jrs

I may be wrong on this, but, I would think at shinsa that the remaining shape, kitae and hamon would be enough to date the blade and give it a correct attribution. I'm not sure about a brand new looking nakago though. I have heard of references to swords being rejected because the patina didn't look right. There are probably ways to work around that with chemicals and artificial aging if deemed appropriate. I have seen in person a blade that looked so pristine and perfect that you would think it was made in the last 100 years that actually was papered as an Ichimonji Yoshioka blade. It was just in fantastic condition. It took the shinsa team an extra 6 weeks to come to that decision but... James

Thanks Brian. I just ordered the Bizen volume. Looking forward to the others. James

What other issues are available and from where?

First off, thanks to everyone who has responded. I've learned something new. The reason I brought up the question is because of a blade that I've just acquired. The habaki on it is very short considering the length of the blade when you compare it to the normal proportions seen in most habaki. It just made me wonder if it is the so-called tachi habaki i had read about. I'll include a picture. I can't find my camera right now so I used my cell phone. I apologize now for the picture quality but I hope it can convey what I am refering to as far as the height of the habaki. The blade has a nagasa of 77.6cm and the habaki is 1.7cm at the ha and mune and 2cm in the center.

Is "tachi habaki" an actual term? I read this recently and had never run across it before. I just wanted to know it there is a difference between a "normal" habaki and a tachi habaki. And if there is, is it refering to the shorter, sometimes fatter habaki with the rounded upper edge that I've seen before but just didn't realize that there is a specific name for them?

I've listed an iron tsuba on ebay in case anyone is interested. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=200233706593 I know next to nothing about tsuba, so if anyone can tell me more about it, I would appreciate the information. I should have asked that question before I listed it with no reserve on ebay, but, too late now. Thanks ahead of time.

My humble opinion, I can only say that in my current financial situation, I wouldn't pay $2000+ for a shinshinto wakizashi with flaws, papered or not. Katana maybe but not a wakizashi. For that price you may be able to find a nice koto piece that just needs a little love.

Here is another (better) picture of the signature in case anyone can read it.

Anne, I am in the jewelry business and just wanted to say that I think your work is beautiful. I love the way you are using some of the old patination techniques. Beautiful!

Ok, I've tried everything I could come up with to get better pictures but they just aren't getting better. And it is true that the mei isn't legible in person although I was hoping someone would recognize the work and mei. Off to Bob Benson it goes, because, the possibilities keep sending me in circles as to who made this. Hopefully I will have interesting news in 6-12 months. Thanks for everyones input and if anyone still has ideas as to who this is, please say so.

I do have to speak up here because I bought a beautiful blade from this guy with no problems in the transaction and was very happy. I can't say anything but good things about my dealings with him, but I will admit that I feel like the charity auctions are a little "shady". Don't know why, just a gut feeling. James

Reinhard, I've tried and I just can't seem to get it to focus even using the macro setting. I work in the jewelry business and take all of our photos for advertising so I do know a little about photographing reflective surfaces close up but just cant seem to get this camera to do it for me. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I may try my camera from work if I can remember to bring it home to see if that works better or if I am the problem.

Reinhard, That is a possiblity as I had started to think this may be an oei-bizen uchigatana. i'll look into it a little further and see if I can get pictures of the blade to post. Thanks! James

Hey Guys, I need help with this one. I can't make out the first character. The second one is "mitsu". The blade is signed tachi-mei and has a very prominent mokume/o-mokume hada. The hamon is gunome midare on one side and much more suguha on the other from what I can tell. Also the boshi is midare yakitsume. Any ideas out there? I've added an enhanced negative image to see if that helps. Thanks James

So would it then be atypical for a better polisher to completely remove the sharpened edge? or is that normal for a badly rusted sword?To clarify my comment, it looks as though a polishing job was started but not completed. If the sword was badly rusted/chipped, would a polisher completely dull the edge to work out the chips or would he polish the blade with the edge sharpened until the chips were gone?

I recently bought this blade knowing that it was out of polish, BUT, I dont understand why there is not a sharpened edge. The "edge" is actuall about 1mm. thick on the whole blade. The shape of the blade and the 3 mekugi ana made me think it was an older sword. I can make out a hamon on the blade, looks suguha, but the marks left by the first few polishing stones are hiding everything else. What am I missing here. James.jpg]