paulb

Ian Bottomley will know more detail than I do but I think the majority of the things originally on display in the Tower moved to the custom made Museum in Leeds in the 1990s. Certainly some of the Armours are on display in Leeds. Check with Ian he will have an idea of what if anything remains in the Tower. have a good trip Paul

Steve, The vast majority of Swords within the Royal Armouries collection are in the Museum at Leeds not the Tower of London. In fact I am not sure if there are any Japanese swords on show at the Tower. The Victoria and Albert Museum have some good fittings and Koshirae on display but only one or two swords on display The British Museum have a few swords on show in the Japanese room The Wallace collection have several blades on show. Needless to say there are several dealers in London. The one I know best is Don Bayney in Grays but there are several other high end dealers also around that area (sorry I don't have details) Although the UK pound has weakened against most other currencies prices over here seem to have gone up to compensate (as witnessed in Christies recent sale) so not necessarily a good place to but at present. Hope this helps Regards Paul

Many thanks Koichi-san. I am looking forward to spending time with the volume once I have had it rebound. Best Regards Paul B

Dear All, can anyone offer any help with the title and author of the attached book images Many thanks Paul b

I know it doesnt prove anything but in the film "When the last sword is drawn" one of the main characters is left handed and it is refered to in the plot. May be pure fantasy but it seemed fairly matter of fact. Of course being left handed in no way influences my view Paul (lefty)b

Jacques As said above I have been collecting Hizen blades for a lot of years so I have some idea of what Konuka hada is, but thank you for the link. As it happens, and although I admire Darcy's work, in this case I don't think it shows the hada particularly well. Without labouring the point all I was trying to say is that within the term konuka hada there is some variability. Within my collection I currently have swords by the shodai, nidai sandai and a later blade. All have what has been described as Konuka hada but all have variation and differences. I agree with Clive that the state of the polish did not allow one to see details such as ji-nie, the Nioi guchi or anything much else from the images. But because of that I did not think one could make a definitive statement that it is or isn't something all I was saying is do not immediately jump down the Bungo road without further study. regards Paul

Hi Clive, I am not sure whether you are saying that there is no possibility of it being konuka hada or you cant see enough to to say whether it is or not or you just cant see enough to say what it is. I agree that the current state of polish does not offer enough detail to make an accurate call. As I also said I didn't think the shape was Hizen. All I was trying to do was point out that it was worth looking in more detail before jumping in to the Bungo Takada catch all. While not having the same depth of experience as you I have also collected Hizen blades for a lot of years and still have several in my much reduced collection. The range of hada within the works of successive generations show a lot of variability within what is still described as Konuka hada. regards Paul

Hi Steve, If you like Naginata Naoshi you might also like this one. Yamato Shikkake blade from the early Nambokucho regards Paul

Thank you gentlemen Best Regards Paul

Dear All, Below are two volumes I saw a couple of nights ago. Can anyone help with the titles/Author. I am assuming they are Miekan (shinto and Koto volumes) but dont know which one. Many thanks for any help Regards Paul

Tyler, I need to qualify what follows by saying I am singularly inept at seeing "diamonds in the rough" which is why I have never found fantastic bargains on ebay or bought a treasure at a fraction of its true worth. Having said that this blade looks rough! The quality of the horimono is very poor, you can see very little by way of detail on the blade except that it has been well worn down (judging from the loss of horimono) and it has little if any merit. In my own ultra cautious and conservative opinion I would doubt it warrants the cost of restoration or polish. As always it depends what you want, how much it costs and how much you are prepared to risk on trying to have it restored. but even if it polishes you will still have a blade with the remains of an awfully cut horimono. You asked for honest opinion and I have tried to give same. At the end of the day it is just that, an opinion. Others may see merit in this that have passed me by. regards Paul

This has been great. Until now I was feeling like the "Old Man" but now I realise I am but a mere youth of 54!!! I had my first sword when I was 6 years old It was a plastic excalibur but was sufficient to start the habit. I bought my first Japanese blade in 1984 but only started studying seriously from 1992. Much the same as Clive and Barry over the past couple of years I have been attempting to reduce the quantity and improve the quality of my collection. When I analysed it I realised I was looking at perhaps 20% of what I had regularly and the remainder occassionally just to check they were ok. So I decided to move some swords on (hence the "for sale" list appearing here last year) and to try and aim at fewer and hopefully better pieces. I also find that I am enjoyng my books a lot more than I did and am probably investing more in them currently than I am swords (like I should have done when I first started).

Tyler, this is a big question and a large topic. I will try and give a brief summary (as I understand it) and see if that helps. Refering to the points you raised. 1. Appraisers were originally appointed by the Shogun (I believe Tokugawa Iyesu but it may have been another) to appraise and value swords. This was because quality swords were often given as rewards for service and there needed to be a monetary value assosiated with each piece offered. 2. The form of the papers were formalised and included the term "Gauranteed to be genuine". 3. This terminology still exists on some if not all papers, however I think it is generally accepted that in reality papers offer an opinion, albeit a very learned one, but they can and are wrong on occassion. 3. Shinsa judges sit as a panel. In the NTHK for example the head of the panel mr. Yoshikawa is a very high ranking polisher who's family have polished the Imperial collection. He is supported by other members of the NTHK who have a proven knowledge and long term experience in judging swords. I do not know the composition of the NBTHK panel but assume it is chaired by Tanobe-San, the Director of the NBTHK and a worlds recogbnised authority. I think his team also includes polishers and other extremely experience scholars in the field. I assume one becomes a member of an appraisal panel by invitation and after demonstrating sufficient knowledge and study (usually based on many years of exposure to top quality swords) I hope those in more immediate and direct contact with the main appraisal bodies may be able to offer more detail for you if rquired or corrct any misconception on my part. good luck with your time in Japan. Regards Paul

Gunther, At risk of pushing you where you do not want to go and repeating points often written here, I really think you need to look carefully at what you are trying to achieve. I can understand (and sympathise) with your wish to buy a good Koto sword, I have spent 20+ years doing the same. However being Koto does not make it a good sword, in fact there are some absolutely awful swords mass produced in the 1500s which have no artistic merit at all. Rather than focussing on age look for quality. I do not believe you are likely to buy a good or even reasonable koto blade for you budget. As Peter Farrar mentioned you could buy a reasonable Shinto Wakazashi in good polish for thar price. I am concerned that if you limit yourself to looking only at Koto pieces within your budget you are going to be very dissapointed with the end result. Sorry if I am putting a damper on your enthusiam but it would be a shame if having put so much effort in to your purchase you ended up with poor value. Regards Paul

isnt this the same site discussed last week regarding the strange polish on a blade?

Guido, An excellent and precise summary, thank you. Paul

Brian, all best wishes for a speedy recovery. take care paul

Rob, As I understand it the size of Nie crystals is controlled by: a) the temperature the blade is heated to b) the length of time it remains at that temperature c) the speed with which the blade is cooled. Of course the other thing that effects it is that the composition of the steel is able to form nie (martensite) in the first place. Whether it is true I dont know, but my understanding is that blades quenched in water were superior with a harder cutting edge than those quenched in oil. On the down side the act of quenching in water introduces far more stess to the blade than oil tempering. Certainly the amount of activity in water quenched blades is far greater. One Myth that was discussed at length at the London Shinsa was that "You dont find Nie on oil tempered blades". I beleived this for many years but apparently it is not true. Although homogeneous mill steel contains some impurities and it possible that these are capable of forming ko-nie. This is always small and unevenly dispersed. effectively it is accidental rather than created by the smith.

Doug, I may be working from opinion rather than fact here, but my understanding of those smiths such as Yukhide who used foreign steel was that they used it in combination with tamahagane not instead of it, whereas the showa blades were exclusively mill steel. Therefore Yukhides balde would still qualify as using traditional methods and material.

I think we agree

Jacques, I am aware of the literal meaning of Nihon-To, but thank you for pointing it out again. You will also be aware that the NBTHK as per their own website define themselves as "The Society for Preservation of Japanese Art Swords". What I was saying is that if a blade is not made using traditional methods and materials it cannot be classed as a true Nihon-To. This debate has been going on throughout the life of this board and I am sure long before. I am not agreeing with the definition I am just saying that this is the current conscensus. What I do disagree with is the implication in your argument that seems to suggest that because a sword was the tool of a warrior it is worthy of appreciation. Sorry I do not agree. A warrior could use a farm tool to kill an opponent. While this may be historically significant it does not make the farm tool something worthy of appreciation. What makes an art sword different is the way a skilled smith has worked with the material to achieve an end result that is not only fit for purpose but also aesthetically appealing and a thing of beauty. of course not every sword made using traditional methods and material fall in to this catagory. Many Japanese authorities (Sato, Kozon etc) are dismissive of the mass produced blades produced in Seki and Osafune. However these must be one step closer to art swords than those made in the 20th century using non traditional material.

Henry, To play devils advocate if a blade is not made with tamahagane it cannot be clasified as Nihon-To. That said I think it would be a challenge for most if not all to differentiate between say a Gendaito made with tamahagane and a hand forged blade made using mill steel and added carbon. I am sure there are differences in quality and they can be identified I just dont think it is that easy or straight forward. However it is also important that as collectors we do not kid ourselves that showa blades are something they are not. The NBTHK was set up for the preservation of Art swords. Whilst many swords made in the war years using alternative construction methods are good utilitarian work and fit for purpose they are not within the classification of Art Sword which defines the Nihon-To. .

Steve, Yes I think it is half a showa stamp. They just weren't acurrate enough with the punch regards p Paul

Brian, Below is an extract from a paper recently finished. the list is based on the FG definitions. 3. Gendai-to. A modern sword made after 1876, but more commonly referring to a blade made during the Showa period, using traditional material (tamahagane) and techniques. It is hand forged, folded and water quenched. 3a. Gendai-to made using mill steel. Produced using steel made in a western style smelter but being hammered, folded, drawn and water quenched. Western style steel is more homogenous than traditionally produced tamahagane and cannot therefore be folded without losing grain structure. Smiths compensated for this by adding carbon and folding fewer times. The resultant blades produced hada a hamon in nioi or nie and with all of the activity one would expect to see in a hand forged, water quenched blade. 4. Ko-Isshin Mantetsu-to: A sword made using imported Manchurian sand iron. These blades comprised of a soft iron core encased in a harder steel tube. They were made using complex manufacturing techniques but cannot be classed as Gendai-To. However they do exhibit a form of hada, hamon Nie and Nioi and activity within both jigane and hamon. 4a later Mantetsu-To made in Manchuria initially they may have used the same methodology as the Ko-Isshin swords but later manufacture used a single piece of rolled steel and oil quenching (see below) 5. Han tanren abura yaki-ire-to. Literally partially forged, i.e folded several times and hardened in oil. Quality varies the better examples exhibit a fine hada and nioi like hamon (but without nie) 6. Sunobe abura yaka-ire-to: A sword made from a single piece of bar steel and oil quenched. 7. Murata-to machine made from a single piece of steel exhibits a Yakiba but without clearly defined hamon. These blades are regarded as inferior to Mantetsu-to. 8. Tai-sabi-ko. Blades made from anti-rust steel primarily for naval swords 9. Machine made- produced in an arsenal from a single piece of steel which may be fully quenched in oil (tempered?) without clay coating or allowed to cool in the air. These were general issue swords such as cavalry sabres or NCO swords.

Henry, I think what you are describing is the later form of Ko-ishin manufacture. Originally these blades were produced by encasing a soft iron core with steel made from iron sand imported from Manchuria. Later blades were made using mill steel to encase the core. However according to Fuller and Gregory the later ones were oil quenched rather than water quenched. regards Paul