Yanone polishing

[xelint]

My main interest is Ya-no-ne and I have been collecting for a few years. I have been searching for someone to polish them but all the sword polishers that I have talked with are either too busy or the cost of polishing would be more than the cost of the yanone. Does anyone have a suggestion as to where I might look for reasonably priced polishing, or who I might contact to get them polished?

 

Regards,

 

David

[Lindus]

Hi David

I know around twenty years ago Kagihara polished some for a friend of mine but doubt many would do this today as most polishers charge by the CM or Inch, even as often is the case with some Yari forms the price doubles the effort needed to polish arrows would not in cash terms invite this sort of work.

 

If you are interested I could mention this to a Togi I know, PM me.

 

Roy

[Anthony de Vos]

Hello David!

 

I'm very fond of Yanone, jumi and Ya. I have some complete Ya in superb condition, but I have also some that are in real bad shape regarding the feathers and some also have these kyudo flat heads. I have recently bought both a lot of arrows in need of renovation, some more yanone and I managed to get hold of some real eagle feathers as well.

 

My question is;

Do you think it's politicaly correct to renovate them ( new eagle feathers and change to real yanone war heads) or should I just let them stay the way they are? Should I remove the rust on some of the old yanone or leave them? If the rust is to be removed should that include the tang as well or should that be left nihonto style?

 

If David or the moderator think I kidnapped this thread please remove it. (I have no suggestion regarding a polisher)

 

Regards,

 

Anthony

[Bugyotsuji]

It's a very good question. I have a handful, perhaps ten or twelve Yajiri/Yanone, in varying states of preservation. Here in Japan the mood seems to be 'Don't bother'. Some of mine are covered in lacquer 'nuri' so they can be left alone. Some with bad rust spots I have attempted to clean up myself using a variety of materials. (Subsequently asked to lend them for a museum display so they cannot have been too bad.)

 

I guess if you have a) very nice examples, b) the kind of money that a willing Togishi might want, c) time and patience, and d) if you can guarantee that the same rusting will never repeat (ordering of mini saya etc.) then... why not? :lol:

[estcrh]

My main interest is Ya-no-ne and I have been collecting for a few years. I have been searching for someone to polish them but all the sword polishers that I have talked with are either too busy or the cost of polishing would be more than the cost of the yanone. Does anyone have a suggestion as to where I might look for reasonably priced polishing, or who I might contact to get them polished?

 

Regards,

 

David

David any pictures?

[Clive Sinclaire]

Gentlemn

A bit off the thread, but I have just up-dated http://www.To-ken.com under Meetings with a report on our last meeting. There is a picture of a large Yanone which I believe is a kabuki prop.

Clive Sinclaire

[Brian]

Just to answer one question above...the tangs of yajiri/yanone are not polished, just like the nakago on a sword.

Some are forged and folded, and exhibit a hamon, although not the majority. I am a big fan too.

 

Brian

[Anthony de Vos]

Hello!

 

Thank you Brian for that clarification.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony

[xelint]

I will post pictures when I get a chance this weekend.

 

I have debated polishing the yanone, none of them are signed so I think I would like to get them polished as most only have light rust and they will display better. Guess I will have to learn how to polish them.

 

D

[watsonmil]

Dear David,

We are still awaiting your photographs. In the mean time here are three of the several in my collection. Does anyone know the name of the bottom type ?? It is a rarely seen ( for me at least ) type that appears to have been designed for armour piercing. By the way David, ... relatively few were polished to such an extent to show a hamon. Perhaps most were tempered overall, as once fired they were unlikely to be seen again. You also asked whether it was OK to mount your heads on existing shafts of existing yanone ( target arrows I presume ). I see nothing wrong with doing this so long as you make a note of what you've done so that no one confuses the fact that the shafts once belonged to target arrows. I know I have done this and they make a much nicer display item mounted.

... Ron Watson

[Bazza]

Ron,

Your third and bottom yanone is not an armour piercing point - they are actually "blunter", not so pointed. Having said that I don't know what yours is, but a friend of mine would.

 

I have a friend of decades here who has been collecting yanone for - mmm - 30 years?? He has corresponded with the late Dr Grayson and others around the world. Currently another friend has scanned in our friend's recent drawings of his own and other yanone types on 53 A3 pages. His own collection runs to about 50 points most of which he has polished himself to bring them back to life from rusted remnants. He is acutely aware of the demands of polishing and a visiting polisher from Japan nearly 20 years ago remarked that the man who polished these yanone could polish swords (at the time I had a few of my friend's polished arrowheads for viewing and appreciation). He is very demanding of himself and only turned to polishing his points when he couldn't interest a polisher in Japan to take them on. He did, however, have one yanone polished in Japan - a miniature jumomji yari, very, very nice.

 

My friend is regrettably not computer connected, but is very keen to correspond with like-minded collectors. Anyone who is interested in contact could PM me or email me directly at warlord@iinet.net.au.

 

Regards,

BaZZa.

[xelint]

Here are the the pics of most of my collection. Always on the look out for more but not always the budget.

[watsonmil]

Dear David,

A nice group of yanone, ... thank you for posting the photographs. I have only one that is in POLISH. Photographs attached.

... Ron Watson

[Bugyotsuji]

Some pretty arrowheads (arrowroots?) there.

 

Ron, can you read the Mei on yours?

[watsonmil]

Dear Piers,

The Kanji were translated for me : Kiyotsugu saku. Supposedly of the Nio Choshu school province of Nagato .... Circ. 1688 - 1736

 

... Ron Watson

[Bugyotsuji]

Thanks Ron, That is some Mei for an arrowhead! (Did you get it professionally polished?)

[Curran]

Formerly owned by me. Sold to an NMB member during tougher times.

[cabowen]

I have seen a few dozen signed examples over the years and the majority have tsugu as the second kanji in the mei....always thought that was interesting.....

[watsonmil]

Dear Piers,

I purchased my example ( similar to Curran's but not the same point ) back in 1990 at the Chicago Sword Show I believe. It was in perfect sashikomi polish at the time and still is today. Tempered like a sword in suguha, the hada itame. OA length 8 5/8 inches, blade 2 1/2 inches.

... Ron Watson

[Curran]

Ron,

~Post or PM pictures?

 

I regret selling mine, but have gotten a bit superstitious about owning them.

Safer for me to stick to kodogu and koshirae.

 

I was very much into competitive archery when younger, and think it influenced the judges who gave me a scholarship to Japan in 1989.

It was very fun to practice with a high school Kyudo team.

[watsonmil]

Dear Curran,

You can see three photos of my yanone on page 1 of this thread. I am sorry you chose to sell your example off. What in the world made you superstitious about owning a fine yanone. The only superstitions from Japanese artifacts I suffer from are when I handle my Nobuyoshi Katana. Having been made in the 1490 - 1510 era, and having been surrendered during WWII, .... a 500 year life span would almost certainly guarantee it having removed a few heads along the way ! The small amount of superstition the blade causes are far outweighed by it's beauty however.

... Ron Watson

[Bugyotsuji]

Not so sure about the superstition, but those little flechettes in full polish are intensely beautiful to look at.

[watsonmil]

Dear Piers,

Indeed they are beautiful in polish, ... but just try and find a polisher . I have a very nice pierced example also signed, ... but no one is interested in polishing it. Most being overall tempered, ... a polish would only serve to put a clean shiny non scratched finish on the majority anyway. Most that I have in my collection, ... I would call utilitarian, ... meant for combat and once fired never to be seen again, ... so the workmanship did not warrant the same care as a sword.

... Ron Watson

[Brian]

About time we had a decent thread on yanone. I really enjoy them.

I am posting some pics that I acquired a few years ago for my own reference, but really don't remember where I got them or who is/was the owner. So I hope no-one has any objections to me posting these. If so, please drop me a pm and I'll remove them. Great collection....wish I had just a few of these. I am jealous

 

Brian

[Brian]

And some more...

[watsonmil]

Dear Brian,

What a wonderful collection, ... the variety and styles of yanone seem almost endless. They are truly fascinating. The scarcity of really fine examples somewhat surprises me. I see so few on offer, and the truly magnificent pieces such as found in the Grayson collection are forever lost to the collector world. It would be nice to see other NMB members share some photos and write-ups concerning yanone that they might own. I am sure some of our members have even MOUNTED specimens that they could picture showing the differences between the mountings of say target shafts to battle style shafts. I currently have some of mine mounted on ex-target shafts simply because they display better. Piers, ... I know for a fact that you have a few, ... how about some photos and provenance. A word of caution however like all things Samurai, ... the Chinese have been busy applying their copying skills. Brian ... a top notch suggestion for a more extensive thread and many thanks for the visual candy !

... Ron Watson

[Brian]

I do have an arrow that I brought back from Japan that has a nice battle yanone. What is interesting, is the applied gold between the fletchings (which as the worse for wear) and I was told this is one of the more prized arrows an archer would carry...I think it was signed too...

Will have to bring it out and photograph it.

 

Yes...there do seem to be many copies on the market lately. Many made in Japan I suspect. Would be good to know what to look for. I notice that the better yanone often have tiny filemarks on the nakago, and the edges of the "nakago" are filed off..not perfectly square but with bevelled edges.

 

Brian

[Brian]

While searching for info, I have just come across the likely source of the pics I posted...from our member Mariusz's excellent blog here:

http://gomabashi.blogspot.com/2010/04/s ... naone.html

They belong to a friend of his..lucky man!

There is also an excellent article on yanone there. I hope he doesn't mind the pics being posted here.

 

Brian

[watsonmil]

Dear Brian,

Well dig out the mounted yanone and lets have a look. You are quite correct in stating some tangs contain tiny filemarks. The polished example I pictured has filemarks much like the nakago on a sword. The file marks on my Yanone are katte-agari. I have not seen filemarks on ALL yanone tangs however ( possibly due to rust ), ... but I too have noticed the slightly bevelled edges on ALL genuine yanone tangs. Whenever I see sharp angled corners on the yanone tangs on yanone being offered, I have ALWAYS wrote them off as being copies or forgeries.

We probably should not help the forgers with that bit of indescripency, ... but now it's out .

... Ron Watson

[Bugyotsuji]

Yes, I have seen modern repros but there is something about them that does not attract. Is the rust too smooth and too consistent, even through the blade, and as Ron suggests, are the nakago edges too well defined? So far I have managed to avoid buying a fake, but they are out there, although not really in vast quantities. I suppose real ones come up so few and far between that over-eager people snap up the fakes when they show their heads.

 

There are many new versions of the big beautiful cut-outs too, but new or old, they are prohibitively expensive.

 

I'll take some new shots and add mine to this thread with comments. I know the provenance of some of them. A good opportunity to update the records. (Still stunned by the quality and variety above. )