shakudo

Cant see how this is a set? Menuki are tiger but no relation to tsuba workmanship or design? Fuchi and kashira have no relation to either- nothing tiger related or design related!

More pics please- blade and mei? Cheers Mike

Hi Bob, I know I have one but cant find it! Ill keep looking but! Cheers Mike.

Hi Bob, send me a pic I may have whay you want. Cheers Mike

Hope your sorted, sent a pm but no reply. Cheers

HiSean, Really sorry but I cant use the imgur link? Get the opening pic and then rubbish? Maybe there are more like me- canf see it so cant buy! Sad to see you broke up a pair- think that was a wrong move- waks dont sell aswell either. Better links to pics please. Cheers Mike

Going to bed Read and reread make sure you understand- if not ask! dont coming guns blazing, just over the keyboard warriors. Admin- just do what you need to do . Over nufnufs

What it means is that you didnt read the post! You came in guns blazing but guess what you didnt read the posts. That realy annoys me- read read it! My bank statements show what I paid and the next is his deposit on the sale of the sword. Maybe I expext people to work on my mind! Bit stuffed realy! Aint hard read it work out a time line- mAybe thats it , members cant deal with that. Really Im over it and the thought the info is here they just have to look. If you cant look, discern the info then stay quiet!

Understand mate mate, but cant handle idiots who chime in that cant read. The info is there so what the f. I will not suffer idiots! Do what you have to do but REALLY!

Well see, I asked if you had read the post- obviously not. Thats what fires me up. All the info was there but you came guns blazing! Read the fn post- read it -even the bank statements. I am so tired of dealing with peoole who dont do their research before they open their mouths- you are one- read the posts- pay attention to the bank posts- guessing your 30 or less! Still visiting!

Wsitong on a response! Der got that wrong-Der. Ill call you Homer- compleye waste of time. Get your facts right!

Waiting on your reply- buy hey maybe you didnt finish school- read wats in front of you! Love to meet you in a bar!!!! Yeah keyboard warrior but still cant read. Pay for the privelige or foff! Comung to UK soon may e I can crunch in!! What a fwit.

Hi Mikaveli, You obviously cant take in the info provided! I paid the sum- along with interest and guess what SWORD sold after the payment . Maybe you need to read the post. Another non paying member whi vanr read or takin what is in fronr of them! I paid full price with interest and still my sword was sold! Have you actually read the post and viewed the pics. Seriously, just been chatting with Brian- wondering why I am financially supporting this forum- and now you chime in- read the posts- you doufus- get a brain- I have not accepted the sale of sword why do you think I m complaining! You are f...... t Read the post you sae out there- wheres your monthly payment to NMB. Yeah for sure - read it you ahole. Even your time line is out- go back into your hole- you obviously cant read! Like to meet you in bar!!!

Agreed Brian, I started this so that I could warn others. Papered, polished and shirasaya sold after I paid the asking price including interest for $1300 Aust. Really interested in the reply? Especially the professionally made habaki- made before 1945 ! Hopefully it wont happen to any other collector! Cheers

Hi all, Apologies but have to show MC payment into my account- $1300 for polished blade ,new shirasaya Nd dodgy habaki- now thats a good buy- wonder where it is? Dont want to know but its gone!

Proof of payment for services rendered. Wish there had been a written contract. Also missed page 5 see attach. Not much more say really!

Page 4 Going to work now as Im sending a koto blade to Woody!

Page3

Page 2

Hi again, I have just posted the last letter I recieved before my sword was sold! Seems Im over file size so Ill send each page seperately.

WELCOME, Please do but make sure you post each email in its entirity as I have and will. Editing is such an amazing thing- so if you DO edit them you will be the dishonest one! Also I have attached a special pic for members- shows the sword as it left Sydney- has ots original habaki- you know the one your craftsmen MADE and butchered after it was straightened ! Post them entirely or I fill the spaces! Classic , absolutely classic didnt even know what was what! My guess blade sent to togi- without habaki - as how many of us have polished blades with there original habiki? The togi would never had taken so much off ha if the habaki had been with it.Hence it was squeezed sent for shirasaya! Rememver Ill say again post complete emails not parts of! Pics are 28 Apri 2018 @ 1.33pm!

Well, Im still on the board and able to continue with my warning! Bit hard when you are working in retirement as I cant get a pension yet due to assets- why work hard folks really. Im attaching the email from Micheal Cummins (MC from now on!) And Ill let you read it and maybe comment on his understanding of Nihonto especially as an agent- yes as an AGENT? Also remember I didnt see tsuka in Japan and I have an Australian witness for this! See if you can read between the lines- what a case! Also a heads up, I asked why the blade wasnt discussed about suriage - there was rust but I had no idea if it would polish well or not- where's your mentor when you need him- in the dark rubbing his hands together saying "another sucker!" Also theres an interesting twist to the habaki - when I saw it in 2019 it had been sqeezed by eletrician pliers so it would hold on blade- I have over 50 years experience as a jeweller- not much gets past me! I saw red but sadly my blade was in his control in another country where I couldnt just take it home- frustrating yes - just sucked it up but as this went on I realised that it wasnt going to end well. Read what he has to say on the habaki!#!#!#- fairly hilarious really- real pro! Have attached pics of the swords habaki- really well made ( or abused) you think? I have also attached pics of a habaki I had done in USA by an expert- purchased a wak from Grey, sent to Woody and then to John- absolutley perfect transaction from all involved- will never go thru Japan again because of this experience with this agent ,sponsored (paid maybe??)or supported and recommended by an Australian! From my USA experience I came up with the $ amount- insurance both ways of course. And when I get my old lap top fired up I will forward emails telling him I could not/ would not trust him to fix the problem! I also told him to sell the blade and recoup his costs in this email. Make sure you compare habaki! Also this is the reason I arced up- the blade was polished so much -tomorrow night Ill fill you in! First 2 are on my sword others are by John Tirado( hope hes okay with me singing his praise!) You need this delay to form an opinion! Sorry this is not a serial on netflix but as Im on phone Im only prepared to give an hour to those______oles!!! Thats it for now as Im still working- enjoy and make sure as I said at the start warn others - dont get involved!!!!!! Happy New year to one and all- except a few!#!# Just joking!#!#!#!.....................

Interesting, Alan, So by recommending an agent that has had numerous problems with collectors you dont see your self as responsible? Classic! You are basically verbally writing a reference and we as friends/ customers/ suckers / cash cows rely on your expertise- so sad! If you write/ verbalise about a person and I employ them and they turn out to be dishonest/ unreliable then it comes back on you! Maybe you think in Sydney, couple of million people it wont be a problem but the nihonto community is quite small- a recommendation is exactly that- it burns you! Maybe you have never employed people where they have asked for a reference and you have to be honest but hey - Sydney 2 million people - what the heck! I can gaurantee that many have formed opinions NOW! Also your claim on dicount on services? Hope you got the email - Ill put it out tomorrow! Everything thats has happened via this agent probably for over 10 years has come from you- either greed or payback- shown by your reference to Mr Flynn- my new bestie- you have a grude and need to grow up- this is not a school playground! Brian- if you feel that we dont need to go further or you wish to ban me go for it! I wont be posting untill tomorrow Aus time. If the baying wolves or any innocents cant cope with that then tough. Go hard or go home!!!

Oh, just remembered Alan Morton just told me to hit it wiith a hammer! Real class, real class- senior collector- not.

Hi all, Apologies for my absence/ silence but unavoidable due to being in a really bad reception area on the coast of Tasmania. Ridiculous but even using a local wi fi didnt get me on the forum. I was able to see cover page but not able to open- apparently a pretty normal occurrence! Really interested to see replies- Alan Morton -well- he knows where all the skeletons are buried!! I only know some but Im counting 4 disgrunted customers, one a previous Sydney sider that Alan Morton knows well had a similar experience to me but he only lost his sword- I lost sword and money! To be quite honest I was just going to let this slide into the darkness but as my first post said I wanted to warn others not to get involved with Micheal or be guided by Alan.Im still on phone as pics are in it and I cant wait till all my emails load so Im hoping this goes Ok! I first met Michael Cummins at 2009 Sydney shinsa- he was there offering laquer services- met Alan Morton but there was no connection with Alan Morton at that time. 2011 met him again and he was now offering all 3Nihonto services- I still have the cards he gave me- again no connection to Alan Morton! I was disapointed that there werent anymore Shinsa and If you look back in my posts I have tried twice to get one up and running with the Sydney nohonto community. This did not get legs but I made contact with Alan Morton in Sydney and visited in 2017. There was a vibrant sword group that met and discussed and showed their treasures, I so pleaseto be there be there! I was invited back in 2018 and advised if I wanted a blade polished Michael Cummins would be over from Tokyo and was recommended to use him. In hind sight I should have sat back and watched as I was / we were disappointed with the polish on a yari he was returning and also a katana that had a huge ware that I was told a few years later by Alan Morton - verbal sadly - that it should not have gone away! I couldnt see any attempt to close it so It must have been bad! Michael Cummins took my blade for restoration but what concerned me he didnt write anything down! So when I got home I sent an email detailing what I wanted- fortunately he didnt follow my instructions as Id be out even more money.( see attachment) I went to the DTI in 2019 and met up with Micheal- while I was in his flat the sword arrivedand he advised/ wanted me to take it home with me- 2 problems- I was spending 3 weeks traveling around Japan and also most impotantly he had not presented it to NBTHK for shinsa- tell me, who would send a blade to be polishedto Japan without it going to shinsa!#!# Have to say I was totally jet lagged as hadnt slept on plane, Micheal picked me up off bus and took me to his. The sword I will detail in my next installment. The first thing I recieved was the tsuka so Ill do this in order! I met up with Micheal at DTI and was surprised to see my wakizashi in his haversack- more on blade next email. I didnt know he had my tsuka in his bag at all- didnt see it in Japan at all!!! But Michael mentions it in an email - hold that thought! It finally arrived to me in Tasmania! And I saw red/ blue and purple- some Neanderthal- no guesses who- had used contact glue to permanently glue the fuchi to the tsuka!! I had asked for jinbara and I wanted the menuki gold flashed and had also supplied both kashira,fuchi and 2 sets of menuki. I emailed him- after some research**- and told him I was not happy- Why would anyone do that, never seen it before! It looked as though it was being carried around to show or something ,I said. He emailed back saying he knew nothing about it and it was never shown around!! it must be the weather conditions in Tasmania!! Now he didnt know but my research had included chatting with other Sydney collectors, one who had a private viewing of my blade and also the tsuka????? I was surprised to find he had seen my tsuka and I hadnt! I advised of how it had arrived back home- he told me he wasnt going to show it to you as he had not finished showing it for competition or exhibition- I wont name that person but Im sure he will chime in later! I didnt expect to write so much, apologies but its like it was yesterday, cant wait to VISIT Tokyo again and Queensland. I will sort a summary in the near future and get to the best bits- habaki next!! Then how I lost my blade!!! Check the white between jinbara and fuchi- look closely and you can see the staining from excess glue - I ask you Is this the person yoh want to look aftwr your collectables? Hi Steve, maybe you dont realize you have had problems! Chat soon but will condense and summarise- I could write a book on this- and remember nearly all is on hard copy! Much more to come! ps. ALAN- Spell my name as MICHAEL -but you have never called me that - ever! Regards