Hans Kondor

Thank you Paul for your answer. One more thing I would like to ask is about suriage. As far as I know the blades from Late Kamakura and early Nanbucho period were mostly sruiage to become katana from tachi, so I guess the suriage itself not affect the price of a katana from that period, but how about the swords balance? Does the tang shortening not weaken the swords ability in a fight, it won't act different after shortening? Or it is depend on who made a changes and in an expert hands the blad ecan be as efficient as it were in its original size?

Hello Paul, I know about that and thats why I didn't like it them, because they are surely not the finest blades we have ever seen. A sidequestion about this narrow suguha hamon. Is it possible that some blades, like these had a much wider hamon, but because of the several suriage and polish it has been got narrow?

Thank you guys. Not much information was added to the swords, but yes it was written that it is signed as: Hizen Kuni Ju Tada Yoshi Saku. To tell you the truth I thought that both the blades and koshirae are poor quality reproductions. I don't like the rayskin, saya, korukata, thex all have a cheap chinese look. Also that both blades has a very narrow suguha hamon, is it not weird?

Rest:

Pictures from the blades.

Hello guys, I would like to ask your opinion about the following daisho, can be an original or a chinese fake.

Thank you for your comments guys!

Thank you Brian and this has a specific name or something?

Hello Peter, they are not mine, just found them on the net, by the way if we are talking about pictures I always wanted to ask, what do you think, the second picture could be made by scanner?

Dears members, I would like to ask your help. Can you tell me that is that type of hamon, when it looks there are flames (yakidashi?) on the choji hamon was used on koto blades too, or it is later technic? Thank you in advance!

Hello Mariusz, I of course saw that crack on the picture you showed, but what I was thinking about is that on the upper photos, which shows the blade every inc, I can't see that crack.

Can you find this crack on other pictures? I am just asking because I can't see it on the upper photos on the hamon which makes me scarred that on another sword I could not see from photos that the sword has crack like this. My only tip is that, this is the crack:

Hello guys, I don't know have you seen this one for sale on ebay. Opinions? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-Sword-Tachi-Muramasa-Nakago-in-Japanese-poem-Koto-period-NBTHK-paper-/221164510612?pt=Asian_Antiques&hash=item337e6e9d94

I checked the videos of this guy, very nice cuts. I have a question, on this video 5:05 he uses a 6 cm wide blade: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihWuLMlm ... ature=plcp Does it help to cut wide targets easier? Edit: It looks that there are more member there use wider blades, it looks to me that they not really comfortable with it, esspecially when nukitsuke and first cut.

Thank you both of you guys for your comments, as its a cheap book, I give it a try.

Hello guys, I would like to ask a quick question about books for starters in the hobby. I decided to buy two books: -Facts and Fundamentals of Japanese Swords: A Collector's Guide -The Connoisseurs Book of Japanese Swords Those who have the The Samurai Sword: A Handbook from Yumoto, what is your opinion it is also worth to buy? Does it include other informations which is not in the two books I mentioned? I read comments about it, some say its for beginners some its not, lacks of pictures etc, so I am not sure should I buy it or not. Thanks in advance!

I haven't thought that there will be 144 replies and nearly 4500 views of this thread, but only 1-2 guys shared with us their habit. I see there are lot of collectors here who also train Japanese sword martial arts, I guess only few has a shinsakuto like Kunitaro san has for cutting practise. So what do you use? Cheaper no maker marked Nihonto, Chinese blades, western swordsmits products? Pictures would be welcome too!

Thank you guys, sure I need to get some good connections later. Thanks Brian, I was not sure about the shinsa, how it works, now its clear!

Hello guys, thank you very much for your answers I appreciate it!

Thank you for your reply Mark! Another question I would like to ask is, that on the forum I read that collectors are not really satisfied with the swords made by western swordsmiths, how about polishers? Are there good polishers outside Japan? A Japanise polisher work is more expensive than a US or Eurpoian one? P.S.: Sorry I accidently replied to you via PM.

Hello guys, I have seen the latest nihontoantiques update and I would like to ask some questions from you about it. There was a sword sold which was stated made in the 1300's. http://www.nihontoantiques.com/fss525.htm Its without papers and need restoration. I also would like to buy a very old blade like that, one day. I guess these swords in excellent polish cost very expensive, so it would be an option to me to buy one in a condition like this one once. My question would be that, what is the proper process in a similar situation. If I buy a blade like that, should I first send it for shinsa to be sure its really an authentic blade from that year, than send it to a polisher or first polish that to shinsa? If the blade is already got an excellent polish it could rate it to a higher shinsa? Thank you in advance for your reply!

Hello guys, my question is mainly for Kunitaro as I know he has a katana which he uses often. Kunitaro san, after you practised with your sword, I guess you clean it and than...? Do you put oil on it and put it to a Shirasaya or if someone use and clean his sword often he doesn't need to oil it? How long a sword can be kept in koshirae without oil before it will get rusty. I know there are several factors which can lower the time like high humidity, but I am still curious.

Hello Ian, what do you think, how much time it takes to have enough bamboo for cutting? It was told to me that they grow fast.

There are some shops in my country for example where I can order. I thought about to plant bamboo to my garden.

And if I don't use the sword and put the dry blade to the saya, it will not get rusty later?