DTM72

it was great meeting and chatting with you. Dan

I'll be there, with two tables. I will have a small sign on the table with my NMB screen name "DTM72". I will have one red suit and one black suit of armor on each end of the table. Please stop by and say hello! Dan

So sorry to hear that! lol

Started my packing yesterday. I have so much that I have to pull a trailer to bring all of it!

I think I may have found the National Treasure of, well not Japan, but some other country. Well I'm not sure any country would claim this. WWII Navy Kai Gunto for the Buy it now price of $2999.00 ! It's not even a Kaigunto! It is bent, got multiple edge dings, chrome plated alloy, tarnished alloy fittings...total trash! The handle (can't bring myself to call it a tsuka) has been removed but no pictures of the tang (not worthy of being called nakago). https://www.ebay.com/itm/364946612315

Jewelery and Coin often get tables at the Chicago and Orlando shows. Great guys to deal with. I have bought from them on and off eBay and traded with them, in person. I have heard it mentioned that Showa22 and The Samurai Monkey 24 are the same person. <-- not sure if that is true.

You only missed it by 1 letter. Close enough right? Tada Sada 忠 定 At a quick look, they somewhat look similar...especially once chiseled in the chippy Showato fashion. Have you ever seen the Gifu stamp on the mune?

Yoshi 義 Tada 忠

I just got a blade with a gifu stamp on the nakago (tachi mei) AND the back edge. Never seen that before. This is on a type 3 RS. Dated June of 1945 (Showa Ni Jyu Nen Roku Gatsu) 昭和二十年六月 <-- latest date I have owned.

Bruce, Your work amazes me! One day in the distant future, people will look back at this site and see the work you and others have undertaken and be very thankful for the information they have found. You are appreciated!

If you have it, I need the koiguchi for at type 3 RS saya, as well as the kojiri for the same saya. <-- long shot I know, but doesn't hurt to ask. Thick brass seppa. You are the best Mark!

Judging by the choji style hamon near the habaki, I might be willing to bet this could be an Emura or a Nagamitsu.

A point of reference for this statement. Tachi mei is with the signature facing outwards,when worn as a tachi,with edge down. Similarly, katana have the mei facing outwards as well, when worn as a katana, with edge up. Since the type 94's and 98's were styled and worn as tachi, following tradition, they should all have the signature as tachi mei...but, we see signatures on both sides for showato, and gendaito.

Building on what Brian posted, Buy something in decent enough polish to appreciate. Project blades usually stay that way forever. I don't want to use the term "project blade" but many of us started with a cheap priced blade that we have these ideas of saving with a polish. <-- without knowing what a TRUE polish entails or if it is even worth a polish. Buy one good sword instead of multiple cheaper ones. At one time I had 15-20 cheap blades that all needed polish, or had missing fittings, needed a tsuka re-wrap or replacement. All were blades that I could afford at the time and none were really "keepers" or something to be proud of. Bad flaws will only bother you more and more over time. Buy the best condition you can afford. As I learned more about Nihonto, flaws were something I could not overlook. As a beginning collector I would often say to myself that "It's a nice blade except that one blister (fukure) or that one split (kizu)" My eyes were able to look past the flaws, back then. Now my eyes are drawn to the flaws and cannot look past them! Think of it in terms of a woman. She has a great body and a cute face, except for her big nose. A young guy may be ok with her for a short time. As you get older, you want the total package and cannot look past the giant nose. Wishing you all the best! Dan

If I still lived in Coventry, I would gladly come visit you...but I am back with the other unruly Yanks on this side of the pond. I wish you well at the show! Dan

I am starting to get some last minute enquiries as to my Orlando Shinsa service. There is still time to make this happen, but time is of the essence! I am driving from South Carolina to Florida on Thursday June 20th so items for shinsa MUST arrive to me by no later than Wednesday June 19th. I will do everything I can to help out, but I need to plan accordingly for how to pack my items, and yours as well. Help me help you! lol. Please feel free to reach out and get your blades to shinsa. There is still time, but we are just 2 weeks away. All the best! Dan

Ron, Sorry for the slow reply, was working out of town and did not check my messages on here. <-- please forgive me. I sent a message back to you. If you have any additional questions, feel free to reach out. Dan

I agree with 南海太郎朝高 Nankai Taro Tomotaka. https://www.sakurama...ankai-taro-tomotaka/ <-- looks to be the same sword.

I too saw a video of spear fighters using both sankaku yari and jumanji yari the same way, (bashing from above, not stabbing) in hopes that it can hit shoulders, necks, forearms, etc. A wounded soldier becomes a liability in battle.

Same happened to me. I got a 97 with a nice same' covered saya. Then got into the Navy kyuguntos with family blades. Seems to be my favorite style, at the moment.

What he said @GeorgeLuucas

We tried. @Mark @shakudo @vajo

You can get some quickly from Amazon Black or Red https://www.amazon.c...ps%2C141&sr=8-3&th=1 More traditional white https://www.amazon.c...ps%2C141&sr=8-2&th=1

Is that a field officer tassel I see? Very interesting yasurime on the nakago.

We are getting closer to the show date. @Japan2112 has informed me that the holtel block of rooms, for discounted prices, ends in two weeks. Make your hotel reservations soon! Orlando is one of the bigest tourist destinations in the world, and the hotels know it and they price high accordingly. If anyone has swords, tsuba, or koshirae they would like to submit to shinsa, and cannot attend, please let me know. I will submit on your behalf. See information above or contact me directly. Dan