Henry Stewart

Chris and Moriyama san; Please allow me to thank you for your kind assistance on my recent quandry. It now enables me to progress a little further into ownership as was, of the magnificent artefacts. Henry

Gentlemen I seek to establish a link between the inscription on this box and what it contained, which was a Fuchi & Koshirae and a Kozuka handle which all matched as a Daisho set. I have no reason to doubt it, but just dont know. Any help please. Henry

Eric K; As far as I can guess the pilot drill had a slightly larger diameter than the first say two thirds of the nakago the shape of which was more or less rectangular. The top half he tapered with a small width long modellers chisel to more precise fitting,after burning out the square shape which was too small until chiselled. When inserted there appeared a very slight sideways movement which was taken up entirely by inserting the bamboo pin which seemed to lock it in place. He was reasoning this was one way it could have been done originally The thin end of the nakago now sitting neat on the bottom of the hole being supported. Henry

Hi Mariusz I have just had a carpenter friend make me a shaft for a 2ft long yari with a long Nakago. I wish now I'd seen some of the foregoing explanations first now. What he did was obtain an inch and a quarter pole of ash wood already preformed. Place it in a lathe and drill down the centre the length of the nakago with a pilot drill (extra long). He then got a piece of 3/16th wrought iron square form bar and heating it several times actualy burnt out the excess wood. The yari fit very well,the worst job was locating the hole. This avoided splitting the wood and therefore kept its total integrity. Henry

Sir, Please be advised in the strongest possible terms to join a club or masterclass and learn thoroughly the art which you propose to practice; To those of us who collect and admire the Samurai Sword,it is an art form much to be admired. It is also a weapon with over a millenia of efficient history which is why it goes on lasting through time. I have met people skilled in its use who have dropped concentration for a split second and learnt to rue the day they did. You will be able to obtain a good item for the money you propose,and there is a plethora of advice available. The Samurai spent most of a lifetime learning its use and care,and in your own interests you would be advised to follow their example,respecting the Sword and the damage it can cause in wrong or unskilled hands. I wish you well in your endevours. Henry

Ron.C. Many thanks for your kind comment; Henry

Brian My thanks for your kind remarks; Yes further stimulation for the young mind and better exposure for the older is indeed the object of the excersise. I hope through my rather inept methods to offer just a small viewing window as to just what was and is involved in an enjoyment of this pastime of ours,and the fact that it really was a piece of history,involving more than a third of an entire nation. It can also show up surprising facts. Nobunaga of the triumburate of Nobunaga,Hideyoshi and Tokugawa seeking to unify Japan of the day was in fact a Christian by faith unlike the others. Also it was in fact this large slice of the population responsible for most of the infrastructure that The Meiji dismissed from existence in 1877,causing mayhem. Henry

Mario P. Stephen My thanks for your comments gentlemen; Jean, Yes indeed there should have been a tanto; there was one in fact of the era,but funds to complete the pageant ran out meaning I couldnt keep it; sorry. Jaques D. You are of course quite right in fact; All Daimyo wore Tachi & tanto when holding Court according to my researches from interested parties; in taking authors licence I beg to paying some attention to a report that it was Nobunaga who ordered his Samurai to O-Suriage the Tachi converting the wearing to Katana which he considered the better weapon.The Katana on view is by coincidence O-Suriage.Nobunaga himself is reputed to have favoured the lances. In giving an overview Ive probably driven a coach and horses through some established understanding,I must admit,but thankyou for taking the time to comment. Henry

Gentlemen I recently posted a re-constituted Daisho on file for your perusal,well this is what it was for. As part of a study of the period,to show the dress and accutriments of a Lord Samurai of the period of interest (mid 16th Century). In this case, typically Oda Nobunaga. It shows the armour,and Court dress approximating to what would have been worn,together with the preferred weapons and the clan banner which also shows Nobunaga,picked out in pure silk embroidery. The weapons are The Daisho, a 22 inch Yari in shirasaya and a pair of Naginata mounted on eight foot lances.The Naginata and Yari were the preferred weapons of this particular Samurai,and all artefacts shown were imported from Japan. They are where possible original in character though considerable licence has need be taken due principally to age (400 years),rarity and not least affordability. The whole idea was to demonstrate to newcomers to our interest,what items for collection looked like all in the same place. My thanks to Bill Tagg of Liverpool Militaria and some members NMB. Henry.

Peter Any improvement on that figure yet? I must admit to some bewilderment when looking at the number of swords on offer that are not papered,and this view has been re-inforced by other collectors I have spoken to. I would have thought that an uncluttered way to get some verification would have been well supported,so I remain perplexed. Henry

John I have a large banner from Japan, measuring 27 feet by 3 feet made from pure silk,very brightly coloured and quite a substantial weight,depicting the life of Oda Nobunago. It is folded very neatly into a large calico bag for carrying. There are lance slots all down one edge,and it was described to me as a parade banner; Could you say how does it differ from what you have posted apart from the obvious size, and how would they have carried such a lance, and who would have carried it. The lance to accomodate it must be at least 30ft long and approx one and a half to two inches in diameter. Henry

Gentlemen Thanks to your genorosity of spirit I now have my diagram of knot tying; may I be a little more presumptious and ask does anyone know where in the UK the silk Sageo can be purchased,I seem to be able to find anything but. I have been told there is one in Bath?? Henry

Piers Thanks for answering; it was the step by step version; Many thanks for the other replies Gentlemen. Henry

Gentlemen Could I please ask for someone to send me via e-mail a diagram of Sageo knots; Some months ago a member kindly did so but unfortunately a computer crash lost it. stwreev1@hotmail.co.uk Henry

Peter Would it be possible to let us have a running total of unfilled spots please. Henry

Gentlemen May I offer you my very sincere thanks for your very kind remarks on my efforts; it is very gratifying to receive such comments from those more qualified than I. To the gentleman constructing his own, my dincere good wishes for your project. Henry

Gentlemen; I thought you may care to see a re-constituted Daisho, as best as my own poor efforts allow, A young member of this board named Ian was kind enough to sell me a matching set of F/K and Kozuka,but Ive lost his name,perish the memory of an old man. A gentleman in Birmingham did the Tsuka in dark blue,whilst an artisan good with wood made the Saya and laquered them. The sword bags made of silk damask,and stand came from Japan as did the blades. ,which were supplied by Bill Tagg. The whole thing will go on display with a suit of armour,two Naginata lances @ 10' long, and a 27ft Banner in coloured silk,depicting the exploits of one Uda Nobunaga; finally surrounded by the full court dress of a high ranking samurai, in fact all I'm missing is the samurai. Henry

Andreas $7 US ? Surely you jest or someone does? Henry

Gentlemen Thank you for your opinions,I am very grateful you have taken the time to study this mei. Henry

Stephen No,not quite,I mean had anyone any doubt about its being genuine; personally I think its good but there is a lot of loot riding on it and I am curious that none of its previous owners has asked for papers on it,so I added a window shot of its blade. Henry

Stehen If you get a portion blade signature,is there any suspicion about the signature? Henry

Gentlemen Does this read Masanori (1st Generation). Henry

Sir, Does this mean you offer the items for sale? Henry

Stephen Either a one off for someone or a very good way to get rid of a surface fault! Henry

Sir, I am saddened to hear of your plight and that the disgusting trade of forging has claimed another victim.Though I have not looked at your sword,I can accept the opinion already given. It is difficult to know how to proceed in this commercial minefield but I would offer a word of advice; try AOI_ART in Tokyo. Nothing on this site is cheap but the owner is a man of good character and whilst I dont know what you may buy,it will be Nihonto. There is the odd bargain about but I would say in general purely as a guide, if you are offered a Katana in reasonable condition for less than £1000GBP,proceed very carefully. Henry