Bazza

Try Nakayama Hakudo - quite a bit of stuff. BaZZa.

G'day Thomas, I would like the other book please. PM follows soon (after wife-made coffee!!) BaZZa.

Jussi wrote: > Now I am just getting the machine translation as I am not that invested into > starting to type in the Japanese text to computer by myself and figuring out > the translation as for me that takes a long time. Hope I haven't got the tiger by the tail here, but I simply report that I saw my son use his mobile phone to take a picture of Chinese writing on a bottle of some sort (a hot sauce?), then invoke an app that translated the kanji image into English. No doubt the same could be done for any Japanese text??? BaZZa.

Very nice tsuba indeed. Now, I am puzzled by the feature in the photo below. This has risen in discussion on rare occasions, however, I don't know the name of it or what its purpose is. Anyone know?? I have a Muromachi tachikanagushi tsuba with an identical feature. Thanks, BaZZa.

Jean - same way I do - look at the thread and not the date!! Welcome Lenny and you've already discovered that there is A LOT of good stuff here. An ancient thread is known as a necropost. Quite often these can be a real re-discovery... Best, BaZZa. aka Barry Thomas Melbourne, Australia.

How strange!! I've done that too and with the same result... BaZZa.

Also found this text: Google keywords: shirasaya horsetail reed https://islandblacksmith.ca/process/carving-saya-scabbard/ http://www.scnf.org/styled-10/styled-4/styled-8/Saya_2.html https://www.woodworkforums.com/archive/index.php/t-154064.html ABOVE LINK HAS THIS TEXT: Schtoo 12th June 2012, 04:24 PM Steve, Found this after a quick look; blog page with rough instructions about preparing tokusa (http://ameblo.jp/minamototaiken/entry-11168496333.html) In Japanese of course, but they give a rough description of boiling, then drying then wetting and slicing it down a side and peeling it open. The bundles in the pic at the bottom are how I've seen it used, for smoothing out textured surfaces like an abrasive brush. Like I said, I've never used it but I did recall the fellow I was watching being very careful to not only not use it in a vertical orientation, but he repeatedly brought the dust back into the area he was working. That's why I assume it breaks down a little rapidly, but perhaps that was part of how he was using it. I think I can buy it at the home centre here, wrapped up into a puck for smoothing out carved items. Never bothered with it myself though, maybe I should? Oh, I don't know that it's the same plant but there's a kind of garnish/pickle that uses horsetails, and it tastes pretty good. Have to introduce you to e-no-abura/shiso oil/perilla oil. Great finishing oil, and tastes good as salad oil or in leaf form. Stu. Also try keywords tokusa horsetail reed BaZZa.

Martin, The heavy "pock mark" pitting and tang colour suggest to me the possibility of fire damage. Decades ago a policeman gave me a confiscated wakizashi blade that he told me had been found in the remains of a fire. Re-tempering is also a possibility. A polisher or very experienced collector should be able to help with an opinion. Regards, BaZZa.

I've had a copy of this book for decades. A great read. Thanks for the refresher Michael. I also have a favorite passage. I'll have to dig it out... BaZZa.

Bugyotsuji wrote: > PS Your blade actually says 造之 'Tsukuru kore', reading the characters as they are. > Kore wo tsukuru is a slight nod, or further step towards correct grammar, but is an > interpretation, along the path of how to render classical Chinese into readable Japanese... Is the 'o' correct Japanese and the 'wo' a relic of 'old days' English scholar translations??? I don't remember 'wo' from my 3 years of trying to learn kindergarten Nihongo. BaZZa.

A darn good re-read from 2010. Thanks Alexi. So much to read, so little time... BaZZa.

Decades ago I bought 9 swords from one old digger. In the course of conversation he confided to me that he once had a long-barrelled Luger pistol, but he 'took fright', cut it into small pieces and threw them into the nearby (Yarra) River. BaZZa.

A Friend in Steel no longer with us at one time had a Baby Nambu in MINT condition with holster. This was quite the joy to behold. If my memory serves me correctly it was made by the Tokyo Electric Light Company and only 1,200 were made. After his passing I do not know where it went. BaZZa.

Mark, No, no. I'd go with Andrew. I've had another squizz and there is a bit of rust that with a casual look suggests a rh stroke, but the bottom looks right for NAGA. Sigh, my son suggested I don't repair my grumbling auto trans and suggested its even time for me to give up my driver's licence. Perhaps its time for other giving up... BaZZa.

MORIMITSU?? Unless I need new glasses and eyeballs to go with them!! BaZZa.