Andi B.

...real Sanbonsugi! Nice images, thanks!

Dear Markus, thanks for the Easter sale! I assume, the revised edition is regarding the English version and corrects the errata only. Are there any changes of the actual content? Regards Andi

...I never heard about a wooden habaki... Is it only used on tsunagi or is there any other purpose?

Germany: If you can proof, that the pieces are of high ethonlogical value (e.g. with a NBTHK paper) you sometimes - depending on the customs officer - have to pay 7% VAT/EUSt in total only. But that's gambling and you're not skilled like Ichi in the Chō-Han game... Regards Andi

Paul, you're right - it might have been a (ko-)wakizashi.

...finally got a tanto piece and made a quick acit etch of a small segment:

Hi, please disagree but I would use a bench vise and slowly / carefully crack the tsuka... Is there anything on the tsuka beeing worth to be preserved? If it's clued you might end with "hammer and chisel" which could become dangerous for the blade and nakago... Therefore I would recommend a "slow" method. I would try to remove as much wood as possible and then use some kind of solvent to remove the clue...IF it is clued and you really can not find any removable mekugi...

Hello Guido, ...women have black teeth and men floss their teeth with bowstrings...funny Japan ! Thanks for the offer - I'll pm you regarding the shitodome :-) Regards Andi

Hello, I'm playing with the idea to mount a set fuchi kashira but unfortunately the shitodome are missing. If I can not find old ones I'll have to make them (...these cheap new cast ones are not an option...). Is there anything I have to consider in style and material to complete below f/k set? Any information regarding this topic is welcome!

Was the tang cleaned maybe with a wire brush? ....red? rust is in the kanji but not on the rest of the nakago... :|

Hello, does anybody have a broken blade / piece of blade to sell? I'm looking for a cheap fragment (...some inches, maybe with tang) which can be polished to see the hada, hamon and cross section for demonstration/display. For offers, please PM me.

Hi Markus, will there be also a German version of this book?

No need to worry! It'll take a few days and that it'll say "Arrived" in France.

I use the acrylic stands and halogen lamps because this is our western way of exhibit such pieces. But to be honest I'm not so sure, how Japanese would display their tsuba. In the very interesting book "In Praise of Shadows" by Junichiro Tanizaki he explains the importance of shadows and diffuse light in Japanese aesthetics and that art work (e.g. lacquer bowls) need this darkness to come into one's own... Maybe it's similar with Nihonto? Off topic: Richard, I can see a Paul Chen on your shelf - I started my hobby with one of them but was unsatisfied with the overall appearance. Therefore I made a new tsuka, tsuba and fittings many years ago http://www.zatoichi.de/katana_01/index.htm. And by doing so, my interest and admiration in the real "Nihonto and it's fittings" grew. The first books and tsuba followed and since this time this forum was and is a perfect place to maintain and deepen my passion. Thanks moderators! (BTW - I don't want to start a DIYS talk )

Thanks! It's a Wakizashi tsuba but I think too thick for Tosho (7.3cm x 6.9cm x 3.0 mm thick). Theme is Yukiwa (雪輪 - snow circle) - as far as I know...

To display tsuba I use acrylic stands for minerals (agate-disks):

Usually she don't find out how much I spend for this hobby - otherwise: That might be true . (...I have some more animal tsuba - which I like all - but nothing else similar to the Kikusui piece my small collection - that's why it has a special position...)

I'll show you two tsuba (but actually it's not possible to decide...). The first one I like, because it was one of my first "better" purchases in the beginning. Now I have also some nice Kinko pieces which were much more expensive but I like the rustic plate and the golden Kikusui motif - it's a personally preference and has nothing to do with any artistic value... And the other one my girlfriend convinced me to buy - due to the little gazing guy. So I think it's her favourite piece.

Thanks Peter!

Thanks for this information. Fortunately I have the Nagayama book. I'll examine the blade and look which characteristics I can find...

Hello, I started with some bare wakizashi blades without any mounting or polish (which are a bit unsatisfying in this state) years ago and therefore focussed more on tsuba and fittings. But recently it has arisen that I purchased my first katana, mumei - attributed to the Shiga-Seki school (Hozon paper), from around 1500. I could find out, that "Shiga-Seki" is related to a Kanenobu, who moved from Mino to Owari's "Shiga" (village?). Can I assume, that the blade was made by this school because of the NBTHK attribution "Shiga-Seki"? Does it mean, that a member of this school has made the blade or could it also be created by anybody in the "style" of Shiga-Seki? How could such a school look like - is this the smith (Kanenobu) who has some assistants and sucessors working together in the same workshop for some decades? Is there more information about "Shiga-Seki" available? The blade is suriage (66,6 cm). I think the blade was at least 8 cm longer when it was new (is it possible to estimate, when/why the shortenings have been performed?). Please find below some photos. Maybe some of you can give me descriptions of the visible characteristics of this blade, hada and hamon? -> I can see an o-mokume hada and a nie based gunome(?) hamon with sunagashi/kinsuji - are these Mino charateristics? Any information or hints would be great because it's makes fun to learn with a real piece in front of me...

Thanks for the replies! For the sukashi tsuba I would also guess Owari (only due to the symmetrical desing) but I'm no specialist and open for any comments. And the "wig" on the second tsuba seems to be a straw raincoat..

Hello, here I have two tsuba with unknown themes (for me) and I would like to know more about them. Maybe you can enlighten me. First is a sukashi tsuba. Which style could it be? I can see three "quarterfoils" - what ever it is... and twelve conventionalized wild geese and maybe three pearls? Any idea what it really is? And the second tsuba has been "unorganized" decorated with some more stange items: On the front is hammer, maybe a wig, the tide jewels Kanju and Manju (?) and on the top a hat(?) and a tool (?). On the backside there is a broom and a scroll. What could be the meaning of this weird combination? Thanks!

Dear all, I have here a Tokubetsu Kicho paper for Tsuba and struggle with some characters. The second column from right (the description of the item) makes some trouble: I found out: 一 馬 ? ? 鍔 = Item: Horse/Saddle ? ? Tsuba 無 銘 (武 州 正 ? ) = Mumei (Bushu Sho? ?) 鉄 ? 丸 が ? ? ? 透 = Tetsu ? Maru Gata ? Sukashi Can someone help me with the missing kanji ? Thanks!

Thanks, guys! Yes Grev, (un?)fortunately Markus issued so many interesting books, so I spent much money in the Lulu Bar... Ludolf, can you exclude e.g. this mentioned Yasuyuki ( who is only a name in a book for me... ) due to the mei or the quality and style of the tsuba itself? I assume you have images of Yasuyuki's work which shows you the differences? There are so many different sources of information: - one gives plain names - one gives biographical data of artists / family trees - then there are single photos of tsuba - then only cropped images of mei - and so one... -> a single source from above doesn't help much but even if more sources are available, it's very hard to compile a matching overall picture...