joseph1

Thankyou all for you're replys.I started with a chicken bone ,and it seems to be working,but very slow going!It seems that everything the Japanese did was slow going so I expected it.It takes me at least 8 hours of intense concentration just to do a handlewrap,not including the time for making hishi-gami,preparing the tsuka,same application etc. I,m slow and not as perfect as a Japanese craftsman,but the results are acceptable,at least to me.In my job,I do a lot of soldering under a microscope,so attention to detail is not a problem,and patience is a must.I ,ll get the fittings pretty eventually.Now,how do I remove the fittings from the saya?There is no screws or anything like that.did the Japanese use some sort of glue that could be softened with boiling water?How can a lacquered saya be cleaned without splitting it in half? On another note,I really feel bad about you not getting your swords back.Its taken me 20 years just to get 2 katanas,2 wakazashi,and now 2 tanto's.I,ve had more but there the first to go in times of finantial difficulty.There very dear to me but not so to my wife!I cant imagine loosing any one of them to some charlatan polisher!Rage would diffinately overcome me!! I collect Japanese swords,antique switchblades,and old avation memoriabilia.I recently sent a 1950's switchblade out to get new brazilian horn handles installed.The craftsman is in the same state as I live in but about 4 hours drive.I sweated BB"s until I got it back!!!(Was making plans on what to do if I didn"t!!I wont do that again!! Thanks again all,and best regards: Joseph C

Thank you David The handle and wrap are of no big deal,I just need to decide on and find some mennuki.The habaki is silver plated with a rain pattern,and needs to be replated,or a new one made. Of coarse the blade needs a polish.I like the fittings,although I dont know how to clean the rust off the gold layers--plating--without damaging it.I read once that a bone pick is used to clean Tsuba,and that oil and "worrying" it with a felt cloth will turn the rust into something like a chokolate brown color.Under a magnifier,the gold looks to have a "growth of rust in places.Is there some sort of cleaning agent?Anyway,Here is some pictures of the blade in mountings.The blade does have a pretty hamon,and there is only one tiny nick in the Ha.There does appear to have some kind of forging pattern but cant tell due to the state of the polish.Anyway,thankyou for your reply. Best Regards Joseph C

Dear Sirs I know nothing about care or cleaning of mountings.Could someone please enlighten me? My wife won this on e-bay over Christmas for me and while greatful, it has a long way to go to be pretty!The mounts are Iron,very rusted,and silver inlay with some gold figures?Could someone tell me what the theme is?I do need to purchase some mennuki and I would like to keep with the same theme.How would the Iron mountings be attached to the Tsuka and saya?Lastly, the blade seems pretty thick,could this be an armor piercing tanto? Thank you sirs for your response: Joseph C.

Thanks all for you're comments and discussion.I would like to get the blade papered someday,but for now,a new handlewrap and tsuka is in order! Best Regards: Joseph1

Thankyou Chris Just what qualifies any sword to be papered? Does the smith who made it have to be dead?If a sword is Gimei,will the sword be disqualified?As I know nothing about the process of papering a sword (or the relevance) where can I go to find this information? Thanks again,and best regards: joseph1

Thankyou Chrisf I looked again at the nakago with magnifiers,and could not find any other stamps.Just some painted numbers on the end of the nakago.The Hamon,from the middle of the sword to the kissaki is a pretty regular ko-gunome,with assorted activity,but from the hamachi to the middle is sort of all mixed up,with lots of activity and Nie.(see picture below.There is what appears as a whirlpool which I dont know the name for.Any help would be appreciated!Cant seem to get a good picture of the monouchi area.I need a coarse in how to photograph!Again,thanks for the comments.Oh,does anyone know if a sword like this could be papered? Best Regards: joseph1

Thankyou Chris,and Best regards: Joseph1

Thanks Chris and Mr Moriyama for your responses,and all for your replies.Am I correct in thinking that the swordsmith worked around 1941?Thanks much also for the links supplied by Mr Moriyama,as they have a wealth of information. Best Regards to all: Joseph1

Dear Sir's I,m looking for information about this smith. "Bishu Ju Kuni Yasu". Please correct my translation if incorrect.I wasn't sure of the first Kanji.The blade is a Katana in gunto mounts,has no arsenal stamp,has Ubu Ha,and is water tempered.Any information you can give me would be most appreciated. Best Regards: Joseph1

Thank you all for your response,s.I dont think I,ll ever be able to understand Kanji.Yumoto's book helps me the most,but Kanji in a book vs.kanji chisled on a sword are quite different.Throw in age of the inscription,and how the smith was feeling the day he chisled it,and who knows?(Kind of like made on a Friday in America!)Then there's those forgeries!Anyway,thanks again for all you're inputs. Best Regards: Joe C.

Thank you Chris I understand the province,and swordsmith,and from Kanji,but what does the Kuni mean in the signature?What year Nagamitsu is this,as there seems to be a ton of them? Again thankyou for your help: Best regards: Joe

Dear Sir's I,ve been given a wakazashi,blade only, and I,m seeking help with the full translation.The blade has about a 22 inch sori,and is quite tired--rusted,chipped and someone has beaten on the nakago foreward of the mekugi ana's with a hammer!I was able to get the Bizen Nagamitsu part but I dont understand the rest?Any help and or opinions would be much appreciated. Best Regards: Joe