Ruben

Hi Danocon, congratulations, your forgery looks good, lot of work and passion for shure, must be very exiting! What I think is you have to forge your orishigane much thinner, before breaking. I saw many pieces broke of when hammering, that for maybe you should but it more often in the heat whilst the process. Also take a bigger "chop" for the power hammer, don´t now how to call it... I mean the attachment that is punching the metall. Regarding the Nashiji- hada, abundantly clear I can´t say somthing usefull, but I will add my thoughts. Making Masame, I can Imagine it´s necessary to fold just diagonal axis, so at least it has something to do with folding axis. I think Nashiji- hada is one step before becomming Muji- hada, but on the other hand Muji- hada can have any pattern, just it has to do with number of folds. I simply still don´t now nothing about forging. Regards ruben

Hi there, did nobody see that it could be a pole arm, not a sword. It has a broken and repaired tip maybe. Greetings! Ruben

Dear Alex, search for Hayashizaki ryu for example, they use some kind of wakizashi and interrestingly long Daito. So there is short- against long sword in some kata. And it´s been sad that Hayashizaki him self developed the draw were the sword hangs "up side down". He defeated a man who killed his father,... . And I think at this time technics were teachted were you kill one or many in close kneeling positions, also with the "longer" sword. Regards ruben

Dear Christophe, also keep in mind that the habaki should fit to the fuchi in proportion as well. So using a smaller habaki will not look right maybe. Greetings ruben

Dear Tobias, I think it´s not possible to answear your question. It´s been said that there are about 5 million Japanese swords, so imagine how many tsuba´ s are existing! Over the time if you are interrested you will find all kinds of tsuba´s, even more "unusal" as you can ever imagine. But from the pratical view, why should someone mount some oversized, strange and impractical tsuba to his sword? Maybe if he got a realy bad taste or he is a a looser when it comes to swordfighting. But I have seen some "unusal" motives like stylized birds, friuts and many other stuff. From posting you didn´t sound uneducated... but manga is still manga. To bring somthing on paper is more easy than to create somthing "real". Greetings Ruben

Dear Eric, as far as I know the groundin of some laquer work is made from "Jinoko" and urushi. The reason is, it will become less sensetiv to temperatur. But in wich case and why exactly it is used, Iam not shure. In saya making it is common I think. Greetings Ruben

Hi Franco, what I learned from learning is that after few years of looking on items you will get a sense of aesthetics. People are different, so is the feeling for beauty. But there some natural rules for proportion, for example the "golden ratio" and others. If you internalize this once, it will be more easy to choose the good items from not so good ones. Just listen to your self and ask others why some items are quality stuff and others not, there must be a reason. Greetings! Ruben

Hallo J., I dont think someone is able to say who was the maker of your sword, thats simply not possible. Regarding the "circle" at the tip, I belive this could be a result of construction the sword was made of. Regards! Ruben

Dear Gentlemen, read the threat with great interest. I´am not knowledgable with tsuba´s at all, but I found also some kind of truth for my self, at this point. The "wrong" sekigane seems not that strange for me, cause if it wouldn´t be cast iron, the craftsman sure marks the cut-outs with the chisel, so he can not miss the lines when filing it out (there´s some chisel marks in some spots). Leaving the "wrong" sekigane as it is can be or is also a matter of time and cost saving. Beside this there is somthing wrong I think. As said before the Patina seems little strange. At least I think someone gave it a touch up in the past. Also the tsuba didn´t look much worn, can indicate it´s not old. On many iron tsuba´s it´s possible to see were the owner placed his finger´s (crusty corrosion from H2O + NaCl + few decades) when wearing the sword. But I realy don´t now... Greetings Ruben

Hi Peter, sharpening the blade is a different state than polishing its surface. Just if done both, as it should be it´s more work. Greetings! Ruben

Hi George, I strongly recommand Musashi´s book of 5 rings. You will find your answear I think. The guy in the posted vid is not representative for a swordsmen, he would be dead before he is thinking of drawing his "wakazashi". Also his cuts are very uncontrolled, he gives such an opening.... Greetings! Ruben

Hi Ford, the tsuba looks impressive, with strong expression!... I have a question about the patina. May I ask how the patina is made? You are not using arsen like in indonesian warangan process? Greetings! Ruben

Hi Gentlemen, in my opinion every sword should have a ubu ha to some kind of extend. I believe it´s necessary, the sword will last longer. There is no need that a sword is sharpend to the hamachi. Just Imagine you have to catch a sword blow in close fighting situation, if so it would be the best to catch it with the hamachi and then slide down to the habaki (if blocking with the ha is required). The opponents blade will bite in to the material and the fight gets even closer. There will be many opportunities then. A fully sharpened blade will take a blow as well maybe, but its getting thinner and thinner more fast when getting polished. So never enter a swordfight with an old sword if not necessary! :D Regards Ruben

Hi Ken, Ukenagashi... as i would do it: its always important when drawing to high point to start from low tsuka position. (Again "ying&Yang" :D , soft and hard, slow and fast :D). For example ukenagashi from tatehiza, I´am touching the ground with kashira (trick from Sekiguchi Komei´s teacher) and this is the point were I`am stepping with the left lag (out of opponents attack). So than I change to the right foot and lean back to the uke and come to stomp left than right and catch tsuka to stop the one handed cut. Hard to explain, I can try to be more precise....sorry Itomagoi is also no problem, it´s even possible to jump to a standing position, there is again a trick. Greetings Ruben

Hi Ken, time does not matter in most cases. If someone understanding it as a hobby and goes to keiko once a week, he will never become a good swordsman maybe. Regearding the long swords, we fallow Sekiguchi Komei, he is using also a very large sword. The reason is that we have to execute a very clean and dynamic technic, otherwise it wouldn´t be possible to do noto in the right way. Sayabiki/sayabanare without useing the hips wouldn´t be effectiv, for example when proforming "ippon me mae" the hip would turn inverts befor doing sayabiki and outverts after, just a little. It has much to do with kime. The action always starts from the hips and hara.... sorry I don´t now how to describe it. Maybe this sounds strange, but fallowing the idea of ying&yang describes it very good... to every outverted move there must be contrary movement. This principle makes it possible to act near to forceless and when needed very fast, so the waight and sice of the swords does not matter that much. The trick is using the hipps and making big, big stepps when possible (feets pointing always inverts). We wearing our swords ha upside so it should be katana :D . I got used to 3 shaku after having problems of course, but if you can handle a big sword you can use a "normal siced" very easy. Of course you have to be carefull with short ones afterwards, but the technic never changes, it´s always the same. I like other scools as well and try to find advantages, cause our style is pretty useless when fighting in buildings for example. Every scool has class of its own. Best regards ruben

PS: looks nicely made,...

Hi Matt, hard to say wich period. May I ask you to post a frontal view? I think wight depends also much on the number of polishes a sword had in his past. But uba-ba it´s a good sighn that it is not very old. Rgards Ruben

Dear Sanjuro, thank you for your explenations. Indeed to days Kendo is different from edo period´s kendo. It´s not allowed to attack legs nor to throw someone or grabbing the oponents sword etc. I am studying Muso Jikiden Eshin Ryu- Iaijutsu for example. We use very large swords like 3 shaku, and little Zori. I meant the Shinkage Ryu kenjtusu and Daito Ryu kenjutsu, also very heavy bokuto for strenth trainin are straight. And interestingly in kendo they use a straight shinai. My thought was there must be a advantage, cause the handling of a stright stick is very different from a curved. A curved one will allow diffent movements, quicker turns as I had the feeling. And also one handed it will be easier to manage. My idea was, that they used a straight one on purpose... to great a handicap. Best Regards! Ruben

Dear Clive Thank you very much for the explination, I didn´t associated Kanbun straight swords with kendo. Best regards! Ruben

Hi Gentlemen, ever since I´am asking my self why the straight "sword" established in kendo. I beliefe that it´s harder to handle a straight one. Also in kenjutsu they using stright "swords". I´am not shure. Thought better to ask, maybe some one nows how this developed. Regards Ruben

I dont now about NBTHK, a fatal flaw is not good and you have just to google what it is, to detect is an other storry. Regarding your sword, I belive these are not forging flaws. Any way they are very ugly. And I also think this sword is pretty old, maybe koto. By the way, you have to decide for your self, what is acceptable on a sword. This sword is maybe good enough to learn somthing and to enjoy the rest of the blade, but not good for buisness. Greetings Ruben

Hi Shepherd, saw the first 3 pictures and than.... I thought for gods sake, what happened to this nice sword. These "pitting" are far beyond repair I would say. What do you want to now exactly? It seems that this "holes" were sword cuts and they corroded for several hundred years together with the sword and some day it was repolished. Just my humple impression. Regards! Ruben

Hi Joeyg, I feel happy for you, thats a pretty good budget :D . Taste and adjucation may change over time, so better to relax and wait for "your sword" to come. For me as beginner it was like this, that after few years I slowly understood for my self what is a good shape and feel to a sword. The good sugata is one very important aspect of a beautiful sword, the rest you have to learn from adjucatetd people, books and objects of course. I choosed my first sword just from the shape and color of the steel lol . I have to say I´am a "nakago- fetishist", would never buy somthin with a non perfect shaped nakago lol. As the buget was very low, it wasn´t a big mistake. But after many years (I am still young, so its better to say few years), I learned to appreciate it and now I am very very happy with it. It is a bizen katana and the hamon is in nioi, hada is very tight and appears near to muji. I had a hard time to learn any thing from it, if a ever learned somthing. http://www.siseido.net/ Regards Ruben

Hi chinese boy, I would never recomand to cut with a antique sword, you can do it but is it worth it ? If you are trained with the sword you dont need to cut anyway, cause cutting with a sword just tests the sharpness of the blade, but not realy the skill of the swordsmen in my opinion. And you should never cut with a sword that is not "razor sharp" Every child is able to cut a tatami roll, so there is nothing special with it. But if you cut, make sure that the cut stops right after the target, there is no need to cut any were els. It´s not just a physical thing, you have to now that the target is allredy cutted, if you have compunctions of any kind, than it can get dangerous or/ and you will not be successful. The full power of the blow is generated than off- loaded just in the target. This can be done very relaxed, it come from the "hara". These are things wich can´t be described by just words. Cutting the air should be the best method to improve your skill, as there is no resistance and stopping is very diffizil. Imagine a target and cut it and stop, cause you won´t not to give any opening to your "oponent" as well. My explanations are very theoretical and shouldn´t be taken as guidance. Little storry for amusement: Once I had to watch when a beginner (he was a very strong weightlifter in the past) was cutting for the first time. He was given a very heavy sharb blade, as he was performing his "kiri oroshi" he was successful, but wasn´t able to stop the sword and he spinns like a gyroscope. Thanks to all gods and buddahs, nothing happened to someone. If someone is skilled it´s even easier to cut with a hefty blade, cause it will cut on it´s own you have just to let it go gently thru the target and stop. Regards! ruben

Look at the kojiri and koiguchi were its meets the laquer, I dont realy like this from juging with my beginners eye´s greetings ruben