L6 katana to be Fully Mounted

This is a Howard Clark Bainited shinogi zukuri katana in my queue right now for completion in Feb 2008. The blade comes with a full set of custom fittings in an ocean bird theme by Patrick Hastings. Patrick's work has become increasingly difficult to get as the quality of his work has been skyrocketing. As have the prices for his work which is as it should be IMHO. These fittings are made of copper and blackened. The fuchi kashira and tsuba haveen been textured and feature a carefully carved sea bird motif. The matching menuki are also by Patrick and match up with the fuchi kashira and tsuba exactly. The front of the tsuba shows intricately carved waves while the back shows the same sea birds gliding overhead.

The sword is a 29-1/8" nagasa bainite katana by Howard Clark. Howard Clark's Bainite katana are currently the hardest things to get on the market. They are highly prized by collectors and serious martial artists alike. When Howard opened up his queue briefly earlier this year he quickly sold out every available slot and is again not taking new commissions. For that matter, neither am I, so this presents a rather unique opportunity.

The blade has the following measurements:

Motohaba: 30mm
Motokasane: 6mm
Sakihaba: 20mm
Sakikasane: 5mm
Sori: 5/8 - 3/4" tori leaning a bit towards koshi sori.

This longer blade has a very nice old-style tapering into the extended chu kissaki. Like most of Howard's work it sports a high shinogi which helps make the blade feel lighter and faster in the hand. It will make an excellent blade for training or appreciation.

I am currently in the process of working on this sword. My plan was to mount it with what would probably be either a deep blue or deep reddish toned saya fading into black. I would match the coloration of the saya to the ito and currently I'm considering using doeskin from Legacy Arts Swords for the wrap. I would want to keep the samekawa natural in color but polished to help the dark, black fittings stand out more in the final product. The buyer will of course have a great deal of say as to how I finish the sword. I have my sentiments on this piece, but I am flexible... Somewhat... Kinda... ;)

If you're interested in buying the sword now or reserving this piece for February of 2008, contact me asap. First come first served and all that.

The final price will be $9450.00 usd fully polished and mounted. Since the sword is in process the terms of payment will be $6,600 up front with the balance due on completion.

I will accept paypal for the customer's convenience but I will have to ask that the customer add 3% to cover the paypal fees if applicable. Otherwise check, money order or wire transfer are the best means of payment.

ON HOLD (Feb 2008)

29-1/8" Nagasa L6 "Bainite" katana by Howard Clark