Howard Clark Product Availability
Feb 19, 2024 18:05:01 GMT
Post by cjb080781 on Feb 19, 2024 18:05:01 GMT
I am posting this more as an FYI and because I thought it may be of interest to some of you. Going back and forth with Howard about an order I found out that he has a few items available that you wouldn't know about if you weren't reaching out to inquire about a purchase. Below is the email I got from him this morning.
________________________________________________________________________________
Good morning Christopher,
I presume you already know, but need to make sure that you are aware that I make blades only, and do not normally provide a completed, mounted and polished sword?
Your situation is an unusual one for me. Primarily my customers have been long time sword art practitioners desiring an extremely durable blade, and not collectors. What that means, is that most of the time, they (the customers) have very specific ideas about what they want in a katana, and often provide quite detailed specifications, including the depth of sori. Most often this (depth of sori) is the difficulty if I don't get it "just right" for the order, and need to try a second time. This results in swords in inventory which are fine, just not what the customer wanted. I actually have three L-6 katana on hand, all shinogi zukuri, ranging in length from 28-1/2 inches to 31-1/2 inches. But if you are interested in collectors pieces with rarity value, I have on consignment from a friend a daisho set, katana and wakizashi in 1086. The katana is rare because it is one of only about a dozen blades I ever made with what my polisher friend (now sadly deceased) Keith Larman named "razor wire" hamon. It is a very striking hamon that is basically an undulating wave (called notare hamon) but also has bits of hardened martensite in little crescent shapes that seem to float above the hamon, and sort or resemble razor wire. The wakizashi is a simpler notare hamon in water, and not exactly the same, but they are a nice pair. These two 1086 blades are approximately 18 years old, but have never been mounted or polished. All of these blades I mentioned have sat for some time, and have some light surface rust on them, which of course I will correct before shipping. I will endeavor to clean them up and get some pictures. Please let me know if anything in particular strikes your fancy from this description. I will get some pictures and measurements this morning, and send another email after lunch. Any of the aforementioned katana is $5100 including domestic shipping. The 1086 daisho set is $7500
I also have on hand a complete, mounted and polished sword, which is very unusual, both the sword and the circumstance of having a complete one. It is unusual in that it is unokubi-zukuri, slender, very light weight, and only 26.5 inch nagasa. I had tried to sell this blade a few times since making it, and no one ever expressed any interest, so I had it mounted and polished for myself to use in my amateur endeavors to learn a bit of swordsmanship, and have a nice one to show folks and cut with once in a while. It has not yet been used to cut anything. I would part with it for $9500.
Thank you for your deposit (which could be applied to purchase of any of these if you prefer), let me know what piques your interest.
Howard
________________________________________________________________________________
Good morning Christopher,
I presume you already know, but need to make sure that you are aware that I make blades only, and do not normally provide a completed, mounted and polished sword?
Your situation is an unusual one for me. Primarily my customers have been long time sword art practitioners desiring an extremely durable blade, and not collectors. What that means, is that most of the time, they (the customers) have very specific ideas about what they want in a katana, and often provide quite detailed specifications, including the depth of sori. Most often this (depth of sori) is the difficulty if I don't get it "just right" for the order, and need to try a second time. This results in swords in inventory which are fine, just not what the customer wanted. I actually have three L-6 katana on hand, all shinogi zukuri, ranging in length from 28-1/2 inches to 31-1/2 inches. But if you are interested in collectors pieces with rarity value, I have on consignment from a friend a daisho set, katana and wakizashi in 1086. The katana is rare because it is one of only about a dozen blades I ever made with what my polisher friend (now sadly deceased) Keith Larman named "razor wire" hamon. It is a very striking hamon that is basically an undulating wave (called notare hamon) but also has bits of hardened martensite in little crescent shapes that seem to float above the hamon, and sort or resemble razor wire. The wakizashi is a simpler notare hamon in water, and not exactly the same, but they are a nice pair. These two 1086 blades are approximately 18 years old, but have never been mounted or polished. All of these blades I mentioned have sat for some time, and have some light surface rust on them, which of course I will correct before shipping. I will endeavor to clean them up and get some pictures. Please let me know if anything in particular strikes your fancy from this description. I will get some pictures and measurements this morning, and send another email after lunch. Any of the aforementioned katana is $5100 including domestic shipping. The 1086 daisho set is $7500
I also have on hand a complete, mounted and polished sword, which is very unusual, both the sword and the circumstance of having a complete one. It is unusual in that it is unokubi-zukuri, slender, very light weight, and only 26.5 inch nagasa. I had tried to sell this blade a few times since making it, and no one ever expressed any interest, so I had it mounted and polished for myself to use in my amateur endeavors to learn a bit of swordsmanship, and have a nice one to show folks and cut with once in a while. It has not yet been used to cut anything. I would part with it for $9500.
Thank you for your deposit (which could be applied to purchase of any of these if you prefer), let me know what piques your interest.
Howard