nice pic book/magazine

[Bungo]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... osi_widget

 

milt the ronin

[Ford Hallam]

Hi Milt,

 

yes, you're spot on. It is a beautiful book, illustrating a very attractive collection of tsuba. As the title states, these are Bakamatsu and Meiji works, the emphasis is very much on "pretty", some really stunning examples and technically very sophisticated. The photography is very good and there are enlargements of most of the tsuba.

 

The collection is actually that of the Kiyomizu Sannenzaka Museum ( bijitsukan ) in Kyoto. It's very close to the famous Kiyomizu temple ( Dera ). I happen to be very familiar with this collection, and museum as well. One of their most recent acquisitions ( a tsuba ) was made by yours truly .

 

The e-bay price seems a little high to me, it sells for 2800 Yen usually, that's a little less than $24. I remember seeing it offered on one of the Japan based sword / book sellers sites, sorry I can't remember which one though, a quick search may save $10!

 

cheers, Ford

[Pete Klein]

http://www.sanmei.com/shop_e/enter.html

[Bungo]

" I happen to be very familiar with this collection, and museum as well. One of their most recent acquisitions ( a tsuba ) was made by yours truly . "

 

no sh&^%$# !!..............do tell !!

 

milt THe ronin

[Ford Hallam]

Hi Milt,

 

I was planning to "come out" in a couple of weeks when my web-site is launched but as I responded to your initial post, I could'nt help myself.

 

I qualified as a master goldsmith in 1986 and since 1990 have been travelling regularly to Japan to study Japanese technique with my teacher, Izumi Koshiro. I have recently returned to South Africa, where it all started for me, but for the past 13 or so years I specialised in restoration work in London. I've entered a few NBTHK shinsaku competitions and am reasonably happy with the way my encroachment has been accepted.

 

I work solely from within the tradition and belive I am the first (and only )non-Japanese to have been adopted into this particular branch of Japanese metalwork I suppose desperate times call for desperate measures, there are very few of us left.

 

regards, Ford

p.s. the clue was in my tag.

[Brian]

Ford,

 

Allow me to be the first to chip in to kindly request pics of some of your work if you have any handy? Would love to see some pics and share with the forum.

Do you have a particular style or school of tsuba that you follow in your work?

Perhaps this might make for a new post in the Tosogu section so as not to be lost in the book thread.

Fascinating, and thanks for taking South Africa up a notch in the Nihonto stakes

 

Brian

[Ford Hallam]

Hi Brian,

 

I'll put some images up on the tosogu section. I'll let the membership tell me what/who my influences are.

 

Glad to be home.

[Bungo]

there's this tsuba I like a lot but sadly quite a bit of the silver leaves are gone ( but enough left to give one ideas as to what they are like )..............

 

would like to have that restore one day...........

 

please klick.............http://www.esnips.com/web/tsuba?docsPage=2#files

look under silver leaves .jpg

 

 

milt The ronin

[Bungo]

http://cgi.ebay.com/EARLY-Japanese-SWOR ... dZViewItem

 

milt the ronin

[Guest Simon Rowson]

Hi Ford,

 

When I was living in England I had a fair amount of restoration work done by Richard Adams and he often mentioned your name as the only non Japanese he had met who could make shakudo from scratch.

 

Thanks to my wife, we eventually managed to find a supplier of shakudo for Richard here in Japan but I always remember him telling me what an amazing craftsman you were........now, having seen your tsuba, I can understand what he meant.

 

Best wishes,

Simon

[Ford Hallam]

Hi Simon,

 

thanks for the compliment. As you know, Richard is pretty handy himself, particularly his shira-saya, tsuka-maki and habaki.

 

regards, Ford