San Francisco Token Kai 2010

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[Keith Larman]

Just got home. Was up in San Francisco last weekend for the San Francisco Token Kai.

Saw some amazing things. 800 year old "samurai" swords in perfect condition. Wonderful mounts. Wonderful fittings.

Janet Rosen dropped by with a friend. I didn't have much time to talk as by the end of the day Saturday I was pretty much toast and had promised some people to go out to dinner (for a pretty amazing sushi dinner I must admit).

There were a few tables with older Aikido books too.

I always find it a shame more people who train with sword like objects don't get more into the swords themselves. The real deal. The modern made replicas have their place, but to see things with history is just amazing to me. Wish more folk would come and get into these things.

I came home with a few really interesting things. One was an unfinished katana made by a Komiya school smith using nails scavenged from the old Noma Dojo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noma_dojo) in Japan. That's going to be a special blade for someone.

I also managed to bring home something I never would have guessed existed. Ono Yoshimitsu is one of the most famous japanese swordsmiths alive today. Quick youtube video of him here... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tbnc1KKQdHk). I've been lucky enough to have sold a few swords for Ono Yoshimitsu. His Yamatorige swords command some of the highest prices in the world for a modern sword. I.e., think over 50K USD. A Yamatorige by Ono Yoshimitsu was one of the highlights of a swordshow held at the Asian Pacific Museum in Pasadena a number of years ago. And that show was really devoted to the wonderful work of Yoshindo Yoshihara and his student. Anyway, I came home with something to put on our site on consignment for the owner -- a sword made by Ono Yoshimitsu for a friend to use for iai practice. It is in a simpler style but when you look closely into the sword itself you can see the incredible skill of the smith in both the forging and heat treatment. I was stunned to pop off the handle and see his signature -- Yoshimitsu saku. An incredible sword for martial arts practice in full polish and mounts. Not every day I get to handle something so nifty.

Anyway, I had a blast. And I encourage all you martial arts fiends who use things that are sword like to someday spend a little time feeling what the real deal is really about.

And now to unpack and start the laundry...

[Janet Rosen]

Keith, you were so clearly in full "show mode" by the time we showed up in the late afternoon that Jo & figured we'd best not interrupt your being "on" by asking if you wanted to take a coffee break with us! Thank you so much for sharing a couple of of your pieces w/ us and explaining, in response to my question, why and how rayskin is used.
The show was overwhelmingly wonderful but I must say my very favorite thing was the tiny pair of horses on your table.

[ninjaqutie]

One of these years, my husband and I are going to have to take a weekend to go to Cali and see this show! Sounds extraordinary.

[Michael Hackett]

Sorry Ash, but Cali is in Columbia. Those of us who are natives refer to the place as California. You can see some great knife fighting in Cali though and now and again you can even see a pretty good gunfight.......or was that a city in the East Bay?

[ninjaqutie]

Those of us who are natives refer to the place as California.

Odd that you say that because I have a few friends from there and they never refer to it as California... :D

[Janet Rosen]

The only person I know in the entire state, in which I've lived since 1974, who calls it "Cali" is an exceedingly weird relative of mine. Need I add he's also the only person I have ever met who resides anywhere in the Bay Area who calls where he lives "Frisco".
To return to the topic at hand.... the sword show is well worth a road trip through California, into the San Francisco Bay Area :-)

[Michael Hackett]

Yeah, The City, known to outsiders as San Francisco, holds a wonderful sword show in Burlingame. The lectures feature some knowledgeable folks and the opportunity to closely look at antique blades is a great experience. Those attending will get a chance to see things they've only read about. For example, one year I saw a full saddle with stirrups on display from the 16th century.

I have friends who call it "Cali" and "Frisco" too, but they're all carpetbaggers and just don't know any better. Poor devils, they all seem to hail from New York and New Jersey.