My Friend

A.V. Norman January 2008

The first communication I had with Robbie was on 18^th January 1991. I received a letter in beautifully written long hand enquiring about some restoration to a sword signed Muramasa!

Robbie or Mr Robinson as I referred to him in those days was already in his eighties. He travelled to my home on public transport, which consisted of using the London underground and bus. He had travelled alone carrying a huge Shin-Shinto copy.

Most of our communications and dealing have been recorded in the Token Society’s Programme except maybe, for the time he called me and said he needed some assistance with a sword. I went to meet Robbie to find out what, if anything, I could do to help. We were by this stage I believe, good friends and I had grown to love him as you would a favourite Uncle.

Robbie had suffered a burglary, the intruders had, in an attempt to remove some paintings from the wall, used an Uda school Unokubi Zukuri wakazashi. It had been scratched and badly bent. When the police had returned the sword after finger printing and such like, it would not fit more than an inch into its saya.

It always pleased me greatly to be able to help Robbie as he has helped so many collectors of Nihon-to. I have always regarded him as the father of Nihon-to in this Country.

When I returned the sword and it’s saya in its restorative state Robbie asked if he could pay me to which I responded, now was not the time to speak of money as we had an agreement that I didn’t except payments from him.nRobbie, as always, gave me that beautiful bright smile and, with the same old twinkle in his eyes, produced a bottle of Scotch and insisted I accept it.

After this we often spoke on the telephone and Mrs Robinson talked with my wife keeping us more or less up to date. One of my regrets is that I missed Robbie’s funeral however, I did speak with Robbie’s daughter Alicia on the morning of the funeral to convey my sadness and sympathies and pay my respects to my dear old friend.

When I discovered that Robbie’s swords were on sale at Christies I went along to view them in particular the Nobuhide and it’s spectacular horimono. I spoke to M. Hayes, the Token society’s secretary who said he would be attending the sale. I asked if he would be willing to bid on an item for me and at what my financial limitations would be as I would very much like a memento of my dear friend. Unfortunately this did not work in my favour.

You can imagine my surprise when I received a telephone call from Mr William Robinson (Robbie’s son) who told me Robbie had bequeathed me precisely that sword.

To make a long story slightly shorter, on 2^nd January 2008 I arrived at Christies and was presented with the sword signed Nobuhide by William who, has inherited Robbie’s twinkling eyes and smile.

It proved to be a very emotional day for me. I cannot express how much it means to me to have been honoured by such a great man as Robbie (Mr B.W. Robinson). I am still trying to believe that this has truly happened.

When my inevitable “time comes” I will leave this sword with the wishes that it will stay in my family. If it ever transpires that there is not a member of my family willing to give this sword the care and attention it deserves it will be returned to a suitable museum preferably Japanese but alternatively an English museum. This is because I do not wish any member of my family, presently or in the future, to receive financial gain from this sword.

I will always be grateful to Mrs Robinson, Alicia and William for fulfilling Robbie’s wishes. I am finding it almost impossible all this has happened to me as I feel I did so little for this great old gentleman, one of the old school who did so much for others.

Tony Norman 2008.

Link to sword register entry for this sword.