Bazza

Let us note that the shirasaya is in tora honoki - "tiger striped" honoki. A better class of honoki shirasaya used for better blades. Discussion??? BaZZa.

Ahhhh, a rare beauty. Love the barrel plug - original to the gun, I wonder??? Never heard of tobi no o before. Very interesting indeed. Thank you for posting Gary, I really enjoyed seeing this. In over 50 years of collecting I have only seen two o-zutsu and cannot remember the breech configuration. Something new learned today. BaZZa.

> Aoi is like a freak circus with the occasional orphan child which shows high potential. > ... name calling a seller that has served our community for goodness knows how long isn't very cool. All well and good - BUT - with TokuHo and a nice koshirae what's not to like for the majority of collectors - apart from the price?? How is the beginning collector or even a reasonably experienced one to make such a fine distinction about "where is the catch" even when the sword shows the distinct imo-no-zuru.of Satsuma smiths and appears exemplary in every other respect. The givers of theTokuHo surely saw no "down" feature to refuse the paper ranking. Why the sword is so thin is indeed a source of wondering and almost begs for an obligatory photo looking down on the nakago/machi junction to discern "normal;" over "heavy polishing"?? Hmmmmm... BaZZa.

It might not have any bearing on the present discussion, but long ago I read "To this day no one knows how the Hizen smiths made their steel". I have a rough idea who said it (Japanese togishi) and where it was published (English newsletter). BaZZa.

To be VERY overly pedantic, neither menuki NOR kashira are beaten into shape over a former... BaZZa (mit luffinks)

Yes Jim P - BUT NOT TO IMPORT ONE... Ahhhh, the stupid, stupid, stupid b'luddy sword laws in Victoria!! In my experience anyone can import a Nihonto - or any sword - into Victoria and no one checks the importer's legal status. No one. The sword laws in Victoria are STATE legislation and apply only to the State of Victoria in Australia - NO OTHER State in Australia has been stupid enough to enact such laws. The only law pertaining to importing swords into Australia in general (and Victoria) is Federal law administered by Australian Border Force (previously known as Customs...) where the value of the import attracts GST (Goods and Services Tax). Up to the present time this GST has been levied on goods declared as over AUD $1,000 in value. One pays the tax and that is all there is to it. The sword then comes to your address. There is NO OTHER check as to your legal status to possess a sword in Victoria as it is not required anywhere else in this great country of ours. The onus is on the importer to be "a good guy" and read his crystal ball to know that in order to simply possess a sword (not import one!!!!) he or she has to have membership of an approved exempt organisation, of which there are quite a number from Tai Chi, Scottish sword dancing, Re-enactment groups, Freemasons and the like and so on and so on. The list is extensive. EDIT 1: Having attended to the Tax issue one then picks up the sword from the Post Office or as delivered by the courier service (FedEx or whomsoever) with no other issues or difficulties. I could write another paragraph about the split of jurisdiction between the Police and the Justice Department over the requirements of The Sword Laws. Its an extraordinarily and entirely lamentable - and laughable - state of affairs in the legal and parliamentary processes that created this truly historically and culturally ignorant law. Any Victorian resident requiring advice can PM me for discussion and advice (I have already received one such PM). Best regards, EDIT 2: To answer Maximillian's question - just ship it to the buyer's address as one would normally do and declare the full value of the goods. The GST is 10% of value including postage and insurance AND Australian Border Force charges the importer an AUD $95 processing fee... BaZZa (aka Barry Thomas)

Permit me to disagree. Not Masataka. I'll give my reason after some research. I'll be back... BaZZa.

IMHO far too much concentration on the mei amd not enough on the blade. The kanji on Dave's sword is clumsy cf the elegance of Steve M's papered example above. On the scant evidence so far I would opine this is a Shinshinto blade or possibly even a Showa era production. I have seen clearly Showato blades with 17th century mei... Let's talk more about the blade, and Dave, you really need to get this sword to more experienced eyes in hand. Best regards, BaZZa.

JohnTo wrote: > Lets now turn to hitsu ana plugs. I have several iron tsuba with shakudo plugs in one or both of the hitsu ana (see example This needs a little amplification. In my experience the hitsuana plugs are not solid. Rather, they are composed of a separate, thinner sheet plug fitted to each side of the hitsu ana. Any dissenters??? BaZZa.

Chris and all, that was very interesting indeed. Can we see the tsuba as well??? I'm a little concerned that many of the mei seem to have been "over polished", suggesting the tsuba have seen better days. BaZZa.

PM sent to Yurie san with attachment. BaZZa.

I wonder if they don't simply "grow". I have something to write up about some iron lumps I found on an old trailer coupling that might illuminate "something". Give me time - sighhhh. Barry "Gunnadoo" Thomas.

I've sometimes seen my swords in a different light when someone else is holding them and the light is right, as if a little distance changes the way one perceives the sugata. Congratulations Jeremiah and I'm sure most of us are on the sidelines cheering mightily that a fellow collector has achieved a tightly held desire. I just love your new sword, particularly the "spotted nie" sprinkled surface. Magnificent. BaZZa

Chris, I think there is a white balance issue with your two photos?? Too much blue in the colour??? EDIT: What is the tsuba on the right in the first photo?? I have a feeling you've shown it before??? BaZZa.

Not forgetting to mention a considerable amount of discretionary money, the bane of most collectors I meet including myself!! An average hakujin collector just has to do more with less... BaZZa.

Bruce, Oh Dreary Me - I didn't look at it closely, to my shame. Of course if its bare wood it needs a cover. I thought without thinking (one of my frequent mental states!) that it was a metal cover. Sighhhh. Barry (Head in the Basket) Thomas. aka BiZar...

Ummmmm, George san, why must you have a leather cover?? I understand these were put on for combat zones and were no doubt (?) therefore meant to be taken off when hostilities ceased. Is it not so that many shingunto koshirae never had leather covers??? Barry (Head on the Block) Thomas aka BaZZa.

Having lost a dear friend of decades a couple years ago I know how heart-rending such a loss can be. My sincere condolences to all who were close to Fred. Yours in sympathy for your loss, Barry Thomas aka BaZZa.

I would opine definitely not Komai. Komai work of high quality is "signed" with a kao and is stylistically different (?). Again, whilst a good-looking tsuba it doesn't compare IMHO to the meticulous work of Komai. EDIT: I don't otherwise have a clue OTTOMH what school it might be. BaZZa (Having a great catch-up time tonight, but I have a more important catch-up yet to attend to...)

Paul, Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the habaki is made when shitaji is completed and then blade and habaki go to the shirasaya artisan. BaZZa.

Hi John and all, > I'd be in like Flint. I believe the man mentioned should be Flynn, Errol Flynn... BaZZa.

I support $2k as well, with or without a kozuka. To me the blade shape looks a little "awkward" and with the gunome hamon I'm tipping Shinshinto. The toppei koshirae is a nice touch, I think. I'm wondering if the ito will turn out to be lacquered paper (I have one such tsuka) as the broken strand looks too thick to be baleen. The saya lacquer looks very nice and the ribbed top to the saya is not easy to do and to me it "looks good". Looking forward to further revelations. BaZZa.

... and why left-to-right and not right-to-left??? Would this not be read TOMONAGA??? Why not vertical - there is plenty of room. BaZZa.

As for the blade - I would have said early Shintou Yasutsugu school with Kinai (?) bori. But Muromachi period??? Please tell, attributed to whom?? BaZZa.

Certainly not a stitch in time!!!! BaZZa.