BenoitD

All great movies. How about: Seven Samurai KILL (Tatsuda Nakadai) Lone wolf and cub serie

Hello Mark, I have bought some items from you on ebay in the past (tassels, parts ...) I am glad to see you are on this forum. Thank you again for the great quality of your goods. I will follow you on ebay. BenoitD (animusan)

About a month ago, Kiyota Jirokunietsu San came to supper at our aikido/Iaido dojo with his student Pierre Nadeau San. He was visiting in Montreal and giving a demonstration on nihonto forging. http://www.soulsmithing.com/PERSONS/KIY ... otaEN.html I asked him that very same question during the meal. Kiyota San told me that he only use ushiko powder of good quality to clean his new forged blades. His teacher, Kawari Kunihira San, did the same. http://www.mugenkan.com For the first 3 month, the blade has to be cleaned every week because it can rust easely. After that it is cleaned once a month for 3-6 months and then only every 6 months. It has to be cleaned every time you use it or show it to someone. It has to be cleaned every month for 3-6 months if you move it out of its usual resting place (you move to a new house where the humidity level is different). Rice paper, white flanel or special clothes for eyeglasses can be use with shoji oil (of good quality) to clean the blade. Kiyota San does not know exactely why (there is seldom WHY with Japanese people), he learned it his way. Hope this will help. BenoitD

Hello Sir, I have been practicing Iaido since 1990 with a Paul Chen "Lion Dog" Katana. I have done tameshigiri many times with it on tatami mats soak in water and then rolled up. This is a very live blade, very well balance and very very sharp. The Koshirae is of great quality and the very tight tsuka-ito has never moved in 15 years. Nothing is loose and the 2 mekugi make the blade very safe with practice. I have practice with nihonto blade since then but I always go back to my Paul Chen blade. In 1990, you could have the blade done with your own specifications. I did so. The blade was hand forged and folded 5-8 times. It was then quenched in water and polished. Mine has a nice hamon. I see that there are many blades done by Paul Chen and associates (!) now and perhaps the quality is different that what it used to be. At the time I could not afford to buy a nihonto but I still wanted a live blade that was as much Japanese as could be. The trick is to talk to the person who will sell you the blade. If possible he/she as to be knowlegable about iaido or tameshigiri and can inspect the blade for you. Some dealers do just that. Hope this experience of mine will help.