Grey Doffin

If you sell the sword and have to ship it to the new owner: how to safely ship a bare blade. You need a stout tube, about 5 or so cm longer than the blade, end caps for the tube, and a piece of 1/8" masonite (or similar) that fits snugly, both top to bottom and side to side, in the tube. With the blade in its paper shirasaya, lay it on the masonite and mark the mekigi-ana on the masonite. Mark another hole just above the nakago next to the 1st mark. Drill holes in the masonite at the marks. Tie a sturdy piece of insulated electric wire through the holes in the masonite and blade to secure it to the masonite, or you can use a nylon zip tie. Securely tape the blade in paper saya to the masonite in 3 or so spots along its length. Insert into the tube, place the end caps, and you're set. Grey

Hi Alaen, Cut a piece of black paper the shape and size of the seppa-dai and place it on the tsuba on your screen. Now ask yourself, "Does the design still work?" As a general rule (exceptions for tsuba made in very late Edo and later which often were made to suit western taste) seppa dai were left plain because they would be invisible when mounted. Well made and well designed tsuba use this negative space as part of the design. In this case, you have the man and the front half of a tiger with a disembodied tail across the seppa-dai; the design doesn't work for me. I have to disagree with Colin; I think the carving is clumsy, not well done. I wouldn't collect this one. Grey

Hi Matthew, The sale says, "As is". He isn't accepting returns. Ebay is a snake pit for beginners; if you have any sense you'll stay away from it. If you did manage to find something good on ebay other bidders who know more than you do will see to it that it will be expensive. You need a dealer whom you can trust to help you make smart decisions. Grey

Hi Shawn, Care and handling: https://nbthk-ab2.or...ord-characteristics/ The bamboo pin (mekugi) looks as if it may have broken. If it no longer does a good job of locking the blade in the handle be sure to replace it as soon as possible; it is important. You can whittle a good quality chopstick. Grey

Hi folks, Volume 3 of Tosogu Classroom is now available for purchase: $44 post included for members of The JSS/US and NBTHK/AB or EB, $64 for everyone else. You can order the book from Markus Sesko: markus.sesko@gmail.com. If you prepaid for this and the next 2 volumes and if you have moved since you received Volume 2, please contact Markus with your new address. If you care about kodogu (sword fittings) you want these books. If you search NMB for Tosogu Classroom you'll learn what these are. Cheers, Grey

Hi Matthew, The paper under the wrap is padding only; probably a page from an old phone book or a grocery list and means nothing. I'll let the military sword guys tell you about the sword but here is a care and handling that will help with handle removal & replacement. https://nbthk-ab2.or...ord-characteristics/ Grey

https://nbthk-ab2.or...ord-characteristics/ Grey

Hi Alex, Try taking your pictures on a black background with a raking (from the side) light. Grey

Hi Max, Bitchu no Kami and I can't see the rest of the mei well enough. Definitely an older blade but the nakago has been cleaned, the blade has been buffed, the tsuba is either cast or real low quality, and you need to know a lot more than you presently do before you start throwing your money away. I don't mean to be blunt but the fact that you don't know if this is WWII tells me you are a beginner and you should buy swords only from dealers you can trust 100%. On your own you're ripe for the picking. The more you know before you buy the happier you'll be with what you get; consider a good book.. Grey

Hi Bryan, Looks like a stain was used on the wood before a finish was applied. If you air it out, as recommended, you should lose most of the odor but probably not all of the chemical residue. Should be OK for swords but I can't guarantee it. My personal taste: I think this is too busy (hade') for Nihonto; I much prefer the plain, unfinished Japanese sword boxes. Grey

Far as I know Mark & I are in. Mark will have a car that can hold 5 or 6 in a pinch. Even if we need an Uber, split 9 or 10 ways it isn't much. There are good restaurants in the neighborhood that will certainly cost less than the chain Benihana in the hotel. We can do better. Grey

Hi Bryan, Please post pictures of the box. Grey

Hi Kris, Here you will find a care and haddling brochure: https://nbthk-ab2.or...ord-characteristics/ Grey

Hi Christian, Is the blade retempered? Is it tired (too many polishes)? Does it have a fatal flaw you're not aware of? Until you can answer questions like these for yourself and not rely on opinions offered online from a few photos, you shouldn't be considering having unsigned, undocumented, unknown blades sent to polish. There will always be unknown blades to buy; there will always be blades you can have polished; there is no reason to be in a hurry. Study Grasshopper. As for this blade, the open grain/defects are troubling but no one can answer the question for sure without seeing the sword in hand. Meaning well, Grey

Thank you, Grey

Thanks guys, Can either of you tell me what this means in English? Grey

Hi guys, If someone can help, I need romaji and translation of this label on a box that contains a daisho of Soten tsuba. It will be appreciated; thank you. Grey

David McDonald in Montana. He should be linked above. Grey

Hi Thomas, As I have been proofing/editing the partially released Tosogu Classroom, I've had a sneak preview of volume 3, which should be available relatively soon. Your question will be answered in great detail. Grey

Bishu Osafune Morimitsu, I believe. Grey

Who won the war? Grey

Hi Nicholas, The only one of the references included in The Index of Japanese Sword Literature that contains an oshigata of this smith is Fujishiro's Nihon Toko Jiten, Shinto-hen. Chujo saku, called Chusaburo, studied with 1st generation Tadatsuna, and used a different kanji for Kane earlier in his career (from Harry Watson's translation). As all of the major references are in the Index, it isn't likely you'll find many other oshigata. Grey

"I need help with this sword" is perfectly capable of a search online for restoration service in his neighborhood, but then what? Will he know which polisher has proper training? Can he trust the polisher to tell him if his sword doesn't warrant the expense? Will he know how to care for a new polish so it doesn't get scratched and stained in short order after he gets the sword back? And what the heck is wrong with his taking some time to learn a bit before he starts throwing money at his sword? Grey

Hi gang, Not wanting to hijack another thread, I'm opening this to suggest that we all take a break from encouraging rank beginners at Nihonto to have their swords polished. These are well meaning new collectors who know almost nothing about their swords (nothing terrible about that; we were all there once) yet time after time they are told they need to spend $2,000 to $4,000 for a restoration they again know almost nothing about. Polish is serious business with many variables that need to be taken into account before a decision is made. Even with 40 years of learning under my belt, I go slow with having something polished. There is no way a beginner should rush into this. Polish isn't preservation; a light coat of machine oil takes care of that. No reason the sword can't wait for its owner to study and then make an informed decision. Grey

Hi Steven, Here is a care and handling brochure you should read: https://nbthk-ab2.or...ord-characteristics/ Do no more cleaning of anything on either sword; well meaning amateurs often do damage. The short sword is a wakizashi. Pictures of both blades bare of their mounts, on a dark background, will allow us to tell you more about them. Coseups of both tangs (blade inside the handles) even if the wakizashi isn't signed, will help. Cheers, Grey