Andi B.

...I can confirm the 7% but you have to prove - e.g. with NBTHK papers - that the piece has really historic value... Few years ago it was no big problem to convince the customs officers (in Munich) but recently they are stricter...

...the body has stripes and it's not a Zebra => Tiger! And I can also see the tigers 'collar' - for me it's clear. Nice tsuba! (I like the old fashioned tigers a lot, e.g. this style:https://www.trocadero.com/stores/thekura/items/1098500/catphoto.jpg)

Momoyama sounds plausible... Michael Hagenbusch said, while looking at my katana blade dated 1500-1530 (my guess) with a silver 2 piece habaki, a simple copper one would match better. I'm not sure if he was driving at the age or quality of the blade but I think/hope it was the age...

...how can a 2 piece habaki improve the fit on a tired blade (if the nakago is wider than the habaki area)? Only an idea: Could exchanging the outer part be an option to improve the fit in the saya?

...the amida yasurime tsuba has a diameter of 7,7 cm. The sukashi is 6,2 x 6,6 cm.

Hi, the tsuba arrived today - together with another piece with "carved" amida yasurime. Below some pics from the ko-sukashi tsuba (yes - the sekigane looks new and DIY) and the second tsuba with some characteristic "neko ashi" (?). Feel free to comment on both pices...

...I ordered a copy on 14.01. but it's still not shipped by Amazon Germany. Usually they should know, how many copies they can sell at which time...

0,66 USD per gram is ok... ...I'll post some pics for further examinations when I received it...

Hello! Years ago I polished my stock removal DIY tanto blade using available stones, grinding paper and acid. It was a good experience! Now I really know, it's impossible for me to do any kind of traditional job on a Nihonto (or any other object with this shape). Actually it's impossible for me not to destroy it... A traditional polish is expensive but when I think at the price of the required traditional equipment and the price of my time, which I would need to do the job - not considering (but not forgotten) - the price of the required Nihonto polishing knowledge (books, shows and years of learning), decision is easy...

Hello, my 2 cents while waiting for the train: Aren't blades actually consumer goods which require a special 'destroying' maintenance to keep their functionality till they are consumed? Like e.g. a pencil? I think, smiths and polishers fully aware of the limited lifespan of their art & objects...do we consider this in out thoughts or is it absolutely wrong?

https://www.amazon.co.jp/Swords-Japan-Beginners-Illustrated-Handbook/dp/4808710714/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478164708&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=Swords+of+Japan+Kubo

Thanks for the feedback, Acc. to my books (silver Sasano and golden Kurogane no hana) it looks like mushrooms. Atached I have 2 pine tsuba and 4 mushroom tsuba images:

Hello, here I have a Ko-Sukashi [(Ko?)-Tosho] Tsuba but I have no more information about it. Size is 73 x 75 mm, nearly 3 mm thick at the nakago ana and 2 mm at the rim. Motif are mushrooms and there is an oddly shaped hitsu-ana as you can see on the images. Sekigane are missing (...and I'm almost tempted to think about adding some because - from my uneducated point of view - this nakago-ana looks naked without...). I like the simple old sukashi style but have no clue, whether this pice is old or a young remake... So any input and lecture is welcome!

...there was this Oiyebo Mempo for 34.000 EUR... Is this a realistic price for a mempo???

Atari means “strike“ in this context I think... Isn't atari also a correct guess in kantei?

...here's the mouse and another grumpy guy...

I love the cute shishi kabuto!

...because “John“ shouldn't be part of the link...

I heared the theory, that the availibility of only softer source steel was compensated by creating a harder hamon style. And if hard steel was used, a very hard and brittle edge was avoided...(?) But I think, hard and soft is relative, when talking about a cutting edge...

Hi Uwe, the first suguha is too easy for me , but for the others I have no clue. Do we actually have to look at the hamon too, to decide whether the steel might be hard or soft: “Softer steel goes with harder nie based hamon“, “harder steel combined with softer nioi bases hamon“? Or is this nonsens? Is it really a question of hard and soft material or is it the “appearence“ only?

Has anybody an idea how many paper volumes the complete story will have? No. 37 is the latest available (in German)...

The blade was traditionally(?) made by the Swiss smith Mr Hollmann and so he tests his own sword. But it's not a real Nihonto. It's from a documentary at least 10 years old...

...and it's 19% of the total amount incl. shipping! (If you can proof, your item is a treasure (papers) you can try to ask for 7%...) But 300 USD is too much for shipping to Germany!

Tom, great deals! But please don't sell the Boar Menuki...

Grev, is it this?