Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini

I had to post this. Is on swordmanship self-traing but can be applied to self-learning on E-pray too :D : SELF-TRAINING (LEARNING) : — You start out with an empty bag of experience and a full bag of luck. The trick for survival is to fill the bag of experience before the bag of luck goes empty. — You have to gain experience in order to avoid making mistakes, but the only way to gain experience is to learn from the mistakes that are made! Surviving the mistakes, of course, is a pesky little prerequisite as well. — A smart man learns from his mistakes. A smarter man learns from somebody else's. T.L. Johnson

I can only agree on this.

I'm getting requests of publishing the work in different languages as well (russian an portuguese so far). I have to put a reminder about Copyright (of the original sources) infringiments that might be an issue in a commercial version. So far, the task of "No-Profit Only" still remains, but if anyone want to translate it in his native language under the mentioned restrictions, please get in touch with me. Thanks for your attention and time.

So, many thanks for the efforts, John.

Paintings, carpets, porcelain hardly cuts arteriae even if they are good targets for a robbery. Safe is the best choice IMHO. Especially if the safe is fireproof (as much as they can be...). Hygrometer is useful to maintain the right level of humidity. Sons, friends of sons, friends of wife, the housekeeping woman... Naa, too many to leave them out, for me.

Considering my above post, yes the suggested solution works. :lol: Definitively an IE8 issue.

Test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test, test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test, test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test, test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test, test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test, test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test, test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test, test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test, test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test, test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test, test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test, test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test, test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test, test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test, test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test, test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test, test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test, test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test, test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test, test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test, test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test , test

No, it would be better to have a picture of the blade rather than something we've already read. If you want to add something *really* new to the discussion for the sake of the community, add a picture of that blade.

Thanks Eric.

Indeed, there is more than a suicide behind a blade presented to a woman. Interesting examples of such custom-made blades for a bride is given by Kunihira Kawachi in his "The Art of the Japanese Sword". Touching the description of the one on page 10 : "When you both are quiet flowers blossoming. Prepared (ordered?) by your father". The ones on page 11 and 13 are very interesting too. I remember Guido commenting about the blade made for the Crown Prince's newborn, but have no pics of it. I can only wonder what a beauty it must be. Regarding blades used as funeral items, this is possibly one of the earliest practices still surviving, going back to bronze age. Blades holds a special place in Japanese heart (as well as other objects ), enough to deserve a ceremony at the end of their "life" : http://www.seki-Japan.com/maturi/kuyo/kuyo.htm

The deleted Mei on Guido's Tanto was "Rai Kunimitsu" (he commented "close but not enough" :lol: ). Having seen it I can only confirm. As unbelivable as it can be, it is possible, even on very old Nakago.

George. It's Gakumei. Even in the case the Mei is legit, this doesn't mean the blade is by that specific maker. To add a legit signature taken by a doomed blade to improve a (belivable enough) lesser sword is one of the tricks Gakumei was used for. Both signature and blade should be judged together, preferably in hand.

Hi George. Hawley has to be double or triple checked with other, more reliable sources. Guess you've already replied yourself in the first post exluding 1st and 2nd generation. Considering there are no other ones...

...Hawley reports them as KUN 940 941 942 943 matching the relative value points of the first post... Guess is this George is referring to...

Good memory. By Yasutake, Showa 53. "The Yasukuni Swords" by Tom Kishida, page 24 Still, the proportions of the Ji are "regular" on this one and it isn't Shobu.

Hi Dirk. If you refer to compare the blades' cross sections, they seems different to me.

I wonder if the heat is not transmitted only to the small surfaces that have to receive the laquer, thru the mean of an hot enough piece of metal, and then the first coat is applied in quite a rough way. Refining the bords of the basic coat should allow to apply the following ones on a stable and defined surface...

Thanks Louis. I've your image on my HD by the times of the polishing, but I forgot where it came from.

John, something useful for you might be found in an article I've on my website. Please download and check "Control of inclusions in Japanese ancient iron and steel making" here. The "Tamahagane" PDF file should be interesting.

Joint venture would be great. Add my name to the list, John.

Bizantine wasn't bad at metalwork either... Still extremely common and still better than working for Monte dei Paschi di Siena, whatever you can think about the matter... :D Oh, be sure they're somewhere else now. I bet you can understand what I mean... Me too. Care to share something about early iron age metallurgy ? I'm trying to find out how they influenced chinese, korean and Japanese...

Jean, France is far more advanced than Italy in managing these things...

katanakake too ?

I'm optimist about your situation, but this is a good occasion to highlight that people that purchase a sword *must* know perfectly the laws and procedures referred to both owning and importing/exporting the sword to/from the country and prepare everything needed *before* the purchase/spedition. In some cases these procedures changes from province to province and police might not take lightly the matter with possible heavy consequences to both owner and item. In some extreme cases (as Italy and Milano province specifically) this apply even to small inoffensive objetcs as a Fuchi or Kashira if labeled as "part of sword mounting". Anyway following the procedures, that are strict but affordable, everything has an happy end (usually...).

Matt, should be full responsibility of the receiver to let you know all details about laws in Spain. If they are half complicate as Italian ones, you've got and headache...