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Hi Ken, Thank you so much for the extra info. I have a couple of questions. 1. Raynox DCR-250: Is this a standard lens that will fit a Canon Rebel Xti body? 2. What type of LED bulb do you use? Wattage? Specific model# would be very helpful. Regards, Hoanh

Thank you for the great link - just what I was looking for! I book marked it Regards, Hoanh

Hi All, My photography skills (nihonto or otherwise) are lacking, to put it mildly. Mariusz was kind enough to email me very helpful instructions on the lighting aspect, but I think my photography equipment are not sufficient. I have a tripod (a must-have for me) and a Canon Rebel Xti with a medium range lens, 17-85mm focal length. This lens has been versatile for me, but sucks when it comes to close-up pictures required to show hada and hamon. I seek advice on what type of lens the readership here use for their extreme close-up nihonto photography. Any advice, discussion, experience-sharing, do's and don'ts are much appreciated. Regards, Hoanh

Hi Brian, Thank you for sharing pics of your wakizashi and congratuations on finding a shoshin mei. Regards, Hoanh

Hi Sam, Inshu Kanesaki is on the last line of the attached page (excerpt from Hawley's). How about some pictures? We love to see pictures to appreciate the sword without having to pay for it Regards, Hoanh

Thank you for the clarification Chris. Hoanh

Thank you Jacques. Regards, Hoanh

Thank you Jacques for pointing out very clearly what you meant. I see exactly your point. The mei in Nihonto Koza shows the curvy characteristic of the top horizontal strokes, followed by a sharp "flick" upward, as you astutely pointed out in your post. However, the mei in Hawley's is exactly the same as the mei on the sword in question as far as my eyes can tell. I came across this Yasuhiro Juyo Token sword http://www.token-net.com/juyotoken/juyo ... iro-1.html, and the mei (if you can squint your eyes) seems pretty squarish. I don't what to make of all this, though. Regards, Hoanh

Thank you Joe. Hoanh

Hi Jacques, Just to confuse us a little more, I'm attaching a page from Nihonto Koza. The mei looks just like the sword in question, with the kukimon on the ura side, and there is a note in the text regarding this placement. But, Nihonto Koza says nothing about which generation is featured on the page. Go figure Any thoughts, guys? Regards, Hoanh

Hi Jacques, I forgot to mention, Fujishiro says that the shodai inscribed the kukimon on the ura side. With regard to the nidai, Fujishiro simply says the kukimon is inscribed. The daito in question has the kukimon inscribed on the ura side. Comments? Speculations? Needless to say, I'm confused Regards, Hoanh

Hi Jacques, I looked up Hawley and the 3rd generation also used the kukimon. I see what you mean about the shodai's mei being rounder. I'm attaching the shodai's oshigata from Hawley's Shinto Bengi Oshigata for comparison. All of the kanji seem to look alright except for the first one. Is this what you mean, Jacques? I'm also perplexed. The oshigata on the right is tachi mei, and the nakago on the left is katana mei. What does this mean, or did I get my orientation wrong? Regards, Hoanh

Hi Mike, Can you post info regarding the West Coast Taikai in Anaheim? I'm in the vicinity of Anaheim and would like to attend. Regards, Hoanh

Brian, Jean is suggesting just the opposite course of action - a far less expensive approach should the signature turn out to be gimei. Regards, Hoanh

Hi Steve, We are glad to have you here. NMB is a fun & educational place to browse and decompress. Lots of topics ranging from off-the-wall humor to serious nihonto & fittings discussions take place. We have our moments and skirmishes (or total war in some instances), but that's the charm. To be honest, everybody on this board must be nuts to some degree to be in this hobby (me included). With thick skin and an open mind, you will love us. Regards, Hoanh

Brian, Excellent! If Bob says it will polish up nicely, then you are in good shape. No worries Congrats on owning a nice nihonto. Hoanh

For those of us still looking for a copy of Hawley (revised edition), here is a copy on ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-Sword- ... 3cc9260005 Disclosure: I'm not the seller. Hoanh

Brian, I have been watching this thread with fascination and have learned a lot from it. Knowing you bought this sword from Bob Benson raises some interesting possibilities. I wonder why he would sell you the sword instead of polishing it and selling it afterward. Coming from Bob, I don't doubt the mei. At least, if he says the mei is shosin, then he must really believe that it is. So, either selling the sword in the current state is more profitable than after polishing it up, or that he doesn't think it can stand another polish. Either way, I would hold off on the polish for now. Just drop Bob an email to ask him what he thinks of giving this sword a polish, as he actually had it in hand to examine prior to selling it to you. He is very honest and will give you his un-sugarcoated assessment. Then, you can decide on what to do with some professional advice. Bob is one of the very few qualified professional polisher outside of Japan and is highly respected. Hoanh

Brian, When the mei doesn't photograph well, "chalking" the nakago improves the contrast and usually results in better pictures. Hoanh

Hi Chris, The mail-in/drop-off option may be attractive to people and will certainly increase shinsa submissions. From my egocentric view, I love the mail-in/drop-off option. Regards, Hoanh

Josh, Also, don't touch *ANY* part of the blade (the nakago being the exception) with your fingers or let it come in contact with human skin or anything corrosive or water. Don't let the blade be touched by anything even mildly abrasive. If you follow these simple steps,the blade will be preserved. Regards, Hoanh

Hi Josh, Understood! I was a very poor college student for many years. Until you are able & willing to restore the sword (two separate issues), just keep it oiled and stored in a cool dry place. Be sure to wipe off the old oil an apply new oil monthly. Mineral oil will do the job. Regards, Hoanh

Hi Josh, Adam is dead on with the cost of shirasaya and habaki. For a daito, I paid $450 for shirasaya. I paid another $400 for a habaki. $850 total. The thing is, polishing and getting a new habaki and especially new shirasaya go hand-in-hand. you don't want to spend $2000$-$3000 on a new polish and have it damaged by reusing the old shirasaya. Regards, Hoanh

Hi Josh, From my personal experience: Bob charges me $2700 for a 28" blade, so about $100/in. In your case, it could be more or less (per inch), depending on how much work is involved. Blades that are badly rusted and deeply pitted, bent, with broken tip, etc. will cost more than blades in relatively good shape. Regards, Hoanh

Hi Jonathan, BTW, at $600, it's not a bad purchase. I would guess you can recoup all of it back fairly easily, so don't stress out. Regards, Hoanh