Nihonto Newsletters Vs Token Bijutsu English Editions

[ying]

Need some advise on this,which are in your opinion the "best" reference to obtain,out of the two?

 

Nihonto newsletters by Albert Yamanaka (4 volumes)

Token Bijutsu English edition (59 volumes)

 

Which one has more articles,and has the better learning curve.

If i would get one out of the two,would i be missing a lot of information that is in the other?Or maybe i,m getting this all wrong and the two are really

not comparable?

 

 

[Ken-Hawaii]

I'm pretty sure that Yamanaka stuffed more articles into his four volumes, but you're right that comparing the two references is really not a good idea. What are you looking for in these references? Have you started with the usual ones, like Yumoto & Nagayama?

 

Ken

 

[nagamaki - Franco]

Both!

[BIG]

Hi Harry, IMHO you have to read more books and articles....

 

Best Regards

[ying]

I'm pretty sure that Yamanaka stuffed more articles into his four volumes, but you're right that comparing the two references is really not a good idea. What are you looking for in these references? Have you started with the usual ones, like Yumoto & Nagayama?

 

Ken

Yes have been reading those, just looking for some general articles and insights

that maybe those books haven,t adressed.

 

And yes Peter,i need to read more, that indeed.

[Ken-Hawaii]

The problem with Yamanaka & Token Bijutsu is that they range from advanced to very advanced, Harry, & if you don't have the underlying understanding of the terms, along with having looked at enough blades to see how everything fits together, you're setting yourself up for frustration.

 

Do you know why sugata is the very first thing we look at when we're evaluating a blade? Or why very old Koto blades look so different from newer ones? That's the kind of info Yumoto & Nagayama are going to teach you, & you need that before you move on to Yamanaka & Token Bijutsu. There's a definite learning curve for Nihonto, & shortcuts almost always lead to confusion.

 

Ken

 

[paulb]

Harry

I have both. I use the NBTHK volumes a lot but the bulk of the material is kantei examples rather than articles. extremely valuable when trying to compare what you have with good reference pieces. Yamanaka for a very long time has been the foundation of a great deal of western understanding of the Japanese swords. It serves as a great reference and introduction but by nature a lot of what is said is brief and lacking in detail. When I started I would have found it great value now I use it less often (rarely) Also later research and opinion has contradicted some of his writings, as often happens to many teachers and authorities.

If I had to choose I would probably go for the NBTHK volumes first but it would be a close call.

I would also agree with Ken that if you don't already have it Nagayama would be a better first choice.

[ying]

Thanks Ken and Paul,and yes Nagayama is been in my collection some time now.Think

i will start with the NBTHK and move on from that,not necessarily reading the first but if i can get as much books i can get it, s in my collection, and can choose what to read.

 

Thanks again.

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Harry,

Yamanaka is comprehensive, more so than Token Bijutsu, but I much prefer Token Bijutsu.  When I need to research a smith or school, it is my 1st choice.  Token Bijutsu didn't set out to be comprehensive but after 59 issues they came close.  More than once I have told a collector that if he got the set and read through it twice, he would learn a lot.

However, Nihonto Newsletters is still in print and reasonable affordable.  Token Bijutsu English is very difficult to find and pricey if found.  I would buy 3 sets today for my site if I could find them; I buy individual issues whenever I can trying to put together a set (I'm close).  If you know of a set that's reasonably priced you should jump at the chance; if you don't want it I do.

Grey

[ying]

Hi Harry,

Yamanaka is comprehensive, more so than Token Bijutsu, but I much prefer Token Bijutsu.  When I need to research a smith or school, it is my 1st choice.  Token Bijutsu didn't set out to be comprehensive but after 59 issues they came close.  More than once I have told a collector that if he got the set and read through it twice, he would learn a lot.

However, Nihonto Newsletters is still in print and reasonable affordable.  Token Bijutsu English is very difficult to find and pricey if found.  I would buy 3 sets today for my site if I could find them; I buy individual issues whenever I can trying to put together a set (I'm close).  If you know of a set that's reasonably priced you should jump at the chance; if you don't want it I do.

Grey

Yes it is difficult to find the Bijutsu,s,i see them listed only on your website.Could u please direct me to the 28 page index and the corrections,or maybe pm those to me?

I can only find 1 index on Richard Steins website,and i like to compare them,maybe it will help me understand the content more better.

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Harry,

Richard Stein has indexes to both on his site and you will find Token Bijutsu included in the JSL Index at jssus.org

If you send me an email through my site I'll respond with corrections to TB.

Cheers,  Grey

[Darcy]

They are both filled with irreplaceable gems of knowledge.

 

It is not an OR decision, it is a WHEN decision. 

 

Start with what you can afford and get what you can get, when you can get it. 

 

These, the Nihonto Koza with Afu's translations and Fujishiro with Afu's translations are the the level 2 knowledge kit after the overview type of books. 

 

[ying]

Thank you Darcy,i have found the complete Bijutsu journals last week in my area,and had them delivered last week.

I will not start reading them directly but it is as you say,i,m getting what i can,when i can.

And because the Nihonto Newsletters are still available,i thought  let,s get them first.