KungFooey

Well, that's a real backhanded compliment. Thanks ... I guess. Yep, read it and weep. ⬇️

Hi Peter, To expand your horizons even further, you could take a look at this old thread I found. It has an oil tempered Showato with stamp removed that got NBTHK hozon. 😳 Dee NBTHK Showato? - General Nihonto Related Discussion - Nihonto Message Board

Purleeez! This sounds like it's moving into JD Vance's territory. Enough with the 'comfortable' couches already fellas and back to swords!!! 😂

Hey Brian! Is there anyone at La Poste that you haven't included? 🤣 (I'm pretty sure the thief has to be somewhere among that bunch!)

I'm waiting for the inevitable protest. But I totally agree with Dale. Whenever you end up with something which isn't entirely as you expected but you can still admire, think of the work that went into making it (and what a craftsman would charge to make it from scratch). Your tsuba is beautiful - end of story! Love Dee

Hi Eric, Don't be afraid to complain very strongly to Monsieur Wahl. A good friend of mine once taught me you don't mess around with complaint departments - you go straight to the very top. They absolutely hate being bothered by customers and will do anything to make them go away. This approach has worked for me on numerous occasions; the CEO of an international bank, Jeff Bezos at Amazon and even an ambassador. The trick is to be extremely formal, polite and cold in your wording - it's far more effective than anger. Go for it! Dee

Thank you John!

Here you are Eric. @Tohagi Philippe Wahl Chairman and CEO, Le Groupe La Poste Direct email: philippe.wahl@laposte.fr Bon chance! Dee

Thanks boss!!! I've put my toys back in the play-pen (after throwing them out) and I'm ready to play with all the other kids again. Actually, it was such a great deal that I'm real worried it will turn up at my brother's with a big bend or a king size hagire they Photoshopped out! 😳 Watch this space I guess. Love Dee

Actually @Stephen, turns out you're the go-to guy for info on this Kunishige! Help To Identify Officer's Sword - Military Swords of Japan - Nihonto Message Board

🤣🤣🤣

I've got two, Mr. Steven - and now I've pulled the whiny stick out of my butt, I've no further objection to flattery. 😌

Hi, Well I guess I just can't keep away from you guys. 😉 As some of you know, I take a daily peek at the Yahoo! Auction in Japan because I have the benefit of a brother stationed over there. Yesterday, I picked up a very long wakizashi by the same smith who is the subject of this thread. Originally, I thought it would make a nice companion piece to my first sword, a Kanbun Shinto Kunimasa but they would make a pretty weird daisho as this waki has a nagasa of 59.7 cm! Anyhow, I was searching for information on the guy and bingo - this thread has proved a real gold mine! (Whether it's 1st Gen Ichizō or 2nd Gen Denshichirō doesn't really matter to me as it's papered, looks to be in reasonable polish and cost less than $950 including postage to my brother. I love the hamon and hi - so I'm happy.) Many thanks Dee

You're most welcome Bruce! Thar she blows! ⬇️

@Peter Bleed ""Machine made" blades seem not to be legal in modern Japan," Yahoo!オークション - 陸軍軍刀拵え入 「濃州関住服... https://new.uniqueja...katana-gunto-katana/ Couple of stamped, oil tempered, 'machine made' army blades in Japan with legal torokusho right there. First one is on Yahoo! Auctions at this moment. Second was sold by Unique Japan a while back - with bonus BS thrown for good measure.

https://readyfor.jp/projects/hounoutou This is a type of 'GoFundMe' for a professional polisher who wants to restore shrine dedication swords that are rusting away. Maybe it fits your criteria? As regards Japan changing its law over the number of swords a smith can produce, don't hold your breath. When my brother was first stationed in Japan, there was a law in place saying that anyone dancing after 1 am in a nightclub could be arrested and the club closed down. This was because, when Douglas MacArthur took over in 1945, he shut down the Yoshiwara red light district and all the girls had to negotiate with the GIs while slow dancing. So, he created a law to ban all dancing after 1 am and that stayed in place for 70 years.

Here you are Dan - your elusive unicorn at last. Think of it as a farewell gift from me. (I don't think even you will down-vote this one.) Membership Plans | LOT-ART

鐔(鍔)－ t-362 鐔 八代甚吾 桜に流水の図 鉄地銀象嵌 －　日本刀の通信販売　明倫産業株式会社

I felt an obligation to make a final comment on this thread as I promised to submit this tsuba to the NBTHK. My brother, who is based in Japan and still has the tsuba, attempted to submit to shinsa online yesterday. However, all available slots were filled within 14 minutes. So I guess we'll never know. Best wishes for 2025. Dee PS: Want to know why I quit the forum? Look at the emoticon responses to each of my comments on this thread alone. REALLY encouraging for a newbie.

Message received loud and clear Brian. Guess it's time to say goodbye to this forum. I'm obviously a square peg in a round hole here. Thank you to all the kind people who tried to help me and appreciated what I brought to the table. The kind PMs were much appreciated. Wishing everyone a very happy new year! Dee

"...no need to be mean"? That's pretty rich, John. 😂 If those guys dared show up on this forum spouting such incredibly inaccurate garbage (a star stamp and a chrysanthemum on water means a blade is "factory made"), they would be flayed alive by the resident cognoscenti. Dee

The correction was made before you even replied. You must have been absolutely itching to pull me up on that one. 😂

Hi Ivo, Yes, you have a hirazukuri (flat sided) tanto in aikuchi koshirae. It will all come together in time! 😉 Dee

So, my brother actually got the tsuba in hand today and made the following observations. (He just sent me an email Japan time.) It has some active rust around the mimi which will need some ivory work to tone down. The four 'folds' hammered into the steel are 'two up/ two down' in opposite corners so each side mirrors the other, but in reverse. I've included another photo to hopefully demonstrate what I'm trying to explain! Dee