Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini

Chris, you "tout court" exclude the ability of humans to appreciate both art and artefact aspect of the same item at the same time.

Thanks Morita-San. I've just a poor drawing of it but I would like to have a photo, even if in black and withe, for my article. To be honest, you were exactly the one I hoped to have feedbacks from, knowing you're interested in lost swords. I'm at work now, I'll revert via PM to you when I'll back home.

Hi Chris. IMHO traditionally made swords in Gunto Koshirae shouldn't be sold separately, because they are the meeting point of the two (often clashing) sides of Japanese sword collecting. Both art and militaria (historical?) aspects are represented and this add value to the set. Each part will see his preferred aspect owerwelm the other. Better to let the buyer decide which one belongs to him. But honestly I'm not so fond in these items to know if selling them seperately would mean a greater income. I dislike to see sets of kodogu or even armor dismantled for profit. Might be this affects my feeling. On a side note, to have the original Gunto Koshirae could help the ones that belongs to the "Art side" to gulp the alterations done to some Nakago of ancient swords. Kyu Gunto comes to mind. Either way, you need a Shirasaya for a newly polsihed sword, so you're forced to have a "proper frame" for your Monet. If you don't like the Walmart frame, you can simply put it in the closet, just in case you have to part with the sword in the future. My 2 eurocents.

Looking closer to the serration its similar to the Wakizashi one, so likely you're right : no fish under it. Just finer ropes or wood. Modern version "italian style" :

I was referring to the Kogatana, for the wakisazhi type the caption of pic 20090922135116 (the one with two serrated swords) suggest it was used in the navy to cut ropes and perhaps as an engineer tool as were similar tools in Europe during WWI.

Thanks Moriyama san : http://translate.google.it/translate?js ... l=ja&tl=en

Yes, firefighter is another option, possibly as a gift for retirement or for an important rescue.

Hi Jean, once Scott Irey told me, talking about the Kogatana, it was intended for fishing rather than gardening. To scale-out fish skin and eventually cut wet ropes or nets. The big one is obviously too big for scaling-out but *if* it has a practical meaning it can be either for cut woods or wet ropes. In nowaday's survival knives the serrated edge is very common, but the early utilitarian knives with such a feature I'm aware of were diving knives. If you get bound in a submerged net it is very useful. The same if you have to cut wet ropes, but the shape of the serrated edge on the big one seems more suited to wood as you suggest. Honestly I've not a definitive answer.

Hi all. I'm searching pictures of a blade that my sources quote "went unfortunately to the US after the end of WW2". Quote from Markus' excellent translation : old tachi from the Udo-jingû (鵜戸神宮) in Miyazaki Prefecture, described there as "Unomaru (鵜丸) ko-tachi (古太刀)“ . The blade is somewhere in between a chokutô and a wantô, rather on the wantô side. ...unquote I'd be grateful if anybody can share pics of it. There is another one which I'd love to have picture of, but the info I have are very poor : same source, same excellent translator : quote... Another Daihô ko-tachi which is similar to the Unomaru ko-tachi was once in the possession of Mr. Nakamkura Hôsui (中村宝水), a scholar of Chinese classics, from Ibaraki Prefectures Makabe district (真壁). It is said that it was discovered in an inner sanctuary in a swamp at Daihô. ...unquote If for a luckystrike anybody is able to trace down it from these very few info it would be a blessing. Thanks for your time

Every blue moon this blade pops up for sale. Here and old pics of it : Jean, as a french you should like "parure" (where goes the accent and which one?) so here the kogatana for it :D :

It'll need quiet sometime as I'm currently getting professional translation of the new material and then I'll re-elaborate the whole thing. But you can begin to read the old version : http://www.webalice.it/tsubame1/

It's indeed and interesting item (at least to me...). I'm not aware of any other example in private hands in the west, but being them archeological items this could be due to the scarce interest of the vast majority of the public. Currently I'm working on a major enlargement of the article I linked in a previous post of mine, including new material on Warabite-to. Here you can see how they looks like when polished (pictures yet to be added to the article) :

Thanks.

Ancestral type of swords from Northeastern Japan. Here you'll find an article with info on them : http://www.webalice.it/tsubame1/ (first link, scroll down to the last quarter). Interesting the two upper coins. *IF* they are what it's said they are, they were possibly found together with the Warabite-To. Hardly from Osaka IMHO, date possibly accurate (late VII c./early VIII c.). I'd be grateful if you could share some pics of all protostoric items with me at tsubame1@tin.it .

Good service indeed. Is there any legal action scheduled to settle the matter ?

Didn't get the pun. Mods please delete my last two unnecessary and offtopic posts

Humidity is the key... In Venice 32° c are perceived as much hotter then the same temperature in Sicily. Maybe Stephen's house is in a much drier environment than Japan.

Hi Paul. I get what you mean. Let say that nowaday beginners are lucky to have not just Yumoto and Hawley to rely on as it once was.

Maybe not definitively proven or disproven, but material both against or in favour of the theory can be gathered, and indeed it is. I'm working on an article about this very matter. We should consider that this specific opinion is not shared only by the author. Hence my curiosity to dig in more. The level of plausibility will probably remain a personal matter of each reader. As per the fact that it's not a beginner's book, maybe, but exclusively if this is the *only* entry level book the beginner read. I guess everybody here has read at least 3 different entry level sources, and if we set apart the specific issues you're referring to, the work is still full of good and "traditional" information. Not sure it can be of harm to beginners, especially if they have Nagayama's or Sato's works, that are pretty universally owned, to compare with.

Care to explain ? Sources ? Would be nice to sign your posts, as per the rules.

Stephen, sorry for late reply. Guess Kevin is right and Andrea's sword is this one : http://www.intk-token.it/forum/index.ph ... =6141&st=0

Received my copy just now. I'll have a good reading in these evenings on my amaca. :lol:

I've lost the account of how many Holy Nails are out there (being the only original one in Milano's Duomo ). Guess this is a similar slip. Or they simply messed up the pictures.

Finally this image pops up again. Brian, isn't it worth to be linked in the articles ?

Thanks Ray, very appreciated but I've some problem to join the goup. Can't swim so long :lol: