Alex A

I will leave this here for anyone that has antique bronze barrels. Cannon turned up today, jeez bronze is heavy for its size. Kind of relieved it didn't turn out to be brass lol. Anyways, did have some light Verdigris around the end of the barrel. A tip off the internet was to brush with a soft bristle tooth brush and tooth paste. Went super light, checking i didn't remove patina whilst at it. It worked, up to others whether to do this or not. Finished off with Ren-wax. Took before and after pics in daylight. Looks beautiful back on the carriage in the house. Dark chocolate patina with a shine . Video helped a lot.

A video about cleaning and polishing bronze. Ok, we are not talking staues but it gives an idea He mentions a few types of wax, thinking i will stay with the Ren-wax. Would research further before using any other type, just being cautious.

Aye, expected high end fittings for that price.

Its a lot of money for a piece of parchment. At that price i would expect better provenance

Barrels 10.5 inches (if seller has measure it right) . Each one i buy gets bigger, working my way up lol

Another interesting advert from the Lanes. https://www.thelanes.../shop.php?code=24245 How they base their prices is their business but the only way i can fathom it out is that they take a look at what else is available in the UK, then look at prices over in Japan. Without considering lots of other factors, polish, papers etc etc.

Pulled this off the internet............. Experts recommend cleaning antique bronze using the gentlest approach possible. This might be dusting, wiping with soapy water or – at the most – minimal polishing with a mild abrasive. You should also finish with a layer of clear paste wax to keep antique bronze looking its best. Use whichever of these options best retains the natural patina. Verdigris, which is easily identified by its turquoise color, is a natural occurrence when bronze is exposed to moisture. You'll recognize it from the facade of the Statue of Liberty or markings on some old pennies. In some cases, the color is desirable, but more often, cleaning verdigris from antique bronze is essential. Doing so is possible using DIY methods, but if your antique bronze item is especially valuable or you care about its resale value, it's best to consult a professional before tackling verdigris removal.

Hi Piers, yes, i agree about folks removing patina from gun barrels. I hate it, personally wont consider buying anything that has been polished. I will explain. Bought a little antique signal cannon and by the looks of it, it has been sat in a shed or attic for a hundred years or so. Its not Japanese, but the same would apply as im just talking about caring for antique Bronze gun barrels The owner said there is green on the barrel, im assuming she is talking about Verdigris. Anyways, i plans on sympathetically restoring it back to life, will add some more pics in the arms thread. Will look up how to clean antique Bronze without removing patina. After that im assuming places like museums may well just use Ren-wax and leave well alone. I need see the "verdigris", may be something and nothing, just don't want it getting worse.

Hi Piers, Antique western cannon, i know you have the Japanese bronze cannons and was wondering what folks use on them.

Late to the party here but curious to ask a question. Used Ren wax a lot but i find it makes everything dull, even though it protects. Anyways, my question is. What do folks use on Bronze barrels with nice old dark brown patina?. This just a job for Ren wax?

Seems to be a lot of average blades around these days with TH TH don't feel as special as it did 10 years ago.

This i find really interesting and answers a lot in regards collecting. Not speaking for Michael but it rings some bells. For some folk, the fun part of the hobby lies in the research, and tracking down of items rather than the ownership. I can see why many would love to own a Muramasa but also see why sooner or later some would move on to other swords. Personally, wouldn't buy for investment purposes, would buy because its a real keeper. Keepers are rare in my book, the thought of ever selling such an item gets immediately quashed. As mentioned, enjoy the search and try avoid getting sucked in by what's available, (as stated elsewhere) Lovely sword though! Ps, asking opinions can really complicate matters. Know in your own head what you want.

George, the thought of sending a sword like that abroad for shinsa goes through me, id stick with the Juyo. Big responsibility owning such a sword, certainly would not want ever to see any new handling marks, id cry lol

You might be surprised Ken, a signed sword was more attractive than an unsigned sword. Seen quite a few Sukesada on Aoi over the years with their well known "unreliable signature we do not guarantee". Probably some are still on their sold pages.

This is what came up on google https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ii_clan Ii clan (Japanese: 井伊氏, Hepburn: Ii-shi) is a Japanese clan which originates in Tōtōmi Province. It was a retainer clan of the Imagawa family, and then switched sides to the Matsudaira clan of Mikawa Province at the reign of Ii Naotora. A famed 16th-century clan member, Ii Naomasa, adopted son of Ii Naotora, was Tokugawa Ieyasu's son-in-law and one of his most important generals. He received the fief of Hikone in Ōmi Province as a reward for his conduct in battle at Sekigahara. The Ii and a few sub-branches remained daimyō for the duration of the Edo period. Ii Naosuke, the famed politician of the late Edo period, was another member of this clan. The clan claims descent from Fujiwara no Yoshikado,[1] who had been one of the Daijō daijin during the ninth century. Head Family

That part of the tale was real Simon, they did exist. Had to check with google though, being honest

Its Ok learning about the quality of your sword and i understand your curiosity When i think about similar swords, side by side, by the same smith, made at the same time that look like one another, i cant help feeling like wtf does it matter. Pick the best one , side by side you will know it when you see it. You don't need big long eyebrows or whatever like the wiseman on the mountain. Cant remember the number of pages in Connoisseur's or whatever that describes blade features, not that many and you don't find that many features in one blade. Its not rocket science, though some folks think its quantum physics or sumert. Sometimes i think some folks think Japanese blades are somewhat magical from the BS that is spurted out, like some kind of mystical Excalibur or something, heading into phenomenon territory Usually from some kind of over enthusiastic Elitist that likes to over complicate things. (because it suits) Its only around a 3cm piece of steel for gods sake, we are not mapping the Amazon. If you hang around here long enough you will find that those that spurt such stories are usually the ones that are terrible at kantei and don't know their ass from their elbow (so to speak), stating Edo when obviously Koto and so on. Never mind stop oil, stop the Nihonto bullshit. OP, not aimed at you, but a useful tip

Think they call it a "commercial" polish. Shame, as some of the blades/koshirae combos in there over the years could have been amazing.

Must be many a wealthy person in the UK just looking for a Samurai sword, folks like "Tim nice but dim" Then that's where the story ends. In fairness, bought my first sword from there and it was ok, Koto. Did a bit of reading up then realised how much more there is to them. Then promptly exchanged it for i believe the one and only papered sword they have ever had in there, well, that ive seen.

Its scary to think some folks will get pulled in by those descriptions but as the old saying goes about a fool and their money,. I don't think they would do unless it worked for them. Plenty on there, mentions of Napoleonic battles etc etc, Fun reading though

Here's a blade with a story that I've just noticed, wow, what a story. https://www.thelanes.../shop.php?code=24540

Hi Nicholas, briefly. Its not a one size fits all. The smith i mention was capable of excellent work but at the same time some of his work could be described as average in comparison. There was a lack of consistency in his work. In that respect, quality is much easier to differentiate in images, and I'm talking excellent images only. Lesser quality work stands out like a sore thumb. You have to consider the state of polish, health of the blade. No good comparing an healthy thick blade that has seen little polish to one with a 5mm Kasane or whatever. A bad polisher will make a good sword look bad, and so on. I'm not saying you don't need to see swords in hand, I've owned and seen enough to know what im seeing in images and don't need to fly off to Tokyo or whatever. Jeez, great images are a blessing with my eyesight!. You need to see more Kunisada in hand though, by the sounds of it, then you will be in a better position to find you bearings. Look closely at the work online though and read as much as you can with regards his better swords. Look at the lower priced swords and work out why they are priced low. As said, not a one size fits all, there are times when you have to see swords in hand.

Utter nonsense.

I like a particular smith and ive been looking at his blades for some years now. You know before you see the price and then the price confirms your thoughts that the blade you are looking at is not one of the better examples. A Choji-midare hamon, like fire. When he did it well it was consistent, quality on both sides of the blade. With a lot that you come across, there's always a part of it done well and you wish the rest of the blade was as good. Sometimes the Nioiguchi becomes weak in places, parts of the hamon appear unintentional. When you have looked at enough swords by a certain smith, you get an idea

I had an issue once. First, an airline would not accept it so it went back to the seller. Re-sent and got held for further questions by British Customs., that is always the RISK. It was a Gendaito in WW2 mounts. In this day and age and the way customs are, i would just be honest with the description and value without mentioning the word sword. Something like Japanese Artefact in 1940s fittings. Don't be describing it as Antique, might backfire. I don't know the exact Customs Tariff code, you will find a suitable match on their website, don't use the antique code. Some on there for Cultural/art or something along those lines. Put as much information about the sword in the package as you can and make it idiot proof. Information about yourself, whether or not your a member of the British Token Society/ Antique arms society, all helps. I paid full tax. As for who to deal with. Would ask the sender to contact UPS, i say that because they have their own customs. If everything prepared before hand then its a lot better. Ive only ever imported antique guns with them though, but always without issues. Good because you bypass the dreaded Coventry Hub that you get with the usual US post. There was a recent thread where a gent here had some swords held, sure he put a lot of useful info in it. Good luck. Ps, Once had a modern tanto come all the way from the US and customs here sent it back to sender because the seller used initial instead of full first name on the package. No bull, that's how picky they can be.