Lareon

I'm looking for literature on the early Gassan works - pre revival. Can anyone recommend a good source online or physical? Tony

I'm hoping to make a catalogue of my collection. Would most likely post it as a gallery on the forum. I remember reading ages ago someone saying it would be nice to have a few threads that are diffeent people's galleries. Just finding the time to do it.

Really Nice shot Francois. I ended up using a really similar setup I was playing around recently and found the direct light was too destructive to the shot. In the end my perfect light setup was low ambient light 2 x diffuse lights I also had a single warm ring light that I moved around to highlight areas This was with a standard light and it blew out so much at some angles that I lost the detail as soon as the light reflected This was shot with very very low ambient light and a single light source to the left, this pulled out all the details, doesn't look like the blade looks in hand due to every little detail being pulled out by the tight angle. here are a few while i was playing with different light setups, I think next time I will use a different lens because the focus is very shallow on the lens I used and i could only get close up detail shots

is that bo-hi bent at the end, might be the light? also missing the small central inspection stamp next to the tokyo arsenal stamp and gifu stamp, unless i can't see it? the spacing of the text is super tight

Yeah we should be able to walk you through it. 1. Make sure the mekugi (peg) is fully out. 2. As Stephen says . Can you see through the hole? Make sure there isn't a sliver of broken peg or something. 3. Try holding the tsuka (handle) and pressing your thumbs against the tsuba (hand guard) then extending them so your pushing against it while holding the tsuka. The mechanical force should move the tsuka away from the tsuba. 4. If it moves a small amount you can probably then remove it by hand. 5. (PS don't try and use any lubricants like wd40)

I would like one more Kai Gunto but not found "the one" yet and a copper nco with tassel to finish off my gunto collection (if it's ever finished tbh i always end up picking one up here and there) actually one thing i don't have is a gunto with a mon surprisingly so i guess one of those too.

yes for 400 that's a good buy in my opinion, as said before; the mon on there could indicate something nice beneath the surface. Steven's method of removing the handle is a good one, also what i do is hold the handle tightly in my hand and with my other hand i hit my wrist just above where I'm gripping, i do the reverse when putting it back together and gravity does the work. i find it very gentle on the sword and effective. remember to try not to touch the blade with your hands as the oils in your skin will damage it. wipe it clean with isopropyl alcohol as people have said. don't try and remove any rust or anything. especially from the tang under the handle. post up some pictures of both sides when it's removed.

as a follow up, in the UK at least if you need parts https://www.japanesewarriors.co.uk/ I bought two Seppa a while back and a tassel and the service and price was good. he's in the links section at the top of the page

I found tassels fairly easy to get but the leather nco tassels have been much harder to get hold of. a few times i've bought swords that had tassels that weren't even displayed on auction photos and just came with it in the end. luckily I only have 1 sword without a sarute and that's an nco type 95. i'm not really interested in finding a replacement for it. one of my gunto came with the leather all weather hood. That wasn't listed in the original listing too which was nice. If the sword came with the tassel i leave it with its owner. all separate tassels I've got stored away out of the light so they don't degrade.

It's an 1883 officers sword ensign - captain

https://www.bygoneblades.com/buy-Japanese-muromachi-period-wakizashi-sword-bizen-kunisumi-osafune-katsumitsu while not confirmed, here is a wakizashi with a signature purporting to be from him

Had access to my DSLR this weekend and also with a help from some well placed lighting. Got a nice video of some of the hada I'll stop filling the forum with photos of this sword now haha

Ok so update. In the daylight I can see the boshi clearly and managed to get a photo of it

Well when I first started collecting a few years ago my primary interest was gunto and I knew nothing about nihonto and didn't feel like I knew enough to be a caretaker for them. I liked the beat up old swords and I liked to give them a home. I also don't mind buying unseen a little as theres far less competition and also a bit of a thrill finding something good inside. (Case in point). If it's not then I still have a little piece of history that deserves to be looked after. As my collection has grown I joined the forum and have slowly been sharing a few pieces I have here and there instead of lurking. This has made me want to expand into true nihonto. My goal was to have my gunto collection and a few older blades and find one that would be the centrepiece of my collection. I told myself I'd sell my lowest gunto and use the funds to buy nihonto but in the end I haven't ever tried to sell one of them. Feels to me like I've skipped a few steps and found something. So in all likelihood It will be polished I don't know who and where yet and I'm not really interested in making a profit from it in any way. I paid more for a couple of my gunto than this. Since posting this on the forum I spent every day reading up on all the little bits people have spoken about in the replies so feel free. negatives and positives I want to hear them all I'm not worried in any way. Cheers guys

Here is the kissaki. It measures 1.5cm from the point shown in the photo. @Rivkin I can't see the hamon around this area at all Total length of of the whole sword is 120cm in the koshirae.

Every time I take this out and look at it. I see a new beautiful section in a different light.

Yup here you go. I took quite a lot of photos of this area so if you want anything more let me know. It lines up perfectly with the last Seppa and tsuba so I'm thinking it's some kind of marking from that

It had one photo of the sword in the koshirae. No pictures of the nakago or description of any damages etc. Was sold as unsigned and Shinto. I've been expanding out from gunto recently and been buying books like crazy. Bought my first couple of fakes the other day due to careless research on my part and expanding into an area I'm not so familiar with. but luckily cancelled the order thanks to the forum. I'd had my eye on a katana in the same auction as the handachi but the size of the handachi and the simple elegance of its shape just kept pulling me in and in the end I bid for that instead of the katana. i've attached the image

I've spoken to Paul at the To-Ken society, he graciously gave me a call and some advice on where to take the sword for an appraisal and then potentially a polish in the future. most likely will not be doing anything until the new year with it but will post updates when and if there are any.

Hi Robert, The cutting edge is 33.38" / 84.8cm I had the measurement slightly off before

any tips on who i should contact and in what order would be great (I'm in the UK) I'm currently writing an email to the to-ken society of GB to get advice but would love some guidance on who to talk to from the forum. Tony

yes I was going to do a charcoal rubbing

here's the best i could do with my current location and phone camera at the weekend i'll have my DSLR so will be able to take some better more detailed photos instead of with my phone (this is also just one side of the blade flipped instead of both sides) added a straightened image

Since the post last night i have only taken photos and now just oiled the blade lightly for storage. I wont do anything else