Bazza Posted June 20, 2013 Report Posted June 20, 2013 Dear Brethren, 1. Can anybody recommend a shop in Kyoto and also Tokyo to buy steel-bladed iaito?? 2. Is there any known issue with a tourist exporting a steel-bladed iaito (or alloy-bladed for that matter) from Japan on exiting the country. The person would be returning to Australia. Best regards, BaZZa. Quote
cabowen Posted June 20, 2013 Report Posted June 20, 2013 By steel bladed, you mean shinsakuto? If not, then there is no such thing as a steel bladed iaito as by law they must be made of a non-sharpenable material like al or zn alloy. Quote
Lingonberry Posted June 20, 2013 Report Posted June 20, 2013 I know of a shop in Kyoto but I don't recall its name or how to get there but I can ask one of my sempai from my Uni days if they remember. I'm pretty sure they have iaito but I don't know if they have any shinsakuto. I wouldn't be surprised if they could help you find one though. Quote
Baka Gaijin Posted June 20, 2013 Report Posted June 20, 2013 Morning all Hi Bazza, Chris knows the situation really well, in Japan, if it's steel it's got to be licenced, but outside Japan the situation is entirely different. Some Japanese based Budogu-ya have steel bladed options for non Japan based sales, but these are usually marketed by an intermediary outside of Japan. Most if not all of these options are Chinese made to their spec and really good for the job at hand. Tozando are Kyoto based: https://www.tozandoshop.com/ They are quite easy to deal with and have English speaking staff. Nine Circles in U.K. is one of the best web based suppliers http://www.ninecircles.co.uk/Swords_and ... Iaito.aspx Cheers Quote
Bazza Posted June 20, 2013 Author Report Posted June 20, 2013 By steel bladed, you mean shinsakuto? If not, then there is no such thing as a steel bladed iaito as by law they must be made of a non-sharpenable material like al or zn alloy. Chris, Thank you - there is the collector's blind spot!! I didn't know that. I've asked on behalf of a friend who has some swords but is new to the world of forums and suchlike. He is going to Japan in a couple days and I couldn't answer his questions so put them here. What about the export issue with (a) shinsakuto (de-registration I expect), and (b) non-sharpenable al or zn iato?? Best regards, Barry Thomas. Quote
Baka Gaijin Posted June 20, 2013 Report Posted June 20, 2013 Hi Bazza, Usual terms and conditions apply to Steel blades, all reputable dealers will fill your friend in on this. (All dealers are reputable ) The situation with Zinc/Duralumin blade Iai-To is straight forward. You can buy it straight off the shelf and carry it away there and then. The fun comes when you go to airport, (So be polite and smile a lot) they can freak out on a scale of 1 - a number closely approaching the Nikkei, (So be polite and smile a lot) They will get a magnet, (So be polite and smile a lot) They will then pass it a few times across blade, (So be polite and smile a lot), have a discussion, (So be polite and smile a lot), finally the senior will ok it, you may get a smile but it's not mandatory (So be polite and smile a lot one last time). Job Done! Same thing applies taking Zinc/Duralumin Iai-To into Japan. That's it really Quote
Alex A Posted June 20, 2013 Report Posted June 20, 2013 What ever you do, don't start sweating, whistling may help :D Alex. Quote
Ken-Hawaii Posted June 20, 2013 Report Posted June 20, 2013 Tozando makes great blades, Barry, but have your friend be extra careful to insist that the blade be an aluminum alloy, not steel. My wife & I upgraded our iaito last year, & although we specified an aluminum alloy, what we received was steel on both blades. We decided to keep them, but please be aware. And unless your friend will be staying in Japan for two weeks or so, he shouldn't expect to be able to bring the iaito back with him if it's at all customized. I'm sure they have "off the rack" blades, but have not seen any of those myself. If he is planning to train in iaido, be sure to have him mention that, as blade length is rather critical, especially for newbies. We've had no problems bringing back iaito from Japan, at least through Narita or Haneda - just be sure it's in checked luggage.... Ken Quote
Bazza Posted June 21, 2013 Author Report Posted June 21, 2013 Thank you Chris, Malcolm, Alex and Ken for your informed insights. Best regards Barry Thomas. Quote
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