Bazza

Ahhhhh, Guido, I see why we don't have more of you. When you care to pop up you send grown men into a closet, close the door and weep till they're dry... And no wonder I don't put up my eclectic trivia!!! That aside (sob) I have IMMENSELY enjoyed this thread with well-presented discussions from all sides of a multi-faceted divide. There is much to admire across the spectrum. I think the struggles we 'collectively' have to find where we are 'at' in this great endeavor of ours are well articulated here. Thanks blokes. BaZZa

Another good story is Tom Buttweiler's article on Ko Bizen swords (many decades ago now)... BaZZa.

Thin, yes, but it has a takashinogi, easily seen in the last two pictures and not mentioned before. I think this changes the dynamic of the blade, because if it was tired due to over-polishing the takashinogi would be diminished IMHO. Jay, Ken's point above to show us photos of the blade where the machi are centred showing equal portions of the blade and nakago will reveal the extent of polishing over the ages. BaZZa. EDIT: Jay, does it have mitsumume??

Look carefully at the boshi - I think the kissaki has been broken. The koshinogi and fukura of the ha nearly meet!! And the bohi just about runs into the koshinogi. Not a good look at all. Oh, and some Koto had thin kasane and wide mihaba, which this might be. The RAI KUNITOSHI mei is undoubtedly false, so any restoration potential depends on the integrity of the kissaki and to an extent the lack shintetsu. Lastly, the blade looks as if it has been "gone over" in a cleanup... BaZZa.

Jean et al, I have seen such a sugata and kissaki on a Meiji period tanto in a cloisonne koshirae. I have searched for the picture I have of it, but I fear the HDD I stored it on is dead... The shape is indeed unusual and the tanto I saw many years ago is the only one I have ever seen until the pictures above. BaZZa.

"...the glint in his eyes..." This really resonates with me. After 50+ years "with swords" I still feel this as keenly as when I was first smitten. The glint is with me now as I wait for word that an offer on a sword might be accepted... RIP Victor. BaZZa. EDIT: I wrote the above before Clive's tribute appeared. The video is something every politician or person who thinks they might want to ban or destroy Japanese swords should be encouraged to watch. Especially here in Victoria, Australia, "The State We're In!!".

Anthony, wundebar (or whatever Vikings might have said). Thanks so very much for your photos - they must not disappear. Sighhh. It makes a man with only three teppo feel a little small in the pants... BaZZa.

Lance wrote: > Sometimes the tools were carried in little pockets in the scabbards of long frighting swords too Surely this was meant to be frightening swords... BaZZa (Resident #2 Smarta##s)

Ummm - doesn't really matter as IMHO it is a Chinese repro... BaZZa.

Long ago a friend had a tanto (maybe it was a kowakizashi) with an O-kogatana and O-kozuka in the saya. It was a long time ago but somewhere around I still have oshigata and photographs. So John, there is at least one found in a koshirae. The blade was very unusual with a snake horimono. The nakago was extensively signed. I'll post it when I next stumble across the info I've got... BaZZa.

Looks like a Kunitomo teppo and well worthwhile removing the barrel. I'm sure it will be signed. However, one must exercise caution in removing the bbl so as not to damage the stock. Remove the remaining pin, hold the gun butt down and gently tap the bbl from the muzzle end to release it from the stock. This could take a lot of time and a lot of GENTLE persuasion, even to using a small rubber or plastic mallet. Patience is the keyword. BaZZa. EDIT - hold both the barrel and sock in an enclosed hand while doing this so the bbl doesn't suddenly release...

Pete - CONGRATULATIONS (through gritted teeth!!!). It once took me 8 years of very occasional persistence to secure a sword... BaZZa.

OK, so we have [42], but what does it mean??? BaZZa.

The habaki is, I would think, portion of a kiku flower (chrysanthemum)?? BaZZa.

Also engraved a single aoi leaf on his swords. IMHO the mei looks very dodgy indeed. I once had such a sword with the aoi leaf that was clearly a WW2 knockoff (I hesitate to use the word utsushi!!). BaZZa.

Does anyone else see a ghost of an old (removed) signature from the mekugiana down past -NAGA???? BaZZa.

Yes, give it a shot. I read it off the top of my head and no doubt dozens of others have too. You can do it. Gambatte kudasai... BaZZa.

A mate of mine who, like me, is interested in "everything" sent me this link recently: https://hyperallergic.com/375907/an-illustrated-19th-century-Japanese-travelogue-of-egypt/ I'm no Randy McCall, but likewise minded readers may also enjoy this read: https://hyperallergic.com/375669/watch-the-british-library-digitize-one-of-the-worlds-largest-books/ I've never heard of hyperallergic.com, but I might just spend some little time there. Bestests, BaZZa.

For your information, and auction with a few tsuba, http://www.invaluable.com/catalog/searchLots.cfm?shw=50&houseRef=HWP5EOI26C&wa=Tsuba&utm_source=house&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=targetedexclusive&utm_content=aca042817 BaZZa.

MODAN style???? BaZZa.

I think the filemarks are a variant of taka-no-ha known as shinogi sujikai/hira kiri See: http://meiboku.info/guide/form/yasurime/index.htm BaZZa.

Hey Mate (chuckle) see this thread: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/20387-dohi-shinryo/ BaZZa.

Good spot Marius, shame about my depleted Exchequer... BaZZa.

FYI - just into my computer: http://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/a-Japanese-court-tachi-in-orange-lacquer-saya.-9774ECEBA7?utm_source=house&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=exclusive&utm_content=why042617 Bestests, BaZZa.

Off the top of my head (baaad, I know), where tobiyaki connects with the hamon it is called something else. Just a note to hopefully trigger the name in someone's better memory. BaZZa.