Bushido01

Curran, It seems that Moses Beccera at Nihonto Antiques in NY might be able to help you. Click on the below link and then choose sayagaki from the menu on the left side of the screen. http://www.nihontoantiques.com/sword%20details.htm

If you like Kendo, please enjoy these videos from yesterday's (4/18/2010) 8th Dan tournament at the Nakamura Sports Centre in Nagoya. Please note that all of the participants are in their fifties and sixties. Best, Rod Video of the first semi finals between Higashi, 53, Aichi vs. Sato, 57, of Hyogo Video of the second semi finals between Funatsu, 54, Osaka vs. Kamei, 55, of Kumamoto. Video of the finals between Funatsu, 54, Osaka vs. Sato, 57, of Hyogo.

Very beautiful...amazing before and after pic. Congrats,

Klaus, They are out there. Here is one by Tsukamoto Yoshiaki which I bought a few years ago from AOI. Regards, Tsukamoto Yoshiaki.pdf

Jean, Agreed with you 100%. Thanks,

You are talking of a reputed sword dealer who has a return/refund policy, that is your guarantee Jean, I'm sorry that you totally misunderstood my point/question. I know Tsurata San for many years and have bought a few swords from him over the years and always been very happy with my purchase and his service. In fact a few years ago, I posted a message on this forum about AOI and how good their customer service is. My question was/is simply about learning more about how to compare meis. Regards,

Hi Ray, Thanks for the information, it’s good to know. But, how one suppose to know a true mei when a sword smith signs in so many different ways. The one you mentioned even has different yasurime and the mei’s placed differently than the others. I realize that you should buy the sword and not the signature but why none of them is papered? I believe NBTHK and NTHK issue certificate for a Showato if the sword maker was famous and dead, isn’t that true? Regards,

There are currently three Minamoto Moriyoshi swords on AOI.com with different prices and diffrerent mei. If you are interested to take a look, two of them are in their katana section; No. 08005 for 850,000 Yen and No. 05260 for 1,150,000 Yen. The third one is in their auction section, No. AS0974 for 800,000 Yen. I am just wondering which one/s is/are the real deal. Best,

Hi Henry, We had a discussion on this subject while ago on the NMB, see the below link. I hope it helps. Regards, Rod viewtopic.php?f=9&t=4780

Hi Jeremy, I also practice Iaido and Kendo. I recommend that you contact Tsurata San ( the owner of AOI) and find out how much does this blade weigh. This is a thick and long katana without bo hi and could be too heavy for Iaido practice regardless of your height. You may want to consider the weight of Tsuka and Tsuba in addition to the blade's weight. Regards,

Hi Jean, This particular kata has kind of slow draw at the beginning against a Jodan attack and then a fast block, reflecting the opponent‘s attack and cut the opponents’ lower body in one motion. The stance at the final cut is very unusual, heels are together and off the floor, toes are apart with body weight on them while knees are bent. As far as the blades' length, it depends on the practitioner’s height and sometimes ego. Regards,

Dear All, I thought you'd enjoy watching this short video of the performance of nine Hachidan masters showing ryūtō from Musō Shinden Ryū Iai. Apparently, every year nine Hachidans are selected for this Hachidan's competition (Hakone Taikai). Regards,

Hi Brian, Get well-best wishes. Take care,

Hi Malcolm, Here are a couple of pics, hope they help.

Thanks Ted, that's good to know and a starting point for me. It would be great though if I can contact him before crossing east coast to west coast. Thanks again,

I didn't acquire my sword directly from Yoshihara Sensei and don't know how to get in touch with him. Please let me know if you know how to contact him. Thanks,

Please see my earlier post replying to Jacques with all the information and a link to some photos of the blade. Franco, thanks for the answer and Ted Tenold's article. He does refer to Yoshindo Yoshihara (maker of my sword) in his article. Best,

I believe is Kage-choji, a kind of midare-utsuri that follows choji patterned on the hamon from one end to the other end of the blade. But I can only see it on one side (mei side) of the blade.

Thanks Jacques, my sword is made by Yoshindo Yoshihara, apparently he is one of the few sword smiths who can create utsuri these days. The utsuri on my sword looks very similar to the pictures # 8 and 10 of Darcy's sword (of course not as good). I belong to a local sword study group in our area and one of the experienced members noticed the utsuri on my blade under the very good lights they have in there. There is an old tread of discussion about this sword on NMB with some pics but does not show the utsuri, here is the link if you're interested to take a look. Thanks, http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/viewtopic.php?t=1605

Hi all, I was wondering whether utsuri could be only on one side of a blade. I have a katana with choji hamon and I can see the utsuri very clearly on the mei side of the blade but not on the other side. I wish I could get a photo of it to share with everyone but it seems impossible to get it done. Thank you in advance for your comments,

Hello, Does any one have the result of the sword forging competition 2008? The NBTHK English website only has the 2007 results. I'm wondering whether there was a competition in 2008. Regards,

All, On March 18, Christie's will have a Japanese and Korean Art auction in their NY office. There are a lot of Nihontos, Tosogus, Armors and paintings. You can browse their catalog (starts from page 10) at the below link. Enjoy, Rod http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lfsearch_coa/SearchResults.aspx?intSaleID=21589 Japanese & KOREAN ART Sale 1978 18 Mar 2008, New York, Rockefeller Plaza

Fun videos to watch for holidays. Seasons greeting and happy New Year to all, Rod Part 1; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oBGhoRU0eM&feature=related Part 2; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwMCKIQUggs&feature=related

Hi all, A friend of mine needs to take his katana (Shinsakuto) with him to Japan for his Iaido rank testing for about a week. Does any one know what kind of permit he needs and how to get it? Thank you,

Darcy; Thank you very much for the great suggestion. I'll get in touch with Christie's to set up an appointment, I can even drive up to NY. I have purchased a sword from their London's office a few years ago and was very happy with their service. I hope that their NY's office is as good as their London's office. Best, Rod