Nihonto

[MEversbergII]

Renaissance Wax!

M.

[Fuut]

You spent 80-90% of your savings on a pair of swords, having never owned any before? Congratulations, you'll fit right in here.

Beautiful pieces--definitely read up on maintenance and take very good care of them. I'm into a few Southeast Asian arts (many of which involve knives and swords, e.g., the Filipino arts) and do love looking at swords of all kinds.

I'm really worried your swords are going to rust up in storage. I have hundreds of carbon steel blades of all sizes, including 19th century swords, and I keep them in dehumidified storage to keep the rust at bay.

Well considering my life is basically spend to conserve these pieces and their value (and my savings) - I'll going to do my best to maintain these pieces, the beauty is just spectacular!

Edit: not to mention I'm probably not sane and my life is rather pointless as it is beyond the point of collecting a huge amount of japanese wares:)

I've always been intrigued by Japanese swords, katana, tachi, tanto, yari, naginata, it doesn't matter. I'm just blow away (of course not all specimens have the same blow but even if one is damaged its form can still teach you something). Its just amazing ..

[Misou]

Family heirlooms in the making

I hope to make a return to sword collecting, myself. I've been considering a custom jian for a little while now.

M.

Edit: also; family heirloom implies there is a family, as i just spend nearly all my savings i doubt there is much female attention for a broke guy living of tea and swords:)

Your realism and honesty might attract you the girl of your dreams yet

[jayinhk]

Renaissance Wax!

M.

I use Ren Wax with oil over it as a further barrier, but it's not enough--on his swords I would consider it sacrilege to put Ren Wax on the blades! It can be hard to remove later.

[ethan]

Somewhat off topic; however, I ask, "What is the type of sword, that the actor Nakadai used in his samurai movies?" He carried two short, curved swords, instead of the more common long sword.

[jayinhk]

Ethan, most likely wakizashi (shorter, indoors/businessmen swords). I keep a hand forged spring steel one (Indonesian mahogany with brass fittings) next to my dresser at home. Hand forged in Indonesia, so not as fancy or expensive as his, but just as usable.

[Fuut]

Your realism and honesty might attract you the girl of your dreams yet

You do realize you're upping my hopes this way don't you?:)

Also thanks for all the replies. I enjoy talking about the subject.

Here's the next shot of the Hisayuki tachi.

Second shot moving up the cutting edge.

hisayuki-37 copy 2.jpg (35.49 KiB) Viewed 2579 times

Somewhat off topic; however, I ask, "What is the type of sword, that the actor Nakadai used in his samurai movies?" He carried two short, curved swords, instead of the more common long sword.

I'm not exactly sure which movies you're referring to but if they were extraordinairily curved, then it maybe that those were wakizashi made from naginata (google naginata if you're unclear). They were often more curved because the naginata was very curved and they worked off the tang and the upper part of the kissaki.

[JBaymore]

....... including 19th century swords, and I keep them in dehumidified storage to keep the rust at bay.

Monthly cleaning and (light) oiling with choji oil is the standard practice for maintaining nihonto outside of museum settings.

And technically...... keeping them in shirasaya not full mounts is the way to protect the blade metal (sorry fuut). Lacquered saya can tend to hold moisture in and caus ethe blade to rust if not in "use".

But in museums in Japan... they are kept climate controlled for a reason. AND are periodically cleaned and oiled by folks that know what they are doing.

best,

.............john

[Fuut]

....... including 19th century swords, and I keep them in dehumidified storage to keep the rust at bay.

Monthly cleaning and (light) oiling with choji oil is the standard practice for maintaining nihonto outside of museum settings.

And technically...... keeping them in shirasaya not full mounts is the way to protect the blade metal (sorry fuut). Lacquered saya can tend to hold moisture in and cause the blade to rust if not in "use".

But in museums in Japan... they are kept climate controlled for a reason. AND are periodically cleaned and oiled by folks that know what they are doing.

best,

.............john

Sure!, though i should mention (i don't think i did), that the tachi is from 1860 and the wakizashi from (i believe) 1660 or around that time. The tachi is in great health. Same goes (age wear) for the wakizashi.

I don't feel that the blades will immediately start to corrode or rust when they're in my care. I won't drop them, abuse them, neglect them. I'll have 2 quality cleaning kids for both blades and the koshirae that are being created will have wooden copies of the actual piece to keep it all together. So even if or when they're in shirasaya they can be displayed and enjoyed together. All i need now is either a double sword rack or one that can display the swords and koshirae together!

When i have them a discussion about how exactly cleaning techniques are utilized would be nice:) For now I'm just too excited!

[Pig Hog]

Don't forget that tachi are displayed differently to katana and wakizashi.

Japanese swords are displayed the way the are worn, so your tachi should be hung with the edge down or stood in a tachikake, on the tsuka with the edge facing into the stand.

[JBaymore]

Fuut,

I assume that you know about this place?

http://www.swordforum.com/forums/conten ... 7e350dfc23

(I'm a member there.)


best,

.............john

[Fuut]

Don't forget that tachi are displayed differently to katana and wakizashi.

Japanese swords are displayed the way the are worn, so your tachi should be hung with the edge down or stood in a tachikake, on the tsuka with the edge facing into the stand.

Yes i was aware:) Tachi go nagasa down, katana/wakizashi edge down - for a quick draw and insta-slash. However this leaves the question how a sword without curvature and a moroha-zuzuki tip, like below, although i suppose its self explanatory (although it maybe also dependant on classic wakizashi/katana/tachi lengths). However there were also swords made with identical nagasa on both sides. -sorry if i make no sense.

image6Q3.JPG (6.89 KiB) Viewed 2585 times

However since the koshirae will be one like a katana (even though the original registration card from Japan is hand written and describes the piece as 'ta chi'), (so to match the other one and become a daisho), I'll either have them opposite of each other of apart from each-other. I'm not yet sure:) But I'm positive it will work out.


And John, thank you for the link, I didn't know the forum. I'll check it out and perhaps join in. Though more likely I'll lurk from a distance..

[Pig Hog]

You're having katana koshirae fitted?

[Fuut]

You're having katana koshirae fitted?

Sorry i'm not exactly sure what you're asking. Both will be fitted the same way to form a daisho, fitting from the first page, all sets. The tachi will most likely be in katana koshirae to create half the set.

[Pig Hog]

That's what I meant. I just hadn't realised -- I thought you were having tachi koshirae made.

In which case, it should be treated and displayed as you would a katana, which is what your were intending to do in the first place!