eoskins

To Everyone I'm overwhelmed at the responses recieved in such a short time. All of you are a great bunch of guys and I hope to meet you at some point down the road. Maybe Tampa is in my near future. I've much to follow up on given the amount of information in the string so far. I'm presently diving pretty deep into Harry AFU Watsons Nihon To Koza Volume VI learning the technical language, schools, and examples shown. I'm enjoying learning Japanese although I'm not sure I'm pronouncing the words right! I would like to purchase "Tsuba, An Aesthetic Study" next and digest that book after AFU's book. If anybody comes across one for sale please let me know. I cannot find it anywhere. Does anyone have experience with the (Kanji?) translator software? I'd like to check out the (Seikedo?) web site and others. Is there anything out there for free and is this software worth the $50 they want for it? I'm just surfing the internet and soaking it all in.... Again, thanks to all who have responded and please keep it coming. When I think about it this correspondance string rich in experience and advice not only for myself, but it will also serve the purpose of being a great resource to any other beginners who happen to stumble into this area of interest/collecting. I have many more questions for the group but it's late and I have three boys to take to the rifle range early tomorrow morning.... R/ Ed

Thanks Milt I'll check into the Northern California Club. I've noticed a few comments in this string of correspondance that gives the impression it's a buyers market at this time. Can you and everyone else please expound on this some more? Why? What are the indicators? What are the historic cycles for this area of interest? R/ Ed Asheville NC

Richard, Pete, Milt Thanks to all of you for giving me ideas and direction. I'm trying to locate "Tsuba, An Aesthetic Study" by Torigoye and Haynes- Does anyone know where's a good start to locate this publication? Any other publications or on-line materials to use as reference/education? I'm soaking it all in here folks! Pete, What search word would I use on e-bay to find the Sotheby catalog you specifically mentioned? Also, is there a site with details about the February show in Florida? Please keep it coming guys, I've got a lot to learn and am in this for the long haul. I look forward to many future conversations with all of you. Also please check out my profile (I'm just now figuring out how to populate it) if you guys want to know a little more about me. It makes the community a little tighter in my opinion. R/ Ed Asheville NC

Thank you so much Richard for your experience and comments. I would very much like to continue our conversation. I've been studying the language of Tsuba for awhile today, so here goes- I prefer tetsu-ji over kinko as I believe it's a harder medium to work with, but I don't know enough yet about the two mediums. I would imagine iron is harder to work, but then again does softer alloys give you greater detail? I don't know. What do you prefer and why? I sort of zeroed in on Shaomi & Choshu schools, especially the Aizu and Shonai branches of Shaomi. Am I correct in my assumption here with the Nara style being prominent? I read your article and yes I'm willing to collect quality over quantity. The pieces I eventually acquire will someday be handed down to my two sons. I'm a man of only modest means but I intend to save and spend $500-$1000 per piece and will only be able to purchase one, maybe two pieces a year. Are there quality pieces available in this range on the market in your opinion? I'm only 45 so hopefully I have many years to collect at this point. I'm in no hurry here. Lastly, I do feel inclined to only purchase signed (Mei) tsuba, but what if they do not have papers? What of quality unsigned (MuMei) pieces. Can I get your opinion on all of this? Thanks so much again Ed Asheville NC

To All Greetings. My name is Ed and I'm from Asheville NC. I'm just starting on my journey with collecting Tsuba. Presently I do not own any Tsuba and am gathering information. To date I've- 1. Subscribed to this message board. 2. Use Richard Steins web page for occasional novice level reference. 3. Purchased Harry AFU Watson's Nihon To Koza Volume VI Kodogu Part 1 I'm presently trying to learn the technical language of Tsuba's (AFU) and attempting to refine my scope/tastes of which types of Tsuba to start collecting. I respectfully solicit from members of this discussion board any and all suggestions/comments/ideas/questions at this time. So here goes (and excuse my ignorance)- 1. I like the round solid maru gata types of Tsuba's 2. I like the ko-nara or shin-nara style of depictions 3. I like the Edo Period My questions based on the above preferences are- 1. Who were the most prolific makers of this type of Tsuba 2. What can I expect for a cost range for decent examples 3. What fair/reliable dealers are available that most collectors use 4. What strategies are recommended for starting a collection Sorry for the long message but I need a lot of help before I go sinking a lot of money into this hobby over the coming years. R/ Ed Oskins Asheville NC