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I could be wrong, but I think horsetail leaf is what Tanobe sensei uses to scrape the shirasaya, removing the wax, before writing the sayagaki. The leaf Brian mentioned was much broader.

I asked Brian Tschernega about this due to his expertise in making shirasaya. As @nulldevice said, ibota wax is traditionally used. I bought some from the UK, put it in a mesh jewelry bag, and tried “dusting” the shirasaya with it by lightly hitting the bag against the shirasaya. Brian T. said to use a specific Japanese leaf (the name of which I do not recall) or large wood shavings to rub the ibota wax dust on the surface of the shirasaya. Having neither the specific leaf nor large wood shavings, I have experimented with various other things. Nothing has yet given me the results I would like. It mostly looks like I have not accomplished anything.

A number of the dealers mentioned have swords in your price range. Buying from Japan isn’t that scary as long as you understand there is a wait (about a month) for the expert permit to be issued and as long as the package is fully insured. I have bought several swords from Aoi Art, shipped via EMS, without any issues. RVA seems to get some of their swords from Aoi, too, based on the auction results. You can search the Aoi site by specifying your budget. You can also email them and ask what Tsuruta san (the owner) would recommend based on your budget. Same for contacting Token Komachi. I would stick with a blade with modern NBTHK papers.

Satsuma (aka Sasshu) is a different province than Settsu (aka Sesshu), so I don’t think those are the rights smiths, @oli. And the character for hiro on the blade is different than what those smiths used. I don’t see a reference to this smith in Sesko.

It appears to be signed Sesshu-ju Masahiro. I don’t know its authenticity or anything about the smith, unfortunately. Is it papered?

This is the wrong way to wipe off a blade regardless of the material used. One should start safely above the rust on the nakago to wipe up toward the kissaki. The small area above the nakago not covered in the wipe up should be wiped down toward the nakago.

Are those the hammer prices or the realized prices?

Wonderful, @Hoshi. I enjoyed reading it, and I look forward to more!

Yes. When an Aoi Art auction ends without bids, the item becomes available for order at the same price as the starting bid.

The English version of the Yamato book just came out last November. They were available to purchase at the DTI last year. As for the other books, here’s what @Markus told me in November: “The publisher Me no Me has planned to have out the English version of the Yamashiro tradition (which I already translated) early next year, followed in spring by Bizen Part 1. The pace after that is TBD as Tanobe Sensei is currently still writing on some chapters.”

I just bought the Nihonto Taikan for a good price from Kanazawa Shoten. I have not been there in person, but their website lists many sword books. They’ve apparently moved from Jinbocho to Nakano.

A valuable lesson, for sure. I’m glad it worked out okay in the end.

Thanks for posting this @KungFooey. I think you got a beautiful blade for $460–quite a bargain regardless of gimei—and the ensuing discussion has been fascinating. I hope the blade is even better when you see it in person! When I first considered the initial question, I thought I would answer with an unequivocal “no.” But that blade at that price would make me reconsider my answer.

If you are not fond of bohi and this one already seems odd to you, it isn’t going to get better after you purchase it. I recommend that you pass on it and find something that is more pleasing to your eye.

Like others before me, I am looking for assistance with selecting a kabuto to display alongside my sword collection. I don’t know a lot about kabuto, and I don’t want to shift my focus of study away from nihonto to learn a lot about them. I’ll probably buy one kabuto and be done (famous last words). I’d buy yoroi but I don’t have room to display it. So, I’m looking for a solid example that will be for my enjoyment—not to please experts. Would this be a viable option: Iron 62 plate kabuto? I like its look, its condition, that it has a maedate, and it is papered. It is in my budget but I don’t want to overpay due to ignorance. Any guidance from the experts here is greatly appreciated.