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Professor Zhirinovsky

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Everything posted by Professor Zhirinovsky

  1. Yeah, I think I'll probably give it a pass. Just having a hard time finding the sort of abstract design I'm looking for, but I should probably just be patient.
  2. There is a matching fuchi, but I'm hoping the images here will be enough for a good/bad evaluation.
  3. I'm confused. Is this not a kashira? The "head" of the tsuka?
  4. So, looking about for a not-to-expensive vintage set of fuchi kashira, with simple, abstract designs (no people, animals, plants) for a Showato blade. I came across this, with a certain clan mon that may fit the bill. But I'm a novice here. I don't want to buy something new or repro, or otherwise low-quality garbage. What say ye?
  5. Yeah, I think you guys are right. It looked a bit like hada under the light, but in the pics they look much more 3 dimensional. Must be some sort of long abrasions.
  6. Hada images...assuming this wood-grain element is hada. I had to photograph it through a magnifying glass. I've got a couple of questions. I've tried to research for definitive answers, but to no avail. So, can someone clue me in to how we can identify this as Showato? And how to tell if a blade is traditional vs. non-traditional? These past years I've been able to ID Gunto blades easily enough by the presence of arsenal and seki stamps, and the fresher appearance of the nakago. But a thing like this that to my untrained eye says made in a typical shape, with a typical hada, and I think a typical hamon (I still can't figure out how to tell water from oil -- is it a matter of nie? Hamon form and details?), and with a mumei nakago in this condition (albeit in this case, altered by improper cleaning), what is the point(s) being examined that suggests this time period and not that? What thing can I point at here and say "this means 20th C."?
  7. Thanks again for the thought food, guys. The more I think about it, the more I lean toward the civilian mounts. I just received a simple and (I hope) suitable iron tsuba with a pattern on it (fogged-in mountains? I dunno for sure what it represents) that nicely matches the hamon that I'm very pleased with. Speaking of which, I busted the camera out again, and this is the best I could do for blade images. It still makes the hamon look more flat and solid than it actually is, but under this particular low, incandescent light, with little reflection, it is at least possible to see a long stretch of it in a photo. Viewed outside and under magnification, the hamon has a multi-layered, cloudy, at points almost grainular testure, with a light frosty halo-effect at certain points. I don't know if that is enough to tell if it is water or oil-quenched. I'm relieved to say it does have a masame hada. My eyes are terrible nowadays, so I haven't been able to get a glimpse of it until today. Evidently I'm only able to see it under magnification, outside and on a cloudy day. Otherwise it gets drowned-out in glare and reflection.
  8. You would think I'd have learned the first time, but here we are yet again. Thanks for the great suggestion on recycling an old gunto tsuka core. I'm going back and forth on what direction to go, between full gunto, and early 20th C. civilian mounts. Those flowery gunto tsuba and kashira, while appropriate for their time and purpose, aren't really my style. And if this is likely a pre-war Showa blade (as I'm guessing from the lack of seki stamp), that gives me a few more options to choose from.
  9. Examining it closely with a magnifying glass, under both sunlight and artificial light, I don't believe this to be the case. What appear to have happened is that a rusted, pitted surface has been worn down with some abrasive...my guess would be an aggressive application of sandpaper. Followed by...dare I say it? A nice coat of Naval Jelly. I believe this treatment has given areas a flattened surface punctuated by isolated "dimples", wearing the top portion of the pits level and giving them an individual "punched" appearance. Other areas, where our handyman hero missed, the entire surface of that area is still pretty rough and looks like you would expect of an old piece of iron that has corroded.
  10. It has the habaki. You can see it in the picture of the saya, to the lower right. Where I'm at with it is that if it is at least a gunto blade, I can put it in a period-correct gunto tsuka/tsuba, and have a gunto sword. It may not be what I'd hoped for, but such swords do at least have a place in history.
  11. Well, that possibility was in my mind, hence the title. So how bad did I get beat up? Also, if I wanted to put it back in gendai mounts, how would I do that, and how much good money would I have to chase after bad?
  12. Trying to get a better picture of the edge, but none of my pics are turning out very well. I'm also not seeing a hada, but my eyes are crap for fine detail anymore. The blade has a habaki and saya. No tsuka or tsuba, etc. Well, like I said. It was a dice roll. Hopefully I'm not too bad off.
  13. Well, I damn sure hope that title doesn't apply to me, but I rolled the dice and took my chances! I've admired and sort of passively studied nihonto for many years, and as an antiques guy (past-time dealer) I've had some war-era swords pass through my hands, as well as a lower-end but old wakisashi. This is the first time I've sought out a blade, and bought it for (what I hope was) its proper characteristics. I paid $950 with shipping. So here it is. Please let me know what I've got. The blade is 26.5" long from ha-machi to kissaki. Mumei nakago. Pitted, with a thin, hard, charcoal-colored patina. The haman is a billowy shape - because of the reflective surface and lighting, my photos can't quite capture it. I can't find any marks or defects in the blade. No forging weaknesses or mechanical damage (to my untrained eye, anyway). A couple of tiny pinhead rust pits to the spine. The saya is a little easier for me to judge; the leather combat cover is clearly quite old, with a typical dryness, stiffness and mild mustiness that comes with age. I assume it is WWII period, fitted over an older saya. All that fits perfectly to the blade. Give it to me straight. Fingers crossed.
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