Louis Mills Tachi Blade

[hso]

I've been lucky enough to have in my home one of the finest japanese style blades made.

I saw this huge sword blade at Larry Harley's hammer-in with a bunch of the "big guys" clustered around it ooohing and ahhhing. I could see the hamon from 40 feet away and when I elbowed my way into the circle saw that it looked like the corona of the sun during a total solar eclipse.

I understood even better how special it was when I learned that Louis had cut the trees to make the charcoal himself that he used to produce the carbon steel from the iron sand he dug out for the blade. The blade had survived the 2 in 3 chance of breaking during the water quench and that no defects popped up during Louis's initial polish.

Howard Clark, Rick Furrer, Larry Harley, Wess Byrd all thought it was the finest thing they had ever seen and I couldn't disagree with them (especially since I know less than a fraction of what any one of them knows).

 

[rWt]

There are only a handful of Americans making Japanese blades so well that the Japanese will collect them. Louis Mills is one of the select few.

You have acquired not only a great blade, but a great work of art/craft as well.

Congrats!

 

[hso]

rWt, thanks.

Louis is a very gentle soft spoken master that would only say that it's probably the finest work he'll ever do of this size.

The sad part is that I can't keep it since we've got some unexpected expenses.

I'll work to find it a good home.

 

[JShirley]

This is incredible. The most beautiful hamon I have ever seen, and I am not exaggerating when I say it was an honor to just have the chance to look at this sword.

John

 

[Soap]

That is an incredible blade. Who are you going to have do the mounting?

 

[hso]

Since I can't keep it I'll leave that up to whoever becomes it's permanent custodian.

Who do you like?

 

[hso]

Here's the other end.

 

[Soap]

I hear very good things about Patrick Hastings. Check out the photo gallery on his page:

http://www.bladefittings.com/

He has done quite a bit of work for people who purchase Clark, Barrett, etc. quality blades so he is right up your alley.

 

[hso]

Thanks Daniel. John D recommended him so he was who I had in mind for fittings. Final polish could be done by John and he also knows folks who would complete the mountings. To finish the piece in straight forward field mountings and fittings would run another $2,000, but the Tachi would be 17k$ and worth at least 30k$. Pitty I didn't hit the lottery so I could keep it, but it's been great just having it for a while.