bobelder

Just coming down from the Tampa Sword Show. Excellent show hosted by Bill Green. Packed with people and great swords and koshirae to look at. If anyone has never promoted a show you can't possibly know the amount of work that goes into it along with angst out the wazoo. My biggest fear at the Orlando Show is theft. As far as I know it has not happened. Recently a known dealer was caught red-handed stealing 2 swords. The police got them back. But the mind blowing thing about it was how many dealers said, oh yeah, he stole something from me but I got it back! WHAT??!! If that is so, why doesn't EVERYONE in the room know about it? I guarantee you that if I did, this person would not be allowed even in the parking lot of the hotel at my show. I would sign a trespass warrant against him. This person was not at my show last year but the year before. No one mentioned missing anything. Sometimes it would be difficult to tell if you have 50 tsuba and 40 swords on your table. Yet....so I will have 4 cameras in the corners at the Orlando Show recording during the day and set on motion control at night. I have one of our guys spend the night in the room. We also put tables against the doors just in case. Especially the doors to the kitchen. I know my student stays awake and watches movies because I've called there at various hours in the night. So, anyone here know anything about dishonesty among our own, please let me know. I won't broadcast it. I run a clean fun old-style show and aim to keep it that way. Thanks for your time.

Thank you Brian. And the fishing is good in Fla. in June !

The Orlando Japanese Sword Show will happen June 22nd to the 24th. 2018. We will be at the same hotel, Doubletree by Hilton Orlando Airport. 5555 Hazeltine National Dr. Phone number (407) 856-0100. Rooms rates normally $149.99 but cost for us (if you mention the sword show) is $109.99. Ask anyone who has been to our show, there are dozens if great restaurants in the area and it's only 5 minutes from the airport. All of Orlando's favorite tourist attractions are within 20 minutes of the site. Table holders (and walk ins) do a LOT of business here! We will have lectures , displays and demonstrations. This is a low key highly educational and fun event. I am at toyamasamurai@gmail.com for questions. My cell is (407) 973-5802. Thank you for the time. Bob Elder

Having a sr. moment has turned into sr. months! Sorry folks but here are some pics of the stock.

Interesting reading about the man who cut this poem into the tsuba. Wikipedia has a nice article. Check out Otori Keisuke.

See pics

Poster for the sword show

Back room of a museum in Kyoto where the JSS/US tour got special permission (thru Tanobe sensei) to view swords not on display. Members are ; Bob Lewert, Paul Davidson, Keith Hostler, Mel Oka, myself, Bill Miller ,Bob and Chizuco Coleman. Dean Hartley back to the camera. Saw a Masazane that had been registered (?) in 1986 that was hidden by the Mitsu Bishi family after WW2. Good for them!

Thank you Mr. Frenzel, I think it's the 5th. First show 25 tables, 2nd show 30, 3rd show 35, 4th show 57. Slow steady growth. We had 79 walk ins last year. Hope to see more folks there as our lineup of demos and lectures is superb. Bob E.