Toryu2020

Dan - What are you seeing in the jigane? Masame above the shinogi? -t

For folks waiting on the registration packets - Still working out the set-up of Paypal account and the website, we are getting close. No packets have been sent out yet and no slots reserved as yet. Stay tuned we should have it all up and running soon. -tom NTHK2010@toryu-mon.com

Second that call for Photos... -t

George - Perhaps it should be a rule - no one posts a reply until a proper introduction has been made. -t (for tom)

Another feature that seems to be common is the use of different woods to effect another kind of wood(if that makes sense). For example your is made to look like bamboo. One that I have also looks very much like a dark piece of old bamboo but on close inspection it has a base of honoki but is then covered in Cherry bark... -t

In 1877 wearing of the two swords as a badge of rank was outlawed - the class of Bushi (samurai) was dissolved, however certain individuals insisted on carrying a sword. Many old mumei blades and Kanbun blades were refit into Shikomi-zue (cane swords). In general these were not carried by the average stipend-less samurai but by gentlemen who could afford to have a sword custom-made. We find many unsigned and or less than spectacular swords in these koshirae because the folks involved understood what they were working with and generally did not mess with masterworks from an earlier period. However on occasion very fine swords may be found in such koshirae. I should be interested in photos of your sword, nakago, blade, koshirae and all. Because they represent a very brief moment in Japanese history I find them all very intriguing -t

Actual photos would be of better use... -t

The image shows piles of mallets and stakes and fan shaped frames and triangles, But I guess what I am really asking is why so many mallets? and where does the image come from? Is this from some tale or is it a visual pun like 鎌○ぬ? ートム

Stephen, "Rangui-ba" are crooked teeth. As I understand it a rangui is fence or defence like a thorn boma, sticks and what have you piled up to make a barrier. Thus crooked teeth look like a rangui. Moriyama-san, Yes mallets and stakes and triangles and fan shaped frames of some sort, I will try to post photos but this item is in the "hands of another". I checked several references including the Tsuba Gadai Jiten and have done a search in Japanese and like Stephen found that Rangui comes up, but the Kakeya (mallet) motif does not... -t

Kakeya Rangui - having just seen a fantastic kozuka and menuki set with a design of "piled up mallets" I wonder if anyone has encountered this theme before and knows its significance? No luck for me so far in the usual references... -t

Estrch - I am hardly in a position to argue with Mr Cunningham, wakizashi with extra thick dull blades fits with what I have encountered in my own limited experience. Given the numbers of police personnel over 250 years or so I would think we would see lots of blunted blades around. That not being the case it has to have been pretty rare from someone to have dulled a perfectly good blade for this purpose. mho -tom

ESTCRH - I think the problem is with the term "blunted", I think "blunt-swords" is probably a clearer idea. These were made blunt/dull from the get-go not fully made nihonto that then had their edges removed. In Kendo Kata people use "Ha-biki" which are blunted swords but these are nickel replicas that have the edge cut off not fully tempered and forge folded blades... FWIW -tom

Jean, maybe you need to ask "How wide is it at the part where the blade begins?" (where the notches are) and "How wide is it at the tip?" (where the yokote line is) and "How thick is it at the base of the blade?" (where the notches in the tang are) and "How thick is it at the tip?" (where the yokote is and the blade flares sightly) Katana-ko sorry if this is putting it too simply, I agree with Jean, the other dimensions will help us get a real idea of the "Monster" status of your wakisashi... -tom

I'm digging that little lacquer dipper you can see in the box of odds and ends, If you've time with all that you have going on i'd love to see a close up of that. -tom

Looks more like a theatrical item, as might be used in Gagaku performance rather than something for kenjutsu practice. MHO -tom

It's upside down... -tom

Ran into this on the Military Channel - The challenge is to improve upon ancient weapons, things like a repeating crossbow. There is one episode on the Katana watching it as I type so have no idea how this will turn out. Does feature Paul Martin. Look for it since it will be in current rotation, apologies if this was posted previously as this was a 2009 episode... -tom PS and now for something a little different; http://tinyurl.com/ce5nkj

Grey - This name does not come up in an internet search, probably no one famous. There was a Daimyo family of Amagasaki Han that used similar kanji in their names, see Aoyama Yoshitoyo and Yoshihide... -tom

The following is from an article in that appeared in the NCJSC newsletter on Okayama; After Sekigahara Kobayakawa Hideaki, 小早川秀秋, was granted the lordship of Bizen he then dismantled outlying Ukita fortresses and castles and used the material to rebuild, repair and expand Okayama-jo. Hideaki died suddenly and without heir, the Tokugawa then installed Ikeda Terumasa 池田輝政, lord of Harima, but unfortunately he was not lord for long. Terumasa’s son, Tadatsugu 忠継 after him was lord of Okayama for only two years before he was killed at the battle of Osaka castle. His son, Tadao 忠雄, enlarged the omote shoin, remodeled the otemon into a masu-gata mon and added three yagura, including one of the last remaining original towers at the castle; the Tsukimi-yagura. After 18 years, Tadao had to swap lands with his cousin, Mitsumasa 光政, who was brought down from Tottori and installed at Okayama where this branch of the family ruled until the Meiji Restoration. http://www.ncjsc.org

Not sure the footage is from a Japanese documentary on sword production, more likely homefront news videos showing war-production. I believe the arsenal photos and movies that we see full of women hard at work on swords is from the Sasebo, arsenal. That it least is what one knowledgeable individual passed on to me... -tom

Grey - Very cool habaki - I believe the Takitsuse is a go for a "swift moving" sword, but I could be wrong. I would look at Inoue as your best candidate for the maker of this, an interesting find and a wonderful exercise thanks for sharing it. -tom

Piers - Since you are in Japan, I found that the best fix for loose fitting saya was a small shim made of "Hyogi". I am sorry I do not know the kanji, but it is paper thin slices of cedar that are used to line packages at the fish-shop. I found a single sheet is enough for years worth of repairs. A small patch inside the koiguchi applied with rice-paste or simple white glue does the trick. Make sure any glue is thoroughly dry before reinstalling the sword/habaki... -tom

Eric - Thanks so much for posting this, a thoroughly enjoyable exercise. -tom Kajihei?

I'm gonna vote for B3 - but I gotta say after looking at Naotane mei all day I don't know how anybody can see similarities in any of his signatures... -tom

Heres the announcement we are still putting the finishing touches on the webpage; The Nihon To-ken Hozon Kai (NTHK) is pleased to announce The 2010 NTHK San Francisco Shinsa August 20th, 21st and 22nd, 2010 San Francisco Airport Marriott Millbrae, California Yoshikawa Eiichi, polisher and curator of swords for the Imperial Household Agency, curator of swords for the Seikado collection and the shosoin repository, will head a team of select appraisers from the NTHK Tokyo home office Submissions $100.00 certification $150.00 fittings must be submitted separately swords with koshirae must be submitted as separate items Email your request for registration information to; nthk2010@toryu-mon.com Note: this is the same location and same weekend as the ncjsc san francisco to-ken taikai