nagamaki - Franco

Hello, USPO Registered or Express over night are the choice of most for shipping with signature, see previous threads.

Here is a signed papered blade for comparison ..... https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/shinshinto-tanto-bizen-mitsusada-1865-1806462499

Hello, Often I'm looking at kogai online and have never run across one like this. A very poor knock off (imo) and would guess something out of China, antique, schmantique.

Hello, sorry for your troubles. If you haven't already, file a police report as this will be necessary for possible further action. These days there are security cameras in many places, the police should check this as perhaps something was recorded. Good luck.

Please, by all means correct me, but if you read the NBTHK English Journals, Sato san writes an entire kantei article discussing extensively how quality is the 2nd step in kantei, which he goes on to say is too often overlooked.

Jacques, Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?

For what little it's worth; Two swords, one long, one short, both signed and in very elaborate "fancy" koshirae all in mint condition, brought back from a Perry expedition turned up in a small upstate New York village by a friend who is a gun dealer, this was before we knew each other in the 1980's. He described, the swords were in a long chest shown to him along with the officers uniform and a letter. Sorry, I cannot recall exactly what he told me about the letter, however, it authenticated, at least in his mind, that what he was looking at was real. The family sold the swords to my friend, but would not part with the letter or uniform. In turn the swords were sold to a local sword dealer, who then reportedly shuffled them off to one of the big auction houses in New York. Beyond this I have no more information. My thoughts, questions, now, were the auction houses aware of what they had, and were the swords sold separately or together? Was this a true daisho? I tried contacting the sword dealer to learn more, but my messages were not returned. In a touch of irony, it turns out that I used to hang out at the ice cream parlor shop with friends right next door to the sword dealer's antiques by appointment shop.

Brown shakudo, not a true shakudo, my understanding is copper with a very small percentage of gold plus silver and even pickled with a different chemical, not rokusho. Does not repatinate well. Yes, no?

Wasn't the question "What Does The Term "art Sword" Mean To You?"

It has always been my understanding from an expert restorer that high quality shakudo will repatinate given time, where lower quality shakudo will not. Another problem with lower grade shakudo where restoration is concerned is that even when treated chemically it often will not repatinate to the original finish, unlike high grade.

Greetings, It means that no matter how many times I look at a particular sword the word outstanding comes to mind followed by a rush of endorphin flooding the mind, a response that simply is not there when looking at most other swords even as good as they might be. It means a sword that leaves no doubt as to the kantei questions of when, quality, tradition, school, and finally the maker to any expert or collector judging it. And then there is something more, a precision, a clarity, a uniqueness that sets it apart where the sword smith leaves you with the impression and even surprised as to the degree of, that what you're seeing was exactly as intended, orchestrated.

Hey BaZZa, Apologies for the confusion, the fyi link was for kozuka # 2.

After repeatedly viewing this tsuba I'm beginning to think it could be brown shakudo.

Hello Jay, Agree with Geraint for the most part. What I would add is that although the condition of the first kozuka is very worn, the richness of the 'shakudo' catches my eye suggesting to me an early piece to be appreciated for what it was/is, ko something, but I think perhaps not Goto(???). As for $ value, it's in the eye of the beholder. Questions about shakudo often appear here on NMB, this is what 'good shakudo' should look like, imo. fyi, http://www.shibuiswords.com/haynesTsu77.html

Hello, Is it just my imagination once again running away with me or am I seeing the slight remnant of a yokote in the very last image? Also, is that muneyaki running all along the mune? Thank you.

http://weblog.tozando.com/Japanese-sword-how-to-know-if-a-tsuka-is-good-or-bad/

Kogai is Goto in style, most likely a waki Goto school, not mainline, guessing 1750 or later.

Hello, There are great swords with questionable mei, the real question here is is this a great sword? Or even a "good" sword? Also, keep in mind that if you buy a gimei sword, you should plan on owning it for the foreseeable future.

FYI, bought a tube of this glue (linked) along with a roll of rice paper for oshigata, but have not tried either yet. https://www.amazon.com/Yamato-Nori-Rice-Sticking-Paste/dp/B002L9YLHQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503557703&sr=8-1&keywords=Yamato+Nori+Rice+Sticking+Paste-+220g+Tube

Hello, thoughts, 1. Ware in the hamon cannot be closed or made tighter, the metal cannot be moved/pushed around as it could be in the hada. The other problem with ware is the possibility of becoming larger, opening up, ouch. 2. Perhaps, additional images might reveal something unexpected, otherwise I do not see anything promising so far. 3. The possibility of finding a mumei wakizashi well worthy of polishing does exist, but that requires the skill and ability to recognize (kantei) a hidden gem in the rough, and a little luck.

Hello, A few insights, http://www.nihontocraft.com/Jimmy_Hayashi_Sword_Polisher.html P.S. Thanks to Arnold F. and Danny M. for making this article available, much appreciated.

Hello, Suggest doing an image search using combinations of the words nara fuchi kashira + kingfisher. By viewing many examples, as well as the best examples possible of a particular school, we begin to develop our eyes and understanding of what these items should look like. Then when we see something that doesn't seem quite right, it becomes apparent. In the case of yours my guess would be the original finish was lacking, and instead of a proper restoration someone pickled the whole thing to look black.

Hello, Makers, would lean towards Nara for both. Opinion, for the kingfisher set I would not be surprised to learn someone had refinished this set.

Hello, Hmm, the problem I'm having is that this tsuba looks (to me) like it was made yesterday?

Aizu-shoami, my (uneducated) thought, too. This rim can't be original?