Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini

Consider one copy as already sold.

Guess you've to purchase them from Mr. Watson, but Grey Doffin that have posted hereabove the same suggestion can possibly give you a better input. He's much more into JSSUS then me... :D Anyway the link : http://www.jssus.org/ then click "supplies". Nihon Toko Jiten Koto was available thru Stephen some time ago, but I'm not sure if it has been already sold... Have you checked the "for sale" section ?

I would recommend the two volumes about Sue-Koto by JSSUS too. Not covering the whole Koto period, but well worthy the price.

See http://forums.swordforum.com/showpost.p ... stcount=18 from http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread ... inabbz.com and http://forums.swordforum.com/showpost.p ... ostcount=2 from http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread ... inabbz.com

Let's try...

Thanks for the efforts Clay. Can I link/post the program (full credit to you of course) on an italian NihonTo forum ? It'll be much appreciated by others that don't frequent this board (yet).

Yes, I understand what you're meaning, but the Kissaki, the only acceptable pic other then the one we're discussing, seems not to show a "chiseled"/badly acid manipulated temperline. *If* all the pics belongs to the same blade. Not worthy of any attention, obviously.

Milt, never say to an italian "make me an offer that I can't refuse". He could make it... :lol: :lol: I'm just jocking on "The Godfather"...

Maybe a Warihatetsu overpolished and re-assembled after the war.

Thumb up for me, Darcy. What about the release date of your second book ?

Thanks for the discount on shipping, Stephen. I'm PMing you the mailing address.

Paul is professional...

Hi John. No more smileis here as seems they doesn't work for everybody. I can't say if the Origami is legit and if it belongs to the blade. Let assume it is... Instead, I would try to put the sword and the Origami into the historical period it has been attributed to, where worship of the sword as soul of Japan was rised for political reasons. Nationalism would have made this blade in an high enough level that whould have been unveiled only later and with visible evidences, as Rheinard point out, but if from a top level swordsmith different from Masamune it would have been much more savvy and economically convenient to simply tell the true. Seems it's still in Japan and it's still for sale after quiet sometime, at not a superlative (still high) price. Maybe this was a bad choice by Honami (no more good candidates for a fake Masamune available in such a later time ?), or even messed up a little. Needs somebody in Japan that has a direct knowledge of the market and possibly knows what's beyond the scenes.

Yes, do you think it's a fake by him ? Maybe Rich can help out with his knowledge about modern smiths ? :D

Jean, believe it or not you make me woder about an Honami Mitsuyoshi that seems to me to remember adopted a Yasukuni smith named Yoshiaki Sugano Kosuke that seems to me to remember was fashinated by copies that seems to me to remember it's bedtime because I'm tired... :lol:

Hi John. Thanks,I know I can count on you, but I got mines on due time. If you find something on swords of the Shrine only and published recently, I'll reimbourse you full amount and shipping fees if you've a paypal account. This one should be affordable either in price and shipping costs to the ones that might be interested in. No ISBN, armors only, Japanese text, :

Gun cases. Ok, not cheap, they rises the shipping costs, but no way something can hurt your koshirae or blade. They are easy to be detected at custom, but after 9/11 nations with laws about import of blades have enstrenghten so much the controls that you'll be not able to avoid taxes anymore, anyway... If inside there are several grands of blade/s and koshirae, 50 or so bucks more are of no consequence. Gun cases can hold more then one item but you have to put them into their respective fukuro or something similar to avoid accidental friction between the koshirae. There are for handguns too, so you can use them for Tanto or wakizashi in shirasaya (dimensions matters here).

You'll find swords and weaponry too, but blades are mostly not showed but under permission, and I can't really say you who ask for. Top Samurai of ancient times send their weaponry to Oyamatsumijinja as offers to the war deities so you'll find items from big names there. If you decide to go, purchase as many catalogues as you can.

The original source : http://www.worldofsamurai.com/catalog/d ... ame=Katana

To all the friendly lurkers. The same Fuller and Gregory's book is listed at almost 3 times the price elsewhere.

Hi Stephen. Sorry for the delay, but I was checking with a friend of mine. No results sure enough to spend a word. Often italian NihonTo dealers (e-bay or not) are overpriced for the items they sell. This one seems to offer several types of antiques and maybe weapons are given to him by third persons needing an intermediary with the permission of weapons collector, in order to send the blades abroad, reaching a much wider number of potential buyers. The process in Italy is a pain in the back due to several bureaucratic reasons (I know because sometimes I offer this service). *If* this is the case he doesn't really know what he's selling and bases his statements on informations given by the sword's owner. I wouldn't spend such an amount of money on e-bay with a non-specialized and not already recommended seller, but I'm really cautious when "e-bay" and "NihonTo" enters the same phrase, so I'm not entirely impartial. To be honest I wouldn't spend >10k U$ on e-bay for any reason... :D

Cool, I hope to win the Gassan book I'm bidding on... :D

Yes. She was asking your proposal for a date for dinner in a veiled manner and you lost a good occasion...

I know you're interested in Samurai history too so, believe me, Omishima is worthy. Not sure you'll be allowed to take pictures there anyway... :| Yes, have fun and drink a few Ozeki sake cups (cold) for me too.

Hi Ludolf. Can't say if it's enough to rise the possibility of a Gimei as the oshigata is not fantastic quality, but here is what seems to me *possible* differences, and I would like to have your opinion about my guesses to let me learn something.