aeguy

Thank You Steve M! I know this is likely a simple translation… IF that is, you are also fluent in Nihongo & also recognize the inference(s) being made here. It’s those last parts that have me stumped on this one. Regardless, the effort you’ve made on my behalf is Greatly Appreciated! Domo Arrigatogozaimasu!! 🙏

Last Thursday I purchased what I believe to be a shinshinto katana in full koshirae. It has a dual mei where the tachi mei side reads, “Bizen (no) Suke Fujiwara Munetsugu” (if desired, I will upload an image of this mei in a separate, part 2 post as the file size is too large to include in this post) & the katana mei side that I need help translating is depicted here… I think it reads in part, “Yasu-???-Yoshi-Tsune-Toshi”, but this is also likely completely wrong. Hence, my request for NMB translation assistance. Thank You in advance for any & all assistance provided.

Grey, Matt & John, Wow Guys! I knew I'd get responses, but I never imagined it would be this fast!! THANK YOU!!! Best Regards, Andy

All, I've taken a few trips through the kanji flashcards, Dr Stein's online kanji lists, etc, and have thus far been unable to crack the WWII mei and nengo on this blade..... A gentleman with whom I work inherited it from his grandfather who served in the Pacific Theater of Operations during WWII, and his grandfather personally took blade from a surrendering Japanese Officer at the end of the war (at least this is the story I've been told). It is a late war blade in complete shin gunto koshirae. Regarding the mei..... the first kanji has me completely stumped. I don't what it is. The second kanji appears to be either a stylized, Masa or Tada character (both are probably wrong). Regarding the nengo.... it appears to be the 19th year of the era (Showa?), 10th year, and 2nd month.....??? Yes, I realize this translation makes no sense, and this is the reason I'm here. Any and all assistance with these translations would be Greatly Appreciated. Thank You in advance. Best Regards, Andy

Morita-san, Thank You for translating what you could of the poem. I very much appreciate your effort. It is evident the tile was previously installed, but I have no idea where. A restaurant perhaps? Based upon your suggestion, I will see if someone of Chinese descent in our area might be able to help translate the poem. Thank You again for your effort on our behalf and for translating what you could. Sincerely Yours, Andy

Hi Brian! Thank You for remembering me, and for the warm welcome back! Indeed, it has been too long. At times life intervenes and one must adjust & adapt, but Nihonto and all things related make for a fascinating hobby that consistently calls one back. The NMB looks better than ever, and membership & participation appear to be very robust! Well Done Sir!! Very Well Done!!! Warmest Regards, Andy

All, My wife & I picked up the ceramic tile depicted in the below image last May. The 2nd image is of what I believe to be a poem about a full moon reflected on the surface of a pond (this is only an assumption). I recently completed a frame for the tile and it now hangs in our home. Given it is on display, the obvious question posed to us by our guests is, "So what does the poem say?" I then have to embarrassingly admit, "I don't know." Accordingly, I would like to address & resolve this situation once and for all. Any and all translation assistance would be Greatly Appreciated. Thank You in advance! Best Regards, Andy

Brian, Sorry you weren't told before, but "DELTA" really stands for, "Don't Ever Leave The Airport". In general, US Domestic airlines have become exceptionally lame. I hope your trip here improves. Vegas should be a Blast! Best Regards,

Chris, Reinhard & Morita-san, Thank You all for your incredibly prompt responses to my request for assistance! Reinhard & Morita-san perhaps my ability to decipher nengo shall one day approach your respective abilities . However, until then a very sincere "Thank You Very Much" to each of you is the best I can muster. Now I'm off to the nengo kanji pages to brush up on nengo translation..... :D Respectfully Yours, Andy Guy

Hi All, I've made multiple attempts at deciphering the following yari nengo with little success. Thus far I've been able to discern, "shichi gatsu (7th Month)", but the rest leaves me scratching my head. If possible, would the NMB membership please assist me with this translation? Any help and/or insight you are willing to provide would be Greatly appreciated. Best Regards, Andy Guy

......and here are some more images from Tampa 2011.

Hi Stephen, Here are some show images for you & the other NMB members. I'd like to pile on with Grey, et al and say I thought this year's show was more lively & better attended than last year. That said, there's always a desire to pull in greater participation from the general public and I believe this will happen given sufficient time & advertising. Mr Bardi has the advertising nailed. Now we have to wait for the, "sufficient time" part.....

Approximately 4 years ago, I asked a senior Florida Token Kai representative about taking pictures of the Tampa show for the purpose of posting these images on this forum. While my request was not refused outright, it was evident from the representative's reaction that my request was more than a little unwelcome. I decided against asking why this was so, but surmised the overriding fear was these images could be easily used by thieves to case the show when posted on an Internet accessible forum. Accordingly, I never asked again. I realize others have taken and posted pictures of the Tampa show on this forum in the intervening years, and cannot explain how this was accomplished in view of my experience. In hindsight, I certainly understand this fear, but would also submit that agreeing to post show images AFTER the show had closed would've been an acceptable alternative to not posting any show images. Now that the Tampa show is under new management, I'll again ask if it is OK to take pictures of the show. If Mr. Bardi doesn't refuse my request, I'll certainly take & post pictures of the Tampa show for the general NMB membership/readership to review & enjoy. I promise. Best Regards,

Hi Rob, Please check your Private Message In-Box. Best Regards, aeguy

Most reasonable hotel accommodation I could find for my wife and I in Manhattan proper anywhere near the Met was at the Upper East Courtyard Marriott at $191.00 (plus $31.67 tax) per night for one (1) Friday night stay (this is a special weekend rate available online). We take a taxi to/from the airport. Certainly not inexpensive, but within reasonable & pleasant walking distance of the Metropolitan Museum and all the attractions inbetween (i.e. the Guggenheim, Cooper-Hewitt, Central Park, restaurants, shops, boutiques, etc.). She's happy and I get to ogle top-of-the-line Nihonto to my heart's content without having to foot the bill for a full blown trip to Nihon to see these treasures! :D

Hi Steve, I've tried using acrylic lacquer over urushi and can tell you this won't work. The finish will never dry. As for substituting cashew lacquer for urushi, I've never tried blending one finish into the other. However, I suspect it wouldn't work very well since, as stated previously, a humid atmosphere is required to cure urushi and cashew lacquer cures quite nicely in a dry atmosphere. I would also think the sheen exhibited by either of these finishes would be different regardess of how either is applied. As for the hazards of working with urushi, please use the follwing link to see what has been written previously on this topic. viewtopic.php?f=9&t=441&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=urushi If after reading this you still elect to use urushi for your restoration, I sincerely wish you the best of luck in your endeavor. Best Regards,

USMC-LCPL, You can also perform a search for, "silica dessicant pack" on ebay. Prices for current auctions offering these dessicants for sale didn't appear prohibitively high and the bonus is it would be delivered to your doorstep. Alternatively, you might want to consider stopping by any nearby auto-body/auto collision repair shops and asking if they have any of these dessicant packs lying about. The windshield and autobody sealants used in these repair shops typically comes in "caulking tube" type dispensers and a little silica dessicant pack is often included in the tube base. These sealants usually need water vapor to cure and harden, and by including a little dessicant pack in the tube base manufacturers ensure their sealants won't harden before they are used. Accordingly, these shops will have alot of small dessicant packs lying about, and they're usually just swept up and thrown out with the rest of the trash that accummulates during a day's work. Either way, it's up to you. I just wanted to let you know there are other options available where you can obtain these dessicant packs. I hope you find this information useful. Bye for now...... Best Regards,

Anything I can assist with? You should already have my e-mail address. It hasn't changed. Shoot me an e-mail if I can be of assistance. Bye for now..... Best Regards,

Hi jezah81, I've dealt with both Mike Yamasaki and John Kurata, and will say they're good guys with whom you can reliably conduct business. When I first attempted contacting them, it took approximately (2) weeks for them to respond after both leaving voicemail and sending e-mail requesting a meeting. I subsequently learned that during my first attempt to contact them, John was busy with his job and Mike just happened to be in Japan at that time. However, Mike soon called me back and we set up a mutually agreeable appointment when we met and conducted business. So while successfully making initial contact with them was a little tenuous, everything eventually worked out. Hopefully, you'll find the same to be true. Best Regards,

when I look at the image presented in your post from Sunday, 28 JAN 2007, I see/perceive the outline of (3) figures. The 1st is the outline of a paulownia leaf as already identified in preceding posts, the 2nd is of a daimyo (per the unique head-dress) bowing with arms folded in front of him (aka "the pregnant rabbit figure") and the 3rd figure is of a sheaf of rice. Seems plausible. What do you think Like I said, I'm no expert. JMHO. I hope this helps. Milt ==> Be nice..... Best Regards,

http://www.watchpolishing.com/leatherguide.htm Hi John! I've run across the same problem from time-to-time, and really haven't found a, "one-size fits all" answer/solution. Sorry. However, I did find the above link and thought you might find it useful and informative. I hope it helps. Bye for now.... p.s. Have you also considered using pure lanolin? Just a thought. :D Best Regards,

is very allergic to Urushiol; the very potent, irritating oil found in Poison Oak, Poison Ivy, Poison Sumac, Cashew Nut Husks, and Urushi Lacquer. Attempting to work with real urushi lacquer should not be undertaken lightly. The only people I've personally observed to have a robust tolerance to this exceptionally strong, naturally occurring irritant are those of Eastern Native American descent (i.e. Cherokee Indian, etc.). Based upon what I've been told by folks who've actually worked with urushi lacquer, the urushiol level in this finish is far more concentrated than that found naturally occurring in any plant leaves, stems and roots. Considering this irritant is also an oil, a very small amount can go an incredibly long way and can cause a tremendous amount of misery and discomfort. Also, please keep in mind that since it is an oil, it can be easily spread and this strong irritant can not only affect you, but it can also affect those around you through unintentional contact (i.e. your spouse, children, friends, etc). Over the years I've tried all sorts of concoctions to rid myself of the effects of my allergic reaction to urushiol, but I've only found (2) that I can guarantee will work: (1) Avoid any and all contact with urushiol. Simple & effective. (2) If you should come in contact with urushiol AND you experience a severe allergic reaction, immediately go to your physician and ask/beg for a shot of Prednisone to suppress your immune response. However, please beware your physician may refuse to give you this shot, and should she/he refuse this request, steel yourself for at least 2 to 3 more weeks of exceptional discomfort and inconvenience. If you're fortunate and you receive this shot, you'll immediately get some relief and it'll take 1 to 2 weeks for the rash to go away (depending upon the severity of your rash/allergic reaction). I've never tried the remedy identified in the Ed's previous post, but suffice it to say I've also never found any over-the-counter remedy/treatment that offered folks similar to myself any significant relief. So before attempting to use urushi lacquer for the 1st time to refinish that saya that's needed rework since you purchased it, perform some basic research on how to best accomplish that goal while minimizing your exposure to the effects urushiol AND take the time & effort to identify your sensitivity to this potent natural irritant. Taking these steps will go a very long way in helping you avoid an uncomfortable and potentially debilitating allergic reaction. Sorry for the long winded response, but I thought it was worth the effort & bandwidth.... :| Best Regards,

Hi John! Welcome Back & Thanks for the credit! :D I would like to add the folks at Namikawa Heibei, Ltd advised me on how this should be done. For those NMB members who've never dealt with Namikawa Heibei before, but would like to, please know you can deal with them in confidence. I've found them to be exceptionally helpful and courteous; fast shipping too!!! Best Regards,

Terve Andreas! I don't know if you noticed, but last Saturday evening I erroneously posted a Reply to your above message as a New Post. Sorry about that. :? Since your inquiry isn't Nihonto related, it would be better if you contacted me off board via e-mail. You can e-mail me directly by clicking on the "Members" link listed under the Nihonto Message Board menu located in the upper right-hand corner of the NMB homepage. Just lookup "aeguy" and click on the provided "e-mail" link. I'd be more than happy to address and answer your question(s). Bye for now.... Best Regards,

I concur with paulb regarding your blade. I'm by no means an authority on Hizento, but your wakizashi doesn't appear to be characeteristic of Hizen blades I've seen either in hand, or in catalog/sword book photos. However, it is still a nice looking and interesting blade in decent polish. I believe a great deal may be learned from it. If you would like to obtain additional information regarding Hizento and/or Hizen Tosho, please visit Mr. Robert Robertshaw's website at, "http://www.hizento.net/". Mr. Robertshaw is quite knowledgeable regarding Hizento, very helpful and is a very pleasant person to deal with. I'm sure he would help you with an assessment if you were to ask for his assistance. Good Luck in your future Nihonto searches!!! Best Regards, p.s. I worked with the Ilmavoimat from 1998 to 2004. Your opening file photo with the snow, white birches and small lake in the background reminds me of Tikkakoski this time of year. I miss working on that team. Hyvaa Paivaa!!! =)