Ted Tenold

They're all equally difficult if you don't know what you're doing. Bohi make no difference. Sorry guys, but no amount of measurements or information from a seller will confirm or deny it's restorability. A polisher won't even be able to say with certainty that it is restorable. I can think of a whole bunch of reasons other than depletion of skin steel that would relegate it to the garden as a tomato stake. Hagiri under all that corrosion Nioigiri Hajimi (sleepy or muddy) yakiba Yakemi (fire damaged) Anyone care for another burnt marshmallow? Saiba (retempered) Lots of possibilities for disappointment, *after* more money is thrown at it. Polishing a window in it also does not ensure it's restorability. Issues like some of the above may lie in an area not opened, just waiting for discovery later during the whole polishing. These aren't just considerations for this sword though I agree it's pretty bad from the images. These issues are possible in swords that have no rust, some polish, or even appear to be in good polish from the images. If you don't have it in hand, you simply can't tell, and if you don't know what you're looking for, then you may not recognize it. I see so many folks willing to gamble on long shots. A hundred bucks doesn't sound like much, until you don't have it in your pocket anymore.

The mei on the sword is Iga (no) Kami Fujiwara Kinmichi. Interesting piece, but could use a profession remounting. Properly done would cost several hundred bucks.

Wonderful tsuba Mike, thanks for sharing. Nice to see a genuine Hogen piece! That's the story called Bunbuku Chagama. Charming story. It has a few variations. Here's one version; http://www.languageteachers.net/sharing ... _jp_en.pdf Of course, the Tanuki's magical talent of transformation is not limited to teapots! Beware....

Hi All, If you live in or happen to be in the New York area, there will soon be an exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York. It's sure to be an interesting and informative event. I know there will be at least one Japanese sword on display. http://www.mcny.org/exhibitions/future/ ... -York.html

Might be a bit of a wait if it works at all. It's in the infant stages of planning and I don't want to build up hopes too much. Hopefully my plan works, but it still needs some time in the cellar. I hope you cleaned the blade before going to get stitches. :lol: Yes, if it's the same one I remember, I too lusted for it. Alas, it was not to be. Better to have loved and lost....

Thanks for clarifying that Stephen. Yeah, not many alternatives to ebay unfortunately. But I'm working on something.

Hi Barry, Actually, it's Mike Christianson. He just recently opened the account and will be auctioning off bits and bobs.

Hi all, There was discussion regarding Namban fittings a while back here. I had posted images of these menuki in that thread. Last night I learned that they had been listed on ebay and thought some folks here might like to know. The opening bid for a full set like this isn't bad in my opinion, and when you consider the rarity of namban style menuki, it seems even more so. http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-ANTIQUE-EDO-PE ... 4aa01e5792 Have a look.

I'll ditto both Gabriel and Tom. The term "investment" is all too often associated only with monetary gain. Sure, we all want and need money. But, as my father used to say, "Money is only something you need in case you don't die tommorow". As we all know, it's the decisions that we make that determine how much prudence we exercise when we buy things for our collections. Unlimited resources is not a luxury many folks have, and I've seen those that had them make some of the most foolish decisions imaginable anyways. At the very least, we'd all like some financial equalibrium in our collections in that when we decide to sell something, we break even to move on to something else. If a piece does show some gain in the marketplace, then great. But like every stock broker will tell you; past performance is not an indication of future expectations. A true "investment" is that which secures future prospect of advancement or gain. The reality of this is that there are very few things that perform this with any modicum of gaurantee. The one thing that I consider the purest of investments is good education. As Tom mentioned, his experiences in Japan provided him with an invaluable source of reference that will forever guide his future judgements and decisions, and *that* is the definition of an investment in your future. Every decision he makes for the rest of his life will be guided by the information he gained and therefore his resources and his acquisitions are maximized. A collection reflects the true knowledge and taste of the owner. In the end, I'd rather have a spectacular collection of one, than a collection of fifty junkers. But one must be able to tell the difference between the two, by their own ability. There is no circumventing the investment that must be made in time and exposure to great pieces to augment this ability. It can be tough to temper enthusiasm, but "Fools rush in..." as the saying goes. Don't buy pieces on emotion and rationalize them with flawed logic.

Barry, Daniel (aka; Kensho) Furuya did publish a book called "Kodo Ancient Ways: Lessons in the Spiritual Life of the Warrior/Martial Artist", but it focused mainly on Aikido and not specifically on swords. I don't recall any other books by him. The So. Cal. club may have published some articles by him. He was quite fond of Yagyu tsuba from what I remember.

Tsugio, welcome to NMB. The kanji is "Kane", so Kaneuji in full. The way it is rendered is a bit clumsy and because it is so large in size on the nakago makes me a bit suspicious. The shape and work in the blade should therefore be examined carefully. Maybe an arsenal/factory blade(?). If there are any other markings or inscriptions, they might help narrow down an identity, period, and/or origin.

Gem of a man and an inspiration to all. As an aviation enthusiast, I had several conversations with him about flying. I was amazed to hear how he actually "Ground Looped" (aviation term for flipping or rolling an aircraft on takeoff, taxi, or landing) a F4U Corsair and though a bit battered, still walked away. Corsairs were very difficult aircraft to take off and land in because of their extremely powerful engines and higher ground clearance. His survival of that event, though luck in part, is also no doubt a testiment to his skill as a pilot. I am very saddened to hear of his passing. Rest in peace Colonel, and Semper Fi.

Maybe, it's because there really is nothing going on, and that many of the rumors and hyperbole generated in gossip and heresay actually have no factual foundations. Your friends were sure of something that was happening. Wow that's clarity of reporting for ya. Imagine being sure that *something* is happening. Sounds like the kind of quality headline only top-notch reporting could uncover such as that from The Onion; http://www.theonion.com/articles/area-t ... hing,2645/ Not really sure that it's "news" any more after 8 months.

Lew, please disengage your caps lock. It's poor forum ettiquette. Well, I heard that Elvis is still alive and sharing a condo on the Malibu coast with John Belushi and Andy Warhol. I heard it from a gal who's second cousin's next door neighbor's mailman saw a photocopy of a poloroid picture of a guy that looks like Elvis working at a gas station on Pacific Coast Highway. To set the record straight; http://www.nbthk-ab.org/Updates.htm .

Barry, the spotted steel you mention is probably what is normally described as "Sumigane" (ink metal) or "Namazu hada" (catfish skin) that are patches of darker, denser, steel of little or no pattern at all. This is a trait of Aoe works along with the Chirimen hada. Nice looking sword there Ray. It'd be interesting to try and narrow down the smith possibilities by combination of workstyle, and practice of inscribing a longer (meaning more than just two characters) in tachimei. As a Ko-Aoe piece this would tender possiblities of about 14 different smiths over about 80 years. Gotta love an old nakago like that too! :D

Hi Simon, Marching past the views on militarism and conflict, I'll comment on the swords themselves and my opinion on their care and feeding. First, regarding their prior alteration for the Kyu-Gunto koshirae; nakago don't necessarily need to be of any specific length to be suitable for remounting. Many nakago were shortened, but the degree of which is subjective as some Kyu-Gunto mounts do have long handles. I suspect this was a matter of choice for the purchasing officer who's duties may allow or preclude having a longer handle. So altering them really depends on the existing length of the nakago *and* the intended purpose of mounting. Back in the day, even the working man's sword had a nakago that extended roughly two thirds to three quarters the length of the tsuka on average. If we look at some of the stubby Bizen nakago, and many tanto such as Sue-Soshu, Ise, etc., they may only extend half the length of the nakago as one must consider the habaki, seppa, tsuba, and tenjogane of the fuchi also take up a measure of length from the machi. So mounting considerations have some leeway, and also some limiting considerations such as whether the chosen fittings will allow the existing mekugiana to be utilized. Second, from a preservation standpoint; further alterations incur loss of length, loss of visable workmanship (which in the case of many schools could mean the loss of identifiable characteristic features), and also valuation. Third, from an economic standpoint; there's costs incurred for the actual work to alter the sword that really doesn't bring much value added to it unless it's matter of reparing damage. Shortening it means the habaki will fit poorly, if at all. So money to alter, on top of purchasing, on top of mountings, on top of having them professionally mounted with lacquer, tsukamaki, etc., etc.. The bill gets pretty tall quite fast, and I rarely see this kind of effort justified in equitable valuation in the end, not to mention the wait, the risk of transit between craftsmans, insurance, postage, packaging. Take the total and look for something really nice, done, and with immediate gratification. As for keeping the mounts with the blades; In general, I tend to believe that it is a good idea, but it's an arguable choice which depends on the interest of the owner. The mounts are military sidearms, not fuedal era koshirae. So they tend to appeal more to the militaria collector interests. The same is true with any later Gunto mounts. Yes, part of history, but not Feudal history. What I do tend to see is that if the mounts are particularly high quality, then they tend to stay with the sword in lieu of separation and loss, while lesser quality are cast away as chaff, which the militaria collectors (no offense intended to those of that focus) will generally pick up for their area of interest. Where the rubber meets the road is that the quality and importance of the sword (or lack thereof) should be the ultimate roadpost in determining how it should best be treated and preserved. Just my thoughts.

Ray, to add on to Grey's comment, I agree this is not Kamakura looking shape but elludes to a probable Nambokucho period sword. To me it is indeed a naganata/maki naoshi, but the shape is definately awkward, particularly in the kissaki. Also note how straight the sori is from the mid-section of the blade to the tip. It's not natural or harmonious to the overall shape of the blade to the eye. My guess is that the point was severly broken or blunted thus requiring radical pulling back of the tip and installing this shape as a best effort to save it. Also if the damage to the kissaki is severe enough, repairing it can require removing steel from the mune to save a boshi from running off the hasaki thus compromising the integrity of the sword. Obviously, this can really play havoc with the sori and other elements of the adjacent lines and radii, and balance can be difficult if not impossible to ammenably adjust. I hope my crude attempt at illustrating this on the oshigata helps explain the process a bit more clearly. Ayanokoji swords are infrequently encountered. Even with this odd shape it's nice to have what few examples are out there. Just my thoughts on it.

Hi John, Sorry for my absence. I do have email ya know. I was hoping to have some better images at some point, but since my friend is limited in his photographic skills, we'll have to be content with these for the moment. Email or PM me if you have any questions about them. I will attempt to get some better images of them at some point, but no promises of when as they're about 1000 miles away from me. Enjoy!

There are certain things that should not be preserved and lend no asset to an item in either value or historic significance. This is one such thing. Preserve art and beauty. Death is *always* ugly.

I think this is all very well stated by Reinhard. Especially the part about "knowing when to stop". Taking this a step further, I fear there is an underlying generalization that the Japanese were only manufacturing what they believed would suite western tastes, but to my understanding, there were Western/European Importers that also actively sought to fill requests by affluent western buyers utilizing Japanese craftsman that were best suited (or willing) to fill the order. So the determination is not singularly attributed to interpretations of native artists, but also their efforts to fulfill these specific desires of Western demand to the best of their ability. While I've seen some pieces that exhibit wonderful workmanship, they are awkward and clumsy, and/or are overtly garrish and ostentatious, likely because the artist was trying to translate what they thought was the best way to create a piece in unfamiliar territories of interpretation, so something quite literally is lost in translation. Silver tea sets from the Meiji period are a classic example of a serious clash between the Western and Japanese art and craft aesthetic and specifically in *how* tea is presented and served so very differently between the two cultures. I could almost hear a shiroganeshi of the period asking himself, "How will they enjoy the tea if they're distracted by all these dragons???" :lol: As an example; How about this piece, which many might assume to be a Boy's Day tachi, but is not. As Guido Schiller so eloquently put it when he saw this image; "No self-respecting Samurai ('s son) would have been caught dead with a gaudy Koshirae like that." I agree whole heartedly.

More on the Ishido lineage; http://thejapanblade.com/ishido_line.htm Some smiths today still diversify their incomes making Kanna (planer blades), Nomi (chisels), and Hocho (kitchen knives).

Thank you everyone for your kind words and thoughts. It has been my pleasure to work with Brian and interact with everyone here. I will continue certainly pop in once in a while when I can, and look forward to future discussions.

Here's some images of a sword I have here. The manner in which it was retempered carried the yakiba past the machi and into the sabigawa (rust border) of the nakago. This promoted the look of a sword that was osuriage, pushing the coloration and mizukage effects under habaki area instead of in front of it. Pretty convincing at first glance. I told the owner that it was undoubtedly retempered and asked for permission to polish one side into the nakago to more conclusively show the visual evidence and use this as a demonstration piece. So this is a good opportunity to show it here compared to your image. Note the "V" shaped stress seperations in the same region.

Klaus, It is my firm belief that this sword is Saiha (retempered). I've outlined another major element seen in some saiha blades which is a product of the re-quenching. The metals expansion and contraction cause surface tension and stress which forms this surface seperation (I hesitate to say "crack" because it's not really the same). I have an image of a retempered blade showing this exact effect and pattern somewhere that I'll dig up and post later. Also note how muddy looking and dull the yakiba is. The habuchi is indistinct and seems to fade away around the machi. If this sword looks like a suriage piece, this will also be a big red flag.

Hi Everyone, Well, the only constant in the Universe is change, and change is at hand. It is time that I step down from moderation for a while in order to devote time elsewhere for research projects I am ramping up, continuing education, and family matters that are requiring more and more time. I hope to assemble information that will be of great help when I share it in the future, but there are only so many hours in the day and I no longer can dedicate the time I feel adequate for moderation duties. I’ll still be around occasionally to take part and contribute where and when I can. As a moderator, sometimes making judgments and decisions can be difficult and compromises made with a feeling of limited success. Our paths are not always clearly marked and we occasionally bump around in dim light, learning as we go, sometimes forward, and sometimes backward, but always with the intention to keep the health and vibrancy of a place that can promote an ever increasing base of knowledge. I thank you for the many times I’ve received notes of support and appreciation of my moderation efforts and truly hope that I have helped maintain an enjoyable place for everyone. To comment on my feelings and experiences as a moderator; NMB, while a good source information, is like a tree that needs the right kind of soil, adequate water, sufficient light, and proper care. I will also add that like a tree, peak health is the best first defense against pestilence and disease. I encourage everyone to lend a hand in keeping it healthy. Help it grow, and grow with it. Reach ever higher for ever better. Stagnation of the mind is like drought. Many members are very good friends, and I have met even more through this board. Much of what we share as collectors, scholars, and enthusiasts, really boils down to the camaraderie we share and enjoy. This is what builds the community and perpetuates the arts and crafts we love. These arts are our solace and our sanctuary, and so should the places we share them with each other. I want to convey a hearty Thank You, to Brian Robinson for his steadfast commitment to maintain this board and the work it requires despite our less than amenable times. Thank you also to everyone who contributes both in terms of financial support and subject matter that brings clarity or compelling questions for everyone to consider. All those oshigatas, images, excerpts, and well drafted, well researched posts are a measure of time from someone’s life, provided unconditionally. This is the flesh of the NMB community. I wish you all, the very best life can offer, Ted