|
Post by LG Martial Arts on Jan 1, 2016 20:17:56 GMT
|
|
|
Post by LG Martial Arts on Jan 1, 2016 1:44:53 GMT
I added the shinsa judging/official NHTK-NPO origami pics...
|
|
|
Post by LG Martial Arts on Dec 31, 2015 15:26:17 GMT
Happy New Year to you Freq (and all SBG members as well).
|
|
|
Post by LG Martial Arts on Dec 31, 2015 15:17:35 GMT
I'll update later today with pics of the judging sheet (scored 73 out of 100), and the NHTK-NPO origami
|
|
|
Post by LG Martial Arts on Dec 30, 2015 16:47:22 GMT
I've never used chemical strippers before, but did refinish a Munetoshi Tessen katana a few years ago using sand paper. I followed a guide/tutorial on SBG about inlaying rattan on the saya (don't have a link, but you can probably find it by doing a search). Here's a link to some pics of it sbg-sword-forum.forums.net/thread/42603/tameshigiri-tatami-mats
|
|
|
Post by LG Martial Arts on Dec 30, 2015 0:48:44 GMT
Thanks for all the compliments... Yeah, I really, really love this katana. It's the centerpiece of my collection. Even though I might find a better nihonto down the line, this being my first will have a special place in my heart. Once my daughter's old enough (she's a little over 9), she will inherit this and most of my other swords. Out of the older kids, my stepson will inherit 1 or 2 katanas (he studied Iaido for around 2 years when he was younger [he was in HS at the time]), and my stepdaughter will inherit something less lethal (she's not into swords, knives, etc.).
|
|
|
Post by LG Martial Arts on Dec 30, 2015 0:44:05 GMT
Very nice blade, thanks for sharing. The hada shots are awesome and that tsuka looks really comfortable. I really gotta try leather ito at some point. According to the previous owner, the tsuka was professionally made in Japan, where they also did the leather itomaki... It's lacquered, but feels super comfortable in hand, supple, yet non slippery...
|
|
|
Post by LG Martial Arts on Dec 29, 2015 20:09:26 GMT
Well folks, this is a long overdue show and tell of my mumei Shinto katana I bought back in 2014. I got really lucky with this mumei Shinto nihonto - the guy I bought it from (Jeremy Hagop) had it listed as a mumei Shin-Shinto katana from the 1800's with only slight blemishes and missing the original tsuka (he had sold the tsuka separately to a koshirae collector, but was able to get it back and sold it to me as well). He had originally listed the katana for over $3,000 w/o the original tsuka on one of the online sword collecting sites. I bought the katana with most of its original koshirae AND the original tsuka from him (NOT from Moses Becerra - the professional pics at the end of the post are from his site) for $1700 ($1500 for the sword with most of the original koshirae except for a modern tsuka with leather ito, $200 for the original tsuka and its koshirae). I ended up paying a couple hundred more to send it off to the 2014 NHTK-NPO Shinsa in Florida - great investment! From the shinsa, I found out it was actually a Shinto katana attributed to a pretty famous smith, Kodzuko No Kami Yoshikuni from Tosa province, and made in the Kanbun era (1661-1673). When I first bought it, I had been anxiously waiting for the sword to arrive for more than a week. It took over 8 days just to clear customs at USORDA (Chicago). The sword arrived while I was at Iaido practice, and my wife graciously signed for it so I wouldn't have to pick it up the next day at the PO... thanks honey! Unpacking
Shipped via EMS from down under
Nicely wrapped in multiple layers of bubble wrap
Nice, huh? Another pic of it sheathed Unsheathed for the first time Nice activity on the blade Different angle Hada 1Hada 2Hada 3 with small kuchikomiHada 4Hada 5Tiny kuchikomi on the omote side of the katanaKissaki 1Kissaki 2New(ish) Tsuka wrapped in lacquered leather New(ish) Tsuka pic 2 Original (cracked) Tsuka pic 1 Original (cracked) Tsuka pic 2 Original (cracked) Tsuka pic 3
Original (cracked) Tsuka pic 4 Saya/koiguchi Saya/koiguchi 2 Kojiri Kojiri 2 Saya/Kurikata
Original Pic from Moses' site Pic 2 Pic 3 Pic 4 2014 NHTK-NPO Shinsa Judging Sheet2014 NHTK -NPO Origami 2014 NHTK -NPO Origami 2Sword attributions according to NHTK-NPO shinsa judges:Katana Specs: Smith: Den: Tosa Kodzuko Daijo Yoshikuni Signature: mumei Nagasa: 27-7/8” or 2.3 Shaku Sori: 18mmWidth at the ha-machi: 31.1mmWidth at the yokote: 23.1 mmThickness at the mune-machi: 8.2 mmBlade style: shinogi-zukuriMune: ioriNakago: ubuKitae: ko-itameHamon: suguba (hataraki found on hamon)Boshi: maruKoshirae: original tsuba, tsuka, saya, and silver foil habaki Origami: NTHK-NPO kanteisho paperThe blade does need to be polished at some point having some light stains on it, and a couple of chips on the kissaki. I use it once in a while for Iaido practice, but did use it once for tameshigiri before I knew it was a much older Shinto katana - I cut a single roll of tatami omote before sending it out to the 2014 NHTK-NPO shinsa in Florida... I'll never do that again, will reserve it for Iaido kata only. Hope you enjoyed my show and tell, thanks for looking!
|
|
|
Post by LG Martial Arts on Dec 26, 2015 1:16:06 GMT
|
|
|
Post by LG Martial Arts on Dec 18, 2015 20:02:44 GMT
I've never reprofiled a blade before, only sharpened them, but from what I've read/seen from others, it could take a lot of time since you're dealing with medium/high grit paper and hardened steel. Hopefully others with more experience than me will chime in.
|
|
|
Post by LG Martial Arts on Dec 15, 2015 1:19:36 GMT
I've never held or owned an SBG Ryujin katana, so I can't give you any real advice on it other than say it's DH instead of TH like the Kaneie... T10 is a great steel, but like others will tell you, a TH blade will serve a novice cutter better than a DH one, seeing as a TH blade will be more forgiving with misaligned cuts than a DH hardened one... if you accidentally bend a TH katana, it'll be much easier to straighten it than a DH one. That being said, don't just take my word for it - look at reviews for both swords... here's one on the SBG Ryujin
Here's to you finding the best one that fits your needs
|
|
|
Post by LG Martial Arts on Dec 14, 2015 18:32:53 GMT
The Kaneie Batto class katanas are through hardened (no hamon), but the fit, finish, and handling are superb. I recently sold my last Budo III, and was super impressed with the overall job... blade geometry was nice and crisp, weight and balance were very nice, and the tsukamaki was superb considering its price point. I don't think you'll be disappointed getting one at that price, seeing as they were going for several hundred $'s more just a few months ago.
You could also get a Huawei katana and have it customized to your liking, but will end up costing several hundred $'s more I the long run - nothin wrong with that, but you need to look at the long road ahead - what's the blade meant for, what will you be using it for, and how often.
|
|
|
Post by LG Martial Arts on Dec 12, 2015 21:18:26 GMT
You need to take the blade's width/height into consideration - you will most probably have to file the tsuba to fit the blade in the nakago-ana (which will decrease the value of an antique tsuba), and/or add copper (sekigane) if it's too loose. Also, you'll probably have to switch out the seppa unless the new tsuba is the same width as the one your katana came with. Here's a link that was made a while back for replacing/fitting a tsuba onto a blade: How To Fix A Loose Tsuba. BTW, here's a good pic of a tsuba with Japanese names on it... The only place I've bought tsuba before was from Aoi Japan, they are pricey, but very well documented though. Good luck!
|
|
|
Post by LG Martial Arts on Dec 11, 2015 23:41:05 GMT
Like skane said, talk to your sensei or other senior students at your dojo for suggestions. Many sensei will not allow non-Japanese swords into their dojos - my Iaido sensei Kunio Miyake is one of them... he only allows Iaito made in Japan for junior students, and Japanese shinken only for advanced degree black belts. If you train in a dojo where the lineage of a sword isn't as strict, doing what skane did with his Huawei is a good option as well.
|
|
|
Post by LG Martial Arts on Dec 9, 2015 3:36:32 GMT
that is a beautiful waster... I have all the tools, but no wood - guess I'll have to rectify that so I can make one for my daughter (she's 9)!
|
|
|
Post by LG Martial Arts on Dec 4, 2015 19:50:16 GMT
I hate Spam, even this kind
|
|
|
Post by LG Martial Arts on Dec 3, 2015 0:49:26 GMT
I saw this earlier and thought I'd share... has anyone heard anything about Season 2 yet?
|
|
|
Post by LG Martial Arts on Nov 30, 2015 19:26:28 GMT
Hi! LG Martial Arts, Can you ship swords here in the Philippines? Fully Functional. And would able to deliver the item right through my door without hassle clearing it out to Philippine Customs? I can ship sharp swords to the Phillipines, but like Croccifixio mentioned, the item(s) would have to go through customs... same as with the SBG store, KOA, etc.
|
|
|
Post by LG Martial Arts on Nov 29, 2015 0:58:52 GMT
welcome to your new home away from home...
|
|
|
Post by LG Martial Arts on Nov 28, 2015 16:07:52 GMT
If it's an eBay vendor, make sure to ask if they're knowledgable in customs forms to ship to the Phillipines (and ask for proof if possible)... if they're not, it could be a huge hassle for you, and cost you lots of time and $. As for Croccifixio's questions, there are lots of good recommendations already, so I won't add to them seeing as pros/cons have already been discussed above.
|
|