# Communities > Modern-era Swords and Collecting Community > Modern Production Katanas >  Tsuba on yet another new Bugei Sword

## Keith Larman

After some delays and me compulsively fine-tuning the sword, we finally got in a handful of a new sword I designed for Bugei Trading. In the past we had introduced new swords when the factory told us they'd be delivered "any day now". After getting burned by various problems this time we didn't say a thing until the sword actually arrived. I am taking photos of the sword now for Bugei and they will have it up soon. But for now I'll pop a photo now and then as I take them and describe what it is.

Lots to do, but for now, a quick shot of the tsuba... I'll post pictures over the next day or so and I'll eventually explain how things work together.

But for now, I'll attach a quick photo of the tsuba. It is antiqued iron with a carved "ground". On the ground is a single silver skull, bleached by the sun and time.

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## J MacDonald

Thanks for posting Keith. Very nice.

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## Chuck S.

'tis it a pirate tsuba?   Treasure map on the other side?  Menuki in the shape of parrots?

aarrr!!!

that's my guess.  How'd I do?

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## Keith Larman

Nah, no pirates...  :Wink:  

I'm really toasted tonight after spending all day working too hard. But I have a few things to say and post, but I'll explain more tomorrow.

I'll start with the blade. Bugei asked me to design them something that would be understated and elegant (or maybe better to say "wabi sabi" -- look it up). They wanted a new sword design that was more than just slapping random fittings on a sword. Okay, I had some ideas but I wanted to start from the blade itself. So this post is about the blade, why I chose it, etc.

Many of Bugei's customers are martial artists. They want tough, durable, sharp, but also tend to look for historically accurate and interesting. Okay. I decided that I wanted to find a classic blade that was a bit wider to allow for a finer edge angle for cutting practice. But I still wanted to retain some robustness in thickness. So I found myself gravitating to looking at Hizen Tadayoshi school swords. Finally I found one I liked -- shinogi zukuri with shallow bo-hi and a soe-bi (a small groove that runs kinda parallel to the bohi down on the ji below the shinogi). Extended chu kissaki, wider, but still relatively thick (7mm tapering down to 5.5mm at the kissaki). And the width of the blade was about 32mm give or take tapering down to 24mm. Really a classic Edo period piece. Robust, big, no-nonesense, but gorgeous too. Fine hada would be the requirement for a Tadayoshi piece. And suguha. 

Now I will admit I'm of two minds on these sorts of things. I used the Tadayoshi blade as a inspiration. This is not an attempt to say this production piece is anything like a Tadayoshi. I really find most production swords that say "this is our Kotetsu" (just to pull a name out of my hat) to sound rather silly. A Tadayoshi school sword was my inspiration for the piece. That's where I started. But it is still a Swedish steel blade made by Hanwei.

Anyway, I asked Paul to fold the billet an extra time prior to forging (which obviously increased our cost). I asked for the bo-hi and soe-bi (more money). And then I asked for a deep nioi-based suguha hamon (flat). But I also wanted the heat treatment to clearly interact with the hada of the blade. It is one thing to "paint on" a hamon -- most production swords look like that to me. It is quite another to get things interacting intentionally. And done well. With fine hada. 

So that's where I'll end for tonight before I go to bed. Tomorrow I'll cover the design of the mounts and the idea behind the fittings...

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## Loke Emil

that is a very fine sword to aim for. Hope that you get the message across the pond. 

However placing the secondary hi (soe-bi?) this far apart from the bo-hi is a bit odd to me. In my humble opinion it would look better if the gap had been more narrow...and ask for ashi while your're at it (increasing costs ;-) )

/loke

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## J. Bouthner

Will the bohi be optional?  I would prefer a blade without it.  Any other options?  Any idea what the starting price will be?

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## Gary S

Sweet. I think the unusual hi helps set the sword apart a bit from the typical run-of-the-mill production sword.

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## Keith Larman

The bo-hi are currently on all of them as it was part of the original intent and design. However, we are talking about doing the exact same blade for the same koshirae but with the new steel and heat treatment as an option. That one will not have any grooves *if* we do it. But we're still talkin'...

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## Keith Larman

> that is a very fine sword to aim for. Hope that you get the message across the pond. 
> 
> However placing the secondary hi (soe-bi?) this far apart from the bo-hi is a bit odd to me. In my humble opinion it would look better if the gap had been more narrow...and ask for ashi while your're at it (increasing costs ;-) )
> 
> /loke


Yeah, it is a little lower than I'd like, but it is still okay. I've asked if they could try to get it closer. 

On ashi... not part of the original spec as the blade it was based on didn't have ashi either...

As a tangent, I see discussion about ashi here on forums occasionally. I find it funny because sometimes the discussion is about containing damage that shouldn't otherwise occur with a modern steel with a proper heat treatment. Yes, I understand wanting ashi because you like the look or it is what you're going for (which we weren't with this sword). But to me it is like people talking about putting air bags on a jetliner in some cases. With the SPS steel we've had very little damage on blades I've seen through Bugei. I have seen chips and damage due to abuse, but even without ashi the damage is usually contained. And ashi were intended to keep chips from going from moderate to catastrophic failure. I've heard of the cheaper swords having that sort of damage, but given the way they've chipped and failed the presence (or lack thereof) of ashi would have been totally irrelevant. 

So anyway, I didn't ask for ashi because a) we've had zero problems that ashi are supposed to address in terms of performance and b) the original it was based on didn't have ashi. 

But... I'm not getting to the rest of the sword... Gotta get something finished then I'll be back with more pics, this time of the koshirae explaining what it all means...

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## Gwyn Mowll

Shame about the "Skull"
or I would buy one.

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## Kyle Kim

I really don't need another sword but if this is going to be 28" and under plus have a tsuka of 10"-ish, I might be in trouble.  :Hyuk!: 

Just noticed it's posted on the website now. Good stuff.

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## Keith Larman

Okay, a break for me...

The point of the skull is part of a much larger picture.

There is a famous Haiku by Basho which reads:

Natsukusa ya tsuwamamono-domo ga yume no ato

or... "Summer Grasses -- Where warriors used to dream."

Basho was wandering the countryside and came across an area where an epic battle had occurred not that long prior. All that remained of the town and all those who died were these fields where grass was beginning to grow. The haiku can be read on different levels depending on your point of view. One is about the warriors themselves having probably stood in those fields before the battle and dreamed. Another is about how after all that had happened life continued on and all that remained of those brave souls were the growing fields. The whole ethos of accepting death as inevitable. And on and on. Lots of ways to see this haiku. Brave spirits. Honorable warriors. The cycle of life. And so on. 

So... I was thinking of that haiku because swords by the Tadayoshi school would have been contemporary of the events of the haiku. I had this sword design I wanted to use so I wanted to put together a rig that would fit the time frame both in style but also in terms of the story the koshirae was telling.

So the first thing I designed was the tsuba. It shows a rough ground with little in the way of life and the single, bleached skull (a not uncommon theme in Japanese fittings). The back of the tsuba also has some carving -- it shows  a similar scene, minus the skull, but with some plants beginning to grow. 



The fuchi, kashira and kojiri (it has a matching metal "end cap" on the saya) are all done as Higo style fittings with the classic "S" engraving. The fuchi shows the grass beginning to grow. If you look at this picture again you can probably make out the grass on the fuchi.



The kashira is the very classic higo style rounded kashira style but with some clouds up the summer sky. 



I thought a long time about the menuki. Since I was going for a higo style koshirae I wanted to use the typical brown silk ito with blackened samekawa. So I asked that the menuki used be gold plated so they would stand out better. I decided to go with horses running free. I was kind of "riffing" on the idea of the area falling in battle and the entire town being destroyed. Animals would be released and running free in the now empty fields. 

For the saya I went with black gloss with hand painted gold grasses gradually "popping up" as you move from the around the kurigata down to the kojiri. The kojiri was done to match the kashira. 



So the overall... 



I asked Paul to make the fittings of antiqued iron. I wanted the entire sword to look "old" and like it could have picked up in that very field where the grasses were growing. But I also wanted it to look like a "real" sword and not just a caricature of what a sword should be. So many production swords are either totally unimaginative (dragon here, dragon there, dragon everywhere) or they look like ransom notes of unconnected stuff all pasted together. I wanted the tsuba to look like a hand carved tsuba exhibiting what would eventually would be called "wabi sabi". In part because the entire concept of wabi sabi fits the overall theme of the sword as well -- imperfection and the fact that nothing is ever finished -- time keeps moving on regardless of our folly. 

Anyway, that's the process I went through to put this one together. People ask me fairly often how I go about doing these things so I thought I'd share the process.

I should mention that the sageo is also kind of interesting. Paul Chen has made some interesting sageo for the Lion Dog as well as James Williams' personal designs for his instructors. So I asked if he could do a two-tone sageo and weave in some of the same sprigs of grass.

Finally... I did a few things on this sword for very particular reasons. I speced out the dimensions of the kojiri exactly to enforce my desire to have the saya be less "bulky". I find most production saya to be too much like giant clubs rather than graceful saya. So by indicating the exact dimensions of the blade as well as the kojiri I pretty much forced the issue to make them make the saya the way I wanted. I'm happy on how that worked out -- it feels a *lot* better in the obi to me.

And another thing I did -- I specified exactly how far from the koiguchi I wanted the kurigata. For those of you who practice iai you know that performing proper sayabiki is tough when there is a huge distance between the koiguchi and kurigata. So I went with more "traditional" dimensions on that as well. Yes, it will feel cramped in the hand to those used to the way oversized dimensions on most production katana. But it will feel immensely familiar to those used to working with antiques, Japanese made swords, quality iaito, etc. I kept it tight to ensure a good, solid, robust sayabiki is possible. Just another detail.

And as I type this thinking I'm giving people a preview I find that it is already up on Bugei's site. So much for being a preview... 

Anyway, that's the story from my end. All fwiw. I'm sure lots of people will say they'd do things differently. But that's how I went about it. And now, back to my polishing cave -- I need to earn some money -- the kid needs braces.

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## Keith Larman

> I really don't need another sword but if this is going to be 28" and under plus have a tsuka of 10"-ish, I might be in trouble. 
> 
> Just noticed it's posted on the website now. Good stuff.


The reality is that when Bugei has offered 10" tsuka they are *rarely* ordered. I mean virtually never. So I tell people that it is relatively trivial to shorten a tsuka. It is certainly preferable to trying to lengthen one that is too short...  :Wink:

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## Travis Nicko

Wow, Keith...nice job.  I love all the attention you've given this sword.  The intricate theme and graceful, subdued fittings are more reminiscent of the customs I've seen from you than any production sword.  I'm not a big fan of blades with hi, but all the unique features of this sword make it supremely cool.  If they do indeed become available in the new steel, I may have to consider picking one up.

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## David W Price

> Anyway, I asked Paul to fold the billet an extra time prior to forging (which obviously increased our cost). .... With fine hada.


Keith, Good call on the extra fold. I'm really liking the look of the finer hada.

Dave P

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## Keith Larman

> Keith, Good call on the extra fold. I'm really liking the look of the finer hada.
> 
> Dave P


Keep in mind I shot that in my workshop under some really harsh lights. There were concerns by some that the extra fold would make things too fine for most customers. And under fluorescent lights or poor lighting the hada isn't all that easy to make out. But get it under harder light and it pops. Which is actually a lot more like a properly polished blade actually. The irony here is that people tend to expect a blade to look exactly like ideally lit photographs. When you don't know how to look at a blade to see this stuff sometimes people miss things. With the extra fold I was taking a gamble that the consumer market is getting more educated and better able to see these things. But only time will tell. Regardless, it made me happy.  :Smilie:

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## Joo-Hwan Lee

> The bo-hi are currently on all of them as it was part of the original intent and design. However, we are talking about doing the exact same blade for the same koshirae but with the new steel and heat treatment as an option. That one will not have any grooves *if* we do it. But we're still talkin'...


By "new steel" do you mean the one used for the "Old Pine"?  

Would the no groove version also feature suguha hamon?  

It's about time a classy sword like this was made available... esp. with suguha....  I'd be all over this one here if it weren't for the hi....

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## Keith Larman

Well, keep in mind we're working on introducing the new steel as an option on a few of the existing models first. And since we just released the Peace sword we need to see what kind of reaction we get before we start going too far. I get that people really like the idea of the new steel when you read discussions on forums, etc. But that often doesn't end up correlating with what people actually end up buying... As usual there are lots of opinions offered and lots of speculation. What actually sells is often something else entirely.

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## Min Lee

damn Keith... 

nice job man.

digging the extra details put in.

good call on the extra fold as well. really digging how it looks.

am tempted to get this over the old pine, even though I usually don't like blades with bohi. really like the design.

too bad about the available sizes though...

I use 28/13...  :Frown: 

p.s. is the menuki made of iron as well? I don't like the look of the plastic looking menuki on most hanwei swords. always been a deal breaker...

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## Mat Rous

Well this is embarrassing - I did a search several months ago to send photos of tsuba etc to Japan for my custom nihonto.

Guess what tsuba popped up in Google Image search?

I'm liking the tsuba and Higo theme there Keith  :Wink:

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## Mark T

I like the theme too ... a great invitation to reflection, and why we do what we do.

For those who are 'unsure' or even 'squeamish' about the skull motif, I can recommend doing a bit of research on skulls as Zen iconography - especially in scroll artwork. Shambhala used to have a skull scroll by Yamaoka Tesshu for sale that was a wonderful example ... unfortunately, it's no longer on their site.

However, page 84 of John Steven's _The sword of no-sword: Life of the master warrior Tesshu_ (Boston: Shambhala, 2001) has another of his skull paintings with calligraphy. Steven's accompanying text reads:




> Skulls have always been a popular theme of Zen art, not primarily as symbols of impermanence and the vanity of life, but as a representation of the rightness of change, the Buddha-nature inherent in the inevitable dissolution of all things. Tesshu's inscriptions [sic] bears this out:
> 
> There is no greater matter of congratulation than this!
> 
> On another skull painting he wrote:
> 
> Cut off death
> And you will have only bliss;
> Imitate a dead man
> ...


So I think it's important to try to see skulls in these contexts with 'Japanese eyes' rather than bringing our existing Western associations.

Personally, I have a 'Zen skulls' scroll in my collection, and while it initially seemed quite confronting when displayed, it has slowly become one of my favourites, reserved for only special times ... just as I'm sure this sword will be. In fact, I can imagine them going quite well together in the tokonoma ...

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## Keith Larman

Mark, thanks for the post. One of the reasons for starting with the skull for me was the multiple layers of meaning it tends to carry in Japanese culture including what you pointed out. One of the reasons it came to mind for me with respect to the scene Basho so brilliantly represented was the idea of the inevitability but also non-judgmental nature of change for lack of a better way to describe it. It just is. I had also been thinking about an old Taoist story that I've heard told as the "Farmer's Luck". I admit that story was also part of the overall feeling I was trying to create in the piece. The idea here being finding this sword in a beautiful field. And thinking about all that had happened.

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## Kyle Kim

The wait it going to be painful.  :Wink:

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## Mark T

Hi Keith,

And Bashō's last poem echoes some similar sentiments, again using dreams and grass motifs:

Tabi ni yande
yume wa kareno o
kakemeguru

On a journey, ill:
my dream goes wandering
over withered fields.

As Yoel Hoffman notes in _Japanese death poems: Written by Zen monks and haiku poets on the verge of death_ (Tokyo, Tuttle, 1986, pp.85-86):




> The last poem left by Basho is generally considered his death poem, but Basho himself did not intend to write such a poem. When he was on his deathbed, his pupils hinted that he ought to leave one, but he replied that any of his poems could be his death poem. And indeed, in all of Basho's best poems, a resonance can be heard that seems to come from and return to the void.


Haruo Shirane's _Traces of dreams: Landscape, cultural memory, and the poetry of Bashō_ (Stanford, Stanford University Press, 1998, p. 11) notes:




> The natural world of Bashō's poetry ... tends to be ... dominated by subdued, withered images, _shigure_ (winter rains), _susuki_ (pampas-grass or miscanthus), _obana_ (pampas grass in ear), _karasu_ (crow), _kōmori_ (bat), _dokuro_ (skull)...


Bashō's 1684 collection, written the year after his mother died, and following the first of his four journeys, was _Nozarashi kikō_, often glossed as _Record of a weather-exposed skeleton_.

I don't have it in Japanese, but your koshirae also reminded me of this:

A weathered skeleton 
in windy fields of memory, 
piercing like a knife.

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## Mark T

...

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## Keith Larman

> The wait it going to be painful.


Won't take long...  :Wink:

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## Keith Larman

> I don't have it in Japanese, but your koshirae also reminded me of this:
> 
> A weathered skeleton 
> in windy fields of memory, 
> piercing like a knife.


Geez, man, I'm going to have to have you write my write-ups from now on. Good stuff! And fwiw part of my desire when I design koshirae for my customers is to try to "tell a story" that I might have in my head. But I also try very hard to leave things open ended. I want the images to evoke things in the customers which is why I try to stick with things that have multiple layers of meaning. I'm always interested to hear what reactions people have to things. One I did a long time ago (the dragon coming up out of the water) was a good example. It started as me trying to see if I could mix old and modern and come up with something new. There was what I was trying to show in the piece. But it ended up being bought by someone who had a strong attachment to of all things submarines. And the image of the dragon coming up out of the water brought all sorts of associations to his mind. Which is fantastic and really part of what separates craft from art (in my mind at least). So it is all good. 

I was looking over the sword yesterday again. There is some activity in the ha that I *really* have to figure out how I can photograph. It is hard to describe how much of a jump up they made with the heat treat and folding in this sword compared to the conventional designs. I'm glad Bugei agreed to foot the bill for the extra cost not knowing if it would make a difference. It really did make a difference. 

If I get some time later today... I'll try again.

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## Aaron Justice

> Keep in mind I shot that in my workshop under some really harsh lights. There were concerns by some that the extra fold would make things too fine for most customers. And under fluorescent lights or poor lighting the hada isn't all that easy to make out. But get it under harder light and it pops. Which is actually a lot more like a properly polished blade actually. The irony here is that people tend to expect a blade to look exactly like ideally lit photographs. When you don't know how to look at a blade to see this stuff sometimes people miss things. With the extra fold I was taking a gamble that the consumer market is getting more educated and better able to see these things. But only time will tell. Regardless, it made me happy.


I agree it was a good idea to call in an extra fold on this blade. Recently some of the Paul Chen katana look like they were forged straight from a prefolded billet and not even folded again. I went to a local shopping mall to look at a Tori tanto and some other blades in person... some of them looked like this.

http://kultofathena.com/images%5CSH1212_3_l.jpg

The beauty in being incomplete theme of wabi sabi is one I enjoy and I am certain many others do as well. Some people like ornately carved Soten style tsuba with samurai in gold relief and intricate castles. Although they display mastery of skill with metal work, they are much too busy for my eyes. I prefer a dimpled, rough ground armory tsuba, as I am sure many others here do as well.

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## Mark T

> Geez, man, I'm going to have to have you write my write-ups from now on. Good stuff!


Would be happy to!  :Smilie:  But I was in the middle of _Japanese death poems_, and had recently received the dokuro kakejiku, so the timing was right ... and, anyway, it's the least I can do in light of all I've learned from your posts.

BTW, this site, _Interpretations of Basho_ (http://www.haikupoetshut.com/basho1.html), has some comparisons of a few Bashō haiku by three of his different translators - including the one you were inspired by. Some of the translations give it a different set of entry points for associations ...

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## Keith Larman

> I was looking over the sword yesterday again. There is some activity in the ha that I *really* have to figure out how I can photograph. It is hard to describe how much of a jump up they made with the heat treat and folding in this sword compared to the conventional designs. I'm glad Bugei agreed to foot the bill for the extra cost not knowing if it would make a difference. It really did make a difference.


Yeah, I'm quoting myself, but at least now I don't have to explain what this photo is... 



Notice how thick and fine the habuchi is on this sword. Also notice how it is tracking and interacting with the hada. On the "overall" it is suguha -- flat hamon. But looking closely you see a *lot* more going on. That was what I hoped to see in the final product. They really "got" the idea I wanted for the blade's look. Yeah, not the flashy choji so many people say they want. But I wanted understated and elegant for this piece. A serious sword.

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## Aaron Justice

> Also notice how it is tracking and interacting with the hada.


Question, why exactly is the habuchi doing that? I have seen it on quite a number of blades, especially Paul Chen and Bugei. In fact, I remember a bit ago someone posted a picture of their Tori katana with a rather large spike in the hamon where the habuchi followed a folding pattern for a bit before returning to the hamon. A lot of people suggested he return the sword, I insisted that, though irregular, there wasn't anything wrong with the sword per se. 

My immediate assumption is varying carbon levels in the alternating layers of steel, or is it not so simple? Another blade I had that I hybrid polished had a similar interaction, though this blade is forged from three different steels from high to medium carbon, the Bugei is still only Swedish powder steel right?

http://homepage.mac.com/aaronjustice...bushihada2.jpg

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## Keith Larman

The habuchi will routinely follow differences in steels. Realize that the border between layers will tend to have slightly different alloying hence it might be more easily hardened (or not). So if the heat treat is well done and the smith wants to get more "interaction" with the hada they can do this sort of thing regularly. 

Many activities seen in antiques are results of the exact same set of conditions. Intentionally, consistently and appropriately done it is a desirable thing that shows control and skill. I'm often quite baffled at comments on-line about this kind of stuff to be quite frank. People complain about the things I'd consider desirable all while they chase after the least important (but accordingly the most evident) things. Forest for the trees. 

My concern when designing this sword was that it would look too authentic. I've seen returns at Bugei on standard models where the customer said they couldn't see the hada. It was visible across the room to me -- way too much quite frankly in comparison with the real deal. Too much on-line education, not enough in person. 

Bugei uses unfolded swedish steel for the Shobu. All the other models use folded Swedish except the new Old Pine which is the new steel. We are currently discussing and about to pull the trigger on introducing the new unfolded steel on a couple of the "standard" Bugei swords. But no final decisions yet -- I'm still working on specs for hamon, trying to give the first ones more relevant hamon given the intent and koshirae of each sword. Which reminds me -- I'd better finish my drawings to send over...

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## Keith Larman

Kinda left out part of my answer...

Activity can appear in weld zones, thicker/thinner parts of a blade, where clay was placed, where different billets meet up, or where slightly different alloys are brought together to create a brighter hada. It's all about what causes the steel in each area to "freeze" in place or fall over back into pearlite. And then all the little spots along the way between the two. It also matters how long a blade was heated, grain size, etc. And then you get into issues such as carbon levels given grain size -- there are no real absolutes.

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## Kenneth Hicks

I am new to sfi and I ran across this thread after looking at bugei's site.I have to say I love the idea for this blade and it looks great.If I had the money I would not think twice about buying.Definitely the best at bugei in my opinion.

     Kenny

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## A. Lones

Mr. Larman, this has to be one of the finest looking production katana I have ever seen.  I cannot imagine why anyone would object to the theme at all, eeven western cultures make use of the skull, ie the Freemasons are one.  My only question is are you designing a tanto to go along with it?

I WANT ONE!

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## Jason Anstey

> Mr. Larman, this has to be one of the finest looking production katana I have ever seen.  I cannot imagine why anyone would object to the theme at all, eeven western cultures make use of the skull, ie the Freemasons are one.  My only question is are you designing a tanto to go along with it?
> 
> I WANT ONE!


Yes the nazis used the symbol quite effectively  :Frown: 

The workmanship looks superb and I am sure this sword will appeal to many people. 

It is not my cup of tea nor is the 13" tsuka, but I recognise quality and props for you for offering something different.

Yours in budo

Jason

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## G.T. Wungnema

Kieth,

I think that this blade is indeed elegant, but I'd like to see maybe a darker brown ito? or at least a color that isn't so common. I hope that the tsuka will have an elegant shape as well. I really couldn't tell from the pics, but I really hope that it isn't just the plain straight stock tsuka. Also, maybe the primary hi could be a bit thinner so as to tie in with the secondary hi? I really like the two hi idea. well there is my mini critique. I hope I can get one! :Hyuk!:

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## Keith Larman

FWIW There is now a video (hand held camera) linked up on Bugei's site in the detailed description page for the Peace Katana. I have a 30/14 Peace sword here right now for some modifications for the buyer so I tried out my new HD digital vid camera with it. The idea being to show how it looks in a more flowing way (although I hope I don't cause anyone motion sickness). 

The video is on the description page for the Peace sword on http://www.bugei.com

Or you could see it on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4uaYT4oJ0U

Just fwiw.

With respect to things like ito color... People often say "it would be great if..." then fill in various favorite colors for stuff like ito. However, overwhelmingly, even when they can order most anything, most buy one of three colors. Black, black and dark brown. Yes, I said black twice. Since they are production swords and built for martial arts practice as well we've found that people, in general, tend to follow the more traditional color schemes. So anything too bright or too outside the norm is usually not very popular. 

Of course people could always have their sword rewrapped. But the dark brown ito is a very standard, very serious color. Same with black. Even with the Wave katana people rarely order anything other than black or brown.

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## Scott Turchin

Keith those are fine swords - and I'm no expert but I talked to one of James Williams students that runs a dojo here in Seattle - there are very few of them across the US - 

They know what they are talking about and doing - I sooooo would like to go, but it's about a 2 hour commute each way taking a ferry...

Had I known in the beginning Bugei probably would have been a first choice for me...live and learn.

Very nice!!!

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## Chris Osborne

Fantastic looking sword Keith!! It's terrific that you were able to get so many things done to your liking and that for the most part they were all successful. The sizing of the saya mouth was a really great touch and one of those areas as you mentioned that has basically been overlooked on these types of swords. Having it sized properly adds a lot of class by giving the sword an overall pleasing shape. The extra fold also does wonders for this steel, giving it more the look of a custom piece than a production sword. From what I can see I think this is the best looking sword Bugei has ever offered.

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## Keith Larman

> Keith those are fine swords - and I'm no expert but I talked to one of James Williams students that runs a dojo here in Seattle - there are very few of them across the US - 
> 
> They know what they are talking about and doing - I sooooo would like to go, but it's about a 2 hour commute each way taking a ferry...


They are a confident bunch, that's for sure.  :Wink:  Keep in mind that the Seattle area is virtually swimming in *very* good Japanese Martial Arts. You could probably find some very good people closer to you if that's an issue. If you let me know where you are I could ask around with some folk I know up that way. 




> Had I known in the beginning Bugei probably would have been a first choice for me...live and learn.
> 
> Very nice!!!


Glad you like it. It was fun to do something like this and have as much control as I did. And Bugei as well as Paul Chen were great about humoring me...  :Wink:

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## Keith Larman

> Fantastic looking sword Keith!! It's terrific that you were able to get so many things done to your liking and that for the most part they were all successful. The sizing of the saya mouth was a really great touch and one of those areas as you mentioned that has basically been overlooked on these types of swords. Having it sized properly adds a lot of class by giving the sword an overall pleasing shape. The extra fold also does wonders for this steel, giving it more the look of a custom piece than a production sword. From what I can see I think this is the best looking sword Bugei has ever offered.


Thanks for the kind words, Chris. The only caveat I would have is that it is still a production sword. As such the entire finished, mounted sword costs less than a good polish. They won't be perfect, but I was determined to finally figure out a way to address a couple things that had always bugged me. And since the Shishi set went well Bugei just said "do the next one however you want and we'll see how it goes". So I'm happy so far. We'll see how it does when the newness factor wears off, however. 

I have to say one thing I am hoping is that some of the things I did will convince all the makers start paying more attention to those kind of details. It's what separates a caricature of a japanese style sword from a Japanese style sword that really is just like a Japanese style sword...

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## Scott Turchin

> They are a confident bunch, that's for sure.  Keep in mind that the Seattle area is virtually swimming in *very* good Japanese Martial Arts. You could probably find some very good people closer to you if that's an issue. If you let me know where you are I could ask around with some folk I know up that way.


Greetings - and thanks - 

I test for Shodan in Shotokan Karate in June (my avatar is the Shotokan logo),  and while I've spent the past 2 years (Saturdays) in the Butokukan Dojo I remain a white belt there LOL - I only go to learn the more technical joint manipulation techniques.

Karate has no use of the sword, except that we've implemented one Kata from another system (My fav weapon Kata).

If you know of any Kendo instructors on the Olympic Penninsula that do private lessons I'd be very interested!! I'd give up my Saturday work out for that!!


Thanks,

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## Keith Larman

Resurrecting the thread... 

A forumite, Greg, sent me a link to an auction currently going on in Japan with a tsuba that is similar to my design for the Bugei Peace Sword. So thanks, Greg. I also found their description interesting. 

Here's what they wrote:




> Tsuba: . Nozarashi design.
> Mei (signature) : mumei(Unsigned)
> 
> Length : 8.05 cm x 7.40 cm ( 3.16 inches x 2.91 inches)
> Thickness of rim: 0.49 cm ( 0.19 inches)
> Jidai(era) : Late Edo period.
> 
> Special feature: On the thick iron Tsuba, skeleton and geese and
> crescent moon are engraved, with gold and silver color.
> ...


Here's the link for the auction (note I'm not recommending/commenting/etc. in any way on the auction itself, just pointing out the look, motif and feel of the tsuba itself). Of course the auction will be done soon so the link will probably be dead soon. I'll attach one photo of the tsuba fwiw.

Just some historic info for those who've not seen such a design before.

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## Glen C.

OMG!   :EEK!:  Japanese Freemasons! (kidding)

It is amazing the diversity that continued with the art and symbolics, as well as finding the old parallels. I was bowled over in one repeated motif on 19th century European/American market swords when I came across a much earlier use of it centuries older.

I miss the IFC channel Samurai Saturday films as there was so much to see in what is shown in the "props". That may be a poor source for looking at historical sources and examples but a good many of the films seem to have offered a great deal to view. I'm sure, a pale  comparison even to some of the least expansive books and a lot of web pages. I also tend to come to a screeching halt when I encounter large batches of period fittings. I think my original internet browsing for European artifacts soon led me to the same "exhibitions" of Japanese examples on sites as simple as www.antiqueswords.com/ 

Stein's pages  of course followed and the links there quite voluminous. I think I originally was looking at Micheal Bell's page  www.dragonflyforge.com/ and the first Bugei pages around '97/'98 which really did strike home what was out there to view. How easily I could have gone down that road further and how silly it may have been not to have pursued Clark's blades at that time and even entire swords from Bell (I always kick myself for being a dummy and distracted back then). 

Anyway, I have buckets of images from auction and dealer listings while in pursuit of cataloging interests. I generally do wait until a piece has moved on to then offer it as example. Thanks for posting it up as comparison and 
disclaimer. I don't think there will ever be a less gray margin for presentation of ongoing sales but for sure, not a problem for educational purposes after a sale. Fair use and all that.

Cheers

Hotspur; _Ron Ruble still has a flock of fittings for exhibition (and for sale)_

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## Keith Larman

Yeah, one thing I've always thought was a shame is that so many see the motifs and themes through today's eyes. What really intrigues me is trying to "step into their shoes" of those days long past. Trying to see the themes within context of the culture, time, etc. Many of those old themes have remarkable stories behind them and reflect nuanced ideas and subtle references. Today most tend to gravitate towards "loud" and really "in your face" themes. And so often the swords lack any depth or elegance. They just kinda toss a bunch of whatever element they decided to go with onto a sword. But seeing some really nice old mounts on Japanese as well as western swords can really change your point of view. Sure, some swords were purely utilitarian. But many if not most actually reflected something of the owner or craftsman or whatever. 

So with the Bugei Peace Sword I decided I wanted to give a nod to an old Haiku, a wonderful theme that is itself very complicated and entwined with Japanese sensibilities. But I also wanted it to be "my" design as well, going a little off in my own direction in certain ways, using fittings I like (love them Higo fittings). So a modern sword. Modern Steel. Modern finish. But solidly based on culture, history and also subtle martial requirements (the shape of the saya, placement of the kurigata, etc.). I must admit I am really glad Bugei gave me the green light to do this the way I wanted. It took some convincing with Paul Chen as well -- he wasn't so sure about the theme and styles. But at least for now it has sold out and is on backorder -- so I guess that means it was a success. Hopefully it will stay popular so I can convince them to let me continue to push the envelope away from the more or less caricatures that pass for swords today in the Japanese sword world. Got a design already done for a sword inspired by a famous character in Japanese sword history... Let's see if I can talk the guys at Bugei in green lighting another one.

I must say it is kinda nice feeling like I'm pushing back a bit on the trends in the production world...

There is such variety and beauty in these things that most never see because most never get beyond the reproduction market. Ya gotta get out and see some of the really cool stuff of days long gone. That's what I love...

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## Keith Larman

And to add something... Rich Stein should be knighted for his website. What an invaluable resource for the newcomer to Japanese swords. He's hosted that for as long as the internet has been around. All on his own dime and all out of love of the topic. 

Japanese Sword Index 

If you haven't seen Rich's site, go there. Read. Digest. And send him a thank you note.

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## Keith Larman

FWIW better photos of the tsuba I designed. Just better detailed shots of the tsuba design.

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## Oniryuu Shinigami

> FWIW better photos of the tsuba I designed. Just better detailed shots of the tsuba design.


very cool is there a chance you will be selling that tsuba on the bugei site separate?  because that would be cool.

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## Keith Larman

> very cool is there a chance you will be selling that tsuba on the bugei site separate?  because that would be cool.


No.

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## A. Timp

I really like the soe-bi on this blade Keith, and the koshirae is beautiful. Has both a rugged and elegant look.

Its hard to find fittings with a good combination of the two. I may have to invest in one at some point.

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## Aaron Justice

> very cool is there a chance you will be selling that tsuba on the bugei site separate?  because that would be cool.


There's very little reason for most places to offer the koshirae of a specially designed sword separate. After all, the unique koshirae is supposed to be a draw towards purchasing that sword. Offering it separate means somone could just put a nice tsuba on a PPK and call it a day.

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## AJ Post

> FWIW better photos of the tsuba I designed. Just better detailed shots of the tsuba design.


Will Bugei ever sell this tsuba just by it's self?  I bet they could make some good money off of doing just that.

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## Aaron Justice

> Will Bugei ever sell this tsuba just by it's self?  I bet they could make some good money off of doing just that.


I'd read a few of the posts just before yours. It's not going to be sold separate.

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## Glen C.

> Will Bugei ever sell this tsuba just by it's self?  I bet they could make some good money off of doing just that.





> very cool is there a chance you will be selling that tsuba on the bugei site separate?  because that would be cool.


I think we are probably looking at a short season for either entity.

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## J.Jarman

Exceptional attention to detail for a Bugei feature blade, not to take anything away from the existing Bugei range, however as previously stated, that's a serious piece. Activity provided by that extra fold truly is quite special.

Simply said, that's porn.

Much thanks for the link to Rick Steins website.

James

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## AJ Post

> Exceptional attention to detail for a Bugei feature blade, not to take anything away from the existing Bugei range, however as previously stated, that's a serious piece. Activity provided by that extra fold truly is quite special.
> 
> Simply said, that's porn.
> 
> Much thanks for the link to Rick Steins website.
> 
> James


yea it does look cool.  I was just looking at another bugei katana their Lion Dog Katana another master piece.  Its too bad it cost so much but comes with a really cool tanto, so I can see why it cost $3,400.  Still sweet katana.  Maybe even cooler than the Peace katana.  The one think I really like over the Peace katana is the Saya, I also wish I could just the saya form Bugei.  I wounder what cool kind of katana they will do next.  Maybe a Dragon style, or a Mt. Fuji style, or a Demon Style (the devil on the kill bill katana's saya looks cool) or Thunder/Wind Gods katana or even a Praying Mantis would be cool or if they did a cherry blossom style with with blossom petals going down the saya would be cool.  Well what ever they decide to do next I bet its going to be awesome.  Maybe on there next one they will do a double bo-hi like this katana  http://www.moderntosho.com/sale/kokuten3.htm The second bo-hi on the peace katana is cool and all but the this one were they are really close together is really sweet.

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## Keith Larman

Been away a bit...

No, Bugei has no plans that I know of for ever selling fittings used on their swords. There are enough people making knockoffs as it is. It is funny to me to occasionally run into reproduction tsuba being sold as originals. Or when the reproduction makers suddenly come up with a design (claiming it was a antique of theirs they copied) that I know wasn't because either I or someone I knew did the original design ourselves. 

WRT to finding something similar, I think Fred Lohman has a cast iron tsuba with a nozarashi theme. Like most of Fred's stuff the castings are decent but I don't think he does any multi-plating on tsuba anymore. So the skull will be his iron with that funky coating he uses. You could ask him, however. 

You could try getting one of Lohman's, stripping the coating (I think there was a thread or two on this forum about that), repatinating the tsuba then having someone with a pen plating kit do up the skull. But by then you'll probably have a lot of money invested and could simply buy something better. But if you have the time and interest in "do-it-yourself" that would be a way to go. 

Keep in mind that these are production swords. Yes, I went to a lot of trouble to make sure they'd be *really nice* production swords, but they are still production swords. On the other hand there is no way I could ever do a sword like this myself for what they charge. 

The Peace Sword is selling very well given the economy. It is on back order although I know they've got some of their other swords in stock right now and are expecting another shipment this month. 

On the Shishi... Yeah, that was kind of the same idea as the Peace sword just with a different overall feel in mind. The shishi is more the "super fancy dress up to go see the daimyo" set. That also comes with a custom made stand that Bugei had a local woodworker put together for the set that has custom engraved kanji on it. Basically it was a redesign of an early Bugei sword but I wanted to go for what "flashy" swords really did look like. Basically I had just seen a terrible looking (expensive too) repro that looked like a gold plating machine vomited random crap all over the sword. I thought it was time to see what Hanwei could do if we pushed them and also to see if we could do something high end that wasn't so bloody awful looking. With the success of the shishi (both in terms of popularity and in terms of hanwei being able to do it) I was inspired to see what they could do with a more subtle but exacting design. 

Nice break for me from the usual.

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## Keith Larman

> Maybe on there next one they will do a double bo-hi like this katana  http://www.moderntosho.com/sale/kokuten3.htm The second bo-hi on the peace katana is cool and all but the this one were they are really close together is really sweet.


I actually had that very sword out this morning for cleaning and oiling. Lovely piece. 

The double grooves are called "futasuji-bi" or "futasuji-hi". A bo-hi (or bo-bi) generally fills the almost the entire shinogi-ji area. So double hi in the shinogi-ji area couldn't be bo-hi. They're called futasuji instead. Just fwiw.

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