Grey Doffin

I think Remy figures it has been polished down a lot (the difference of thickness above the nakago) and thus calls it tired. This isn't the result of over polishing; it was made that way and was made to be mounted as is, without a habaki. Very interesting piece. Any idea which Kuniyuki made it? Grey

Daniel, It would be great if were possible to answer your question; I could have read a few pages of text 20 years ago and saved myself the effort of getting to the limited level of understanding I'm currently occupying. I don't think there is an answer to your question, a short cut to understanding. You have to see great swords to know what makes them great. You also have to spend a lot of time in reading/studying. Find collections and beg your way into them; there must be a few in Singapore or nearby. Art and historical museums often have swords hidden away in their basements; A call to the right person can get you in to see them. Splurge on a trip to Japan and see everything you can. Buy books and study. If you're serious about Nihonto, this is the only way I know to make sense of it. Someone will now write in with a couples paragraphs of wisdom and prove me a bone brain. Any case, this is my take on the subject. Grey

So much for the seller's claim that this is pre-war. It's a Gunto from WWII. Also, wonder what he means by "The sword being sold or stole with NO RESERVE." Grey

I don't think I'd try the tumbler. I'd be afraid I'd lose more of the brass and also that it might shine the brass a bit. Actually, I think I'd leave the tsuba alone; I like it the way it is. Grey

I agree; spare the old horse and get a pony. This sword has seen more than enough of the polisher's stones already and his use of it for practice will doubtless spoil the polish. If he wants to be authentic he needs to buy a Shinsakuto, a new made sword. What's more, well made koshirae that belong with the blade will cost more than $1,000, I bet, maybe much more. Grey

Take a look at the kissaki. Doesn't it look wrong? If not a fake then maybe a broken kissaki badly reshaped? Isn't the mei located too far down the nakago? Did any Japanese sword of any period, even late war, ever have a tsuka significantly larger than the fuchi? Doesn't the fuchi scream fake? Grey

A seller on ebay has listed a sword and has asked me to post a message on the Board, asking you if you think it's real or fake. He doesn't want to sell it as real if it is in fact a fake. So please take a minute to look at the sale and post your opinion here. Grey http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200181482332&ssPageName=ADME:X:AAQ:US:1123

Echizen X Ju Hirotsugu Saku. Grey

You don't have to buy a new pin (mekugi). You can whittle one out of a bamboo chopstick. It'll work fine. NCO Guntos do have value, just not as much as less machine made Japanese swords. Early NCOs with a copper handle can be quite pricey. The highest price I've seen for the more common version, like yours, with the aluminum handle is $800. on ebay for one in absolute pristine condition. Somewhere between $200 and $400 is more reasonable for an NCO, I would guess. Grey

The sword that isn't the NCO Gunto is Gunto as well. It is signed "Yoshiaki" and dated "Showa Ju Roku Nen", 1941. You don't have to spend much money to care for these swords. Just keep an incredibly light coat of good machine oil (sewing machine oil will do) on the polished part (not the tang) of the blades and store them in a non-humid environment. Grey

I just bought an Army Shin-Gunto katana with an unusual leather patch attached to the suspension ring. The patch is about as big as a fingernail and has inscribed on it what could be the Kanji chu or naka, above the letter W. Do any of you know the significance of this? Grey

How about a link to the auction or the auction number? Grey

It isn't necessarily true that only the great names get faked. I've seen more than a few WWII era swords with signatures that purport to be of some obscure smith from earlier in Shinto. If you fake a famous smith you have to do a good job and your customer has only to look at a book to find you out. If you fake someone nobody ever included in a book you might get away with it. Grey

6 1/4 x 8 1/2", 208 pages. I hope to post the book list tomorrow. Grey

Thanks to all of you. It is a sword book and it will be available very soon. Watch the buy, sell, trade section for a list of about 40 sword and kodogu books I have to sell. Grey

Can any of you kindly translate into Romanji the title and author/s of this book? Appreciate it. Thanks Grey

Munehisa, I believe. Now, someone tell us how wrong I am. Grey

If the dealer who sold this on ebay was in Japan, and even with a few dealers in the West, I would expect it to have been repatinated before the sale if any patina was compromised. I don't think repatination of shakudo is that big a deal for a dealer in Japan. Of course, I'm just guessing here. This could be my 1 cents worth. Grey

The extreme wear to the nanako can't be natural. No amount of wearing a sword, fighting with a sword, or any other normal sword usage would erode the nanako that badly, no matter how old it is. Something had to have happened to this; either the nanako wasn't cut fully to begin with or it was removed all at once later. My 2 cents worth. Grey

Looks like Shunga (erotic art). The quality of work (not too great) is on par with much of the Shunga I've seen. What is the thing, by the way? Grey

Where is it that you plan to use the technique after you've learned it? Not on real Nihonto, I hope. Grey

Henry, I suspect that if auto wax and vaseline did a Samurai sword any good, the old masters back in those feudal times would have invented them!! Grey

The proper amount of oil to put on a blade is applied thusly: Use white, unscented, not made from recycled fibers tissue paper or toilet paper, folded into a rectangle that will fold around the blade. Put just 3 or 4 drops of oil on the paper. Starting an inch above the nakago, with the paper wrapped around the back of the blade, wipe up towards the point and then go back to the same spot and wipe that last inch down towards the nakago. This ensures that you won't drag a rust particle from the nakago over the polished blade surface. Next, use a clean pad of the same paper to wipe off the oil you just applied, using the same technique. The tiny amount of oil that remains after wiping is all that is necessary to protect the blade. If you use too much it will bead on the blade and eventually will foul the inside of the scabbard. Grey

Would someone be so kind as to translate the 2 inscriptions for me please? Thanks. Grey

Email is now an option under my posts. If anyone else wants the articles feel free to write. Grey