AOI Art Sword Videos on Youtube

[Lance]

Just noticed some of Aoi Arts'  listings have YouTube videos included, pretty neat. 

link to channel below; 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP7r6ZvJ-8zkPlc_Zuv0liA

 

 

 

Regards,

Lance

[Ken-Hawaii]

Nice blades, & music to stare by. Love the strong nioiguchi.

[Ganko]

I like it, he's done a good job.

[george trotter]

Sorry to be a grump...but so sad that sashi-komi polish is gone...

[Guido]

Sorry to be a grump...but so sad that sashi-komi polish is gone...

 

It isn’t gone at all, but it also isn’t something that works on each and every sword; actually, it only makes sense on a sword with a very tight nioiguchi and no hataraki.

[george trotter]

Judging from the number of likes you got (and I didn't get even one), I'd say that you are genuinely reflecting the current trend. I accept that. I was just expressing my preference for sashi-komi...so much so that I would prefer to keep a sword in its WWII period sashi-komi (even if it is dirty/scratched) than have it re-polished in hadori. I don't want to start an argument, but I think it is done today mainly because it is easier/quicker/cheaper for the polishing shop, not because it is more appropriate as a polish. I know some here - whom I greatly respect - are OK with hadori...it's just that I am not OK with it. 

Just for fun, here are two swords by the same man...both photographed from side-on...which polish do members prefer?

 

Regards

[Greg F]

George its hard to judge with the lighting being different but from this example the left one.

 

Im pleased about the new Aoi videos.

 

Greg

[Guido]

George, you seem to perceive hadori as some recent, mindless fashion gimmick. Hadori was used at least from the mid-Edo period on according to old records, and possibly even earlier; I hardly would call this “a current trend”.

 

Sashikomi, of course, shows much better in photos, but that’s about all you’ll see from a close distance as well, while hadori needs to be seen in hand, and rewards one with a much clearer view of all the fine details. 

 

Also, a polish lasts not forever, and after years and years of using uchiko - which is powdered polishing stone - hadori tends to fade, and at first glance appears as sashikomi; this is especially true when it comes to WWII swords that never received a proper polish in the first place.

[Rivkin]

I feel these terms are more commonly used in the US compared to Japan, in part as they tend to mean somewhat different things to different people, but here is a personal opinion:

 

Soshu very seldom works out in sashikomi. 

Bizen with long choji and prominent utsuri can be easily denigraded by careless application of hadori. And very often - it is. Even in the hands of people who are part of the top 10, or even top 5 polishers in the world.

 

Kirill R.

[george trotter]

Yes Piers, hadori has been around for a long time I agree, but was not often seen until the 'current trend'. In fact, 2 of my WWII RJT blades are in WWII period hadori, a bit less "intrusive" as post-war hadori has become. I think the reason for the  "current trend" for  it being almost the only type of polish one now sees in sword shops/on-line sales. I think this has been brought about by Japanese sword shops/polishers cutting time/costs and western collectors now thinking it is "the norm".

All I was saying is that I regret the "loss" of sashi-komi in today's sword world. We are all free to like/buy whatever polish we want...I want sashi-komi over hadori and as I said, if I can't have it I prefer to leave my WWII swords  dirty/scratched than have them re-polished in modern hadori...just saying.

Regards,.

[Guido]

You’re already the second one recently who thinks that Piers stole my account.

[Ted Tenold]

Yes Piers, hadori has been around for a long time I agree, but was not often seen until the 'current trend'. In fact, 2 of my WWII RJT blades are in WWII period hadori, a bit less "intrusive" as post-war hadori has become. I think the reason for the  "current trend" for  it being almost the only type of polish one now sees in sword shops/on-line sales. I think this has been brought about by Japanese sword shops/polishers cutting time/costs and western collectors now thinking it is "the norm".

All I was saying is that I regret the "loss" of sashi-komi in today's sword world. We are all free to like/buy whatever polish we want...I want sashi-komi over hadori and as I said, if I can't have it I prefer to leave my WWII swords  dirty/scratched than have them re-polished in modern hadori...just saying.

Regards,.

 

 

Actually George, I see a fair amount of abuse under the guises of both styles, but the most destructive of the two occurs in the sashikomi side when etchants become the defacto time saver, and folks that don't know the first damned thing about either polishing, or chemistry making firm application of their ignorance and/or apathy.  

 

Hadori style polishing is not solely based on the application of Hadori-tsuya to the yakiba.  It's primary innovation was in the nugui, but the tsuya gets the blame.  The bastardization of Hadori these days is being done with an airbrush-like tool called an air-eraser that uses abrasives like a little sandblaster.  It's not as deadly as a dremel tool in the wrong hands, but it does no justice to what the essential process of hadori really does. 

 

Hadori work, done properly and well, DOES NOT SAVE TIME.  Good hadori work itself can take days to complete.  It's tedious work, and requires great skill to do properly.

 

Sashikomi done properly and well, DOES NOT SAVE TIME.  Sashikomi, *proper* sashikomi is also tedious work and involves much more in the approaches than just wiping the blade with different nugui composition in the end.

 

As Guido mentioned, the choices between the two depend primarily on the deki of the sword.  Which one will "illustrate" the work better.  Hadori on a Tairyusai Sokan is just as much an improper choice of style as Sashikomi on Soshu Hiromitsu.  There are some swords that could go either way.  Take Yoshimichi sudareba;  the distictions between generations and the conspicous (or lack of) boundaries can make a difference in what style will *best* illustrate the fullest potential of enjoyment of the workmanship the sword has to offer.  Some have rather course or blurry patterns, with others are hard and very distinctly individual.  It can then become a choice of polisher that best works on this type of sword.  One polisher may kill it in sashikomi while another delivers a sashikomi polish that makes the sword look like it's parts are greater than the whole.

 

Prior to mid/late 19th Century would seem to be era of the "traditional" Sashikomi style that some seem to have a burning desire for.  Having seen a couple of Shinshinto works in their original polish from the period, frankly, they sucked, and nobody really knows they sucked because few people have actually seen swords in a polish from the era that were effectively "time capsuled" if you will.  The were not crappy swords made and polished by some country bumpkins.  I personally feel that the reason why old texts say that many Shinshinto swords are "muji" (distinctly lacking in hada grain because they are so tightly forged) is that the nugui material and process used then wasn't really adequate for fully bringing out the fineness of the structure.

 

The changes in the appearance in both polishes is also a direct reflection of the depleation of certain stones from the quarries in Kyoto, Mikawa, Kyushu, etc., and each sword has to be "matched" with the stones that best preserve the sword, while illustrating and accentuating the delicate details.  So as those stones become unavailable, they must be replaced with those that are the next best choice, so the effect and affect are apparent.  

 

I think it's important to understand that polishing styles, materials, and approaches change as much as sword forging.  We also have to be careful about how we apply the word "traditional".  Is a Sanchoumo utsushimono by Ono Yoshimitsu "un-traditional" if he used a powerhammer to prepare the metal instead of three hammermen?  

 

When someone says to me something like, "I only like sashikomi polishes", I think "What a shame.  You're missing out on some beautiful swords then"

[Brian]

Ted, awesome post!

And I am shocked (but somehow not surprised) to hear about the air-eraser. Damn, I can picture that, and what it can do. I'm guessing many of the quick eBay seller polishes are done with such tools. Sad.
But appreciate your comments, and agree with all of them 100%.

[Blazeaglory]

I prefer whatever type of polish the sword is calling for!

[Greg F]

I haven't heard about the air-eraser either but would like to know more about it and if its being used on many of the repro swords in china too. I hate the thought of it being used on Nihonto.

 

Greg

[george trotter]

Sorry Guido/Piers (dang...wish you'd get your name right....).

Ted, that is a long and very relevant discourse on the quality of polishing and the techniques used and the viewers ability to judge quality, but that is not what my comment was about...I merely said it is a shame that sashi-komi is "gone".

To emphasise my point i showed pics  of 2 swords by the same man  in both polishes and asked members for their opinion on which polish they preferred...only one answered, why? are the members afraid to comment? Here is another observation on the quality of  polishes... you only have to look at sword shop sale catalogues 1960-1980 and compare them with "current" catalogues. The old ones showed 1 or 2 clear photos of the hamon/hada etc (usually polished in sashi-komi) and a written description...now catalogues show a dozen or more pics of a (usually) hadori polished blade and nearly always include an oshigata of the blade activities because the pics are not able to do so adequately . I think this alone says a lot about the decline of polishes....why continue to polish blades in hadori which does not show the hamon clearly?...cost/profit!

 

Just my opinion,

[Ganko]

A proper hadori polish can be very attractive and for some swords it is more desirable than a sashikomi polish(nie deki vs nioi deki, respectively). What I think most people find objectionable, myself included, is the heavy kesho (air eraser?) style which is so prominent these days. It obscures the details and also hides many defects. Most of these "modern polishes" (merchants polishes?)leave much to be desired and are only suitable for the uninitiated.

[Brian]

George,
I am no taking one side or the other. My only comment is that I am told that good Hadori doesn't present well in photos, and needs to be seen in hand and under the correct light. Then it becomes clear what it is emphasizing and why it works. I Don't have access to swords in good hadori polish, but it is one of my aims for my Japan trip to compare the polishes and look at swords in good hadori polish and formulate an opinion. But the reason why you didn't get many answers to your question may be that people don't think the true state of the polish is visible in pics and they need to be compared in hand?
By the same token, many poor sashikomi polishes can look like someone hit the sword with ferric chloride. Again, needs to be seen in hand and not just from pics.

If a person just wants to see glaring hamon, acid will do that every time. But we know why that is not a true reflection of the sword, and why pics don't tell the true story.
I may personally prefer sashikomi myself, but need to give good hadori a chance and view some swords under expert guidance.

[Guido]

..., but it is one of my aims for my Japan trip to compare the polishes and look at swords in good hadori polish and formulate an opinion. ...

 

I can provide you with this opportunity - all of my swords were polished by top notch togishi, two of them even by a living national treasure. But be careful what you’re asking for, it may spoil your eyes forever.   

[Ken-Hawaii]

I wonder if Darcy or RKG have high-resolution, well-lit blades in opposite polishes, preferably from the same tosho, but at least from the same school?

[Guido]

I wonder if Darcy or RKG have high-resolution, well-lit blades in opposite polishes, preferably from the same tosho, but at least from the same school?

 

If that was the case, one of the swords didn’t receive the proper polish - I don’t think Darcy would go for anything like that ...

[Brian]

I'll take you up on that offer Guido. Looking forward to it   

[Ken-Hawaii]

Guido, do you think all blades from a school should have the same polish? Or only from the same tosho?

[Guido]

Guido, do you think all blades from a school should have the same polish? Or only from the same tosho?

 

If it’s the same deki, yes. If not, a comparison wouldn’t make any sense.

[Ken-Hawaii]

Okay, thanks.

[george trotter]

George,

I am no taking one side or the other. My only comment is that I am told that good Hadori doesn't present well in photos, and needs to be seen in hand and under the correct light. 

 

That was my point in my original comment Brian. Collectors now need all sorts of special conditions/equipment/lighting to get a good look at a hamon/hada...presumably one has to fly to Japan to look at a hadori blade in hand before one can make a decision on whether one likes it?...as I said, so sad that we don't see the old easy to see/assess sashi-komi these days. 

Over and out...

[Ted Tenold]

George, all due respect, I recognize, support, and concur you are certainly allowed to like what you like.  I agree that sashikomi is a wonderful and pleasing style for swords that are ammenable to it.  It can make a yakiba much more conspicuous in *some* types of photographic technique.  But please hear me out, as a photographer who primarily focuses (no pun intended, but not sorry for it anyways ) on swords and fittings as subject matter, sashikomi is just as vulnerable to poor photographic techniques as hadori is.  They each have to be photographed in specific conditions and set ups to illustrate them and communicate them each fluently.   Bad polish or bad photos?  Good polish and crappy images?  Great looking sword and as photoshopped as a Vogue cover model?

 

YES!  Hadori is being applied to swords that it should not be.  Again, I concur, and it makes me shake my head every time I see it.  Yet when I see a sashikomi on a sword that could clearly benefit from good hadori, again, my head shakes back and forth. 

 

 

 

Just for fun, here are two swords by the same man...both photographed from side-on...which polish do members prefer?

 

Regards

 

I'll answer;  from the images, I don't like either one.  The habuchi is clearly obvious on the sashikomi, but I can't tell if there are any finer hataraki, and the hada doesn't thrill me.  The hada on the hadori looks better, but the hadori on the yakiba doesn't look well done or is perhaps compromised by age.  So again, *from the images* neither one thrills me.  So because we cannot fully appreciate a three-dimensional artform in a two-dimensional medium, we're stuck choosing from the most obvious visible features instead of the work seen in a unified whole.  

 

So looking at two different swords in images that neither can fully illustrate properly and asking which is better, is a bit like asking someone if they can tell from the sound of galloping hooves in the distance if it's a horse or a zebra.

 

I'll also point out that the boshi, in *either* style, are finished in essentially the same process as hadori; with a very thin hazuya that is chosen for it's matching qualities to the particular sword's steel, and clarity of finish to illustrate the boshi.  But the same difficulties of seeing activity from a direct 90 degree approach in framing are present and exacerbated by a confined region with a complex lenticular shape, and the oshigata is what defines the things that are in the boshi.  The healthier, younger ones, do generally exhibit a habuchi that is more obviously visible, but in all cases, the boshi has to be seen in hand, in angled light, to properly appreciate.  Why no "sashikomi" style approach to the boshi to make it more conspicuous then?  It's not because the sword is lacking, or the style sells more swords, or it's covering up flaws, but it is arguably a combination of the fact that the right hazuya makes the finest microcrystaline details emerge while providing an even enjoyable aesthetic that define the boshi as the "face" of the blade.  That has been done on swords since long before hadori saw the light of day, candle, or lightbulb.  Just saying....

[b.hennick]

Thanks Ted for a thoughtful approach from a professional. Well written - bravo

[george trotter]

George, all due respect, I recognize, support, and concur you are certainly allowed to like what you like.  

I'll answer;  from the images, I don't like either one.  

I was going to let it go, but I will answer..

 

Yes, we all concur that all are allowed to like what we like.

You don't like either one....I like the sashikomi on the left.

 

With all respect, I think that covers it.

 

Regards,

[Guido]