Hello everyone,

First of all, I would like to extend a most heartfelt thank you for your warm wishes on the birth of our second son, and third child, Nelson. Nelson was born on September 5th, and the little one is already a big boy weighing 15 pounds — a true testament to his mother’s love and devotion.

I must admit, these past few weeks have been a challenge time-wise as any parent will tell you. Some seriously late nights have gone into the making of this catalogue, catching every spare moment of peace. I hope that a sword within these pages finds your caring hands.

We start the catalogue with a very old piece of history. It is a kodachi, a small and light tachi that the NTHK-NPO dates back to 1283 by the Yamato Senjuin School. What I love about this sword is that it is ubu-nakago. Very few swords from this era exist in their original shape, as these long tachi were eventually shortened during the late Muromachi or early Edo periods. The kodachi comes with a lovely set of fittings and has recently attained Tokubetsu Hozon to Uda Kunimune.

The next piece is the youngest sword in the catalogue, made in 1972 — a brilliant katana by Sakai Ikkansai Shigemasa. This katana is unique in that the iron used to create the sword is from the centuries-old Myôgi shrine in Gunma prefecture. Shigemasa was a master engraver, evident in this fine work that contains carvings dedicated to Amaterasu Ômikami and Aizen Myôô.

The third sword is a powerhouse katana by swordsmith Tsunashige with a 2-body cutting test performed by Shibasaki Masatsugu at the end of February 1670. Everything about this sword is remarkable. The quality of the steel is reminiscent of the work of Kotetsu, as they likely share the same sensei Tsunahiro. This sword was featured in the NBTHK Token Bijutsu monthly magazine.

A delightful wakizashi attributed to Nobutaka from the Enpô era takes the next spot. This sword is on consignment with me here in the UK. I took a video of the sword introducing the blade and koshirae. I can ship this sword tax-free in Europe, and elsewhere in the world.

Wazamono smith Tango no Kami Shigetsune from Echizen province is the fifth sword in the catalogue. It is a sharp katana with a mature spirit. The superb grain of the steel has the texture of kotô-period (pre-1600) swords. A rare late Edo-period cloud dragon themed handachi koshirae with a sparkling aoigai (mother-of-pearl) scabbard carries the sword with style and elegance.

Our final sword in the catalogue is a muscular katana by Kiyosuke from the Shintô Naminohira school. This sword is ideal for a thoughtful custom koshirae project. Our first son, Lennon, is going to receive a special Naminohira katana from my collection one day. He doesn’t know it yet.

Thank you to all who have joined our VIP email list and to the many who claimed swords in Tokyo via a private meeting. As always, we look forward to serving you.

Warm regards,