The Nihonto world is small. I have met all these people
the only polisher fully trained is Massimo Rossi. Zenon Vandame was partially trained in Japan. For the others, I sall not say as Jacques that they are incompetent. They are not fully trained in Japan, but some of them were basically taught by Laurent Milhau. Some of them have passed some times in Japan, training. Some were partially trained by a fully Japanese trained French polisher who has given up polishing more than 20 years ago. Some are self taught.
I had several diners with Robert Burawoy at his home and I have seen his private collection (among them a Muramasa tanto and an impressive collection of keris). He has now been retired for years. His galerie was in île St Louis, same for his flat which was the reunion of several flats in centuries old joint houses. Walls were covered by shelves loaded with books, with here and there armours, set of bow and arrows... a fantastic museum.
Those were the days....