tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7295135317707453852024-02-18T22:57:31.745-08:00Sabaku SamuraiSabaku Samurai blog, run by www.sabakusamurai.com. We will talk about all things collectible, especially those Japanese or oriental in nature. This is run by long time Japanese sword collectors who like to meet new people with the same passions.Sabaku Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11980906288062969081noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-729513531770745385.post-89069051442059911172017-02-06T12:16:00.000-08:002017-02-06T17:54:43.796-08:00ANOTHER GASSAN KOGARASU MASTERPIECE!
Greetings my fellow Gassan-aholics. Welcome once again to the Nihonto Netherworld at Sabaku Samurai. I can't think of a better way to get the new year started than to show off another incredible work by our all time favorite sword maker Gassan Sadakatsu! As most of you know he was the maker to the Japanese Imperial Household in the early 1900s and is generally regardedSabaku Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11980906288062969081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-729513531770745385.post-7173155935619023272016-09-25T22:15:00.000-07:002017-02-10T21:25:04.707-08:00THE GHOST IN THE SWORD or THE INCREDIBLE SAGA OF THE HAUNTED TACHI
GREETINGS FROM THE NIHONTO NETHERWORLD. Gather round and turn down the lights, Just in time for Halloween we have an amazing and spooky true tale to tell. When I was a dashing young Naval Aviator we would start an unbelievable story like this by saying "this is as no-shi##er". Well my friends this is a no-shi##er.
If any of you read our blog a few years ago Sabaku Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11980906288062969081noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-729513531770745385.post-78102998862340297652016-08-22T00:28:00.000-07:002016-09-11T08:46:43.868-07:00SAN FRANCISCO SWORD SHOW REVIEWGreetings once again from the Nihonto Netherworld. Here's a quick report on the Japanese sword show last week in San Francisco. The show got off to a slow start as the dealers could not get access to the show room to set up until late Friday afternoon. Once setup was complete and the show open to the public things went along nicely. Most of the usual suspects turned up and&Sabaku Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11980906288062969081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-729513531770745385.post-11658198804094551302016-08-02T10:37:00.000-07:002016-08-02T11:48:34.023-07:00ANOTHER GREAT GASSAN!
Greetings again from the nihonto netherworld. Sabaku Samurai as we all know is a glutton for all things Gassan, particularly all things Gassan Sadakatsu (and all things bourbon and chocolate etc. etc. etc.) (we're just gluttons). For the uninitiated, Gassan Sadakatsu was the sword maker to the Japanese Imperial household in the Early part of the twentieth century. Sabaku Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11980906288062969081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-729513531770745385.post-52982083753591017272016-07-26T17:47:00.000-07:002016-09-11T12:14:54.806-07:00HITATSURA HEAVEN
Greetings from the Nihonto Netherworld. Sabaku Samurai brings you yet another tanto treat. Just back from our favorite polisher Inu Iki Sensei is a diminutive bit of eye candy. This is a woman's wedding tanto, presented to the bride in traditional Japanese marriage ceremonies for symbolic (and possibly actual) protection from her Sabaku Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11980906288062969081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-729513531770745385.post-48268538961380328202016-07-17T21:15:00.001-07:002016-09-11T08:50:43.857-07:00GOING KOGARASU KRAZY FOR GASSAN SADAKATSU!
Greetings my Gassan-aholics. Put on your sun glasses and hold on to your seats! You are about to witness Gassan Nirvana. As you know Gassan Sadakatsu is Sabaku Samurai's favorite sword smith of all times. He is considered by most to be the TOP 20th century sword maker. He was the maker to the Imperial Household in the first part of the 20th century.&Sabaku Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11980906288062969081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-729513531770745385.post-90154230967912133702016-07-09T15:57:00.000-07:002016-09-11T09:00:15.919-07:00AN INTRIGUING TANTO
Hey! Wake up! I have another interesting bit of cutlery to give you a gander at. For your consideration I put before you a tanto with an apparently interesting pedigree. This ancient bit of iron was made by the famous Nanbokucho period sword maker Tomomitsu . The kanji character he uses for "Tomo" in his signature also has the (Chinese) Sabaku Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11980906288062969081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-729513531770745385.post-26831261464650790702016-07-03T13:53:00.000-07:002016-07-03T13:53:41.740-07:00MYSTERY OF THE CLOUD DRAGON
Greetings all you Gassan maniacs! I have a VERY nice one to show off. This blade has all the bells and whistles. It is an impressive, beefy, 27 6/8 inches long. A sword made for a real man by perhaps the top 20th century Japanese sword smith and Sabaku Samurai's favorite sword maker of all times, Gassan Sadakatsu. The blade is forged in perfectSabaku Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11980906288062969081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-729513531770745385.post-19516680068613473192016-05-12T10:11:00.000-07:002016-05-12T10:11:14.250-07:00GASSAN EYE CANDY!I have finally awakened from my 7 year bender. Man! That was some awsum bourbon! Several amazing swords have landed in the Sabaku Samurai collection in the last few years. Soon I will begin showcasing them. This is a teaser. We've got new Gassans to show, josaku tantos, mystery blades, Nanbokucho treasures all coming to a blog near you (this one). Sabaku Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11980906288062969081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-729513531770745385.post-39892448844220326572010-11-20T13:22:00.000-08:002010-11-20T16:54:02.291-08:00IT'S FINALLY HERE!! (AND IT'S AWSUM!) Max Roach's (cool name) tantalizing tome has finally hit the streets and Sabaku Samurai gives it TEN THUMBS WAY UP (yes, we are all thumbs). For the poor uninitiated sots who just don't get it, this book is easy to read and elegantly and systematically answers the question "What is it about those @%#& Japanese swords!?" (ever heard that from a spouse or significant other?) (yeah, me tooSabaku Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11980906288062969081noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-729513531770745385.post-15924681500059415882010-10-23T12:18:00.000-07:002010-10-24T00:22:28.089-07:00INU IKI'S POLISH REIGNS SUPREME!!
A few months ago the Sabaku Samurai ended up with a rusty P.O.S. tanto that he bought off of Ebay after having ingested copious quantities of fine Kentucky sippin whiskey. The prospect of restoration for this "national treasure" looked pretty dim. We all know the cost of a good polish and the risks involved. If the rust is too deep or the chips too big or there is a flaw just below Sabaku Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11980906288062969081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-729513531770745385.post-77762460428484060172010-09-22T12:39:00.000-07:002010-09-22T12:39:20.740-07:00COULDA! SHOULDA! WOULDA!If you are looking for the swords mentioned in the PREVIOUS blog, YOU MISSED EM! We featured them on the site for two weeks and now they are SUDDENLY GONE! I will be shifting the pictures and descriptions to the "collection" section of the sabakusamurai site in the next few weeks so you can beat yourself up over what you could have had. But just to keep you going till then I am including some Sabaku Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11980906288062969081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-729513531770745385.post-21462427171335416582010-06-23T23:10:00.000-07:002010-07-06T01:48:26.133-07:00TEASER ALERT!! FOUR BIG SWORDS ARE A CUMMIN!!
Stay tuned to SABAKU SAMURAI because sometime next week we will be featuring 4 BIG BOY swords by three of the 20th century's finest, most sought after sword smiths. Two GASSAN SADAKATSU'S, one SHIGETSUGU and an OKIMASA. You're gonna see some of the most eye watering horimono, ayasugi hada and top quality polishes EVER on kickass special-order blades by the BEST of the BEST. And YES! they WILL beSabaku Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11980906288062969081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-729513531770745385.post-90908332878747091432010-06-14T12:53:00.000-07:002010-06-14T13:02:25.146-07:00Sabaku Samurai's Famous Ken and the BEST Japanese Sword book EVER!Greetings to all faithful followers of Sabaku Samurai's Blog. I have two very significant bits of information to pass on to you. First, get a life. Second, the Sabaku Samurai has received an important communication from Max Roach Sensei about his new book coming out. If you are a regular reader of the blog then you will remember that Max is authoring a wonderful book on Nihonto and asked ifSabaku Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11980906288062969081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-729513531770745385.post-87162931908180046622010-06-02T13:38:00.000-07:002010-07-06T01:45:32.072-07:00Carefull what ya bid for, YOU MIGHT JUST GET IT!
Greetings gentle readers. As most of you know, the Sabaku Samurai is a ramblin, gamblin kinda guy who likes to live life on the edge (ar ar, edge, get it? oh never mind). We also know that the Sabaku Samurai appreciates fine southern sippin whiskey and occasionally tosses back a few. On these occasions he has been known for making, shall we say, less than perfect decisions. Recently after Sabaku Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11980906288062969081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-729513531770745385.post-50154253060378764932010-05-18T19:15:00.000-07:002010-05-18T23:26:27.394-07:00SECRET OF THE GOLDEN TACHIAnother mystery has been uncovered and The Sabaku Samurai is asking all readers for help in solving it. Into our greedy little fingers has been delivered a marvelous sword in wonderful Efu Tachi mounts. The blade is an excellent quality koto period piece that is suriagi (slightly shortened) but still measures 26 1/2 inches. It sports a two character signature that says "Ieyoshi". So far a nice Sabaku Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11980906288062969081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-729513531770745385.post-46677856718427749392010-03-21T18:33:00.000-07:002010-03-21T19:04:33.021-07:00MR. BIGSHOT! who do ya think you are?
Greetings all you matchlock maniacs. Buried deep in the "collection" section of our favorite web site (Sabakusamurai.com) under "Misc" is a brief description and a couple of mediocre pictures of something very interesting. No, this time it's not night-vision shots of me and Sandra Bullock. Nope, we are showing off an even BIGGER gun (hard to believe). Recently I've had some requests for more Sabaku Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11980906288062969081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-729513531770745385.post-64481134249724968372010-02-26T00:24:00.000-08:002010-02-26T00:41:51.339-08:00THE MYSTERY OF THE BLACK TACHI (Man! that sounds so cool)
Greetings all of you Nihonto Nabobs. I have a very interesting old tachi to show you. This sword came to Sabaku Samurai about 20 years ago from a group of swords brought back to the US by the proverbial old VET that we are all familiar with (thank God for these guys and their sticky fingers or my collection would be zilch). Actually this guy was not a WWII vet. He was stationed over in Japan inSabaku Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11980906288062969081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-729513531770745385.post-43343984126864983632010-02-16T13:01:00.000-08:002010-02-16T22:41:01.931-08:00Kotetsu or not Kotetsu...an answer...maybe sort ofGreetings all you wakizashi wielding wackos. Well, if you have read my previous blog you know all about the the intriguing saga of Sabaku Samurai's Kotetsu. In our last episode we were waiting with baited breath (yuck! maybe some Listerine?) for word from Japan giving expert opinion on the authenticity of the Kotetsu and whether or not it should be submitted for shinsa. Here is what we got. Our Sabaku Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11980906288062969081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-729513531770745385.post-40598012839445842582010-02-12T01:26:00.000-08:002010-02-27T17:40:52.132-08:00Iz It IZ or Iz It AIN'T...........KotetsuGreetings out there all my Daito Dingbats. Sabaku Samurai has a tale of international intrigue to share with you. This is a story that began to unfold over 15 years ago when I acquired a rusty old sword that came from a garage sale. Most of the fittings were gone, no wrap on the handle and so oxidized that you could barely see that it had horimono. What it did have was a very interesting Sabaku Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11980906288062969081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-729513531770745385.post-73354596423576246222010-02-08T11:10:00.000-08:002010-02-13T17:24:29.125-08:00SABAKU SAMURAI'S KEN IZ GONNA BE FAMOUS!!Greetings all my Ninja Nut Cases. Recently for some reason I have had a number of inquiries about the Ken sword featured in the "collection" section of Sabakusamurai.com. I am not sure why the sudden interest because it has been there for several years but I have had several emails wanting to know if I still have it and could I send some more pictures etc. I even had one guy ask if he could Sabaku Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11980906288062969081noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-729513531770745385.post-696341447911723022010-02-03T15:08:00.000-08:002010-02-03T15:29:54.773-08:00General Officer KatanaGreetings my fellow katana krackpots. First I must apologize again for a long delay in updating my web site. I have no good excuses other than just being outrageously lazy, which is something we all know I am strangely proud of. I will try to make up for it a little by throwing out a nice bit of eye candy for you. Recently out of the woodwork I present this minty Gunto by WWII sword smith Sabaku Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11980906288062969081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-729513531770745385.post-71003698337347334292008-03-30T21:59:00.000-07:002008-03-30T22:15:22.790-07:00Japanese food might give you Gass...anI've heard it said that good things come in pairs and I've got a pair that are nice and pointy and do an old collectors heart good... and no this time we're not talking about anything to do with anatomy. I'm thrilled to be able to showcase 2 wonderful blades by Gassan Sadakatsu!!! A big one, and little one . The first is quintessential Gassan. Spectacular 26 3/4 inches. Perfect ayasugi hada.Sabaku Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11980906288062969081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-729513531770745385.post-24248531746338455572007-09-18T15:08:00.000-07:002007-09-21T22:56:44.605-07:00SF Sword ShowGreetings again gentle readers or sword derelicts (you know who you are). I apologize for keeping you waiting for my latest blog. I just got back from a month long bender and I've got a nasty infestation of pesky giant spiders and pink elephants to deal with. They can wait for awhile. Let me tell you about the San Francisco Sword show. Walter and I had a dealers table near the front door. 1) Had Sabaku Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11980906288062969081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-729513531770745385.post-68947448079913036712007-03-15T09:52:00.000-07:002007-03-16T11:24:15.576-07:00Holy @#$&)% Batman! Valley of the Sun Samurai VS the Straw ArmyWell gentle readers, here is my first attempt at a blog. I do want to acknowledge up front that I am fully aware no one really gives a rats patootie what I think or have to say. That being said let's get on with the show.Recently the Local Samurai got together over at the local dojo to play with their swords (in a manly way), eat goodSabaku Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11980906288062969081noreply@blogger.com1