Jimmy R

So, I posted a box of extra parts, seppa, Habaki, saya, shirasaya etc on eBay. I know Booooooo Booooo Hiss. Well I told the guy I would look in my storage unit and throw in whatever I found. Well he got upset after 6 days (even though I was giving him a bunch of free parts) and I said okay, I can give you your money back at which point he replied “I have a bunch of projects” and sent me the picture I added. So I immediately told him nothing I had would fit his “projects” and killed the deal. What struck me was that it looks like something Eric Rousch would have done. AND the address is inland from his last known. Does anyone here who has been ripped off by him know his aliases? You never know, one of these could be yours. And does anyone know Doug Royal?

In Japan prices are not negotiated. Even at flea markets I have a hard time getting a discount of only a few percentage points. If you need a Japanese address for shipping I will help for a flat fee and will ship deregistered swords very fast. I do this all the time for service members from the 4 nearby bases that want to go home with a sword. Jim

Kongo Rikishi Nio arm wrestling? I have never seen them arm wrestling like that. I have seen Them flexing their muscles in front of many an altar here especially in the north. Very unusual. If you ever want to sell it contact me

These show up in what is the Japanese equivalent of a thrift store from time to time. Most are aluminum and some are plated. I have a few. I used to always buy them when I saw them.

Can someone please tell me what this stamp represents?

This is the new generation of Chinese copies of nihonto. These come from a guy advertising "Soshu kitae" for sale on eBay. I have a search saved for the term Soshu and his swords always pop up.

Hilarious, Arihira; "his works are few because mainly he worked with his father".

Best display/room I have seen is In Weisbaden at Toms jewelry shop in the basement. Amazing space. I could stay there all day.

When describing the intangible, it is best to wax poetic. People can always say what they like, but why do you like Pink Floyd? Or Rachmaninoff? Uh oh. I am getting going again. I really like the Naoe Shizu in Jeans collection. I could tell you why, but I will keep it at that.

Sue Aoe swords I have been lucky enough to see are my favorite. With their tight Ko-Itame turning to areas of Mokume, it always reminds me of a deep powerful river where eddies rise and swirl above unknown features in its depths. On the obverse, blades with hamon that look like horses teeth seem to evoke revulsion in me. All stamping hooves and slathering gnashing teeth. There is a word for this sort of attraction and revulsion combined. It slips my mind.

This thread raises many questions. Reducing art to a mere practice in technicality will always obscure the work itself. I completely agree with Ford in this. I would also posit, as an artist that works in a field of severe technical restraint, that beauty and function are not just craft. Utility is a secondary function when talking about tosogu. My favorite tsuba depicts an ape man looking wistfully up at the Milky Way. Is it high art? No but to me it is the best tsuba ever made.

Maybe look up the word generalization. Then get back to me.

It is hard to understand the older Japanese people. I will ask her what it is and post what she says. It could be that she was saying it was for cooking???

Those sorts of generalizations are very misleading. First you posit that good habaki is indicative of a good sword, now you say the same thing about koshirae? For any beginning collector reading this thread, do not EVER pay attention to such generalizations. Each aspect of Nihonto and its various accoutrement should be taken on their own.

Your argument is powerful. I can see your point now.

Okay. Yes I use mobile version. Sorry.

Nabe is an umbrella term that means cast iron. The lady across the street has an old potbelly stove in her back yard and she called it Nabe-something. She fires Raku Chawan in it. Has anyone else heard this term used that way?

Can you post a picture of the top one from the bottom please. That is very interesting. Also, a nice habaki is not an indicator of anything except how much the customer had to spend on a habaki.

If someone's name is not part of their sign how are we supposed to know who they are? I have never met anyone named Nagamaki or Gakusee or Fuuten. Can you guys tell me your name please?

Smiths in Japan need a lcense to produce Nihonto now. This is old news and has been that way for decades. I have seen every manner of sword wth torokusho. And, not to shoot you down Ozzy, but WWII fittings and memorabilia is all over the place here. It is sold openly and for more money than in the states. The Samurai ethos was used to propagandize Japan. Saying Japan lived by the code of bushido is like saying Americans lived by the code of the west. Bushido is a romantic notion.

Will anyone admit to loving the Zatoichi series?

I sleep just fine. But if somebody was looking into that guy on here my name would pop up. Instead of Taking a jab you could have just edited the original post.

Well Sowrdguyjoe, you might want to specify which Mr.Rousch you are talking about. That is my last name as well. Please edit to include His first name.

Without going into a long discussion about the aspects of petroleum chemistry that make it the best product for protection of nihonto I will just be to the point. Petroleum distillate is comprised of hydrocarbons. Said hydro carbons can be of varying density depending on how tightly packed the carbon branch is. This creates a polarization that repels moisture because the H2o will have nothing to bond with. Therefore the water will simply evaporate. This evaporation also creates an interaction with the surrounding wood. If the wood is saturated with oil, at some point corrosion can occur because moisture is easily trapped in the cellulose of the wood. Remember, cellulose is just open cells devoid of their cytoplasmic constituents and is made to hold moisture. Also, due to varying changes in temperature and humidity moisture will move easily into dry spaces due to thermodynamic and fluid transport properties. Dense mineral oil sold here in Japan is what I use. And like I said, wiping it on in a very small amount is all you will ever need.