Hello after a long hiatus

[joshualayne]

Hi all,
I have been off-forum for some time (since before the forum switch from ubb) and am only now getting back to this interest (now to convince my wife of the budgetary needs...)

I have been reading the forums with interest - I'll try to get some pictures of some fairly modern ethnographic pieces that I have (sadly, I have not acquired anything since the bolo I purchased from Lew in the summer of 2004).

My question though, if anyone could provide their two cents, is what next?

I have:
burmese dha (late 1800s/early 1900s)
greek ?officer? sabre (late 1800s)
Lew's bolo
Masai Spear (modern)
Masai 'Lion' Knife (modern)
Tibettan 'double dagger' (neat little thing where the two blades slide past each other into the other handle)
A stick I bought in NY (it looks like it could be a weapon, a tool, or a sports implement - I'll post a pic or two)

I want:
something made with wootz
something chinese (ox-tail sabre maybe?)
something japanese, preferably a katana (ouch!!! these things are expensive......)

Any advice on which way to progress on this? Had a talk with my wife on the general subject and we are both more interested in breadth than depth (at least for now)

My Dha and Greek Sabre are in these links (along with some other inane comments made by me).
http://www.vikingsword.com/cgi-bin/s...=10&StartAt=A:

Looking forward to participating in discussions again once I have something to say

Regards,
josh

[Mark]

Good to have you back, Joshua.

[joshualayne]

(thanks Mark!)

some random things: from the top a Masai knife (sword) and Masai Spear (purchased in winter of 97/98 by a friend for a few american T-shirts)
then an unknown club/sports implement/tool/fake that I got in NYC at a pawn shop for 10 bucks - it's only claim to fame is the shop knew it as 'So and So's stick'
finally a tibetan 'double knife' that a friend bought for me in while visiting tibet in 96 - it is simple/crude construction where the blades slip past each other into each other's 'hilt' - wrapped with ?brass? embossed with dragons - likely tourist stuff.


close up of spear point and zebra skin/hair sheath:


close up of 'club' and tibetan knife:


other side of club and tibetan knife closed (some of the markings on the side of the stick are visible, they are very faded):


Any info on the 'club' and tibetan knife would be most welcome, the 'club' is a toal mystery to me and an anthropologist friend was unable to place it - the masai stuff as well, if people have additional info beyond what I have.

thanks, sorry for the huge (and slow) images
j.

[Rich]

Re: Japanese swords - stay off ebay! Buy from a reputable dealer.
I've been a student of Nihonto for about 25 years, but haven't bought
a sword in close to 3 years since I think prices have gone totally insane.
There is a list of close to 200 Japanese swords sites on my links pages.
Some other info there you may also find useful.

Rich S


The Japanese Sword Index
http://www.geocities.com/alchemyst/nihonto.htm
------------------------------------------------------------

[Hrthuma ibn Marwan]

Hi there

Some nice stuff you got there, and nice plans on what to get too.

Unfortunately the prices of katanas are getting extremely high!

Well, good luck to all of us