John C

Dale: I just acquired an Akasaka tsuba that seems awfully shiny. I assumed it was coated in lacquer or shellac to preserve it. So shiny could be from cleaning? If it were lacquer or shellac, would you recommend its removal? I have the materials and knowledge to do it, just not sure if I should. Rust is starting to appear in the places they missed. John C.

I'm thinking the only folks who use the term gendai in the context of military swords are the WW2 collector community. So why do we not use the more accurate term dentoteki to mean traditionally made military sword? John C.

Jerald posted those pics here on April 16th - slighly larger versions, that is. John C.

Mike: Very nice Kai gunto (sword in naval mounts) with a nicely cut signature. Polish looks nice as well. Nothing else to do with it other than take care of it! John C.

I'm sure there is some contextual nuance I'm missing as a non-Japanese speaker, however I was wondering why we use the term gendai-to to describe a traditionally made blade? From AI: Gendai Definition: Composed of gen (Fl, current/now) and dai (1t, age/period). Dentöteki na : Literally "traditional," used for food, crafts, or methods. If gendai means current or modern age, It seems to me that dentoteki na would be a more accurate way of describing a sword made in the traditional manner. Just curious how the term gendai came to be used ubiquitiously in reference to traditionally made swords. John C.

Looks like a cobble together piece, to me. The guard and seppa look like whoever made them was inspired by a naval dirk. Not sure about the blade. Could be modern. John C.

Dustin: In answer to this part of your question, showato were partially hand forged. The difference between these and gendaito are 1) the type of steel used (tamahagane vs. other types), 2) the forging method used (air hammers and presses vs. hand forging, and 3) the quenching medium (oil vs.water). Additionally, showato, like gendaito, were also made for officers. Since they purchased their swords, the type of sword depended on how much they were willing to spend. John C.

...and yet, a dozen folks on Ebay, icluding some of our own unfortunately, call ANY dagger a kamikaze suicide dagger. In my opinion, it really gives the hobby a black eye, particularly when perpetuated by folks who know better but just want to make a buck. John C.

On a related topic, note the statement that the officers committed suicide by shooting themselves and not with the often labeled "suicide dagger." John C.

I like it as well, however the head of the wolf would impede the kozuka. Seems like a design flaw. John C.

Jeff: Your last pic may show signs of being water quenched, however The polish and resolution make it hard to tell. In hand, you may be seeing larger martensite crystals called nie, which could indicate water quenching particularly paired with some grain pattern in the hada. Oil quenched blades typically will not have nie nor will they display obvious hada. The blade will look light flat metal. You may need a loupe to see the grain if the polish is particularly bad or the grain is tight. John C.

Wow! Thank you, Jussi. This will be great for comparing with those issued for gunto. Right off the bat, I can see Tokyo has issued 3 times the number issued by Osaka. If what I heard is true, the registrations issued for gunto will be the reverse. And I am aware that these numbers may not reflect actual stats, however they are a good place to start. Now to go forth and collect data.... John C.

Hey Jussi: I was wondering if you have any general stats on nihonto torokusho by location and maybe date? I could use that as a base line for comparing which Boards of Education issue the most torokusho (Tokyo would be my guess) for regular nihonto and which issue the most for gunto. John C.

@Bruce Pennington @Kiipu You guys might find this interesting. Through a discussion with a dealer, I commented on showato getting torokusho. I was told that this dealer was commisioned to gather swords to be sent to Japan for resale. The Japanese dealer had several shops and would ask the swords be sent to his Osaka location and not his Tokyo location because the regulations were less strict (or at least less enforced) in Osaka and getting a torokusho for gunto was easier. I bring this up because I was thinking about...gulp...doing some research on registered gunto by location and frequency - unless you guys have done that already. John C.

Hello: I'm trying to figure out the Tadatoki generation for an Akasaka tsuba signed Bushu ju Hilojuro Tadatoki. Does anyone know if a list of Tadatoki oshigata exists? I believe there were at least 9 generations of masters plus students etc. Thank you, John C.

@Bruce Pennington From the auction posted above: I know you have Masahide's kokuin listed in the stamps doc, however this may be a slightly clearer pic. John C.

I don't think it matches Mori Kunitoshi. Couldn't find an oshigata for Enju. John C.

Just for fun, here is an advertisement from a 1914 magazine showing your sword (number 6, I believe). John C.

Thomas - regardless of the type of steel or if power equipment were used? If so, I could see how focusing on the process rather than the materials or equipment could be be argued as traditional. John C.

The sword came with tons of paperwork, including a torokusho. I was under the impression torokusho could not be issued for non-traditionally made swords. Was this an early exception? John C.

Thanks, Jussi. I'm a bit of a stats guy myself so I too eagerly jump into the data rabbit hole myself! In all seriousness, have you thought about compiling tables into a book on the various smiths and their rankings according to the NBTHK? John C.

I have not seen this kind of wrap before (not saying it doesn't happen, I just haven't seen it). I don't think the wrapping methods have changed. The nihonto world tends to resist modern materials and methods in order to preserve tradition. As to the paper, you are correct in that washi is glued to the top and bottom of the tsuka prior to wrapping. This allows the area to be built up to achieve the proper shape when the same (ray skin) is glued to the sides. During wrapping, small traingular folded pieces of paper are tucked under each side of the turned ito to tuck the edges under neath and smooth out the look. All of this (and the placement of the menuki) creates the proper shape so the tsuka fits comfortably in the hand. There should be plenty of videos on youtube, and even a link to a good one on NMB somewhere. John C.

That would be interesting to see. Two weeks prior to the actual start date. Might be a pre-flight or test of the program. John C.

Just for context, here's one of mine from November 4, Showa 27 (about 1.5 years after the OP) and we are already up to 7,775. Question: Did each Board of Education or Prefecture have it's own series of numbers? John C.

Luke: In general, cotton, silk, and burlap were used commonly on swords. Have you ruled out asbestos? Just being cautious. Mulberry and washi paper were also used, if that helps. John C.