Bazza

I offer photos of a small teppo that I was able to examine recently. Its not a bajouzutsu, it just seems "small", like a boy's BB gun or Daisy Rifle and very light to handle. The barrel is 53.9cm with a bore of 10mm/11mm and the overall length is 87.3cm. The barrel is signed MAKIBARI, suggesting a single wrap, a cheaper manufacturing method. There is a province I can't reconcile with any, so I guess a variant kanji I'm not familiar with. The inscription reads ? SHU JU. Below that is a name I can't read either, but I fancy I can see a -YASU for the second character. The condition of the gun is good save for the octagonal barrel, which is heavily rusted. Another feature suggesting cheaper manufacture for a boy is that the priming pan cover is sheet brass fixed with a rivet. Having said all that, the lock is beautifully made with a maker's stamp and in perfect working order. For anyone wanting more I have high res versions of all the images as well as numerous other closeups. BaZZa.

Dare I speak the unspeakable???? BaZZa.

Gentle Ffolke, The following item has sold on eprey. It is billed as a naginata but looks more like a Persian scimitar with its huge sori. I have no doubt it is a genuine Japanese item, but that sori... Any comments??? http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/181656280560?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 BaZZa.

Eric, Just a note on your habaki. You mention "rainbow colours" - these could be from a very thin coating of oil, or from a developing patination after an origianl shakudo colour has been cleaned off by a nuff nuff (not an Aussie term, but I love it!!!). High quality shakudo when cleaned back to bright copper will self-patinate. It can occur fairly quickly (months) or with poorer quality shakudo (less gold in the copper - 15 grades of quality I believe) it can take quite a few years. So my suggestion is to clean your habaki with isopropyl alcohol and keep it scrupulously clean from any oil, including finger prints. Also, do not oil any of the soft metal fittings, not even iron fittings. Only the blade. For temporay storage a newspaper scabbard is a perfectly reasonable way to keep a blade. Best regards, BaZZa.

One can see pitting in parts that suggests gold-coloured paint over iron??? (small edit) BaZZa.

FWIW, a friend of mine has a karimata yanone signed MOTOYASU. A beautiful piece. If there is interest I'll try and put up a photo of it - it is a long way away from me and my friend is not technologically gifted so it might take awhile. Bestests, BaZZa.

Somewhat reminiscent of Mino Kanefusa??? BaZZa.

Robert, Thank you for your thoughts. The rust is that "pock marked" kind that thoroughly obliterates kanji, however, I can see what might be a remnant stroke that is suggestive of a Showa date and it follows that it would also have been signed. Of course, this could be sheer over-imagination on my part!! I'm not "sure" that it is a Gendaito. I am sure that it is a reasonably well-made blade. I have an impression of Gendaito because of the "look" of the steel and the polish itself, both reminiscent of a Showa era work. I did of course note the kiri nakago jiri suggestive of suriage, but some swords are made this way. Thomas said "older than Gendaito" and it may prove to be so. I would think no earlier than Shinshinto, but I'll have a collective opinion from a couple of mates later in the day. Bestests, BaZZa.

HAHAHAHAHAHA - the thought hadn't escaped me, except that the "hook" is on the right hand vertical stroke instead of the left!!!! Brian, agreed about the ' i ' kanji lacking any professionalism in execution, however I thought it might be someone's idiosyncrasy, rather than an idiotsyncracy!! Older than Gendai?? As we all know, harder without the sword in hand. I'll be showing it to others later today, so there may be more revelations - I pray they are not considered ravelations!!! Thank you all for your thoughts. I don't post often but spend more time than my wife would like in my "cave" absorbing NMB ... BaZZa.

Dear Brethren, I have on loan a Shingunto that has a traditionally made blade 28.8 cm long that I'm sure is a gendaitou. The hamon is nie in gunome midare with some tsume formations. The hamon has a look of quality, with ashi and you. The nakago is, regrettably, completely rusted although I'm reasonably sure it was once signed and dated. Interestingly, there is a small kanji right at the tip of the nakago that appears to be ' i ' - 井. Is this sufficient for anyone to have a stab (!) at the swordsmith??? Two pics below. Thanks, BaZZa.

Joe, a very,very nice sword with quiet quality. Note especially the hitodome on the kurikata - base gold plate, with shakudo plate next, then last the gold closing plug (I'm sure all these minute bits have separate names - koseppa???). You couldn't hope to do better for a first sword. Goodness me, even with the sageo and original bag AND the tsukaito (hilt binding) nicely intact. So often old silk is crumbling away, or beginning to, with sometimes a menuki missing. Oh, and the lacquer with nary a blemish. SWEET. And the price!!! In my book this is more than excellent value, it is a steal. I wish you good fortune for your future collecting, but you are unlikely to do as well for a very long time - unless you have pots of money, of course. I have a friend who sprung a nidai Tadahiro wakizashi out of an arms and militaria shop in an original koshirae, the whole koshirae of the same quiet quality as your sword. I told my friend he was unlikely to ever do that again, and he paid a similar price to you. Nice to know it still happens. Best regards BaZZa.

01 is I think WAKIZASHI NYUMON, probably by Mitsuo Shibata. BaZZa.

Well, let me be the first to stick my neck out!! Even though I can scarcely make out the kanji, let alone read them, this inscription is on the ura so I might opine that it is a date??? Being a tanto (??) it is not likely to be a tachimei?? Is there nothing on the the other side of the nakago, Klaus??? **RABID SPECULATION** If there is nothing on the other side then maybe - MAYBE - a Muramasa mei has been excised and the date left??? BaZZa.

AND??? Brian, can we insert voice clips as per photos??? C'mon Jean, we need an audio file to hear exactly what your accent is. My most memorable French accent isn't Maurice Chevalier (though it does resonate inside my head still); no, it is Pepé Le Pew. As Pepé might say, and certainly Maurice, Vive la difference!! BaZZa.

Mmmmmm - I like it heaps. Is it signed??? A HOSONO school piece by any chance??? Regards, BaZZa.

Gorgeous looking gun, a bit down in condition but immensely interesting. First thing noted was the steel spring - looks like the gun was converted to percussion. Can you confidently remove the barrel?? It will surely be signed... Best regards, BaZZa.

Also, the last two pictures suggest a yakiotoshi even with the habaki in position. Strange given it is presumably machiokuri, so then is it a retemper??? BaZZa.

Hi Jim P, KASHU JU NIN and MITSU ? Regards, BaZZa.

My copies arrived a couple days ago. Magnificent book - here I'm talking of presentation, design and layout. The book is a masterpiece in its own right. I'm assuming that the content is spot on and being a sort of "iron guy" I'm going to enjoy spending a lot of time looking through this, then looking at my "iron discs" for comparison. Nothing much there to write home about!! Oh, and being a sort of iron guy I fair swooned over Darcy's Juyo "Eye Candy" post. Wht go to Heaven - we have it here on Earth. Huge thanks to Piers for making a great effort to bring this book to us and to Marcus for posting out my copies. The good will of folks on this Board is truly humbling. Best regards, Barry Thomas aka BaZZa.

Teo, it is a very long road you have ahead of you if you decide to stick with Nihonto as a DOU - a Way of Life. Spend your $1,000 on selected books - you will find discussions here about that. Learn how to use the Board to your learning advantage - the "Search" function and the "Articles" section are good places to start. The next most useful thing I find these days (apart from my library) is google. Just put yakiotoshi into google and read all about it. Best regards, BaZZa.

Again, just to post a photo of a kama "in action". I've had this ukiyoe for nearly 50 years, having bought it as a newbie wanting anything to do with swords - the polisher fitted the bill!! I'm sure the ukiyoe cognoscenti will know, but I believe this to be by UTAGAWA TOYOKUNI I. I did some googling once and found a hint of a legend wherein a polisher ruined the sword of a samurai and here we see said samurai taking his revenge. Note the MIE pose - the cross-eyed expression was intended to indicate intense emotion - on this topic see for example http://www.shogungallery.com/wwwboard/a ... 3/100.html I mentioned this ukiyoe in the following thread, but at the time didn't have a photo available. Having found it this present thread seems just the place to post the photo: http://www.nihontomessageboard.com/nmb/ ... dcfab348a4 Best regards, BaZZa.

It is interesting to see what appears to be a yakiotoshi (hamon coming off before hamachi). Only seen it once in 50 years... not that I see so many!! Here is the danger of commenting on offered photos when one really needs to hold a sword in your hands. To me this is uninspiring and has the "look" of a Shôwatô. Bestests, BaZZa.

CLAP CLAP CLAP - a SOUSHOU tameshimei. Morita san, you are a lifesaver to we hakujin. What a brilliant mei - and is the swordsmith's name not there at all??? Can anyone trump this soushou mei and give Morita san another challenge????? And let us please see details of the blade. Is it in antique koshirae or Shinguntou?? Best regards, BaZZa.

I am told by a freind in swords that TOKO TAIKAN page 409 has an oshigata of the sandai. I'm also told that Shibata's REI has numerous oshigata/photos of later generation Teruhiro in the HEISEI issues without generation mentioned, apart from earlier issues having oshigata noted as shodai or nidai. Best regards, BaZZa.

Evan, Thanks very much for the definitive link with Oracle Darcy's concluding post beautiful menuki. I have no idea where I read the leopard connection, but I'm certainly glad to have that little misunderstanding cleared up. I'll go back to that thread and "catch up" on The Rule of Thirds. Best regards BaZZa.