John C

Darn......guess I'll retract my bid. John C.

PM sent.

Hello: You could have it polished, however some of those chips are fairly deep. Honestly, with the price of a polish and the amount of damage on the blade, I would just hang it back on the wall and revel in the history of it. Maybe clean the handle with a soft brush. John C.

Very nice collection - all with the same purpose I believe. The first example in the pic would be a bokuto or chato, however given the context of the others I would guess bokuto. The second and third items are "clubs" in the form of a fan and extra heavy kiseru. At one point, the extra heavy kiseru were becoming prevalent as weapons so they were banned. Instead, folks would carry large and heavy yatate as a substitute. John C.

I like Dawson's because it is well rounded with examples of both high-end and pedestrian examples. I think Plimpton's collection was mostly high-end, though he does have some rare stuff. John C.

I tend to agree. I've seen many "crossover" pieces, especially the ornate ones, that could go either way. I suspect their intended purpose defines their label. In the case above, the signer actually used the term bokuto, however in most cases we can't be sure. Daruma magazine issue 7 has a short but informative article on them if you can find a copy. John C.

Wow, Hiro. Showing the hiragana and kanji next to their script form is really helpful. Thank you! John C.

Most literature refers to doctor's swords as bokuto. I suspect some may be chato, however. But the poem, once translated, may give us a better clue. What's interesting about this particular piece is what appears to be an African or Islander figure holding a scythe. Not very typical. John C. p.s. the name Doctor's Sword is actually somewhat of a myth. It's often said that they came about because doctors could not carry swords, however this is not true.

Is the maker Masanao? Bokuto are always on my wish list John C.

On that one I don't think so. Of the 40 or so yatate I have, only 10 or 15 have the slot for the kami-kiri. And of those, only 3 came with it - all in very rough shape. Pictured is one of my other ones that came with the kami-kiri. Note the finger slot that helps push it out. John C.

Another less-common yatate. This one stands out because it is made of wood (boxwood, I think, because of the tight grain) and is signed (Hirokazu). Signed pieces are not common with more "pedestrian" yatate like this one. And while wood was used, they too are less common later into the edo period. Brass and copper were just easier to use. I could not find a record of this artist on any of my lists, however the Greek Key carving is very intricate and well done. The ink bowl is copper and the hinge is some metal. The ojime is also cast metal (non-ferrous). Please excuse the white powder in the carving that someone used to highlight for sale. I haven't brushed it out yet. John C.

Ah. So Hiro and not Kan. Thank you, Uwe. Vielen dank, John C.

Hello: I'm not sure of the translation (To...something I think), however I have seen these marks on Arisaka rifles used in schools for drill and ceremony. Could be that. John C.

I believe this yatate is signed Kanwa (寛和), though I'm not sure of the context. Am I correct? Also, would that be a proper name, an era, or a factory? Thank you for helping, John C.

Just musing here...I've often wondered what percentage of a restoration/preservation project is acceptable before it becomes just a brand new item. I have no problem fixing parts or adding some repro parts to make something presentable, however I often see projects on cars or particularly vintage airplanes where almost every part is reproduced or repaired in some way. To me, this is just a new item using parts of an original item as a template. Not sure I have answered that question for myself. Just depends on the individual project, I guess, or possibly it's historical significance. John C.