New members

[Stephen]

I try to keep up with the new members as the rate is growing daily, a big howdy to them all from the last month, we have one new member that I would like to bring your attention too.

http://www.annebulmerbrewer.com/

Welcome auntielope very nice site you have there and even more impressive work and resume

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

Ouch !

 

Hope my wife don't stumple accidentally in this website !

 

Welcome. nice works there.

[anne_brewer]

Thank you for your kind words about my work and for providing a link to my site.

 

This is a wonderful site! I stumbled on it while researching two items: first, a katane I inherited from my grandfather; second, information on making a tagane for nanako and the nanako process - I just completed 15 days studying Zougan and Hori with Naohiro Yamada (Hiko Mizuno's star student, I understand). Sensei only briefly reviewed nanako process, so now that I am back in the studio I am struggling to make the nanako properly, thus my search for information.

 

Regarding the sword, I've been informed the sword blade is Shinto and believed to be made by Hisamachi. I've been trying to learn more about the swordsmith and identify the tsuba maker. The tsuba is older - estimated to be 18th century - iron with inlay. The tsuba shape is maru gata with maru mimi rim and only nakago-ana and kozuka hitsu-ana. (Sounds like I know what I'm talking about, but am just learning).

 

Regarding nanako, I want to send an "Awesome!" to Patrick, re the workmanship on the F/K, and Kudos to Ford for sharing his knowledge with Patrick. Also, Patrick's picture of his tagane helps. Thank you!

 

Again, thank you for the welcome and your kind words. Anne (aka. Antelope)

[Stephen]

Im sure i speak for more than a few here, we love for you to share pix of your Grandfathers sword/tsuba and any work youve done in nanako, did you find us via Fords great site? Feel free to ask any question about your sword, lot of great Nihonto brains to pick on this board.

[anne_brewer]

Stephen,

 

Where to begin... Today I will take a few pictures to post of the sword/tsuba/etc. Last night I read all 11 pages of the tsuba discussion and am awed. The conversations were lively and informative. Yes, perhaps, there are a few "nihonto brains" here who can help me unravel the "mysteries." To manage expectations, the elements of my sword are quite humble so please do not expect too much. I will post the images on the tosugo discussion. Thank you for your kind invitation and offers.

 

Thank you, also, for asking me to share my poor attempts at nanako, as I find their quality too poor to post. However, I will post the instructions and diagrams I have for doing nanako and, perhaps, some of the "nihonto brains" will fill in the pieces for me. I can visualize why the process I have should work. I am just having trouble "getting it" when the information is "sent" to my hands.

 

And to answer the last questions, I LOVE google which brought me to your site. I was pleased to find Ford and Patrick here with whom I am familiar from Carving Path where I silently learned from the skilled people on that board. I found carving path googling Jim Kelso, whose work I admire.

[Brian]

Hi Anne,

 

I assume you have also checked out Ford's own excellent page on Japanese metalwork at http://www.followingtheironbrush.org/index.php ?

I am pretty sure it is the leading resource on the actual processes, and they have detailed step by step tutorials. I am sure nanako is one of their specialities and they will have your technique refined in no time.

I look forward to seeing the pics of the sword, and am sure we will do our best to assist where we can.

 

Regards,

Brian

[anne_brewer]

Brian,

 

I have spent some time at Ford's new site. It is wonderful. Since finding it I refer to it regularly for guidance and just to see what the boy is up to now. :D

 

Have spent the afternoon taking pictures of everything except the blade and the habaki. As I was reviewing the pictures there was a nagging sensation something was missing. Then I realized the habaki is on my bench in the studio as an example of good Yugo - another favorite surface texture of mine.

 

Hope to have the pictures available this evening. To keep things simple, I am just going to load them to my .mac site and put a link on the board. Hope that will work okay for everyone. If you have a better process, I am open.

 

Antelope