Kotetsu1959

Paul was incredibly generous, and would often invite friends to examine his treasures in hand. He was also generous about loaning pieces for sword study events. With a collection like his, it was a considerable effort to pull out all his amazing pieces to share. I was fortunate to be invited to his home, and to bring a Japanese American engineer friend. On that occasion also present was the late Professor Arnold F, among the kindest and most sophisticated men in this field, who with Paul's permission brought another friend. Paul had prepared for this visit by having all his best pieces laid out, including his impressive matchlock collection. He and his wife hosted us all for dinner. They went to a great deal of effort to create this opportunity for us. Paul spent a lifetime carefully studying nihonto, honestly and generously sharing what he knew and what he found. Hearing Paul describe the process of purchasing the Norishige tanto, with other interested parties trying to convince him it was a gimei piece he was crazy to throw his money at, was by itself a fascinating treat. He trusted his own judgment, while at the same time realizing his judgment was fallible. Also memorable was how Paul would happily admit to being much impressed with some swords that Tanobe Michihiro would dismiss as completely unworthy of a man with Paul's exceptional collection. Paul never lost his enthusiasm for nihonto, or his generous spirit towards others who shared his interest. Paul's loss is a great loss for all who were fortunate to know him, and to our field of interest. He was an amazing and modest man, who patiently built a truly incredible collection. We can only hope that some of his treasures are acquired by people who possess Paul's generous spirit of sharing this art.

Here at a couple more genuine general grade tassels not previously pictured. Note the fineness of the thread used, and how subtle the zig zag effect is relative to reproductions. The knotting of the “berries” differs on these two. They are both significantly more lean, tight and flexible in form overall than reproductions, which tend to be stiff.

John Plimpton's book illustrates about ten variations of leather sword knots in the first appendix, some of which do not have a collar at the top.

Don’t we have enough in this world to be angry about without pulling a hair trigger here to blast someone based on the assumption of a mean spirit? One of the most destructive aspects of our hobby is that some dealers take advantage of those who are less sophisticated. I applaud Dee for making people aware that caution must be exercised as we evaluate what the market presents to us. It would be helpful if we all were more cautious about blasting one another without very careful consideration of the reason. Here it is clear that Dee’s focus was on the sword, and what was being presented about the sword. The shift into a personal attack was wrong. I respectfully suggest an apology is in order.

The resolution limitations of our host blur the distinctions somewhat, but side by side the differences stand out. Unethical sellers will of course resort to placing artificial wear as a means of blurring the distinguishing aspects. As with swords, seeing examples side by side makes the differences stand out more. For all but the most dedicated purists it is difficult to justify the disparity in price between the best reproductions and genuine examples.

Authentic general's grade tassels

Reproduction general grade tassels.

Hello Paul, Here are two examples from John Plimpton's collection. John was as knowledgable a guy when it comes to sword tassels and knots as anyone I have encountered. The example on the left is an authentic, box and wrapper, general's tassel. On the right is the best of the four fake general's tassels that John acquired. What tends to stand out most on fakes is how garish the zig-zag stitch is, and how every aspect is a little more course and clunky. Real general's tassels are thin and elegant in the strap, not thick. The fine weave is crisp. While the straps may have bends from folding, they do not have an uneven waviness that is characteristic of lower skill in the manufacturing process. Look at the slides on these two examples. Again, the fake is course and clunky. The authentic example is tight and precise, from the thread itself to the skill shown in weaving. Reading about Navajo textiles, and how to evaluate different materials, periods and methods of construction, will help you understand how much the fine details can show you. Compare the "berries" and again you will see a coarseness and looseness in the later copy that is not present in the original. As John observed years ago, the fakes are getting better. As we try to inform those interested in this esoteric subject, we inform those trying to make a dishonest buck off of us. The slide in the example posted by Paul appears amateurish to my eye. There is a waviness in the strap that is also a little sloppy. The overall look of the tassel is thick and stiff compared to authentic examples. I don't believe the tassel is genuine. I will see if I can post a few more for comparison's sake. And let me add what happy surprise it is to find a sophisticated young lady joining the thread. You see a similar shift in demographics happening in Japan, and it is wonderful. Respectfully, Ray

Thank you for the notice James. That is sad news. Dale was a passionate man (swords and politics), who nobly served his country. I was happy to get some of the wonderful gendaito that he didn't have room for in his two huge chests or elsewhere, and always happy to see him. His loss is a loss for all of us who share this interest. God bless Dale!

Hi Nicholas, That is an exceptional sword. I have been looking for years to find one. They are scarce. Pictured is a tanto purchased from the estate of Dr. Herman Wallinga. I was told by the late, and much respected, Professor Arnold Frenzel that the diagonal file marks on the mune-machi indicate a piece was forged by Hideaki himself, as opposed to one of his assistants. If you have time, I would appreciate your posting a picture of the mune-machi on your sword. And thank you for the pictures you have already posted of your wonderful find!

The seppa have no markings. The only other markings I see on the sword may be a surrender inventory number on the guard, possibly “54.” The yasurime and precise shape of the sword are impressive to me. The fittings also show fine hand tooling. Although it was not cheap, I am very pleased with the sword. It is the only naval mounted Mantetsu I have seen. John Plimpton offered to sell me one of the Mantetsu gift tachi at the SF show back in the day. I am sad to say I failed to realize it was a bargain at $3,200.

Yes Bruce, It is that naval mounted sword, with a mon as well. The saya wrap is tattered, but the mounts are complete and of high quality. I tried to post some more pictures but will need to reduce the size.

The blade shows a distinct hada.

Here is an early “B” series Mantetsu. The sword also bears the stamp, and is in Kyu-gunto mounts.

My copy arrived today, and I am very pleased. It is a shame that John will not be able to enjoy the many favorable comments that would be coming his way from those of us who purchased his book. If you are interested in better understanding the most commonly encountered types of Japanese swords, as well as some Imperial military and civil swords that are quite rare, this is a very useful volume. Thank you John!

As many of you are aware, John Plimpton passed away on October 5, 2022. He was an accomplished and enigmatic collector of all types of Japanese military and civil swords. John sought to add to his collection every possible type of sword authorized for military or civil servants of Imperial Japan. John was a fountainhead of knowledge when it came to Imperial Japanese swords, and generously shared his knowledge. John's father was a surgeon, and John grew up the Hollywood Hills. John attended USC, later serving in the United States Navy, though it is a little hard to imagine John following orders from anyone. John worked at a number of arms related businesses, including the firearms branch of the Peterson Museum. As John's sister Ann noted at the celebration of John's life this past Saturday, John marched to the sound of his own drummer. Those of us who had the benefit of knowing John and learning from him certainly are saddened that he has left the sword room. We received a report Saturday from John's editor Stephen Weese that John's book, Swords of the Emperor, should be out no later than March of this year. John had originally entitled the book Guide to Identification of Japanese Imperial, Military and Civil Swords, and strongly resisted the change of title that was insisted on by the publisher. There were a couple of copies of the book initially self-published by John on Amazon. He wanted to examine the quality of what Amazon was able to produce. He was not satisfied with the paper quality or the non-sewn binding of Amazon. John's publisher, Headstamp Publishing, promised John they could produce the book with high quality paper and images contained in a quality sewn binding for durability. Headstamp was kind enough to produce one copy for John to examine while John was still able. I have also examined that copy. The book is very impressive, and represents the most comprehensive and detailed guide to Imperial Japanese swords that has yet been produced. At the same time, John acknowledged the contribution of Gregory and Fuller, and of Jim Dawson. These author's works are foundational to understanding Imperial Japanese swords. It seems unlikely that anyone starting now could hope to amass a collection as extensive as what John put together. Though John sometimes sold swords and other items, he was far more of a collector than dealer. In addition to swords, John was a fanatical collector of Imperial Japanese sword knots and tassels. Thankfully, John undertook a careful effort over a period of years to create a lasting pictorial guide to inform those of us also interested in these obscure objects. I am most grateful for the knowledge, swords, knots, tassels and kindness John shared with me. If you have ordered John's book, I believe you will be well pleased. One of John's best qualities is that he would admit what he didn't know, but he would not give up trying to learn. He truly was one of kind.

To those who read this language well: Is the signature O Shima Koku Junin Yasukuni, and the date 1928? Does anyone have information about this smith? Many thanks, Ray