lonely panet

ok gentleman back to the translation, HHAHHAH Im very thankfull with all your help, I m guessing that the small writing is dates? donation made

they sound nice, BBBUUUUUTTTTT I like pics

Hi guys, got a big ask, can you please translate the hand writing on the back of this photograph please. I know its easy for some but I don't understand the handwriting so google translator is not helping me at all for your help, I will make a small donation to the board. kind regards Hamish

thanks for all the comments guys, you raise good points, I will have to give it a good thinking over. the other question, is if I do choose to sell, who do you choose to pass them on too? I have some rare stuff. I was lucky enough to be in the right place with the right amount of enthusiasm with a older and very respected collector who chose to pass them onto me as the next generation of care taker. I don't wish to let him down by just selling them on to JUST any random person

well, the title says it all (HAHHAAHAHAH) Im expecting my first child in six months and have tried to retire from collecting buy selling off the bits I can live with out and keeping the good stuff. but its a hard addiction to kick, and I sometimes feel like just selling it all off because it will just sit there doing nothing. but don't want to be one of these old guys, who we all know who say " I had one of those but sold it" does anyone have a way of helping with the change so to speak hahahahhaah regards H

both fakes, IMHO

lucky you, well the habaki is really nice. always loved the gold foiled ones. the suguha is done very well too

iv been the high end shop. very nice stuff, and they are very polite staff.

the F&G books are some what out dated and incorrect on some topics. Jim Dawsons books are better

its fuzzy, very fuzzy

I think your confussing the type 95 nco's sword with the LATE WAR issued ncos sword. they are 2 vary different swords. late war issued swords are on the whole 99.59% were junk. poorly made. and you maybe very well be correct on that fact, "forged with power hammers" due to the poor and uneven shapes encountered. The type 95 ncos sword is machine made balde. if you doubt this just get 10 line them up and try and find a different in the blades?

check out Jim Dawson's book. but I would imagine that the Japanese wouldn't have bothered retaining much about this model. they were most likely made in simular manner to the type 32's. western mill steal, machine stamped blank's, then shaped,grooved and basic edges applied, all by machine's, then hand assembled,

sorry I miss read your question. the koshire was made just to fit your blade (spos you could call it custom made) but all swords start like this. 1st the sword then all fittings made to fit that sword, almost like a production line. that's why you have those small notches, its to help Id which saya, tsuka, etc goes with what sword

if I think I understand your question the company grade Kyu gunto normally came in two version, one and two hand style. but due to the cottage industry type of manufacture, they are almost all simular in design but differ in the type of factory they were made or by the craftsman who finished them. some will have up to 6 seppa, and others will just 2. I have one that the blade was made the same time the fittings were but has 6 very well made seppa. no real function, probably just looked nicer with more. dating Kyu gunto mounts in easy between 1883 and 1934, hahahahaha after that is probably impossible. maybe if yours has a rare manufactur stamp??

Hi Ben, congrats on the new blade. its whats referred to as a COMPANY GRADE Kyu gunto, compay meaning the lowest out of the three ranked versions. company, field and general grade. what Omura refers to as "Command" sabre is a generals grade dress sword, yours is a weapon. the ball tassel is called a 1912 german tassel. most of the early Japanese military swords were styled in European manner as the early Japanese military fashioned themselves on the prussion/german army because they were winning everything at that time. keep up the good work as the military stuff tends to be over looked, or looked down apon as inferior compared to "true samurai sword"

well thanks to the last post, I know that's helped make up my mind. next stop togi town

wow, the emura smith had a very wide range of working styles. whats is mei, read "chounsai emura" as the yakidashi isn't something iv seen on gendai

sorry to hear about your father. hope he gets better

Hi, and congrat's on your new sword. good news its NO fake, tho in poor condition I would say by the look of the nakago, it's suriage. and older then 150years. you didn't pay to much, but its not a bargin either. can you clean the balde abit and re-take photos and board members might be able to help ID it for you

it does make me think, could a polish bring out more activity it the piece, and sharpen up the lines and define some of the more pleasant area's. iv got some pics of the noi line. BUT with out further study"polishing would help", how can we learn what are the better features of the smith or if he has any standard traits (apart from a distinctive Mei) and what style to polish in?

sorry, but I thought the forward leaning yokote was a effect of the photograph, is that what we are looking at ?

can you spell core steal

yep, that's my issue. and theres no shortage of his work either, and he has many levels of quality. but I was thinking that this is a better then average Emura gendai, so was thinking to would be a good example to hold onto. I know that most Japanese only sell these as the demand comes from the western collector, but on the whole, I am hoping to convert afew collectors that dismiss gendai as inferior to the so called true samurai sword of pre meiji restoration.

Hi Peter, thanks for the pics, looks like ours a simular in style. mine is abit hard to photograph, as the steal is very bright and reflective. I had to change my lighting to suit each type of activity with in the blade.

Hi guys, well if you didn't know by now, I collect imperial swords, its what I like and can afford. iv had a few gendai-to now, and iv seen a lot of emura, none of which were that great in my opinion. BUT I have one and think its worth the cost of polishing. so if anyone has some good pics of a polished emura can you please post them, as I would like to see how they turned out. They are rated medium to high gendai, but there Jigane is poor compared to yasukuni, aswell as the general shape too. The one I have, the Ji-nie is really large, random and appealing, and has some nice O-hada. but sadly lacks any uniformity in the hada, but the boshi is finished with what looks like hakikake so I will post pics soon regards H