markturner

So Dimitri, are you the new proud owner? I wonder if it was the sword I think it was? We want pictures if so! Rgds, Mark

That's a very nice sword....if only I was more wealthy.....!!! Rgds, Mark

Hi Geraint, thanks for the reply and answers, Mr Bigelow figures pretty high on any search, but specific details of the sword collection seem thin on the ground.. I can find lots of reference to his life etc but not catalogue etc of the collection ( except what is in the book mentioned...) As you say, I think the sword has an interesting past to try and piece together, i am loving the places this new hobby of mine is leading me, and what I am learning along the way, so much of which would be impossible without the kind help and encouragement received here, so thanks to you all|!! regards, Mark

Hi, I am still trying to piece together information regarding the sword I own, discussed in this thread; viewtopic.php?f=1&t=11965 which, incidentally Clive Sinclair & Paul Bowman, think exhibits strong Hizen characteristics and both have suggested getting Shinsa'd as they feel it is a very nice sword and would very probably get Tokubetsu hozon. Which is nice, but still leaves a lt of unanswered questions until I can do that. The sword is described in the 1979 auction catalogue as being ex of the Bigelow collection. I am assuming this to be William Sturgis Bigelow. I have looked but can only find passing references to the collection, and the fact that the core of the Boston museum of fine arts collection came from it. Unfortunately, I don't have access to the lovely $600 book about the collection that is available, which may have further information. Do any of you gentlemen have any more knowledge of the collection? was it ever catalogued? I was wondering how and when it was disposed of, how my sword may have got out and also any thing else that may be of interest related to it. many thanks, Mark

Hey Ed, nice position to be in, having all those swords to study..!! just a thought, - if lack of funds are an issue preventing shinsa submission for some of the better or more interesting swords ( which would surely only add to the ultimate value and be a useful exercise for them/you) why don't you suggest the selling of one sword to raise the required fees? Regards, Mark

I guess I need to polish my glasses........ It did look very intricately worked, but I just saw $25,000 and glazed over!!

Hi Markus, I have been considering Hawleys, and various other references like fujishiro etc, this seems kind of ideal, as each of the others have some area not covered, or are in Japanese etc etc, apart from the cost as well..... So I will definitely be interested in a copy. Have you considered releasing in volumes like Koto, Shinto etc ? And yes please, hurry up with the English version!! rgds, Mark

Seriously, $25,000 US ????? the bare faced cheek of some people......still, I guess, there is always someone out there who may fall for it, like the Nigerian email scammers, you wonder surely everyone knows about these, but still they con millions from thousands of people..... Rgds, mark

Well I guess I was kind of expecting it to be not exactly a secret!!! As you say, charming and informative site and never noticed it in the links before.. Rgds, Mark

Hi, please forgive me if most of you already are aware of this site, but in my browsings of the interweb, I discovered the following site: http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/index.html In the information section, It has many pages of excellent explanations and detailed information of many aspects of sword study and manufacture, with particularly helpful annotated pictures, as often, the books describe something, but if you cant see it, its always difficult to understand exactly what is being put across. It is also charmingly translated by the site owners into English. Hope it helps someone, particularly useful for beginners like myself. Regards, Mark

OK, thanks, thought it was some new problem..I just imported a sword in December and it only took 2 days....rgds, mark

Hi, was just browsing E-Bay ( As you do...) noticed one seller, see here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dl ... EL:US:1123 referring to some shippers not accepting swords from Japan and him having to send overland and it taking 2 months??? Anyone know anything about this? is it a recent thing? Cheers, mark

Great news for my sanity!!! I found the papers today, they were, as I suspected, in Dons shop, but despite him looking twice, they remained lost. So today I went down and we looked together. On the second sweep, they were found, down behind a cupboard, where they had obviously fallen when the bag was opened, without me noticing. I will now studiously follow advice, photocopy them and stash them away safely...... Regards, Mark

Hi Dimitri, yes did, he has not found them. They were missing before we left Dons, that's where I noticed they were not in the bag. At that point I assumed they had been left at home, so was not unduly worried. Only when I got home and established that they were not there either that I started sweating...!! Thanks for the advice Tony, I kinda did that and I am certain that they went in the bag at my house. I am just hoping that they are there amongst the stuff at Dons, which is easy to lose something in..! If not, its an expensive mystery...Cheers, Mark

Jeez, that's a real pain. I have been sending myself crazy trying to work out what happened to them today.....Thanks for the advice and the sentiment, I keep you all posted, rgds, Mark

Hi Paul, they are NBTHK Tokubetsu hozon. thx, Mark

Hi, I have no idea how, but I appear to have lost the papers for one of my swords, which i took to the To-ken society meeting on Thursday. I had zipped them into the sword bag, with my gloves, the sword and a polishing cloth. When I opened the bag, there were no papers inside. I can only assume that they somehow came out of the bag on the tube journey, although the bag was tightly zipped shut so....anyway, they are nowhere to be found, and while efforts continue to find them, I am wondering how easy or not it will be to get a replacement set, without the sword having to go back to Japan? I cant believe this, but thats the situation I am in. Thanks, Mark

I have asked about this product and its use or possible usefulness on swords here before. I think generally the feeling here is " why change the accepted way - choji oil has worked for centuries..." But Like Ian says, it is a fantastic product, I use to protect my carpentry hand tools, such as planes, chisels etc that get handled a lot and suffer from the same issues of contamination by oils from fingers and moisture as sword blades, and it works brilliantly. I certainly don't see that it could harm a sword blade, after all, steel is steel..That said, I tried it out on one blade of mine and I have noticed no issues at all. But my other blades I have kept traditional and use the oil. The big advantage I can see from using it, is that once applied, its dry and completely unnoticeable, so you don't need to keep cleaning the oil from the blade every time you want to study it. But, that in itself is a pleasing and satisfying ritual as well, and I can perfectly see how people would not want to avoid doing that.. Cheers, Mark

Thanks for the advice, its at silly money now, so I wont be bothering...... Cheers, Mark

Hi, so basically as good as any shinken I could buy from a martial arts store, with the added bonus of at least being a genuine Japanese army blade...? Non trad made means oil tempered hamon, and no folded steel, correct? PS, what do you think of the claims to being the work of well regarded smith of the Era? ( Nakago, ubu, 1 hole, signed "Noshu Seki ju Kojima Katsumasa saku". This is a well known smith, discussed on page 80 of John Scott Slough's book on modern Japanese swords. ) Thanks, Mark

Hi, I was considering buying this to use as a practice blade for Iaido, if the price does not go to high ( Over $500 ) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/400275214176? ... 588wt_1110 Do you think it is ok and not some piece of fake junk? Thanks for any advice Cheers, Mark

Aaaah, thank you Eric and Jacques.... I could find plenty of mentions of gyaku, and plenty of pictures of sujikai, but nowhere could I find anything that actually described it. Thank you for the help, you guys here are certainly a fount of knowledge. Lord knows how difficult it must have been before we had the internet! best regards, Mark

Hi, reading in the sword care and treatment section on Tsuruta-san's website, he recommends using high quality gun oil or machine oil instead of the usual choji-oil, as he says in their experience the choji oil can promote oxidisation. What do you guys think? I would say he is somewhat of an expert, and after all, advances in technology and materials often throw up better alternatives than traditional materials sometimes ( modern synthetic oils for use in high performance engines spring to mind here) Myself, I have often considered how beneficial a product called renaissance wax would be in protecting swords? I use it on all my hand tools ( I make furniture and have many high quality hand tools that get handled a lot and need protecting from rust etc in the same way as a sword blade) It's a microcrystalline wax that once applied can be polished and leaves a microscopic layer impervious to liquid and oils from sweat etc. The good thing is, once applied, it is dry and does not attract dust etc and also does not need cleaning off the blade to appreciate the activity in the metal when viewing. I expect many will say that 1000 years of experience cant be wrong, but I thought it would be good to throw it out for discussion! Cheers, Mark

Hi thanks for the info, searching kuniyasu has left me none the wiser, but am I correct in assuming from the picture posted by Eric that gyaku sujikai is some kind of smoothed out pattern? That nakago looked as if it has been ground away almost. I could not see why it looked reversed to the standard sujikai pattern. at any rate, i am certain that the smith in question is not the one I am looking for, as the mei is very different in style. thank you, Mark

Hi, the activity and pattern in this sword is amazing. I am beginning to understand what makes a great sword. I have not seen pictures of a sword with detail and activity that is as alive and vibrant as this before. truly beautiful, you are a lucky man to own such a piece! Regards, Mark