DaveT

Hi Barry, I'm using it on my Ipad and it looks very cool. There is a download PDF icon on the ISSUU page, works well for me. Here is the direct link: http://issuu.com/davethatcher/docs/the_ ... 2#download See how you get on otherwise pm me with your email and I'll pop one over ta you. Dave

After months of work we have compiled a glossary of Japanese Armour terms. The glossary can be viewed online via a desktop or smart device. It can also be downloaded as a PDF for you to keep. We hope you enjoy the first of many books and papers that are 100% free. Hosted via ISSUU. The Samurai Armour Glossary 2013 Nihon No Katchu Compiled by Ian Bottomley & David Thatcher 61 Pages Link: http://issuu.com/davethatcher/docs/the_ ... ry_2013_v2

hoshi boshi is a classic!

its odd how the hoshi boshi byo are missing from the suji tate, could you pop a magnet onto the hachi, that should identify if its nerikawa or metal.

I agree with you on the 3 facing the front, like a kendo tare. I like the mimi-ito as the odoshi. As to the damaged cloth, you can pick up a noren on ebay for the middle hemp layer fairly cheap. If you have a contact in Japan ask them to nip into tokyu-hands, they sell brand new dyed indigo asa. I hunt ebay and buy up old kimono that have a hemp lining. I can get the smoked deer skin should you need it pm me.

Stingy is king. I find recycled paper, hemp almost as standard on the kote and haidate I repair. When I was learning how to use urushi my sensei would save every last dab in saru-wrap so it could be reused. Our generation is rather wasteful with commodities being so easily sourced and discarded. I bin what's left over. On the tatami-do, which way round is the gesan affixed.

I just made up the term Shobu-Waza! My sensei referred to the technique as "Shibo" Urushi, I don't think you will find very much as this is become part of a black art these days other than making urushi pens. The tree bark effect is just a variation on a process that can be sculpted to create a number of finishes. It is not intended for camouflage, or to resemble real bark, hence the rather bright bengara finish. It's my belief that these effects were created in order to save money and production time as they are applied quickly and produce a alternative robust finish. Creating smooth finishes is time consuming. These techniques would also allow the matching of composite items to be matched together to create a gusoku. The effect is very easy to apply over the top of armour that already has a solid ground base. Recycled armour, there's is nothing new about that.

Don't know the name for this sorry. Its not tataki-nuri, which is used rather incorrectly by Toraba in his books, more a shobu-waza. The thick layer is brushed then dabbed to produce an uneven surface, then a irregular comb is dragged through to create the bark effects. It's a very nice technique used by Kaga School among others and reflects the skill of urushi-shi to make a plate look fab. It's not common and looks wicked! Don't care what others think this is a great finish.

That's a great sode. The mixture is egg whites and seishime urushi, it's combed to create the bark effect and finished off with a layer of bengara urushi. I was playing with this nuri-waza last week!

I live in a stone house. I keep the armour in a dark room with no sunlight or heating.

I've been working a daimyo quality armour today, I was sitting there looking at around 10 suits and it really occurred to me that what collectors see as being real samurai is nothing more than pure extravagance and snobbery. Admittedly they are beautiful works of art. But Okashi, Ashigaru, low end armour is what is real, these are the suits that saw action in the field. I have 4 very high end Daimyo grade guskou in my collection, the last two armours I purchased were low grade.

Ken Kata, We all started collecting at some point, and most collectors are not experts, over the years we gain knowledge by handling and reading on up on the subject. I've been burned a few times buying what transpired to be modern. The ebay armours are what they are, no one will sell you a decent armour at a low price, the sellers do show photographs that are not what they sell, that's fraud and deception, you should have requested a refund via paypal. As for the standard, like you said, it's all you can afford, so please don't feel like you have done something wrong, or that because others have real armours that you need to apologize for your purchase. Keep collecting and I'm sure the members of this forum will support and guide you.

Everyone know that. :D

Well if anyone has the dosh my mate is Mike Hill a Hollywood SFX artist, he could make a bespoke figure no problem. I also know some superb FX masters in the UK who can life-cast and sculpt. They would want to sell at least 10 units to make it worthwhile.

The problem with commercial mannequins is that they are designed for display. Shop windows etc, therefore they are oversized, to stand out. I took 3 shop versions and a grinder, cut them up and re-proportioned the figure. Fibreglassed the sections back into position. They look 100% better. try it. Here's one I did for my paintball site

I prefer the traditional display. I had this made so you can see what armour would look like worn. The weight of the do sits on the hips, I think a wooden one could cause damage if all the weight is on the shoulders. Details on how he was made are on ma website: http://nihon-no-katchu.com/content/1214 ... mannequin/

Okay my dumb question for the day is. Tatami, or Kusari Dou. Were they used by the police, or samurai during late edo? There's seems to be little in the way of Mon on these things to indicate id, so were they restricted to that particular han. Also when were they phased out, meji?

Needs photo's dude.

That's not Eric. It's me, and looking a bit younger too. Ecky Ecky Ecky F'tang F'tang Olé Biscuitbarrel!!!!!!

Cheers Barry, nice to see you getting the armour juices flowing again mate!

I like the idea of you obtaining rough stuff and putting a quasi-gusoku together. That would look cool. As for the reproductions, have no idea, they still make them today for collectors? I guess most end up in NHK drama's, board rooms, martial arts dojo and restaurants as display items. As for looking rusty, buy a nerigawa one lol. Most armour looks old because it is, if the theme is that of a lengthy campaign it's going to look used and lived in. But as armour was really expensive I'm sure it would had never been allowed to look like a bag of shite with a rope tied through the middle. As for the kabuto? Sorry I've no idea. I'm sure there are few enthusiastic dealers who get rather creative on shoju and create these things.

Why should wearing reproduction armour be an issue for re-enactment? You said the guys were drunk, ignore or shoot them I'd say. The Soma guys wear real armour, but 99% of the outer festival goers wear modern. Backing up what Ian said, you can normally always spot a modern shikoro due to the edging. It would be good practice for new collectors to hunt through the websites where you can find modern suits. Study them, as they are produced en-mass, get to know whats on the market. Here's a modern one I spotted today on Yahoo. Saying that some reproductions are getting toward 50yrs old, they are pretty good, and again can fool ya. There's no way to tell unless you have handled lots of original armour, of have someone like Ian to point it out.

I was thinking the same thing Eric. But you never know, they could be underwater flip-flops.

I just received a pair of hitsu, on one it had 2 pockets made from lacquered paper slipped over the iron handles. The white paper is not masking tape, it's original. Has anyone ever seen this before? It's a first for me.

The above armour would realistically fetch between £3-5,000 in the UK. There is nothing really special about it, and many nice armours were made during the edo period and later which can have some unique features. If you spend around £10,000 + you should be able to source a very good armour. After that it comes down to provenance/age, which increases the price. There's also the "true" gusoku argument promoted by Toraba that everything should be 100% matching in terms of sangu etc. Personally it means nothing to me as if the items complement each other as composite suit can be just as rewarding, its a marketing ploy as I used to match and exchange the material on the sangu. But this still needs to be taken into account if you are sourcing an armour as investment, as composite suits can be snobbed off a little. I'm sure Ian B will support me in saying the true gusoku rule is bollocks. Lets face it, if you want a display item that will increase in value buy an edo period suit for around £5k, hell if you have $25k buy a few and fill a room. My only tip from a commercial stand is to make sure the helmet and mengu are nice, most of the armours value is invested in the head gear these days. Its only us Katchuphiles who get turned on about a special type of kote, or suneate set. Its like anything, high price doesn't guarantee quality, so I would also urge you to buy carefully (buyer beware). The members here can steer you towards a safe and good sale.