Alex A

Brian, a fitting thread for the caption above your name, the last time i noticed it was when i was in the middle of buying my last sword, kind of had me concerned lol, had visions of me living in a tent, with 5 full sword racks and a scruffy dog :D . For some people collecting anything to do with nihonto is an hobby, to most though, a luxury. Alex.

Off topic, but a wise investment, don't laugh.....meteorites... Edit, jeeze, first pint was strong lol Alex

Il drink to that, im off down the pub :D Alex.

High cost items can be hard to sell on, easier for well known and respected dealers to ask higher prices. Bare that in mind when you decide to be a bit lavish with the spending. People prefer to buy from reputable sources, hence the large amount of consignment sales that you see. Your average Joe (ie me) can have a blowout once in a while that will likely upset the wife ( one, maybe two in life max :D ), but tieing too much money up in this hobby I think is unwise, unless your wealthy, then it is not as big of a concern. Buy what you like, BUT what you can afford. Alex.

Pure class Ron, pure class... Alex.

Who knows, Justin, you may get lucky!. Whilst on the subject, I was wondering how many dealers truly make a living from selling nihonto?. Most I suspect, do this as a part time hobby kind of thing... Alex.

Justin, being honest, poor investments.... Alex.

I bought these very simple, non intricate, but cute long eared Hare/or rabbit? menuki recently. The previous owner thinks they may possibly be shakudo, i think there probably yamagane. Early edo? or ko kinko? maybe, im not sure. Ive seen a very similar pair recently labelled as ko kinko. Any help appreciated. Not sure i should have put the post here, just seemed fitting as its the study of menuki. Alex.

Not something you can pick up at Halfords then Denis?, maybe Hoofords will have it :D . Alex.

Thanks Thomas and John. My way to go around it was to compare it to similar sized swords in koshirae but im not sure how accurate that would have been. The nakago, 6", is only large enough to be held in one hand allthough the blade is heavy. It was made by the Dotanuki smiths, Dotanuki, Higo province around 1560, ancestry goes back to Enju Kunimura.The Dotanuki smiths made many swords in a time of war as you probably know. Picture is the only one I could in a rush before work, next to katana and wak in koshirae. That's not my carpet by the way, just a rug Edit, should have pointed out nakago measures 6" after the habaki!, sorry, so nakago is rougly 7" approx. I have read that shirasaya tsuka are shorter than koshirae tsuka. If I know roughly how much shorter they are, maybe that then would give me an idea of koshirae tsuka length? Alex

I would try Jeans approach. Looks a fiddly job. For this to work the 2 surfaces need to be totally clean. The clamping needs to spot on. I would make something that fits underneath, so that when you do clamp it, it wont just cave in. I would use masking tape to clamp it or a rubber band etc. Look for a dark epoxy resin mix, i have seen black somewhere. Dont be tempted, like i usually am to poke it to see if its stuck :D , as i usually do!. Clamp it, then leave it for a good few hours.One of those jobs that will look a balls up if done wrong. Alex.

Hi Dick, thanks for that, interesting read, not something i can remember coming across before. It is a reasonably large, heavy katana so im presuming uchigatana one handed style may not work for it, unless your built like hulk hogan. Cheers, Alex.

Is it possible, from blade length and nakago length (ubu) to guesstimate the size of an original tsuka length on a late muromachi sengoku katana?. Cheers in advance for any help... Nakago measures 6" in length, blade 28" Alex.

Is that what they call "a sleeper".. :D Alex.

Only takes one guy with money to like these old utilitarian tsuba. Boring to some folk, interesting to others. Being genuine, around 500 years old, and in original condition, i can see why he asks the price. Id buy it, if i could afford it. Tsuba made for battle have an appeal. Alex.

Nice simple shakudo ko kinko tsuba, its a small world. Alex.

Sure I seen this tsuba recently on Aoi site, tanto tsuba. Alex.

It is a large undertaking for anyone, even for someone with print knowledge. Its difficult doing business like this at long distance, there are so many things that can go wrong. Who is going to get the blame if the job is printed badly?, the guy who picked the printers?, the guy who managed it?. Offset is better quality, thats what you pay for, the skilled human factor!, which opens more doors for error, especially on short runs, when the printer gets bored from doing numerous plate changes. Sorry to be negative, i just know the job. Digital, yes slightly inferior on text, but computerized= no mistakes. If i where going offset or digital, i would need to be under the noses of the guys printing it. Samples of paper needed, samples of digital black text needed, samples of other similar books they have printed needed. A walk round the factory, if possible?. The printers need to know that they cant produce a bad book for you and that you WILL want it reprinting if it isnt upto scratch. This is why you need to be under there noses. Who is going to pay for a pallet returned half way around the world?, they will argue the toss. All bases need to be covered. Alex.

All depends on individual needs, digital is fine for most folk. Im sure if you look around enough you will find an offset printers that will do all the job, more expensive, but it seems thats what everyone wants. Alex.

You may be surprised to see what some of these private shipping companies charge for a job like this. If you want to spend more time hunting around for more quotes then I suppose its the way to go. As said, no rush. Alex.

Print companies will offer fulfilment, usually expensive, one of these books delivered say, to the US, from UK, would be around £47...Local post office would charge me around £14 (recorded/signed for), although thinking about it, im sure theres special rates for books. If you can find an offset printers that offers fulfillment at a reasonable price, then obviously, that's the way to go. Alex.

Offset is better quality, obvious on full colour pictures etc, not so obvious on black only text. Digital printing as moved on, far better than it used to be. Most good quality book printers will offer both. For short runs they will advise you to go digital, its a lot cheaper. I would find a good printers that will print the cover to your original spec, the insides digitally. As you say Brian, the quality of the paper/finishing is paramount, if you want a bespoke job. Its worth noting that high quality printers don't usually need to advertise, so looking online may not be the best option. Alex.

As good as an idea as it was, its obviously a difficult thing to pull off. Knowing that, im happy in either direction. I cant see much difference in black offset text and digital text. Alex.

For a tenner a book Brian, I would :D . The printers would need to go a step further, aswell as bulk wrap, they would need to box each book for further distribution. I understand your concerns though. Alex

Just a thought, why all the logistical issues?, get the books printed in the US, get them delivered to a member in the US, that person then posts the books. Your thinking that's a bit ridiculous?... if that person got say $15 for each book posted, just as an incentive to make it worth there while. No rush. A nice earner. I wouldn't mind paying the extra, just a thought. Alex.