katanako

I have not been able to find much information concerning katakiri-ba blades. Compared to traditional blades, they look about as interesting as hocho kitchen knives with their flat blades. Why did some sword makers much such flat blades? Was it easier to make, to be massed produced for armies? Did it entail as much folding as traditional blades? Are they rare? Thank you very much!

I went to the Northern California Sword Show at SF Airport Mariott. I went there specifically to see Fred Lohman, but he wasn't there although a friend of his was manning his booth. He told me that Fred decided not to come at the last minute. After I read the above, I simply called Fred Lohman Co., and Fred himself answered the phone. He explained that he was "so damn busy, he couldn't come down." I had sent him a doggie wakazashi which I had bought on ebay, and he did a nice job of polishing it for $700. I showed the blade around to some dealers at the show and they were surprised that he had done a good job for that price. I'm sending him the wak he polished for me...it is a garden variety blade signed Ashu Kaibu Ju Ujiyoshi, UJI 215 Hawley. Just a bare blade. Since it is not deserving of fittings costing $$$$, I figure I will have Freddie dress it up in his repro fittings. I told Fred that I will be sending it up and he said, "OK!" KATANAKO

Thank you all! I will trust my insticts and the old saying: "If it is too good to be true, then it is too good to be true!"

I'm such a neophyte, I am almost embarassed to ask this question. There is a Kotetsu being offered on ebay Japanese SWORD KOTETSU CUTTING TEST WITH PAPER VERY GOOD...$7500 by fwic2803 in Tokyo. His ebay rating is 100%. Now, I heard that a real Kotetsu would go for $100K plus, and I can't imagine a Japanese sword dealer would knowingly offer such a sword starting at $7500 with no reserve! It comes with a BNH Ninteisho papers which probably is as worthless as the paper it is written on. So for my education, what is your opinion on this?? It has to be a fake because it is too good to be true!

Po;lshing blades is very expensive as you know. You will use cost/benefit analysis IF you are thinking of return on your investment. If you plan to keep it to enjoy, then just do it. Once I buy a sword, I become extremely attached to it, and I will never sell it. It will go to my kids. That is why I have spent alot of money on this one ebay junker blade for $400 to get it repolished and rehilted with new saya...over $4K. That's like spending $200 at the vet's office to remove a tumor from a $1.99 feeder rat (which I have done). To me, there's nothing more rewarding than turning a Tammy Faye Baker blade into a KELLY O'DONNELL blade (she's the cute red headed pixie on NBC News who is the White House correspondent). HENRY USA

I agree, totally fake and horribly written kanji!!! The inscription makes no sense. How much did you pay for your lesson? HENRY USA

Thank you all for your advice. I will stop using auto wax and read about sword care. I suspect that if the old masters had auto wax and vaseline back in those feudal times, they would have used it!! HENRY USA

Thank you all! Yes, what I really meant was oiling my blades, not polishing it! I've been using auto wax for several years now. I think I will pick up some high quality clove oil at the next sword show. I keep each sword in a silicone rifle sack in a gun safe with a box of dessicant to absord any moisture. Thanks again. HENRY USA

I have found the small bottle of oil in these Japanese sword cleaning kits to be a complete waste of money. When I put them on my blades, they just bead up. Light sewing machine oil also dos the same. I tested automobile polish on one sword, found it safe, and then polished all my swords. Then someone told me that auto polish wax won't allow my blades to "breathe." Now I am experimneting with Vaseline, which goes on smoothly and does not bead up. Yesterday, I saw a silicone cloth in a camera store. I haven't tried silicone on my blades...yet. Do any of you have comments? I know purists will condemn me for using auto wax on my blades, but they work! Thanks. HENRY USA

Hi kaien, You have a point. However, I hate people who take advtange of others. Yes, I was treated right and the dealer did not screw me. Yes indeed, there are two sides to the story and I know both. My guy who got screwed sent me emails from the dealer, admitting that he owed him $$$ and that he will get around to paying him...taking legal action is the last straw and you know how expensive lawyers are. The big problem is that my guy is in Idaho and the dealer is out of state. The dealer wasn't always bad...gradually, he started to get a bad reputation because of taking consignments and then giving excuses... I don't like doing business with dirty dealers or sellers. That's just the way I am. HENRY USA

Thanks guys. It's a true story. I am forbidden to touch my wife's kitchen knives. I will never entertain the thought of polishing again! Just wanted to share the story with guys like me out there. HENRY USA

I wrote this for a Japanese collector society's newsletter and I thought I'd share it with you. Probably some of you have thought about learning to polish swords. SWORD POLISHING FOR DUMMIES By Katanako If you have too much time on your hands, a Samurai sword blade that could use some polishing, and you think you know everything, then you’re like me and you really need to read this article. I write with authority because I nearly ruined a good blade (and my marriage) for your educational benefit. One day last year while cleaning my Samurai swords (I use auto wax), I got this inspired notion that I should learn to polish Samurai sword blades like the old masters. Yes, that would be my new calling! Rather than practicing on my priceless Japanese Army NCO swords, I decided to look for an old junker blade on ebay. Back in June of 2005, I came across an old wakazashi (short sword) with a 17.5†blade. It was exactly what I wanted! If I ruined it, so what! The seller wrote: “I am offering this fantastic Buke-Zukuri style mounting wakazashi Japanese sword. A local sword dealer and collector has stated that he thinks the sword dated from the 1500s, possibly the Shinto period (1531-1867). The sword blade is in good shape with a low back and flat ridge line. There is not much left of the temper edge (very hard to see) but from what I can see, its style is similar to the ‘Oblique choji.’ The cutting edge is in good shape with minimal wear (few minor nicks) and is still very sharp. It has a long curved-edge point, again in good shape. The tang is nice with one rivet hole and an uneven u-shaped bottom. It fits cleanly into the hilt. The hilt is missing its wrappings, menuki, and the top pommel piece (kashira) but is otherwise in good shape. This sword has a very nice engraved tsuba. It is made of iron, I believe. It has been engraved on the front side around the main hole. A Japanese professor from the University of Illinois has translated it and the engraving reads ‘I want you to remember I gave sword to you.’ The scabbard is in fair shape with some wear…†I didn’t care about all the info and hype, I just wanted a junk blade to practice on. I sniped it and paid $470.00 and I had outbid 6 others. When it finally arrived and I opened the box, I was AGHAST!!! The blade was a real DOG!!! No, wait! It was worse. It was an UGLY DOG!!! No, it was worser… an UGLY WET, MANGY DOG !!! I thought there was no way I could ever make a Paris Hilton out of this Tammy Faye Baker blade. To tell you the truth, I’ve never polished a blade before. But so what? You have to start somewhere! My philosophy is to start at the top and work your way down. Besides, I love challenges. “Those poor Japanese sword polishers back in the feudal times did not have access to modern electric hand tools!†I sympathized. “They had to work their fingers to the bone with polishing stones. But I live the modern era. Thank God for Black & Decker!†I went to Home Depot and bought myself a B&D grinder, hand files, electric polisher and buffer, polishing cream, and naval jelly to remove rust. My wife came out to the garage, saw me setting up, and said, “You’re an idiot! You are going to ruin that blade!!! Sheesh…I married a moron!!! I decided to start with the rusty tsuba (sword guard) and used my B&D drill with a plastic brush, and removed all the heavy brown rust. Then I polished it with my B &D polisher. Next came Brasso. It went from rusty brown to polished silver! Wow!!! Now to remove the rust on my blade. I placed a dab of naval jelly on a rusty spot near the tang where it was still shiny under the habaki (blade collar). After letting it sit for a while, I squired some water to remove the rust. Whoa!!! It left a gray stain!!! It did remove the rust though. My advice to you: Don’t use naval jelly to remove rust on your sword, Papa Nambus, or clean coins. I used naval jelly before, when I was a kid…cleaned my friend’s dirty Indian Head penny collection. He and his parents were NOT happy. As luck would have it, the very next day, a sword dealer came to visit me since he was visiting clients in the area. I took him out to the garage to proudly show him my polishing project. After looking the blade over carefully, he said: “You know, you’re an idiot! You are going to ruin that blade! Sheesh! Does your wife know that she married a moron??!!!†My dealer friend told me that there was a fine blade underneath all the scratches, grime, and rust. He encouraged me to hand the blade over to him, and that he would send it to Japan to get it repolished, rehilted, with a fine lacquered sheath. Funny, but he never mentioned what it would cost me, or how hefty his commission would be. About ten months later, I got the sword back. WOW!!! The sword dealer was right. This was Paris Hilton quality!!! I had the sword inspected and papered. The dealer added: “It is a good quality blade with loads of activity. It was attributed to a swordsmith, whom I haven’t encountered before – Fujiwara Shizumasa, who worked in Iga Province around the Genroku period (1690s). I think Shizumasa can also be read as Shigemasa.†The polished tsuba didn’t look right on the sword, so I got regular gun blue and blued it. Wow!!! Am I good or what?!!! And I had never blued anything in my life!!! So, how much did all this cost me? An arm and a leg? No…more like an arm and a d*ck!!! I spent about $150 for my B&D equipment and all the other stuff. But here is the breakdown on the sword polishing: Grade One polish by Naruse Shigekazu $1,714.00 Bukezukuri Koshirae (rehilting, sheath) 1,542.00 NTHK Kanteisho Origami (pedigreed papers) 300.00 Japan Registration Tax 150.00 Shipping & handling (foreign & domestic) 200.00 Insurance 82.50 Bank charges 45.00 ________ GRAND TOTAL $4,033.50 Yes, sword polishing is expensive because it requires so much hand labor and my dealer’s commission. There are hardcore traditional polishers who will not touch a low quality blade. It would be like asking Picasso to come to your house to paint your living room or make sno-cone signs for your church carnival. There are some Japanese-trained polishers in the USA, but they are backed up for years because a lot of American collectors don’t like the idea of sending their swords out of the country. These polishers are very very good and charge $$$ by the inch. If you send your blade to Japan, make sure it isn’t a military gunto because Japanese customs will not allow it into the country. It is considered a military weapon. Traditional hand forged ancestral blades are OK. It will take almost up to a year to get your sword back because polishers have lots of swords to polish and they don’t use Black &Decker. Sword polishing can not only take a toll on your pocketbook, but also on your marriage. How do you hide something like this from your old lady??? It ain’t easy and watch out for the heavy FLAK coming your way! “WTF!!! You spent $4,000 to polish up a $470 ebay sword???!!! And didn’t you spend $250 on your daughter’s $2.00 feeder rat to get a tumor removed??!!! And $1,800 for surgery on your 8 year old ferret??!!! And when I bought some cosmetics, you said I was throwing my money away!!! I will never hear the end of this. HENRY USA

Thanks Brian, Bob, and all! Yes, I was a third party to that transaction. And yes, I did take sides. I will take your comments and apply a bit of common sense which I sometimes lack. Thanks again. HENRY USA

Hi Brian and all, I understand your situation and agree that there is a fine line. Perhaps it might be better if we used the following method: Me: Does anyone on this board had dealings with SOB? John: PM me! Dave: PM me! Roger: PM me! Larry: No comment! Lester: No comment! Jim: ABSOLUTELY NO COMMENT! Mike: Call me!!! Would this method get the message across without libel or slander? Personal communication is protected and we are free to discuss a particular dealer through personal emails and phone calls. If I had been screwed, I would certainly call across country to make certain that he isn't victimized. Since there is another Henry in Tokyo, I will sign this with: HENRY IN USA

Hi Brian, I am a new comer and love your message board. There are many knowledgeable people out there and I can get instant feedback. Of course, they are not all experts but I appreciate their time giving me answers. I have met some collectors who have been taken advantage of or outright cheated. Is it kosher to mention the unscrupulous person by name (i.e., John Smith, Tommy Gunn, Billy Klub, Harry P. Ness, etc.) if I have been personally screwed by the person? I think we all would like to know who is screwing who. A case in point. I went to the Northern California Sword Show last year and bought a beautiful wak from YY. I told him that I was a novice collector, but was most proud of a sword I bought from an Oklahoma dealer. It was a pristine gunto made by XXX. And YY said, "Really?! I had a XXX which I sent to (SOB) and he never paid me for it! When I returned home, I checked into my file folder and the paperwork related to this sword. I called YYand asked him when he sent his sword to this dealer. He told me the month. And low and behold, it was only a couple of weeks after he sent it, that I boughtit! There was no doubt that the sword he described was the one I had bought from the Mr. SOB I was extremely angry because I hate to see guys cheated. I told YY that if he plans to go to take this to court, I will write him a check for $1000. My offer still stands. Now, wouldn't you guys like to know the guy's name? Or can you figure it out. Can the guy sue me if I post his name? Or should I just use his initials? Are most of you shy about mentioning a crooked dealer's name? I'm sure that if the guy is honest, you'd say so. Perhaps a "NO COMMENT!!!" would tell me alot without getting us in trouble? HENRY

I just returned from Ulan Bator, capital of Mongolia. In the State Department Store downtown, on the 5th floor where they sell antiques and cheesy souvenirs, I found three identical Japanese Army NCO swords and believed they were real. What struck me was the burnished/brushed aluminum tsuka...absolutely no evidence of brown paint. It was grimey, grungy, and a couple of blades had nicks and file marks as though someone went through and filed them. The manufacturers' markings were there and the numbers on each of the blades were different. The scabbards were dinged and scraped. A week later, I went to the Black Market, which is famous place...a giant flea market thriving with pickpockets. I went to the antique section, and found a booth where they had 3 Japanese Army NCO swords. They were identical to the ones in the State Department Store...all had burnished/brushed aluminum tsukas. I told my Mongolian guide about it and he says that he had bought one, sold it on ebay, and later realized that they were fakes when he started seeing alot of the same ones! No trace of brown paint, dirty and grungy. The Chinese are now getting smart...probably after making them, they throw them outside and let them "age." Or throw them into a cement mixer with dirt and grease. If you want a legit NCO sword, try getting them from a veteran or his estate and avoid NCO swords coming out of Hong Kong, China, Canada, Australia, and England. Remember, if you see an NCO sword on ebay with the tsuka as I have described, be careful! The ones in Mongolia were going for $200. HENRY

Thank you Jacques! HENRY

Thanks Brian. I passed on the general's sword tassel because the dealer was overseas, and I could not independently verify his integrity. HENRY

Thank you Grey-san and all those who replied. This board is great! Novices, experts, and those in between sharing their comments and knowledge!

Thanks fellows for the reply, but I just wanted to know if anyone has had any dealings with this guy. Pricey tassel? Of course. But they are quite rare and there are repros out there. I guess it's like anything else...what is it worth? Whatever amount someone offers!

Just as I thought! Thanks John!

I have noticed that on ebay, some sellers do not show the bare blade at the Ha-Machi (edge notch) and leave the Habaki (collar) on. Is it because they want to hide the fact that the blade has been sharpened or ground down to a point where the edge notch no longer exists? And if this were so, would the blade be considered "tired?" How desirable is a famous maker blade if it was tired? Is it really a turn off? Thanks!

Hi all, I am new to this site. I have been warned by some dealers that I am taking a chance of getting ripped off by buying on ebay. So far, I have bought 3 swords on ebay and the transactions were flawless. There is a collector/seller on ebay with the moniker "reikoto" who deals out of Germany and he recently sold a general's tassel, item # 1 8 0 1 6 5 3 8 8 2 8 2 "Japanese Army Sword General Tassel." If you read my question to him at the bottom, he replies that his name is Reinhold-Koziel and he drops quite a few impressive names which I am somewhat famillar with. However, when I contacted one of them, he refused to comment which I found odd. You know the saying, if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. I've dealt with several fine dealers and if asked, I will always give them the thumbs up. Have any of you had positive dealings with Mr. Koziel? He has 105 transactions and 100% approval rate. Thank you very much.