KOKU) = China 大連 = DALIAN (DAI-REN) = a city in Liaoniang province, used to be called Port Arthur 陳 = CHEN (CHIN) = family name 朝波 = CHAO-PO (CHŌ-HA) = given name 壬午年 RAN-WU-NIAN (MIZU-NO-E UMA (no) TOSHI) = year of the horse = 2002

John, I recommend reading this very interesting article http://www2.una.edu/Takeuchi/DrT_Jpn_Cu ... ameshi.htm by Alex Takeuchi (with an illustrated appendix by yours truly ) about Tameshi etc. I'm currently trying to expand this by listing and comparing the Wazamono rankings in the Kaihô Kenjaku and Kokon Kaji Bikô, in other words: to be continued ...

Here are the Shinsa fees: Hozon Token * With no old paper 25,200 Yen * With Tokubetsu Kicho paper 24,150 Yen * With Koshu Tokubetsu Kicho paper 22,050 Yen Tokubetsu Hozon Token * With Hozon paper 52,500 Yen * With Tokubetsu Kicho paper 47,250 Yen * With Koshu Tokubetsu Kicho paper 42,000 Yen As one can see, it doesn't cost much to keep the old papers by telling the NBTHK that the sword has no previous papers. For only 1,050 Yen you could keep the old Tokubetsu Kicho papers and get new Hozon papers. Those are then sold for much more on eBay. The NBTHK processes about 1,000 swords at each Shinsa, and simply doesn't have the manpower to check each sword for previous papers.

Probably neither nor. Some people don't hand in their old papers when they re-submit a sword for Shinsa for a variety of reasons. Especially when it comes to the old "white papers", the Sinsa fee is the same as if submitted without any previous papers, so there's even no financial gain in delivering the old papers.

I, too, would be depressed if people called me "Gaijin" (instead of "Gaikokujin"). :? And since we've established the meaning of the *mystery Kanji* - was that really your point, or is there another hidden message?

John, I know next to nothing about Guntô, but would be surprised if the Seppa were made of steel - hard to work with, and ineffective when it comes to their purpose. Also, modern replacement Seppa are for sure made out of copper, Namikawa - who probably has the widest selection of restauration items - doesn't sell anything else. Anyhow, I looked the topic up in some books of mine, and they all say that Seppa are made of copper. Here's a quote from the only English lanuage source that I could find, B.W. Robinson's "The Arts of the Japanese Sword": But if you *really* want to be sure, there's a way to find out ...

Hmmm, virtually all Seppa I ever saw / handled were made of copper and gold plated. A very few were silver plated, and some not plated at all or overlaid with gold foil. This makes sense inasmuch the Seppa act as kind of a "buffer" between Habaki and Tsuba / Fuchi and Tsuba, where the soft (and cheap) copper would be preferred over other metals.

Didn't he give Dustin Hofman some glove oil to ease the pain? As in Chôji-abura? Thank God we're not going o/t here ... :lol:

I was just joking about eBay. Well, keeping Milt in mind, make that half-joking. :lol: I'm very glad to hear that, it means a lot to me.