Tohagi

??? Almost no reflexion at the mono-uchi ura side ? This is too much of an high fly to me. Please, can you teach me ? Sincerely, Eric

Hello, 14 inches don't seems so short to me for a naginata, it depends of "moto" and kasane, I think the beliving that naginata was a women weapon in shinto is probably wrong. Probably just yari and naginatas stay home during Tokugawa peace, so they stay at hand reach for unwilled guests. Just an opinion, could be wrong. Best regards, Eric

Hello Bosco, I have the same feeling: Original tsuka but cast tsuba and recent saya not well done ( koiguchi is missing and it's not the most difficult part to make, kurikata is wrong shaped...) the urushi technique is interesting, I wonder what are those inclusions... some shells? Other organics? Or just raw urushi in Bronian move ?... Thank you for sharing, Best regards, Eric

With a very humble opinion on this topic, If you will only pratice iaï, you should choose a lite sword with good balance (some funbari and 7mm at the moto-kasane vs 4.5mm saki-kasane) à bohi will give a lite, fast, and whistleling blade. For tameshigiri you will probably search for speed at the mono-uchi. A heavy blade is hell for the shoulders after some years of pratice... A Japanese shinken is an expensive choice...

Another point was... there was no artificial light to "observe" utsuri. Most token teachers had to wait for proper light (dawn? ) once a day. Still utsuri seems to have been à well mastered process in Bizen...

A usefull tip to evaluate normalisation tempreature is hearing the snap when touching with wet fingers in various parts of the blade. Very impressive when à traditional smith do so... Eric VD

IMHO: a Shingon prier ... In Vajrayana, Aizen Myoo is the irritated version of Vairocana, the great sun of wisdom... Kokuzo bosatsu is also à great bodhisatva from vajrayana, Seishi bosatsu is, with Amithaba, one of the 3 great saints of Ouest, from the "pure earth" (ground) buddhism. The full moon and crescent moon is a direct allusion of Shigon doctrine of the "Shape of the mind (spirit)" being allways full moon even if showing crescent or hidden by clouds... You often see this symbolic at Koya San... Same for the habaki, beautifull by the way... Best regards, Eric

First bonji: Dainichinyorai The great sun of Buddha Second: kokuuzou bosatsu Third: seishi bosatsu Ura: Aizen Myouoh

Very unusual mounting (for Ken shaped) and fantastic tanto! Are you sure it's not a Yari? Congratulations !

... I've heard about short swords intended to be used indoor and quite straight to stab the oponent in tsuki mode... Apparently a myth so...

Hopes the Iga and Koga will do something about this My question about ninjato "papered" Hozon was half serious. Any one heard or see (or posses ) such a blade ?

Hello Charles, You probably mean Sanscrit (bonji), the automatic corrector is making mess on me too... Welcome on NMB Best regards, Eric

I use to do so (with cooking paper) when i put a decent tsuba on a pratice sword to avoïd the wear off... not very orthodoxe thow. Best regards, Eric

Is there any authentique Ninjato registred by NBTHK? And by the way, could be nihonto token considered as a religion?

...Old Sokaku Takeda was known (and feared) for throwing metalic chopsticks with great accuracy (sometimes even to his pupills during the meal). But I agree kozuka are terrible throwing weapons...