Mike Yamasaki has sent out an alert: A group of fittings that have been stolen from a collection and may have been offered for sale (see pictures below). If you have any information please email him at info@tetsugendo.com. Thank you, we collectors must stick together.

(original story at: http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201609060067.html

Fellow faculty member, Dave Anstett, wanted to dress-up for his last day of class, so he borrowed some of my clothes...

Dave's grand daughter was walking past his office on her way to class, when he saw her and stepped out for a group photo.

 

I'm really excited about setting up a little display in my school's library - College of Saint Scholastica. Primarily artifacts from the Edo Period (1603-1868), and includes armor, swords, clothing, dishes, lacquerware containers, and netsuke.  Here are a few pics... Let me know what you think.

This is an interesting piece for a number of reasons.  When I first saw it, I wasn't sure if it was even Japanese, or some cheap Chinese reproduction - it was very poorly wrapped, it was black instead of brown, and it had an odd menuki on the ura side.  But after I disassembled the handle, it became evident that it was in fact a rather nice original Japanese tsuka, and that ito and paper wedges were original, although it had obviously been rewrapped at some time.  Below are a couple of before pictures that the owner, David Stiles, shared with me.

I was supplied with a nicer set of shingunto menuki, and asked to wrap it in a Handachi style, which is essentially a Japanese sword in tachi mounts (but without the hangers) worn as a katana with the edge upwards. Below is the end result.

Let me know what you think...  

The following notice just went out today from Stephen Home via Facebook:

"STOLEN FROM ESSEX UK. Guys I need help. Someone has stolen alot of swords from me. They were going to sell them for me but have done a runner. These would of been sold between Aug 2015 and now or in the near future. They are:

• Wakizashi 1500 Shiga Seki school Koto Wakizashi NBTHK Hozon
• Katana 1532 KASHU KATSUIYE NBTHK Hozon
• katana 1939 Noshu Seki KANETSUNA Saku
• Wakizashi 1573 Bishu Munehisa - NTHK kanteisho
• Wakizashi JYUMYO Wakizashi NBTHK Hozon Token
• Sabre 1940 KYU-GUNTO Russo-Japanese Style Army Parade Sabre WWII with Surrender label on scabbard
• Katana 1943 Army Officer's sword - with sword tassel - signed Noshu Mi (or San) Aki. Made in Seki
• Katana 1945 Army Officer's sword - with sword tassel - signed Yoshichika

I CAN PROVIDE DETAILED PICTURES, MEASUREMENTS AND DESCRIPTIONS OF THESE ITEMS IF REQUIRED. CAN YOU PLEASE SHARE WITH ANYONE WHO MIGHT COLLECT OR DEAL WITH JAPANESE SWORDS"

If you know anything about this, please contact either me via this website, or Stephen via Facebook.

This is the second tsuka that I did for the fine gentleman / collector in San Francisco. I did this in the Jabara-ito style using 8 purple colored silk threads.  This style of wrap takes longer than normal because of the both the weaving patterns of the threads, as well as the number of threads involved.

My wife is particularly fond of this tsuka because of the style, and my son really likes it because it reminds him of his favorite team - The Minnesota Vikings! (just an FYI)

I shared this with a couple members of our local Token Kai, and I was asked to bring it to our next meeting as the focus of that evenings discussion - quite an honor.

Anyway, tell me what you think.

What a fellow faculty member wears to work... guess who his fashion designer is. 

Occasionally I have the opportunity to convert a Showa era shin-gunto tsuka into an older, more traditional style.  Here is one example.  

Earlier this year I took a tsuka much like the one pictured above, and modified it by moving the rayskin's large nodes to the opposite side, inserting a wooden shim to fill the gap cut for the spring, then fitted and wrapped it with handachi style gold mounts.  Below is the finished project:

This job was done for a fine gentleman named Glen in San Francisco, FYI.  

Tell me what you think. 

Interesting article on CNN "Style" page.

Blade runners: The powerful mystique of the samurai sword
(http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/15/design/samurai-swords/)
By Kieron Monks

OK! My new book is available on Amazon!!! 

                    (Click Here To See It)

Just got this digital proof from my publisher... It is going to press today. 
"Historic Japanese Swords and Fittings - A Collection of Restored and Translated Nineteenth Century Manuscripts."

And, below is a close up of the cover... Just thought I would share.

Here is a beautiful Edo Period example of Jabara Kumiage Shiho Maki that I recently came across. The detial and and cross-weave of the silk threads is amazing... and look at the knot... Very Cool!  -  Tell me what you think.

One of my books is now on Kindle... Go Figure.

                                                                       (Click to View)

Here is a great upcoming event: Tampa's Southeast Japanese Sword Show & Auction on February 20-22, 2015.

Full details can be found on the following website: http://www.southeastshowsauctions.com/tampa-2015.html.