Clive Sinclaire

No its not! Bunkyu 3 is 1862! after all but I have taken Fujishiro's date. Peter, I have tried to upload images but the technology is beyond me (always too big) and I am afraid you'll have to make do with my oshigata. Regards Clive

Hi Mark Hope you are well. You may be correct in the date of Tsunatoshi's death, but according to Nihonto Koza "he died at the age of 66 on the 5th day of 12th month of Bunkyu 3 (1863) which I guess is your scource, but confusingly Fujishiro says that he died in Bunkyu ninen. I have used Harry's translations as my references in both cases. I think that the Koza is probably almost correct although I think that Bunyku 3 is 1862 rather than 1863. I could be wrong, tell me what you think. Regards Clive Sinclaire

Gentlemen We have just put a new sword by Chounsai Tsunatoshi onto our Sword Register 115. This may be found at http://www.To-ken.com under Sword Register. It is a sword which I am very pleased with and it has just returned from shinsa and polishing in Japan. You will forgive my crude caligraphy on the oshigata, which I think is probably at the level of a 4 year old Japanese child! As always, I would be most appreciative of any comments you may wish to make. Regards Clive Sinclaire

Paul I am sorry that I did not make myself very clear as I am well aware that you are a "serious collector" and I was really refering to those whose living is made entirely from Japanese swords (dealers, self-taught restorers etc.) who might greatly benifit from a Japanese experience. Another point that I failed to make was the great number of friends and acquaintances that I have met from the shared interest and the worldwide travel that I have made because of Japanese swords. It is no exageration to say that the study and collecting of apanese swords has been an important and integral part of my life. I know this to be the case with many others. It always amuses me to hear this as I wonder what they are actually saying. Could it be "Help me man, I have a nasty case of ha-giri" - peace and love, you should spend money on me" or maybe just "We're all going to San Francisco" Regards Clive

Gentlemen I bought my first sword in 1969 when I gained my shodan at judo. It was a bone tourist piece of very low quality, but I also bought Yumoto's book and soon realised the error of my ways. I began to buy swords which were very cheap at the time and joined the To-ken Society of Great Britain in the very early 1970's. This opened my eyes and I became more serious about swords at a time that has become known as the "gold-rush" years, when many dealers were making vaste somes of money, especially in the USA and Japanese sword dealers toured the world to reclaim their heritage and creating a seemingly unquenchable demand. By the early 80's I was practising kendo as well as Iai and my sensei sent me off to his home town of Saga in Kyushu. It was here I met some serious collectors of Hizen-to and it is upon this aspect of swords, that I have concentrated ever since. Also, we were very lucky in the UK to have Mishina sensei resident and polishing in England for 6 years. There is no doubt that his influence and introducions were of immense importance and those that did not avail themselves of his help for whatever reason, regret it to this day. Incedibly, there are those in the UK who make a living full-time, restoring or selling Japanese swords, who have never been to Japan! I cannot imagine a serious student of Japanese swords failing to go to Japan, where the greatest swords may be seen, the most interesting people met and where it is possible to immerse oneself in the culture. I wonder why this is so. I think that when collecting swords, it becomes very easy to then appreciate many other aspects of Japanese culture. This means that I enjoy and have examples of caligraphy, prints and pottery. Of course, martial objects, including tosogu, armour, yari and naginata sit very well with my sword collection which has both mounted and shira-saya examples. Rather childishly, I wear a piece of metal around my neck on which is inscribed (by a modern Japanese swordsmith that I know) the words "keiko san mae" - practise every day - which is what I try to do. This may be cleaning a sword, drawing an oshigata, reading a book, going to kendo or indeed, having a cup or three of sake and contributing to the NMB, but something Japanese, usually in my tatami room. Even for me, this is a rather long and boring diatribe for which I hope you will pardon me. Good Night Clive Sinclaire

Mr Richard I have recently received a sword from Japan via Fed Ex and there was a 3 day delay. I was asked the length of the sword and whether it was curved, even before the plane had landed. They doubted my contention that it was already my property and that I had only sent it to Japan for appraisal (shinsa). I informed them that it was dated 1842 and antiques over 100 years old are allowable and it eventually was delivered OK. If I were you I would attach a note addressed to UK Customs to the package, that states the value and that it is a traditionaly made sword post 1953 (not a mass produced tourist piece). This means it is in compliance with Home Office rules regarding offensive weapons. All this may sound a little excessive but might prove invaluable in the end. Hope it all goes OK Regards Clive Sinclaire

Hi Chris Good point but I bought it in the UK and it had been with the family for some 130 years. They have pics, which I am trying to obtain, of it before all the damage. Inside the lid of the box was the date: KAEI SHISHI NEN SHOGATSU KICHI-NICHI, the owners name MINAMOTO KATSUHARU with kakihan and an address TANSHU..... and finally TENSHITA HAI EH which is some kind of congratulations or well-wishing? At first I was unwilling to take this massive restoration job on and kept the owner sitting on my tatami for an hour whilst we discussed matters (he also had a pretty nice sword, a naginata, a gendaito, a tachi and a jingasa, all for sale). Suffice it to say that, unwilling as I was, I allowed myself to be persuaded and took the armour on. I also bought the naginata and the jingasa. Unfortunately he harboured hugely unrealistic expectations for both the good sword and the gendaito and I thought the tachi was saiha so I was pleased when he had some difficulty standing up after so long on the tatami! My superior negotiating skills prevailed ( "it will take me the rest of my life to restore this, you will have to give it to me if you want to get rid of it etc. etc" ) The armour cost me the princely sum of ichiman yen!! proving that good fortune occaisionaly rewards the righteous. (which is why Guido has to pay for everything!) Regards Clive Sinclaire

Hi Charles Funnily enough, I am on the same path. Only this month I came into possesion of a low-rank retainer's armour that had severe flood damage. In fact most of the fabric parts were rotted away there was a thick coating of mud on much of the kusari and lower parts which were mostly seperated. I managed to clean off most of the mud but am unable to proceed further without expert help. Ian Bottomly recommended a restorer to me and I was amazed to find a Japanese trained restorer who only lives about 70 miles from me! His website is http://www.katchushi.com although I realise being based in the UK he is probably of no help to you. I am currently arranging for him to give me an estimate of time and money on, what is mainly a re-lacing job. Its something of a new thing for me as, although I do have armour, I have never needed the services of an expert restorer. I hope you keep us informed of how it goes and I will do the same. Regards Clive Sinclaire PS Your sensei is indeed a lucky man if you are buying him suits of armour!

It has been pointed out to me that this sword is by MUNEsada and not MASAsada as I incorrectly stated in my previous post. I apologise for this stupid typographical error. Fortunately everything else on the website is correct and I am grateful that my careless error was spotted and corrected. It has also been suggested that the swordsmith is actually a Bungo Takeda swordsmith from the early Edo period but I do not think this is Bungo Takeda workmanship, although I can see that the 4 character mei which includes "Fujiwara" in it, might lead to this judgement. However, for the reasons that I stated in the write up, I think it is more probably Genroku period work. Regards Clive Sinclaire

Gentlemen I have just put 2 new entries onto the Sword Register section on http://www.To-ken.com The first of these (no.113) is a wakizashi signed "Fujiwara Masasada" details of whom seem rather sparse so if anyone has any further info, I would be most grateful. Similarly, No.114 is a shinshinto katana signed Gassan Sadayoshi and I wonder if this might be dai-mei by Sadakazu? Your comments and opinions would be most welcome. Regards Clive Sinclaire

I have a katana by Koyama Munestugu made for Yamada Asaemon Yoshimasa. Just thought I'd mention it. Clive Sinclaire

Gentlemen Correct me if I am wrong, as I am sure you will, but I seem to remember being told that the kesho polish was popularised in the Meiji period by the Honnami polishers as their customer base had moved away from samurai to non-samurai collectors and this more decorative style was easier for ordinary people to see and appreciate. Also, I believe it gained further popularity as it was encouraged by the NBTHK for swords going to shinsa. Finally, I have also been told that sashi-komi is really only suitable for nioi-deki blades. Like I say, the above is only from memory, so may not be totally accurate, so please be gentle with me when correcting me! I have spent most of today drawing osshigata and am completely "cream-crackered" (cockney rhyming slang) so....... Regards and Good Night Clive Sinclaire

Eric Funnily enough, I saw the top daisho in London, England, last week. Actually I didn't think too much of it, nambam tsuba, rusty plain iron fittings, if my memory serves me right. Can't remember the blades which means they made no great impression. I am pretty sure this will also appear at Dai To-ken Ichi in November. Regards Clive Sinclaire PS: I always think that the daito should be at the top when displaying a daisho - call me fussy if you like.

Gentlemen, gentlemen How interesting the wide range of opinions on this subject which is fundamental to the understanding, appreciation and by implication, the collecting of Japanese swords. It is important to understand what makes a good polish and to recognise it when you encounter it. I agree with Chris that the best polishers in Japan produce incredible work that sympathetically enhances the characteristics in the sword put there by the swordsmith, and their understanding of kantei is the basis for this. It is unfortunate that there is little training or practice of kantei in the west as this is a great learning tool. I have used several polishers in Japan and I both trust them and know they are reliable. I would not consider having a sword polished and not having a personal relationship with the polisher, although I understand that some send swords via agents in Japan and do not always know who is actually to be employed. It is not true, as has been mentioned, that you will only have student work if you know what you are doing. I guess the main thing that differentiates the amateur polish from the top pro is the subtelty, especially of the hamon, which is often lacking in even the talented amteur. I am also sure that the costs are a major consideration when picking a gaijin amateur polisher. This is an unfortunate reality which may mean some swords do not get the best polish that they deserve. Personally, if I buy a sword that needs a polish, because it is a good sword (why buy anything else? life is too short) then it must have the best possible restoration / polish. It can be no other way for me and, as with the sword that came back from Japan this week, it is unlikely ever to recoup the money that I have laid out on it, but it is now possible to fully appreciate the fine workmanship and I have done my bit in preserving a fine piece of art for generations to come (in spite of Fed Ex's efforts to the contrary!) I am also quite sure that were it not for the better amateur polishers, some of which polish proffesionaly and are therefore not "amateur" stricktly speaking, more "untrained in the traditional manner" (I exclude the crude acid etchers and "commercial polishes") over the last 40 years or so, many swords would not have been preserved and may have been lost forever. From this point of view, there is an important place for such artisans. Regards Clive Sinclaire

Actually dear Guido, good things come to those that deserve them and as Chris says, its all about who you know and in my case, who I manage to avoid upsetting! I was given this by a polisher (not Mishina) who visited my house and who I had spent a lot of time with in Japan. I am also pleased to report that this week I have received my Choensai Tsunatoshi back from polishing and shinsa (it got Tokubetsu Hozon) in Japan. I am amazed at the quality of the polish and I am getting to like these Bakamatsu Bizen smiths more and more. This is especially so when the polish allows you to seee the fine jihada rather than the muji-hada often associated with blades of this period. Its also a relief, as always, to get it back with no major customs problems, although I did have to prove that it was already mine and that I had not just bought it in Japan. It is also a good feeling to be able to re-assemble the koshirae now that I have tsunagi. I'm sorry that I digress, but Guido, old boy, I have lost count of the amount of beer that you owe me and I trust you will be at Dai To-ken Ichi this year so that I can redress the balance in line with the Geneva Convention on alchohol abuse? Regards Clive Sinclaire Sorry for digressing, I do believe that you owe me at least one pint of beer Guido, will you be at Dai To-ken Ichi for me to collect> Regards Clive Sinclaire

Arghhhh!!! It is not supposed to have the writing on it - sorry! Clive

Nice one Guido, have a look at this one that I was given. It depicts the 3 great masters of Soshu-den, Go Yoshihiro, Masamune and Awataguchi Yoshimitsu. Cool eh? Clive Sinclaire

Gentlemen I am sure that mostly daisho are defined by koshirae although the Tadayoshi's mentioned by Chris sound very special indeed. I have reunited a daisho (koshirae) about 15 years apart. I had a beautifully mounted Omori wakizashi and many years later the daito turned up at Sotheby's in London. Fortunately the cataloguing was screwed up, the wrong Lot number was put on the illustration and I was able to buy the daito. I still own it. An overseas buyer bid on the incorrectly labeled picture and unwittingly bought a different Lot for about 4 x what I could afford (it was returned about a year later). I understand that the 2 swords had been split in some probate deal many years previously. I guess the great Gods of sword collecting were on my side that day! Clive Sinclaire

Gentlemen I have recently acquired a suit of 19th century armour of no particular quality. It has suffered considerable flood damage and is in desperate need of restoration as much of the lacing, especially in the kusari, is wasting away and there are many loose plates I wondered if anyone on this esteemed board might be able to advise on this. I have tried to mount some pics but always seem to have "size issues" when I try, however, I can e-mail pics to any individual. Regards Clive Sinclaire Ian, please PM me as I don't seem to have your addrss.

Gentlemen Another point probably worthy of consideration is the shorter katana (mostly from Bizen swordsmiths such as Sukesada, Tadamitsu I believe) that were present in Sue-koto times. It was said that this was to facilitate the techniques of fighting with 2 swords, ie nito made famous by Musashi, and the shorter needed to be longer than a tanto, and so was a wakizashi. This has some credibility as it was around this time that wakizashi begin to be seen. Clive Sinclaire

I think that it is partly at least the consistancy mentioned that I find forced and contrived and which adds nothing to the strength or funtional ability of the sword. Whilst this may be less so in koto it is certainly the case in shin-shinto, gendaito and even shin-sakuto. It seems to me that other jihada, such as mokume-hada or itame-hada or even masame -hada or combinations of these, reflect more natural grains and are, to a certain extent, the work of nature assisted by the swordsmiths, whilst this is not the case with ayasugi-hada which is deliberately and artifically constructed for no paricular reason other than decoration, as far as I am aware. I am also not sure how this effects the hamon where it crosses the nioi-guchi and is actually in the hamon itself. Yes I agree that certain hamon are purely decorative, but I am not a great fan of these either, but this is not a critiscm that may be levelled at Gassan workmanship, as far as I am aware. Mind you what you could say is that it is a good job that the late Gassan smiths are so good at horimono as this draws attention away from the ayasugi-hada! What I have said above is only a reflection of my own taste in ji-hada and of course, I do not expect everyone to feel the same. However, when studying nihon-to I feel that we westerners sometimes fail to be critical enough and maybe too accepting of percieved values and standards. Forgive my unseemly rambling. Regards Clive Sinclaire

Gentlemen Thanks for your input, much as I thought I guess. Incidentally there is a Korekazu listed on To-ken.com under Sword Register no. 71 also with masame as well as one in a Dutch collection by the same smith. Like I said, I am no great fan of ayasugi-hada, which I find rather contrived and not at all appealing, so I guess the masme-hada on this blade is quite acceptable. It also seems to have some usturi I think. Regards Clive Sinclaire

Gentlemen I have in my temporary possesion, a katana by Gassan Sadayoshi, who you will recall revived the Gassan ayasugi-hada (of which I am not a fan) which had not been seen since the koto period. This was at Osaka in the Bakamatsu period. This sword, however, is in pure masame-hada in imitation of the Hosho-Yamato school of the Kamakura period. As this feature is seen on a number of different shin-shinto swords by various smiths unrelated to Gassan, I was wondering if there was some reason that prompted this that might be known to the learned mambers of NMB, as I would be surprised if it were simply spontaneous. I suppose it could simply be a reflection of the shin-shinto revival spirit, but I don't believe Yamato-den featured much in this. Any ideas? Regards Clive Sinclaire

Gentlemen May I bring to your attention the next meeting of To-ken Society of GB which will be on Wednesday 13th July (this Wed) in central London. Details of the venue may be found on http://www.To-ken.com under Meetings. All are welcome, members as well as guests. Regards Clive Sinclaire

Mr Barker As requested, I have sent you a private e-mail. I am in the UK if you want me to take a look sometime. Clive Sinclaire