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Japanese Polisher Tsuyoshi Morodomi Has A Site Now.

kusunokimasahige
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Fuuten Mentor

Fuuten

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Hello:

 I am curious to know what Members of the NMB think about the concept of polishers offering services for different quality of polishes priced accordingly.

 Arnold F.

 

Sounds like a good thing,

 

As; none of the options should or would damage the blade.

There are options for everyone's price range.

A better competitive system because there's more to compare.

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kusunokimasahige Grand Master

kusunokimasahige

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No not yet Jim.

I have followed him for a while now and I like what I see.

And well compared to the often heard 100-200 US$ per inch some Western polishers ask ,
10.000 Yen per sun (3.03cm) is not bad as far as I am concerned.

Take a katana.with a Nagasa of 63 cm. I calculate for a full polish 1,538.76 EURO
(ex costs of shipping registering at customs etcetera)

So that is what I call affordable yes. (of course one has to save up for it)

Compared to the about 2500 or more US$ quotes I got from some others in the West.

KM


 

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seattle1 Experienced

seattle1

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Hello:

My question wasn't so much related to cost, which by the way, when comparing say between the US and Japan differential, must take into consideration many more costs and issues than just those related to those of the togi as such, but rather to the grades: iaido, average, above (average?), and top. The price quoted for above average by a sun doesn't seem out of line. I am thinking more about who has the power of decision on the level and what is the competence of that person to make such a decision. It is quite possible that a novice collector has a fine blade needing polish but a rather flat wallet. A decision to ask for an average polish could lead to great regrets. Every polish is a reductive process and an average polish, whatever that actually is, might entirely disqualify a blade for Tokubetsu Hozon consideration to say nothing of Juyo.

I have no doubt that Tsuyoshi Morodomi is an accomplished polisher; and if he were to make the decision of level there would be some protection for the lack of knowledge of the novice. The novice making the call could be a disaster. To each his own, but the polishers I am familiar with in the US and Japan are sincere artists in their own right and would not compromise on the quality of a polish, as must be implicit in the levels mentioned above.

Arnold F.

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Jim P Proficient

Jim P

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Hi Arnold,You raise some very good points and I think you have to do your homework or you may find it’s not what you wanted and not happy with the outcome.
Henk-Jan, You have to be careful when you recommend someone you have not had work done by him. All we have is a few photos and we don't know at which level they are plus the cost may be a lot different  when you take in shipping, registration and customs and the level of polish. anyway each his own,

Peter, Besides the price you have lost me (natural finish grindstone) ?

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Brian

Brian

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I know this was discussed before, and some said that there should not be such a thing as an average polish, medium polish and then top grade polish. That every polisher should do his best polish every time.

That is great in an ideal world, but the facts and logic just don't bear that out. I doubt it means the polisher deliberately holds back or does anything that would need to be reversed. To me, a mid level polish would be one that cleans off all rust, corrects all the lines, and puts it in a state where it can be enjoyed and studied. I think a trained polisher's mid level polish would be one that most of us would be familiar with. Then a high class polish would maybe spend more time on the finder stones, maybe more time tracing the hamon with the kesho polish, maybe more time on the finer points of everything.

A mumei suriage Shinto is not one that every collector needs in competition-grade (or Juyo grade) polish. As long as the polisher is trained and professional, the end result should be acceptable and economical. I have more than 10 swords that I would love to see polished, but probably don't warrant a high class polish as they will never even be TH candidates.

Our protests that there shouldn't be a "mid level" polish go against the fact that many Japanese polishers offer this, and I venture a guess that most of the sub-Juyo swords we see online on Japanese dealer sites are in this state of polish.

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kusunokimasahige Grand Master

kusunokimasahige

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Indeed very valid questions of course.

 

About proficiency in the case of this specific polisher I go by what I see and more importantly :

http://刀剣研磨.com/kenmashi-keireki.html

As well as several of the swords he polished which are on exhibition.

I think any good polisher who receives a sword, even from a novice, will be in touch with that person regularly to discuss progress and

will decide how and what polish might be best for any specific sword. In the Polishing business word of mouth is very important
especially because it can make or break a togishi. That being said, I think it is important for fora like the NMB and its members to educate

novices and prevent ! Swords from being destroyed by hacks.

Just like some sword shops use the word Iado for shinshinto or gendaito swords they sell (Aoi-Art), an Iaido polish to me constitutes a polish for swords which are used in Iaido training or tameshi-giri. That means the polish is less elaborate and less prone to damage than an art-polish with a sword which is in use on a regular basis and not merely rests in its shirasaya only to be taken out and appreciated at certain times.

Recommending someone is not always done after you have had work done by that person. There are some togishi I would never recommend and they never did nor will do work on any sword I have. (Pm me for a name). Do you really think that some people who have sent swords to Japan via some of the services offered on NMB always had work done before by the specific togishi (plural) who offered their services ? No. Many work with others or go by the word of others. That is the way it works as far as I can tell. It is the same with sword-dealers.

People buy stuff regardless of whether they have seen or had it before.

Silly example (in your eyes maybe, but not in mine):

I can buy Revell Star Wars model kits or I can buy Bandai Star Wars model kits. The difference to me is clear.

Revell :
post-82-0-66784400-1443336381_thumb.jpg

Bandai:
post-82-0-57526900-1443337376_thumb.jpg

Though that is not at all directly related to having a sword polished by a togishi the basic system is still there.

See. Buy. Happy or not happy, buy again.

It really is that simple to me.

:)


 

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Jim P Proficient

Jim P

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Hi Henk-Jan, I think we all have different views on polishing.And that's a good thing :) I have always thought that there are different grades and as Brian said (As long as the polisher is trained and professional, the end result should be acceptable and economical.) and that’s fine for some swords and for some of those in your list but we are not speaking about  hacks or novices and it’s not an ideal world, so with no experiences of dealing with them. You can ask the same question of yourself, how do you know the work is done by the specific togishi ? with No disrespect to the togishi as I do not know him or his work. So as we move up to Tokubetsu Hozon and Juyo it can make a lot of difference  and if IMHO someone asked me to recommend someone I could not do that from a few photos or their website and in IMHO there is a difference between information and recommendation  and for me at the moment there is only one polisher I have asked and who’s work has what I like in a polish. why ? because I have been able to hold his work in my hands. There are a lot of good polishers out there and they do great work but I have also seen big name polishers who’s work  did not do it for me but was acceptable work .But that is how it should be, that diversity of opinion is what give us the chance to see what’s out there :)       

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kusunokimasahige Grand Master

kusunokimasahige

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Well how do you know if a polisher polishes himself you ask. In the case of a one man shop I gather the togishi does it himself.
If he las living-in students some of them may work on swords in various stages. In general this is either told to the customer or known

through information we get here on this board. cf. the topic of Kunitaro on polishing services in Japan.

I am still wondering though what semantics you use because you seem to think I am recommending someone while I only assert the following two things :

His prices are very, very affordable from the looks of it.

 

I have followed him for a while now and I like what I see.

 

:)

 

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kusunokimasahige Grand Master

kusunokimasahige

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@ Dear Stephen:

Do I live in Japan ?

 

:laughing: ;)

I only have seen many photos of his work most high-res of the quality you also find on Darcy's site. None in hand however.


 

 

@ Jason same here.And with me a lot of serious fans are really really angry that Disney has forced Bandai to stop selling to retailers who also ship outside of Japan like HLJ. But that is another discussion altogether..

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Jim P Proficient

Jim P

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Hi Henk-Jan  :)  You say (In general this is either told to the customer or known through information we get here on this board.) a lot don't, and if you post a list like in your http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/17410-finding-shirasaya-for-a-high-end-blade/#entry179580 that's information, like Brian's lists but if you post  about one then that going to be seen as more of a recommendation. like your statement  (At least then you can be certain of supberb polishing quality, notwithstanding proficient Western polishers who were FULLY trained in Japan,) have you had work done by one of them ? I think we need get past just giving blanket  statements like that.The only people of late that can say, " I like the job "was Stephen who from memory posted a few pics of a job that he had done and held it :beer: .that's my 2 cents for the day :)

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