Randolph B. Caldwell

Token Kenkyu Kai is an associatinof individuals devoted to the preservation and appreciation of the Japanese Art Sword. To properly pursue this objective a non-profit organization was formed to make available to serious students the finest examples of Nihonto outside of Japan, to encourage original research, and to increase the fund of knowledge avaiable in English. It is to this latter objective that the articles contained in this volume are addressed. They are the efforts of men who conduct their businesses and rear their families but find time to share their accumulated experiences and knowledge with others. Their only reward is the hope that their creativity will make the study of a difficult subject in a foreign language more satisfying and easier for the future generations of students that follow. To these men we thankfully dedicate this book. Nihonto Kemma, Ltd. Japanese Sword Service Post Office Box 1256 Denton, Texas 76201 817-382-8203 Contents Frontpiece Dedication Introduction Part One The sword as history The Japanese sword in prehistory by Peter Bleed Rice, gold and the sword by Randolph B. Caldwell Notes and Quotes Part Two The sword as steel The shape of things by Walter A. Compton Let the buyer beware by Keith R. Evans The shape of the sword by Dean S. Hartley, Jr. Part Three The sword as art An outline history of Japanese sword guards by Dr. Junji Homma Random thoughts by John M. Yumoto On investing in Japanese swords by K.A. Frenzel The seeds of the Bixen tradition by Tom Buttweiler Bibliography… (meer)