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b.hennick

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Posts posted by b.hennick

  1. Hell Franco et al:

    Kantei is great but one needs to learn to walk/crawl before running. One can use "study swords" to learn terms and activites in blades, shape as well.

    At our next Toronto sword club meeting the topic will be kantei for quality of work in swords. Rather than who made it the question will be how well was it made?

    We have run several traditional and Rochester study group style of kantei but this one will be for quality...

    The Rochester study group developed a team kantei where the members were divided into two teams and the team discussed each blade and the reasoning for determination. The idea was that senior members could guide junior members with all learning. Making someone articulate reasoning is a good learning experience.

  2. It was about 1978. Therewere not many books on Japanese swords. I had an opportunity to buy from a collection of swords that were brought into my city. The owner had a good eye and owned a militaria store. I decided to buy 7 swords all with something from which one could learn. A friend bought one. WE paid about the same for my group and his one. I studied and learned from the 7 and in the end sold all of them. I now own the one my friend bought. It was a better blade - a keeper. The others taught me a great deal. In the end I learned and it did not cost me much.

    So yes there are study swords.

    Here is another example, I am a member of the Rochester sword study group. I bought from one member a papered Yamato Tegai wakizashi. It was a typical Tegai and a good blade to learn from. I sold it to another member of the group. In the end each of us owned that blade and learned from it. All of us can recognize a Tegai blade when we see one. That was indeed a good sword to learn from.

  3. HIgo school certainly made smaller kozuka and kogai as I have seen several. I have been looking for a Higo Umabari that is small for a long time length 1 5/8" witdth less than 1/4". If you come across one please let me know.

  4. Loved it! It was interesting to see the Japanese version of seveal arts. It is amazing how many things are the same as in North America and that some are differrent. I remember my wife complaining about removing grass stains from my gi. I can see that the folks in the video will have a similar problem...

    There was one form where I would have enjoyed to see the whole form rather than just part of the kata.

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  6. I started with Hizento and collected them for many years. An exhibit of Soshu blades at one sword show made me interested in Soshu Den and koto blades. Although I still have many Shinto blades my favourites are mostly koto pieces thesedays. It took a number of years collecting to appreciate suguha rather than the exuberant midare/choji of Hizento but I now do.

    Yes Shinshito blades generally in good condition but if you look and are willing to pay for it you can get Shinto and Koto blades in excellent condition. I think that the longer you collect the higher the standards that you set foryour collection become. One usually buys only blades better than what you currently have rather than worse.

  7. Here is a slightly different take on things.

    The first thing for me is shape. If a blade has a poor shape then it can't be vey functional or very beautiful. Shape first drew me to Hizento. Hizen blades as a group tend to have great shape.

    Second comes pattern or hada. I love great hada. Hizento have great hada unless shintetsu is showing. Then the blade is not so beautiful.

    Third comes hamon/edge. I used to be attracted to the wild hamon of Masahiro and Tadakuni. With experience I have come to appreciates suguha.

    Lastly the tang. I good smith spends the time and effort to creat a well finished tang. File marks, mei shape all need to be correct. If a blade has everything else but has a poor tang it is not going to be a great sword.

    With time what constitutes a beautiful sword changes in one's mind. I know that when I attended a Soshu exhibit I fell in love with a blade by Norishige. It took time, effort and a big expenditure to become the temporary custodian of a blade by Etchu Norishige a great sword!

    So here I have laid out fouth things that a great sword needs to have. If any is missing then the blade may be functional but not great.

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