Alex A

Be good to see the bare blade showing nakago clearly.

The thing about buying at arms fairs, Colin. Its difficult, is for me anyways. Need time to go home and do some research about what i just looked at.

Colin, I just use cheap cotton cloths off ebay, throw them away regularly. They are kept in a plastic bag in the cupboard Don't put them down anywhere where they can pick up dust and give them a shake before using them, check them over. As you point out, saya rubbing can be a real issue. See it in write-ups on sales pages occasionally, "marks from in and out" lol Beginners reading this.............ALWAYS ON THE MUNE!!!!!!!!!!!, as someone eloquently told me off when i started

Ps, tried sewing machine oil (Singer), didn't like it as it seemed too thin and hung around in globules Hence gun oil.

This is what put me off Choji oil, from Aoi Art care guide................. Special notes ; 1. Generally, Choji oil has been used to treat Japanese swords. This is a sticky vegetable oil traditionally used in cleaning swords. It promotes oxidization of the blade that will result in rust in the future. In our opinion, and based on our experience, we do not advise you to use Chyoji oil. We suggest that you use high-quality machine oil on your sword. This is the same type used when maintaining guns or sewing machines, and it is the only oil that we use with our swords at Aoi Art.

I just refer to this, Colin That was enough to put me off, don't see it as necessary on a blade in good polish. Though do see modern smiths using it, even the smith in the vid i just uploaded is using it.

Never used it in 15 years, Sam Maybe once, quite reluctantly. Just of the notion that cloths and oil do no harm (not talking choji oil) so why potentially add a concern (as mentioned above) when there is no need to. Don't use choji either, just use gun oil very sparingly and it wipes off very easily. It doesn't go off or turn into anything that requires alcohol to remove it. An horses for courses thing, whatever works best for folks

Ps, would have never found this on youtube without the Japanese translation. This is the smith, Matsui Ken (Kiyotomo) Tokyo. Vid from 2008, taught at Miyairi school.

Fantastic Brian, thanks. I didn't see that link but found the smith in particular that i was looking for, so it appears he is still working. The last info i can find on him, on the internet was from 2014 so i was thinking he no longer made swords. Don't see many swords made by him . Perhaps Paul Martin could help with further inquiries. Nice one Also, cheers Jean, appreciated.

There has to be something somewhere along the lines of the link below, just wondering what smiths are still around that worked back in 2006. This from 2004 as an example.........LISTA-FORGIATORI-ATTUALI.xlsx (live.com) What i have learned is that much more info can be gained using Japanese text on the internet, as in you tube etc but no up to date swordsmith list.

Don't know why folks feel the need to use alcohol. What oil are you using, Supagloop1000 or something.

Can find old lists online but have nothing up to date, anyone have this particular info?

That would be great Robert. Always wanted one but never got around to it. Do look out for swords with special order inscriptions as it is said smiths likely take more care. Kind of a cheapskate "second hand" approach.

Stumbled on this, a good read. An interview with top notch smith Norhiro Miyairi. He talks of students that attain a licence but are unable to continue making swords, due to costs and lack of orders. Such a shame. What’s so special about Japanese swords? We interview master katana maker Norihiro Miyairi! | SoraNews24 -Japan News-

SOLD, Thanks.

Connoisseurs describes Kazuuchi-mono as having a surface where shingane appear due to economizing on materials. That does not sound like the type of sword you want to cut a Bo-hi on. Also describes them with "rough masame" hada. There were real junk blades, the kind that went of to China. Lets not forget that they were ALL handmade, from junk to average to decent to good. Its not like they were all stamped out on machinery . Someone had to pay, request to have that bo-hi cut. Your never going to know the story behind it. I cant see a certain general or whoever demanding that all the mass produced waks for his army of Ashigaru have a customized B0-hi Have a Sue Seki tanto here with Bo-hi, cant see it saving much weight. Perhaps with the spoils of war someone decided to upgrade it, A newly promoted Ashigaru to the position of Samurai, who knows. The Nakago on the blade above looks to have seen a bit of an hard life, so in that respect i find it a bit difficult to judge. Seen Nakago just like that on blades dated to Eisho. If you read Aois write-ups they often describe Eisho as non mass produced , made during peaceful times. Some just look a bit rough with use. Not bothered looking into the mei, who knows, it may have been unsigned originally. If so, there's a thousand reasons a blade could be unsigned, even blades that were not mass produced. This is the thing about stuff that was made over 400 years ago, its not all black and white but plenty of grey. Decent sword. like the koshirae.

It was watching a video that had Gassan Sadatoshi in it that got me into looking into modern swords, think it was called "the Japanese sword" or something like that. Just watching him make the sword, any modern smith in fact and just thinking wow, just owning such a sword, an art work. It brings a really strong connection that i don't get with older swords. Not to say i don't like old swords;

They are always added later, as in after the blade was made. lol Bo-hi was common on Bizen blades of that era, so id say its realistic to assume it was done not long after the blade was made. Impossible to be certain.

Someone thought the blade worthy enough to add bo-hi.

Interesting write-up, get what he's talking about. Best thing i ever did was buy an unaltered blade, gives you a different perspective.

Just wish i could find the thread. But from memory, an imitation hamon can be added to a blade where the hamon is weak or even non-existing. Though wouldn't expect miracles from the technique

Just had a look and i cant find it either. Again from memory, think it was Ted Tenold that talked about it, though may be wrong.

Sure there is a thread on that somewhere on here Colin, from memory. About the way a polisher can add the effect of an hamon.

Bit confused, never had anything from them described as a COD charge. Just import duty Did the seller pay customs charges in advance or something?

Imported antique firearms with UPS and the forms usually do get sent via email. The problem i had, i didn't have " open office" or what ever its called to complete the forms, so bought then cancelled it. At least they are shipping swords and making the effort to do it right, perhaps something they need to become more accustomed to, by the sounds of it.