saipan59

Had a similar experience a couple of years ago. Box apparently split open in shipment, and several books didn't make it to the destination. The package was insured, but USPS refused to pay, because there was no "proof" of the price paid. They wanted to see (for example) an online auction transaction that defined the price/value. Pete

Thanks for that hint! I believe that emulator only works with DOS apps, not Windows apps. The last version of ToShoW (aka V6) is a 16-bit Windows app (ideal for Windows95, ME, and XP). However, the previous version (V5) was a DOS app. At that time, it was called "ToSho" (without the "W"). About 20+ years ago, I ran it on an early Epson laptop that ran DOS V5 and had a CGA monochrome display and cost me $1400(!!). I used to take it to meetings of the Colorado ToKenKai - it was very impressive at the time! The code was written in Turbo Pascal. I wonder if I still have a CD with ToSho V5 on it...? Pete

Hi Barry, thanks for your kind words! If I may say so, one of the things about ToShoW that I'm most proud is that it allows searching the smiths in ways that are difficult or impossible with most other resources. And a shout-out to my wife, who put in many hours entering data for the kanji database that is part of ToShoW. I just recently got a new PC that runs Windows 10, and found that the ToShoW app doesn't run on Win-10 at all... Just had a thought, though - there might be a "shell" app that would allow running an old 16-bit Windows app on a modern system. I'll check... Wanna buy a nice Mishina Daisho :-) ? Pete

I am looking for anyone in the Colorado Front Range area that might be interested in these items that I plan to put up for sale: Naginata with old pole and saya, old polish, probably sue-koto(?), signed Kanemitsu. $2500. Katana, Tamba no Kami Kanemichi, shodai, shirasaya, NBTHK Hozon. $6000. Wakizashi, Tamba no Kami Kanemichi, nidai, shirasaya, NBTHK Hozon and also NTHK 72 points. $3000. I'm looking for a "local sale", before I resort to consigning, shipping, etc. About me: I started collecting in 1982, but have been inactive for some years now. I was the the author of the "ToShoW" database software that some old-timers will remember. I wrote a couple of articles for JSSUS in the late 80's or early 90's. The above items are the only things I have of real value, and I want to move on to other interests, and let someone else study and enjoy them. Pete in Colorado

The mon may belong to the previous owner. But there is not much else to be learned from it, unless you have detailed info about the provenance of this particular item. For example, if you could narrow it down to a specific town in Japan, then it may be possible to identify a family. But most kamon can be associated with many different families. Pete

I heard "tsunagi" used once on a Japanese drama (a tsunagi is a wood insert to replace the blade inside a saya, so that the koshirae can be displayed, while the actual blade is somewhere else): The context was a couple of guys talking about a girl (the head hostess at an exclusive club), and this girl was young and new, and had taken over in place of a strong and respected girl, so one of the guys says "...tsunagi desu ne...", meaning that she was a not-so-functional imitation of the original. Pete

Interesting - thanks Keith! I guess it's safe to say that drug-store mineral oil is not a good choice, either... Pete

You're right, Stephen - trying to find a cheap alternative to something that is known to be good is not worth the risk. It just irks me that the makers/sellers won't explain exactly what it is, and most of the collector world will take it at face value (I suppose because it's the "traditional" thing). There's definitely value in having the conversation, so that folks (for example) don't assume that drug-store clove oil is the same thing. The damage that can be done by a 'bad oil' also relates to why a blade should not be touched with bare fingers, why the saya must be a correct fit, why the humidity must be managed, etc. Pete

Because it's not clear what is in it compared to the "sword oil". It *might* be OK, but I wouldn't try it. The "sword oil" clearly works OK, but we just don't know what is really in it (or how much). Pete

Exactly, same for me. That's why I specifically said "GOOD" gun oil. CLP is one option. I use "CLP Break-Free" on my guns. On polished blades, I haven't used anything in years. On a blade that is rusty, etc., I use the CLP. So, does anyone know with certainty what type of oil is the "sword oil" made from? We call it "clove oil", but it is almost certainly not pure clove oil. It almost certainly IS a modern type of oil with clove added. So which type? The maker is not going to admit that it's something ordinary. If it was NOT ordinary, they would be bragging about it. Pete

To help with reading kanji, I suggest doing some practice in *writing* kanji. I'm not suggesting that you memorize how to write 100's of kanji, but rather learn some things about the radicals, the strokes that make them, and the correct order to write them. This helps you recognize what other folks have written. Pete

I don't use much oil (live in a dry climate), but I recommend a GOOD quality gun oil - I figure the requirements are the same: must not promote corrosion, must not get gummy, must not discolor carbon steel, stainless steel, nickel, or chrome. Years ago, I remember that someone did a chemical analysis of the commercial Japanese sword oil, and he found that it was essentially automatic transmission fluid (with clove scent added). Pete

If this is Takeyama Yoshinao (YOS1606), then I have two blades by him. Not especially high quality, but one of these was my very first blade. Edit: I compared your oshigata to one of mine, and they are a good match, except that mine reads "Seki Takeyama Yoshinao Saku". Mine has a Showa stamp. Pete

Maybe it's just me, but I can only see the pictures in thumbnail-size... Pete

Looks like an authentic gunto to me. One side of the tang is a date: 1944 (it's clearly not "pre 1700"). And the overall style and features are clearly WWII. Your pictures are quite good, except that you didn't include any to show the details of the blade. And, as already mentioned, your picture of the tang is upside-down. Meanwhile, what are the characteristics of a Chinese-made fake? I've heard that they exist, but I've never seen one... Pete

Actually, I think that "bokuto" is a better word to use in most cases. I've found that native speakers use bokuto, and bokken might sound a bit 'foreign'. And bokuto is definitely used by non-martial-arts folks in Japan. If you consider the kanji that are used, bokuto is "wood katana", while bokken is "wood sword (generic)". In the West, for whatever reason, bokken became the common word. Pete

Another place to look is http://www.bokkenshop.com/eng/ . They ship international, for us Westerners. I bought a few things from them several years ago. Four or five types of wood are available for many styles, and they give some guidelines of what each type of wood is best for. I.e., some are better for contact, others are more intended for "show" or non-contact demos, etc. They have standard shapes, and a bunch of specialized shapes aimed at a particular ryu-ha. I have one made of Macassar ebony that I bought in Tokyo about 20 years ago. It was cheap, probably because the tip was slightly damaged. At the same time I got a really nice iai-to for a bargain price because there was a ding in the saya. Pete

Thanks Tom, for your better transliteration - I messed up a few things (it's what happens when I wing it on my own, without getting my wife's help...). My recollection of my Yasumitsu (I sold it about 15 years ago): It was a bit "short and thin" for my taste - I guess I like a little more "meat". It was suguha and muji-hada, so there was not much to look at - it was quality work (I think), but not very interesting. Mine had several marks in the mune from where it had been hit by a semi-sharp object (I'm guessing a bayonet?). Last I heard, it was owned by Chris Bowen in Japan. Pete

Here's some: Yasumitsu Showa 13 nen 8 gatsu kichi nichi (a good day in August, 1938) Ha naga(sa) 2 shaku 2 sun 1 bun kore (the length) Yasukuni Jinja uchi Nihon Token Kyokai Heisei 21 nen 3 gatsu kichi nichi (a good day in March, 2009) (apparently the name of the person who wrote the sayagaki) BTW, I used to have an Ikeda Yasumitsu, dated 1937. Pete

Hi Jimmy, Go to the jssus.org site and look in the "jsl index" - it will show you a bunch of references with info, such as Fujishiro Shinto-hen (which has oshigata). Do you know if you have a shodai or a nidai? Compare the "kane" kanji between 1-dai and 2-dai, and focus on the 4 little 'legs' on the bottom of the character. In one case, the two outer 'legs' angle downwards, and in the other the legs stay more horizontal. Mishina is my favorite school, but I'm no expert... Pete

The kamon on John's is tachibana (a variation on my wife's family kamon). On a gunto, as I recall these sorts of extra decorations were an "extra-cost upgrade", paid for by the soldier who carried it. They often appear on the kashira instead of the menuki. Pete

ToShoW is planned to end up on the JSSUS site. Until that happens, I can e-mail a single ZIP file that contains everything on request. The file is about 2.2 Mb in size. I can be reached at the following (remove spaces, change 'at' to @, and 'dot' to .) : saipan59 'at' Q 'dot' com. Pete

That Geocities location is going away within a couple of weeks. I can e-mail a single ZIP file that contains everything on request. Also, that e-mail address is no longer valid. Please use the following (remove spaces, change 'at' to @, and 'dot' to .) : saipan59 'at' Q 'dot' com. Pete

My simplified advice, for what it's worth: 1) Learn enough about kantei to approximately know your own limitations. 2) Spend your money based on what you have learned from 1). 3) Don't use origami as a substitute for 1). Pete

You may want to get "ToShoW" also, if you don't already have it. Not as many smiths listed as Hawley's, but a LOT more search/sort options. And it's a free download. And I wrote it (I had to drop that in there... Pete