Mark S.

All names mentioned in the past: John Tirado Brian Tschernega Mike Virgadamo

It is at this point that someone usually will recommend “It is time to study more BEFORE you make any more purchases”, so I guess that will be me. I hope you will accept my post as ‘educational’ versus someone just beating you up. Many of us have made some mistakes while collecting and usually it is very early on when our eagerness is high, but our education and experience is low. I think you are pretty lucky the dealer is willing to work with you on getting a different blade. I know you feel you overpaid (now that the guys at NMB have helped you understand the value a bit) but really, you didn’t. The dealer advertised a blade and gave you a price, it seems his advertisement was fairly accurate and he did not misrepresent the blade although maybe he was not overly descriptive either, you agreed to pay that price, and it wasn’t until AFTER the purchase you did some research and found out you were not sure you did the right thing. I think he is pretty understanding to let you change your mind after the fact. Can you imagine if we were talking about buying a car? You go to the car dealership and negotiate a price. You sign the paperwork and buy it and drive it off the lot. At this point you decide to take it to a bunch of other dealerships and they tell you that you paid too much. I’m not so sure the original dealership is going to worry too much about what other dealerships are going to say after the fact. This is my long-winded way of saying that you should probably spend some time studying for a while so you get an idea of what you are purchasing, what the relative value of certain blades are, and know really what you are looking at, what you are looking for, and why you want it. The learning curve on nihonto is pretty wide, not easy, can include some expensive mistakes, and takes time and dedication. Even your request to let everyone here look at the spreadsheet and pick a blade for you is problematic. I’ll bet if there are 10 decent blades on the list, you would get 10 different answers because everyone would be picking what THEY like for you versus you choosing a blade you like and one that fits into your collection. On top of that, everyone would be giving you advice on the purchase of blades sight unseen which is a VERY big minefield. To get back to the car analogy… imagine walking onto the dealer lot of 300 cars with a group of 50 people and saying “You pick out a car for me”, or worse, sending the 50 people an on-line listing of the 300 cars and saying “Please pick one”. Really hope you stay with us for the long haul. Study a lot. Maybe try to find someone in your area to help with blades in hand. Search the various dealer websites here at NMB and others on-line. Travel and go to a few sword shows so you can get an idea of the relative value of what you are looking at, and for. Most important, ask FIRST before making a purchase. The next dealer may not be so understanding or accept the NMB opinion of the worth of the blade he is selling.

As far as I know, the paper is issued by and affiliated with a sword shop in Japan. Far be it from me to question the attribution, the paper, or Mr Tsujimoto, but just want you to know this paper isn’t from one of the more commonly encountered sword organizations (NBTHK, NTHK, NTHK-NPO).

All, Just a few pictures of the show (pics were taken on Sunday so a few people had to pack up for long travel - almost all weekend, all tables were FULL of ‘goodies’). Another great event hosted by Mark. Lots to look at and a couple of very good presentations on blades and fittings. Can’t tell you how lucky I consider myself to be given the chance to handle and study blades that I would not have access to in any other setting. It was great to see some long-time acquaintances and meet a few new people as well. All in all a great show.

Was great getting the chance to shake your hand and say “hi” in person. And just remember… your wife WANTS you to be happy and buy nihonto. Well, that’s what I tell myself anyway! We will cover for you.

Looking forward to a great show!

Did not see Ray’s response in translation section before I answered.

I believe it translates to: Soshu Saburo Masamune

“Oh… that one? I’ve had that for YEARS!”

Hi Dan, Glad you are coming to show. I think Saturday is a better day, but any day is good. Although Saturday is usually the busiest day, some of the dealers travel very long distances and leave a little early on Sunday, so you sometimes don’t get to see quite as much. If you arrive early on Saturday, there is usually a class on the proper way to handle blades in the morning. There are usually other presentations on Saturday as well. Just an FYI… There is no official Shinsa this year. Coming to a show can be a bit overwhelming. So much to look at and fall in love with! You will find most dealers are more than happy to talk to you and answer questions. Yes, they are there to sell, but most are very happy to educate you about their blades and to answer general questions as well. For the most part, you will see the show as not only a place to buy and sell, but as an educational experience, a chance to meet new people, and you will see many long time acquaintances catching up and reconnecting too. I also live locally. Unless something comes up, I will be there all 3 days just roaming around. If you have any specific questions, I’d be happy to meet you during the day at the show. Hope you have a great time. Mark works hard and puts on a great show!

I think you did quite well.

It’s iron. It will be fine.

As always, thank you for my lesson. I feel a bit silly not putting that together. You are always very patient with us. I will see if Sasaoka-san was a member of the Team that day.

Thank you so much Moriyama-san. I’ll be honest, there is nothing about the blade or paper that puts “Sasaoka” in context (at least that I can understand), but the “rare article” is interesting. I may reach out to Chris Bowen to see if someone at NTHK-NPO would be will to add information.

Was wondering if anyone can help me decipher a notation on a NTHK-NPO worksheet? Next to red arrow, both the circled note and the note below. Thank you.