John C

…I realize this may not be to everyone’s taste. The yari is a fukuro yari signed Chikuzen Shimosaka (Shimosaka of the Chikuzen school).This project is a culmination of four different stylized decorative techniques giving homage to the original pole and yari, though not copying it. The goal of the project was to infuse a variety of decorative techniques using modern methods and materials. A more stylized blend, if you will, rather than an exact replication. The project includes the following stylized decorative techniques: Mokume (木目) – wood grain pattern in an otherwise flat surface. This was to honor the old saya that had a wavy grain pattern to it (see pic 3). Tsugaru-nuri (津軽塗) – sanding through the top black layer to expose the red layer underneath. The yari had this same effect, though not intentionally. At some point, someone sanded off the urushi to expose the name (see pic 4). Kin-mushikui-nuri (金虫喰塗り) – the golden worm eaten effect. My take on it included a more rustic interpretation with brushed golden worm trails (also pic 4). Maki-e (蒔絵) – powdered gold sprinkled onto or mixed into urushi. In this case, I really liked to stick with the red on black theme. So my interpretation was a very light dusting of copper mica powder. It has a very subtle effect visible only under certain lighting (also pic 4). In addition to the above, the saya is in a standing or display form, as often seen in Japan. The base layers are 5 coats of black Japan paint followed by 3 layers of red and an additional 3 layers of black. Each layer was applied then NOT sanded smooth, but rather sanded lightly to highlight the brush strokes. Each layer built on the last to create the mokume effect. The layers also allowed for the depth of the nuri. Nuri were sanded in, exposing the red layer in the middle. Three layers of shellac to seal were next then gold gilder’s paste was thinned and brushed on. This was followed by 3 layers of gloss lacquer (no urushi for me. Really allergic to sumac). The mica powder was lightly brushed on followed by 3 more layers of lacquer. Not quite as time consuming as traditional Japanese techniques. But tedious enough. Every layer had to dry for 24 hours before the next was applied. I hope you like it; and more importantly, I hope you all are inspired to create your own saya and artistic interpretations. John C.

Nice! Fortunately, my door came with a key so no issues there. But I had always assumed the drum locks were used primarily in China. Thanks for the info. Wish I had seen it before designing mine. I would have copied it!!!! (just kidding, of course) John C.

Personally, I think shortening a broken blade to allow its continued use as a weapon is both warranted and necessary. Aesthetically, I like the shape for its new intended purpose - slashing or stabbing. Within the context of battle, needs must. John C.

I've also noticed there are a lot of variation to the stitch patterns on the chape area. John C.

I think the collector got a good deal. I've seen them go for twice that. John C.

Point taken. I know when I recovered stolen merchandise, having a report on file with serial numbers, descriptions, etc. allowed me to return the stolen item to tne rightful owner. Items without identifiable owners were sold at auction after 90 days. But like you say, law enforcement agencies differ in their policies and priorities. John C.

Bobby: The reason to file with local law enforcement in the jurisdiction where the theft occurred is in case the sword is found during some apprehension or as recovered property from a burglary or whatever. The local police may not know it's stolen from the post office, therefore there needs to be a case report on file with them. This can be done over the phone. John C.

I've posted this on another thread (cultural refreshments) with a little more explanation, however I thought I would add a pic on this thread as well. A suzuri-bako I built to match an old door I bought. John C.

Teodor: Geraint brings up the best reason not to do it - the woodworking involved is minimal and quite simple, HOWEVER the urushi would crack and split during the process and would be a nightmare to make look nice again. John C.

The sword is most likely fake, however can we get a picture of the kozuka (small knife with handle). John C.

Charles: Just as additional confirmation, it is indeed a fake. Whoever wrote the note on the scabbard was mistaken. As others have said, it isn't one small detail but rather many points that are indicative of a fake. In addition to points listed above, the tsuba is wrong (missing the flat section around the middle), the sarute (tassle attachment loop) is wrong, But most importantly, these fakes are well documented on our site. To us, it's like a seller labeling a Volkswagen Beetle a Ferrari. Very obviously incorrect to folks who know cars. If purchased,hopefully you can get a refund. Regards, John C.

Well...suzuri-bako is finally finished. Refreshing the old door with a new box. The project was quite challenging in one respect - trying to match the color, grain, finish, and most of all the age of the original door. My wife is not a fan of the "distressed" aesthetic so trying to match the age (tone, damage, repairs, finish, etc) without it looking like it fell off of the back of a truck was challenging. In addition, the original door was not square so the box had to be slightly out of square. It's way easier to make something perfect than to make it look legitimately old. To match the color and grain I used cherry veneer with solid cherry facings. The drawers are a complimentary birdseye maple veneer with solid maple edging. Maple ply for the sides and bottom. All of the hardware was made from patinated copper, embossed with "flowers" with the single exception of the top handle (an original cast iron handle purveyed from ebay). I think I matched the iron look fairly well. The construction was traditional with large lapped tenons and dowel pins on the "ears." The whole box was sealed with shellac followed by a thin coat of satin lacquer, sanded to take some of the shine off. John C. p.s. the color of the box matches the door much better in person than in the pics.

Along the same lines, I'm curious how many were working in the shadows. We know that smiths went into variousl other forms of metal work (kanagu, yatate, netsuke, etc.) and far more probably continued to make things like tools (kanna blades specifically), kitchen knives, scissors, work knives, eating utensils, which had always been their bread-and-butter for income. Maybe there were plenty of smiths ready to transition back into sword making when called upon. John C.

Mauro: I agree with filing a case with the postal inspector and the local LAPD. The theft is both grand theft and a federal crime. LAPD investigators and postal inspectors should be able to interview employees, which at least will make the culprit nervous. Maybe the swords just "shows up." John C.

In the modern era, there have been multiple people in the UK that have turned down a CBE (Bowie, Lennon, Lawson, etc.), usually citing that they didn't feel they earned it. And in the US, several actors have turned down oscars for various objections to causes. I suspect we will never know if a smith were offered an award and turned it down for the same reasons. John C.

Interesting. According to wikipedia (insert grain of salt here), they were used in both the Boshin war and the Satsuma rebellion. John C.

Bruce: I have this one reference in my files. It's from a post war assessment by Gen. Gardner. This is all that is mentioned in the doc, however Hiroshima was the location of Chugoko Branch HQ and seems to have been command and control; listed as a branch of Osaka arsenal. John C.

@Bruce Pennington Just adding this to "naval stamps" for your information and research. Note the variety of anchor marks. John C.

I have several that I use regularly (with 10 or 12 different blades), which do an amazing job. The rub for me, however, is how finicky they are. It usually takes me multiple tries to set each one exactly where I want it (based on the grain direction, etc.). One tiny tap on the blade - not cutting enough. One more tiny tap - now cutting too much. Darn. Need to pull the blade and chip breaker and start again! I find card and cabinet scrapers (stanley #80) way easier to "sharpen" (obtain a burr) and use for finishing at least. John C.

And yet, the late model wooden tsuka version is worth a lot less. But I suppose it's the same with everything. With comparable production numbers at the beginning and end of a product's run, the first are almost always worth more than the last. John C.

Being sold straight from China for 150 dollars. Must be fairly cheap to produce of they can make a profit at 150 dollars. Wonder how many scammers order it for resale. John C.

Raphael: I think it's dated showa 48 (1973) and looks a bit like the type of "authentication" you might get from the shop where it was originally purchased. Seems to have much of the same information as a torokusho. John C.

@Bruce Pennington Bruce: Not sure what to make of this mark/stamp. Maybe it's just a partial. On a sword with what looks like a souvenir tsuka and navy tsuba/seppa. https://www.ebay.com/itm/127778985142? John C.

When you say pheasant-leg, are you referring to the one labeled kijimomo? John C.

Marcin: I have both and now only use the more expensive civil swords and dirks version. They have much of the same info on military swords, however the more expensive book adds gunzoku and dirk information. So I guess it depends on what you are researching. But the if you are only going to buy one, I would buy the civil swords and dirks version for the extra info. John C.