Tokaido

Dear Jeremy (please add your name to your posts) You are "fully aware of the cert", so you "played the fool" showing the certificate and asking "novice" questions? That behaviour do not qualify your post for starting a useful topic of discussion. The toroksho are "not comon seen" is obvious, because it is ILLEGAL to export a sword form Japan and NOT turn in the toroksho. Since you are "fully aware" you should know. You should also know that the contents of information on "the cert" means NOTHING concerning the value of the sword or authenticity of the signature. Greetings Andreas

Hello Jeremy, the "letter" is no more than the so called "toroksho". It is the registering certificate, ANY sword in Japan requires because of the Japanese guns + sword laws. The toroksho contains the measurements of the blade, the kanji of the signature (if any present) and the province and date of registration. The toroksho do NOT contain any information about the autenticy of the signature. The toroksho has to be turned in to the autorities at the time a sword ist exported from Japan to a foreign country. Greetings Andreas

Hello Jeremy, PLEASE do not place a bare blade on concrete, tiles, glas or any other hard surface. It will not improve the polish. Greetings Andreas

Hello Tobias, the traditional "sliding hooks" look like this: Made from bamboo and look much better than the metal ones Greetings Andreas

Hello Justin, I have not been there yet, but at least they have a Japanese department: http://www.lindenmuseum.de/englisch/ Maybe a good place to spend some time without much travelling around. Greetings Andreas

Dear Hoanh, I once owned a Masamitsu Tachi some years ago (>10 years). It was ubu, signed and dated Meitoku 1 (1390) and therefore showed a clearly different shape than the mid-Nambokucho type. Some data: nagasa 687 mm sori: 21 mm sakihaba: 16.5 mm motohaba: 28mm sakikasane: 3.6 mm motokasane: 7 mm This blade was a very slender blade, but also polished down considerably. The nakago was much thicker than the polished part (more than 1.5 mm thicker!) It had a remarkably high shinogi! Regretable the remaining boshi was only a pencil line thick it had been reshaped unfortunately. Anyway, this sword showed no tiredness, a clear utsuri AND very fat chikei in the hada. The hamon did not look like the typical "boring" Kozori blades of the time but contained a good deal of ko-notare, ko-midare, koshibiraki, ko-gunome, ko-choji, ha‑nie, sunagashi, kinsuji, ko-ashi and tobiyaki. The habuchi had the nice "soft" look of a good Bizen-To of earlier times. Unfortunately my photo skill wasn't that good, but I like to post some of the old pics. The blade was exhibited in Solingen 1984 and I copied the oshigata from the catalogue. I did not manage to get a clear shot of the mei, but the oshigata on the Tokubetsu Hozon Kanteisho was even worse due to the patination and the very thin strokes of the mei. Anyway, I think a Masamitsu blade is an interesting addition to any Bizen Collection. Greetings Andreas

Hello Brian, there is one on tetsugendo.com (C-71 Nabokucho Miike Mitsuyo, it is sold). Greetings Andreas

Hello Brian, I guess Morita san wanted to direct our attention to the regular shape of the hi: it is a regular ryo chiri bo-hi. BUT the Miike school is famous for their VERY wide and shallow hi, which is an unique feature if originally made into the sword. Those hi on the pictured sword are different, definitely not Miike like hi. Greetings Andreas

Hello Folks, aparently the european egun site is "discovered" once again by one more China based "seller": http://www.egun.de/market/item.php?id=4193112 http://www.egun.de/market/item.php?id=4198363 http://www.egun.de/market/item.php?id=4198773 http://www.egun.de/market/item.php?id=4198788 http://www.egun.de/market/item.php?id=4198798 http://www.egun.de/market/item.php?id=4198805 http://www.egun.de/market/item.php?id=4198809 Looks like genuine stuff, BUT - listed by a "seller" from China who joined the egun platform less than one week ago - "seller" has no feedback - description contains all the same meaningless sentence - pricing is a joke, at least on some of the items Maybe a new years joke? Greetings Andreas

Hello, I need help with identifying a set of mon on a fuchi by Yokoya Sôju (many thanks to Markus Sesko for reading the kanji and providing info on Sôju). Since the fuchi is made prior to 1734 (dead of Yokoya Sôju according to Haynes), the use of mon maybe less *insignificant* than during later Edo period? Anyway, here are the pictures of the fuchi. Any help greatly appreciated :-) Greetings Andreas

Hello Keith, I guess we all know the Honcho Gunkiko source, which is hold in hight esteem because it is an *old samurai time source*. But I like to be a little heretical some times: Has anyone of you ever tried to wear a katana mounted sword in tachi style like shown there in img056.jpg or img055.jpg? It works with the koshiate, but it do NOT work with the simple *cord-loops* pictured in this book. The movment while walking, running etc definitely loosen the straps and the sword will twist in the loop until it is finally in a much more stable position, edge up! Try it by yourself! Greetings Andreas

Hello Clive, do you have any confirmed information about the coming dates for the DTI and the NBTHK Token Taikai for 2013? Kind regards Andreas

The place at ebay.de where this is listed is a little desperate for the sale of quality nihonto items: So this may be interesting for the EUROPA based collectors (no import tax, cheap shipping). I guess the seller will ship within Europa, if you ask. http://www.ebay.de/itm/Nihon-Toko-Jiten ... 2c6684ac9b Greetings Andreas

Hi Fernando, your questions give us the impression, that you are not familiar with (old) Japanese swords. You wrote: "I myself have the water stones and jizuya and hizuya and the professional oil and powder and such". So you intend to polish the blade BY YOURSELF?? Well, to say it the blunt way: this maybe the best method to reduce the value from 435 US$ to ZERO. Sorry. Greetings Andreas

Hello Jimi, the kanji reads Bushu ju Hiroshige. The other reading maybe somethimes listed on Japanese sites, but the "usual" transkription of the kanji is as above. Markus Sesko lists two pages of Hiroshige from Bushu in his swordsmiths index. Most of them add a "Shitahara" within their signature (Bushu Shitahara ju Hiroshige). But there are at least two listet which signed without a titel and without mentioning "Shitahara". One during Bunroku and one during Kanei. Greetings Andreas Samples form Markus book: Hiroshige ( N), 1. Gen., Bunroku (KP, 1592-1596), Musashi – „Bushu Shitahara-ju Hiroshige“ , „Bushu-ju Hiroshige“ , bürgerlicher Name „Yamamoto Shinshichiro“ , er war der vierte Sohn der 1. Gen. Shitahara Terushige (WN) und eröffnete einen eigenen Zweig der Shitahara-Familie, er lebte in Ongatamura (XYZ) in Musashis Hachioji, suguha gemischt mit gunome-ashi in ko-nie-deki mit einem eher unterdrücktem nioiguchi, chu-saku Hiroshige ( N), 1. Gen., Kan´ei (1624-1644), Musashi – „Bushu Shitahara-ju Hiroshige“, „Bushu-ju Hiroshige“, „Sagami no Kami Fujiwara Hiroshige“, „Bushu Hachioji Tasai-gun Yokoyama no junin Seishu Kuwana ni oite Shitahara Hiroshige saku“, „gefertigt von Shitahara Hiroshige aus Yokoyama bei Hachioji aus dem Tasai-Distrikt Musashis in Ises Kuwana“), bürgerlicher Name „Yamamoto Shinbei“, er änderte seinen Vornamen später auf „Shin´emon“, dritter Sohn der 1. Gen. Shinshichiro Hiroshige, er eröffnete im zwölften Jahr Kan´ei (1635) einen eigenen Zweig der Shitahara-Familie, er starb im zweiten Jahr Kanbun (1662) im Alter von 88 Jahren Tossed into google translator: Hiroshige (N), 1 Gene Bunroku (CP 1592-1596), Musashi -. "Bushu Shitahara Hiroshige-ju", "Bushu-ju Hiroshige, "real name" Yamamoto Shinshichiro "he was the fourth son of the 1st Gen. Shitahara Terushige (WN) and opened his own branch of Shitahara family, he lived in Ongatamura (XYZ) in Musashi's Hachioji, Suguha mixed with Gunome-ashi in ko-nie-deki with a rather suppressed nioiguchi, chu-saku Hiroshige (N), 1 . Gene Kan'ei (1624-1644), Musashi - "Bushu Shitahara Hiroshige-ju", "Bushu Hiroshige-ju", "Sagami no Kami Fujiwara Hiroshige", "Bushu Tasai Hachioji-gun Yokoyama no junin Seishu Kuwana ni saku oite Shitahara Hiroshige, "" made ​​out of Shitahara Hiroshige Yokoyama at the Hachioji District Tasai Musashi in Ises Kuwana "), real name" Yamamoto Shinbei, "he later changed his first name to "Shin'emon", the third son of the 1st Gen. Shinshichiro Hiroshige, he opened the twelfth year Kan'ei (1635) has its own branch of Shitahara family, he died in the second year Kanbun (1662) at the age of 88 years

Congratulation Jean, now THATS a sword!. Obviously from the Yamato Province, as easily seen by the very wide shinogi-ji and the highness of the shinogi, too, which stand out even with the pictures showing the blade only as a flat view... Lots of running hada along the edge and an "old mens beard" boshi. Together with the slightly elongated kissaki, I guess it als Greetings Andreas PS: easy understandable, why Yamato is so much sought after by seasoned collectors, isn't it

Hello Kai, reading your question about o-suriage, I hazard a guess that you haven't yet read the FAQ or the recommended readings? It is all about serious study and experience. But one thing is easy to learn (historic development of swords, see faq): there were virtually no shinogi-tsukuri Wakizashi in existence during the Nambokucho-Jidai. So any blade of this type must be of later manufacture or it must be cut down from a (earlier) longer sword. (I omit the Ko-Tachi, but those show a clearly different shape, anyway). On a closer look, in the case of the pictured wakizashi, the shape of the nakago (including the kiri tip, mentioned by Kim) and shape of the blade should give you a clue. PLEASE study the most recommended readings. After you aquired at least some basic knowlegde, you will be able to question some of the statements of a seller or make your own conclusions about those statements. When in doubt, ask before buying. Greetings Andreas

Hi, next meeting of NBTHK EB is next Saturday (March 24th) in Nürnberg. Contact: http://www.nbthk.net/NBTHK/NBTHK_Startseite.html Another chance is: http://www.nihonto-club.de/ Greetings Andreas

Hello Peter, there are very few types of hada, which allow an emediately conclusion about the smith without seeing the hada in good polish. One sample is the distinct hada of Gassan school (which is not on your sword, sorry). Looking at your pictures, I *think* I can see a masame like hada within the shinogi ji. But this might be a misinterpretation because of the polish (It is a wild guess, please checkt it with the blade). If it IS masame, you can start reserching from this point: masame in shinogi ji, some itame-like in hira-ji The hamon would give a clue about the sword, but as Grey allready pointed out: there is NO hamon visible, just some scratching/whitening along the edge. (I do not dare to call THIS a kesho / hadori work, sorry). Greetings Andreas

Hello Paul, please have a look here: http://www.touken.or.jp/english/translation1.html These are only the translations of the most recent years, but as far as I remember, the english translation was availiable as word-doc since 1998 (?). Maybe you can get the back issues from the NBTHK AB oder EB (if you are a member). A search within those word-docs is easy, using the usual windows features Greetings Andreas

Hello Tobias, since the rendai (Lotus-flower) below the futatsu-bi will be covered by the habaki you can assume the nakago beeing machi okuri. In fact I can't see any ha machi remaining => sword suffered great loss of width during polishing. Not a great deal in my opinion. Greetings Andreas

Hello Mark, it is no date, sorry, but reads 'Echizen ju', which means 'living in Echizen (Province)'. So it is perhaps a smith of the Echizen Shimosaka School, although the oshigata in the 'Shinto Taikan' shows a little different writing (smaler, less confident written kanji). Unfortunately the nakago jiri of the oshigata is not reproduced in the taikan BTW: there were three of these Kunitsuna's swords sold by Aoi Art during 2009-2010 Greetings Andreas

Hello Marcello, there is only one Tamba (no) Kami Terukado listed in the literatur. Greetings Andreas

Hi, I agree with Jaques, the signature of the wakizashi looks weak and disorted. I attached a foto of a blade I once owned. Look at the strenght of the mei! Greetings Andreas