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A few years ago I spent quite a long time studying a traditional textile pattern tsuba made of copper (in hand), and I would have been willing to bet money that the pattern was created by etching. As it was copper, my guess would have been ferric chloride, but I haven't been able to find any info on if this was known to and used by the Japanese of old. To satiate my curiosity, I later had a goldsmith use this technique to quite deeply etch copper plate to see how it would turn out. I gave away the item to a friend, but I think I still have a photo. Edit to add photos. The commissioned test piece mentioned above is the tsuba and F/K at the top of the first image. More detail is visible in the second image. Edit 2, everything shown in these images is modern. The other fuchi/ kashira were made by Patrick Hastings and the other tsuba is by Jesus Hernandez. They've all now been mounted on shinken/ iaito for martial arts use.

Investment casting of Chinese sword fittings (with a carved wax pattern) is shown here at 9:40 if you're curious about the process. https://youtu.be/bajGAnLqy-E

Just for clarity, the process for making contemporary coins (machine-struck coinage) involves the use of blanks of uniform thickness and dyes to emboss the design. There is a lot of fine detail, but the process is limited. While a set of dyes can produce thousands of coins, the dyes are expensive to produce and the depth of the design is very shallow. Dye casting is a possibility, but I'm not sure you could achieve this level of detail, and to have any chance of doing so you'd likely need the dyes to be hand carved by Ford Hallam. This could be quite the challenge for even someone of his level of mastery, as the design would need to be carved as a negative. Plaster casting is more labour intensive than investment casting, as the plaster mould is single use, but it isn't a prohibitively expensive process. The main difference to investment casting is that you remove a couple of layers of abstraction from the original piece (retaining more detail). With investment casting you: Select the piece you'll be reproducing, known as the master pattern (in this case, likely an original tsuba). Create a mould (known as the master dye) of the master pattern. Produce a wax pattern. I have seen Chinese fittings (for Jian) being made without the use of a master pattern, with the single use wax pattern being hand carved. Apply investment materials, often a ceramic slurry, which is then cured. Dewax, melt and remove the internal wax to leave a clean ceramic shell. Burnout the mould to remove any moisture and residual wax. Fill the mould (with molten metal). Remove the shell to release the casting. Finish the workpiece. With plaster casting you: Select the piece you'll be reproducing, known as the master pattern (in this case, likely an original tsuba). Create a plaster mould. Bake the mould to remove any excess water. Fill the mould (with molten metal). Break the mould to release the casting. Finish the workpiece. As you can intuit from the process difference, this makes quite a lot of difference to the detail retained in the finished piece and the labour costs involved. Fred Lohman in the US has been making quite nice cast fittings for martial arts use for a long time. I would presume that he's plaster casting too, but I don't know for sure. Fred Lohman's pricing is a fair bit higher than the prices mentioned in the OP if I recall correctly. I would presume that the difference is mostly due to the difference in labour costs in China vs the US. I think at the prices mentioned in the OP that these are good value given the labour involved, assuming of course that you know what you're buying and they're not misrepresented by the seller.

I'd assume they're made of copper, bronze, brass, aluminium or zinc and are cast in plaster moulds. It's not a complex process, but it's significantly more labor intensive than investment (lost-wax) casting.

I would disagree about fakes indicating good health. The market for cheap reproductions is clearly a different market than the market for genuine antiques. It's the same argument as with counterfeits and high-fashion clothing. The production and sale of counterfeits does indicate a strong desire for the product, but at a much lower price than the genuine article. Every economic analysis I've seen on this has shown that this does harm to the brand, as it dilutes out the brand equity. A large part of what makes a luxury good desirable is that most others cannot afford it and that it signals status through it's high price. With a large and high-quality market of counterfeits, the goods are more readily available and the perceived value is reduced. There's nothing that can be done other then to educate ourselves and others, but I think it's wishful thinking to assume that this isn't harmful for serious collectors.

I feel exactly the same way. I have a Bowie knife and a selection of multi-tools which are always in my hiking bag, but I never have use for a knife outside the house when in an urban area. Thank you for the concern. Fortunately, there's no psychological damage. It was my decision to get involved, it was my decision not to hurt him to the point of fully incapacitating him. I don't have any regrets. Thankfully my wife (who saw the whole thing) is feeling a lot better too, with no signs of PTSD, anxiety, etc.

Thanks Piers. The CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) are looking to put him away for as long as possible. He's also been charged with assault by beating for his actions towards the young woman and affray for his actions prior to the stabbing. It was in a residential area, and there were easily a dozen witnesses. As you mentioned, I have got used to shaving one handed. I've had to switch back to using a safety razor though after a few years of using a nice kamisori.

Thank you John. Thank you Bryan. I was over in Hull for the surgery, it's the first time I've been there for any length of time rather then just passing through. I was at Castle Hill for most of the major surgery and Hull Royal Infirmary for a more minor operation.

Thank you Gwyn. It was actually in my hometown, a small town a few miles south of Leeds, which has a much lower crime rate. Please don't be alarmed, it was a black swan event. Lincolnshire and Yorkshire tend to be very safe and filled with gentle folk who love to garden and grow things. We're a bit like Hobbits really, and the most heinous act I've been on the receiving end of before was people scrumping (stealing apples from a tree) and the occasional theft of a few veggies from our vegetable patch.

Thank you John. I've been feeling the same way. I get the feeling that the murder was pre-meditated, and that the young lady was the intended target. I shudder to think what else he would have done to her if left to it. I'm pleased with how things turned out. I'd feel much worse if I'd just keep running and later found out that one or more people had been killed.

Thank you John. The injury to the hand is a severed nerve, so while I'm unlikely to make a full recovery, there will be significant improvement. I'm feeling very fortunate overall. It was an attempted murder (the guy has been apprehended and charged by police) rather than an accident; but due to some excellent medical care and a few surgeries, the hand is the only major lingering issue. Very briefly, I was out running with my wife and came across a man assaulting a young woman and making death threats to an elderly couple. I intervened, he attacked me and a fist fight ensued. After a few moments he was face down on the ground. While I was calling an ambulance for him, he regained consciousness, drew a weapon, stabbed me in the lung several times (puncturing the lung) and slashed the rear of the right arm (severing a nerve). An eventful day overall. I'm mostly feeling lucky that I survived, wasn't castrated, didn't lose an eye and that nobody else was hurt. Edit: Please edit this as appropriate if there's anything inappropriate or too graphic.

Thank you Marius, much appreciated.

Hello, I'd appreciate some guidance on how long I can safely leave blades in shirasaya without re-oiling them. Usually I do this quite regularly, but I only currently have one functional hand and as such will need to either coach my wife through the process or arrange for a friend to visit to carry out the maintenance. I might end up sending my collection of blades to a friend, to take care of them for the time being. I realise that climatic factors and the like will affect this, but all the same, I would appreciate some ballpark estimates from your own experience. If anyone is curious, I can share what happened, but it's not directly relevant to the thread. Thank you. Mark

For anyone curious: It's worst when you're just above the threshold. I bought something once that was ~£16 (with a £15 threshold), the customs fees were ~£3 plus a £12 fee. That was nice.

You mean the disparity in the handling fee? It depends on who handled the collection of the customs fees. It's only if customs fees are due that you're liable for a handling fee. The handling fees vary somewhat between different couriers and £8-£12 are within the range I'd expect. Was one Royal Mail and the other Parcelforce?

Printed books are zero-rated for VAT. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pay-no-import-duties-and-vat-on-miscellaneous-documents-and-related-articles#P134_16188 Nihonto books should also meet the requirement for duty exemption:

Thank you for the information Paul. Very important to know.

I think that's a vital point Adam. How long we expect to stick around and continue to learn about this subject. We have the expression “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die,” but perhaps we should also have its inverse: “Start learning a new language or an instrument, and make small talk with a stranger, because life is long, and who knows what joy could blossom over many years’ time.” When balancing favorite experiences and new ones, nothing matters as much as the interval over which we plan to enjoy them. A sword doesn't need to be anything special to please someone who spends an hour looking around before buying and then brings it out once a decade for a few minutes to examine. But for someone who puts a few hundred hours into it, many of those pieces may become unacceptable.

I think Mark that it stems from different underpinnings as to why people collect. It's not my place or anyone else's to say what anyone should collect, but I think we can make observations on what people with particular goals actually do collect and if their purchases align with their goals long term. I would guess that a part of the perceived elitism stems from the belief that this forum is devoted to collecting Nihonto. I would argue that it's actually much not inclusive than that. There are people who collect swords in general, there are people who collect military and historical artifacts, there are art collectors and there are Nihonto collectors. My belief is that most people who are true Nihonto collectors would be best served to buy papered blades which correspond well to established Japanese notions of assessment criteria. The so called 'lesser' blades are perfectly adequate for other types of collector. *By which I mean that they will likely be pleased with their purchases long term, not that they are deserving of a lesser standard.* I also believe that Paul's blade in this thread is a special example and it would require Paul's level of knowledge (which most of us here lack) to make a properly informed assessment of the piece. Hence why the post was interesting and informative. *I'm not meaning to imply any kind of heirachy of collectors, just trying to put labels on things for the sake of clarity. I would consider myself to be more of an art collector than a Nihonto collector.*

I've attached a couple of excerpts from The craft of the Japanese sword by Leon Kapp. I don't agree with some of what I've quoted, but I think this might be where some of the conventional wisdom on this originates. I think that from a practical standpoint, it's purely decorative. From a materials perspective, I would expect that roughening the surface of the metal would increase the coefficient of friction between it and the wood. This would likely require surface roughening (as with sandblasting) rather then the application of a pattern, and then polishing the surface; which might actually reduce the overall friction by reducing the contact area. This would of course only be relevant where the habaki and the saya are actually in contact.

I feel like the comments regarding covert networks pushing each others items is a serious allegation and it's seemingly being made without any real data or research. There's too many conspiracy theories on the off topic as is, without creating new ones about other forum members. It wouldn't take me long to go though the sale threads over a certain time period and do a factor analysis. I can do this if people are curious and it would have any worth. It would tell us immediately if it's certain sellers that gain positive comments (from certain other members), or if it's certain price ranges, eras, etc. If on the other hand, nobody cares to know what's actually happening, and would rather continue to make (as of yet) unsupported allegations against other members... If anyone is going to make an allegation against anyone else, it is their responsibility to support their claims with evidence of some kind. At the point where you overreach and go beyond what you can prove, it's slander. That's not what we're here for, and if people have problems with other members, maybe try and work it out privately?

I think I understand his issue. I think the criticism is that there are listings from time to time that omit important information, and may (intentionally or otherwise) mislead a buyer. I personally don't see an issue, as generally the community will ask the relevant questions, but I can understand how a new collector without much study or guidance may not know the right questions to ask. This could maybe be helped a little by a checklist of required information.

Thank you Paul and Piers. Piers, I can guarantee that you know far more about Nihonto than I do. This is a fascinating detour and I hope you don't mind the tangent Paul. I've been using both terms to express visual surface characteristics, the visible exposed layer and not as describing the metal itself beyond that. I would usually use Jihada to express the pattern we see. Jigane to express the activity we see on the surface, and Hagane/ Kawagane to express the metal itself. So in the sence of, 'the Jigane and Jihada are visible on the polished surface of the Hagane.' Would you consider the Jigane to be the visible surface or the full outer layer of the lamination?

Am I mistaken in thinking that... Jihada is simply the pattern of the steel, so a blade which has been polished without heat-treat would still show clear jihada. Jigane is mostly concerned with the activity in the steel, as a result of heat-treat. So a traditionally heat treated non-Japanese monosteel shinken would still show Jigane in proper polish. I'm not sure if Jigane would also encapsulate Jihada. Kitae is the forged lamination, the structure, so would be visible if we broke the blade and polished a cross section. Those were the definitions I was working with. I'd appreciate being corrected of I'm mistaken.

Ford, Do you have any ideas for a true art habaki, and would you consider a commission for it if so? Or a truly full matched set, including all tosogu plus seppa and habaki? I have no idea what that might look like, but I get the feeling it could be quite special.