bluboxer

That is really interesting; I was just thinking the other day as to why I have not seen a western style knife or sword done by a Japanese smith.Surely there have been smiths that would have experimented with different geographical styles.The Bowie knife in particular is so distinctive; or a double edged dagger maybe. Thanks for the post Brian.

100 folds = 2^100 power= 1.4 x 10^30 layers. 1.4 quintillion layers! I think John C. has it right. Also; every forge heat represents a loss of carbon thereby reducing the as quenched hardness. IMHO. Ted beat me to it and a very good explanation at that.

Stephen,the nagasa is about 26"-27". I did not even think of yaki-naoshi Reinhard.I have heat treated a lot of different steels (in my machine shop) and this does not look like the colored oxides that form on the surface during the tempering cycle.This really looks like it was applied.The color is too uniform throughout.I will examine it again this week with yaki-naoshi in mind tho. Added a couple more pics that shows the hada (itame?) and a different look at the nakago. Thanks for the input.

Good day all, I am researching another interesting blade that has had a major portion of the mei removed.This was an unusual modification as can be seen. I know the first two kanji are Bizen province and from there I can only guess.I know that some board members are so skilled at reading kanji that we may have a chance here (even though there are only bits and pieces). Also note the unusual patina on the nakago (not the fresh red rust ).It almost looks like it was gold anodized or a gold wash applied? Thanks

I have not seen Fuller's so I can't say.What I did not like about Dawson's was the lack of blade photos.There were a couple of swords that had fantastic blades in military mounts but no photos of the blades left me wanting.Other than that it seemed very complete and comprehensive.

Thanks for the oshigata Jacques D.I see some stylistic variation and it does not look very promising.Any other opinions? I know Jean,I just get a little enthusiastic with what could be.Hope springs eternal.

Thank you for the excerpt from Token bijutsu Jacques D. You are fast on the draw! Thank you Morita-san for your help. I was headed in the direction you pointed and found information following "Kokubunji". I found mention of this smith in a couple of books and on the web. The owner of the sword was completely blown away as I explained this to him! Especially considering how he obtained it/them. These would have gone out in a garage sale had he not stumbled upon them. A special thanks to this forum for being here.

Thanks George;your explanation was most helpful. This is all exciting news and unfortunately I think the sword has seen it's last polish.Pictured below is what may be some de-lamination of jacket steel or an opening.There are also some nasty chips.Also a photo of the last polishers mark.Perhaps it has enough merit to get the current owner to take proper care of it (that is if I can't work a trade!). Thanks everyone for being so helpful.

Thanks to the both of you.I was completely lost on this one.Bizen,Bishu and Bingo all have the same kanji and I did not think this matched closely enough.How were you able to say Bishu over the other two? Kokubunji-ji is a provincial temple for monks (according to wikipedia).So maybe the smith was a monk or?

Good day Keith, since you have Slough's book I assume your interest is WWII and/or military swords.I found the book "Swords of Imperial Japan 1868-1945" by Dawson very informative with lots of photographs. The Connoisseur's book of Japanese swords was one of the first books I purchased. It depends on what information you are seeking and where your interests lie.Good luck.

Good day Curran,that was me but I am afraid I don't have a clue how to bid/buy from this site :lol: .Thank you very much for the heads up tho.

Good day all, I have been trying to read a mei and it has proven to be too difficult for me.The blade is suriage and I think very old.There is some fresh red rust that I will be tending to this weekend along with detailed measurements and better photos.I believe it to be a tachi mei but I can't make out what is on the ura either.There are two blades that I am looking at for a trade (I will bring the other up in another post). There is also a story about who had these swords which I find hard to believe.These were said to belong to General Yamashita .The fellow had some negatives which were reproduced.I don't know if these photos were published so maybe some one here will have input if they would like to see them. Much thanks,

PM sent.

Thank you for posting this Paul, how would one go about obtaining copies of these competition catalogues and what are the dimensions please? Cheers,

Hi Jason, a smith can harden any part of the blade by reducing the thickness of the clay during the quench.If the clay is thin enough the underlying steel will cool quickly enough to form martensite and become hard as is the ha. It is possible that this can also be accomplished by complex construction as in a sanmai type. I agree with Mark-hitatsura variant.

Can someone post the link where these were discussed?

I think this is the one that is more sought after. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... MEWAX%3AIT There is also another newer set of Hawley's. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... MEWAX%3AIT Alan

I have used a chemical treatment called Ospho (http://www.ospho.com/) on stainless steels and mild steels to prep them for paint and/or direct immersion in sea water.Many of these metal parts remain under water for months at a time and are recovered with minimal or no rust.I have not tried it on polished carbon steels. It is a phosphoric acid base (with other stuff) so it might etch a polished surface.

Yea,the 600 grit sandpaper makes the skin crawl a little. :x

Yes it is sad to see a venue disappear and is all the more reason to get involved and attend regional shows if at all possible. I am ashamed to say that I had canceled trips to the Tampa show before and this will be my first true Nihonto show (yes I am a virgin).With luck there will be another one to attend in 2011. Be there or be square :D Alan

Well this is a civil discussion,I am impressed. I think the last time this topic came up (unsolicited input) the poster was castigated and likened to someone that steals from elderly women at garage sales. :lol: Alan

Just in case someone was looking for a set; here is the paperback edition on Masamunebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... K:MEWAX:IT Alan

I didn't think I had a chance . If I had bid the price would have invariably skyrocketed! Alan

Wow! Not good for vertigo or the punch drunks!My head started to spin. Alan

I'll go with C2.Thanks for the workout. Alan