Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini

Dr. T (Alexander Takeuchi) made a good article giving some feedbacks about this http://www2.una.edu/Takeuchi/DrT_Jpn_Culture_files/Nihon_to_files/Historical_classification_of_wak.htm . Sunnobi seems to me a term that should be (correctly) used for blades of a certain lenght made in a certain period only, but it's my feeling only. I'm not aware of specifics about their lenght as,AFAIK, they were all made before lenght specifics for blades begun to be released. Others can give better feedbacks here, so take mines with a spoon of salt... :lol:

A friend of mine was asked for 1000 euro for an NCO SHINGUNTO here in Italy. "Perfect conditions"... :lol: 500 U$... if you don't go for it let me know the phone of your friend.

Hi Haugtredet. Rust helps to fix a date and genuinity. When black it's no more active and so it should be referred to as "patina". On many antiques of different nature "patina" is a must for the overall beauty of the object and for his datation. Just my 2 eurocents.

I'm near to tears.... a SURPRISE... what a luck...

Martin, what about to use alkaline solution in very small quantity as Caustic soda ? It's at your own risk as I've never tried with swords still alive, but showed some effectiveness in thiny, superficial spots. Cotton earsick, very small amount of caustic soda, little wait, careful removing and polishing of the area, oiling. I repeat, it's at your own risk. Cheers.

Hi Darcy. You know the Tanto I was referring to. I wonder about Jumonji. Is such a complex geometry suitable for Makuri or similar building ? Or are they all made without shingane ? Have you ever seen an overpolished Jumonji with exposed Shingane ?

I have a hirazukuri Tanto that's so tired to begin exposing Shingane. So, there is at least *one* hirazukuri Tanto "jacketed"...

You can't imagine how this quote is funny to me. Glad to help you. One of my shops sells Fendi bags and shoes and assurance will cover the loss. I own only the walls, not the selling activity so it'll not bother me... but my tenant for sure...:D

...damn, where's the smiley for "great envy" ?....

Brian is right. Machiokuri is possible but not ever, so maybe you find to have enough Ha (in case of very broad ones) left, but no room for a new machi without altering too much the Nakago.

I've seen a Rai school Tanto with less then a millimeter Ha left in some points, but still considered alive. No exposed Shingane and likely no other polishing allowed. It needs some prayers...

Strange enough, I've seen the reverse. A miniature Tachi without Koshirae. It's so hard to sell that my friend has it in his living room by at least 10 years, notwithstanding good polishing and shirasaya. It's really well made with shinogi zukuri and koshizori. The kissaki isn't ikubi but I bet it was a pain in the back to polish it... :D Edit to add : when i say small I mean really small. I wonder if it isn't an exceptional well made Bunraku blade. It has hamon, activities and is sharp.

They clearly and correctly state how to deal with elaborated horimono, but I still wonder why they don't highligh that the inside of a Hi should be cleaned the reverse way, from kissaki to nakago, to avoid a change in polishing at the very end of the groove. Am I the only one to be tought to act this way ?

IMHO as early as the beginning of XIII c. the appreciation and consequently the care for NihonTo was already high. Gotoba is quiet an evidence of this : http://www.sho-shin.com/gotoba.htm Chushingura, that's a mid-Edo product, shows in all its variants that a rusted blade was linked to a (morally) doomed Samurai. We can suggest that at this time they cared swords the same way we do today, even if it's debated the level of polishing it was available at that time and so the activities that were visible on the blade. I think that the care of swords evolved during the centuries, but already from the very beginning the golden rules were the same, oil, uchiko, periodical care, respect. I've no evidences of this. Sorry, can't say more...

This one is a good histical site IMHO http://www.hi.u-tokyo.ac.jp/IRIKI/eng_index.html

Shirasaya usually has less elaborated and less large Fukuro, being not a Tsuba on mounting. Mines are blue with stripes, quite boring, without a long Sageo but with a simple, quiet short Sageo made of the same fabric of the bag. Not so fancy when tied. Just my 2 eurocents.

I own and appreciate that little book. Warmly recommended for other reasons too. EDIT TO ADD : courtesy of Paul Martin. Cheers Paul, if you're lurking out there. About on-line sources : http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/sageo.htm http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/sageotying.html http://www.budoya.es/katana/sageo.html

second one...

I'm kindly asking feedbacks about the possibility these two items are made of turtle shell. They look very similar to turtle stuffs my wife has. They are on an Edo Koshirae for a Tanto. Thanks in advance for your replies, if any, and for your time in any case. first :

Fujishiro's ? Mr. Yamamoto at Yamamoto@Koshoyama.com has a set available just now. AFU Watson english translation in PDF format available too. Warmly recommended.

7 strips. Fujishiro's school ?

I think he's trying to sell a mounting rather then a balde... I wait for better pictures of both balde and signature.

Can I ask who is/was the polisher and which school he belongs to ?

...hehehe... nowI need only to know how much soia sauce is needed for re-patination... :D

Great... Do you know who is him and the school which he belong to ?