Shodai Nobutaka Value

[Eddie Tree]

Hi

I’m brand new here so be gentle ????

Please move this if I’m in wrong forum

I hope someone can help me in next six hours to avoid a regrettable mishap

I’ve been offered a Shodai Nobutaka Katana with later koshirae that I was intending to purchase in shirisaya only as I will be commissioning daisho fittings when travelling to Japan next year.

Trouble with the katana is it is mumei (with npo papers attributing it to this swordsmith) but the owner is asking me to make an offer and well, i have no idea really. It has no visible flaws and has a hamon matching my wakisashi so I’m very interested as katana with mei for Nobutaka are the proverbial. Even so like the majority of buyers I guess I would prefer a signed sword.

Can anyone can help a newbie with a ballpark value? or is it the majority opinion to wait for a signed example which seem to ask around $9k usd (and means I sell my car to pay for it).

Thanks for reading

[Ray Singer]

Reference example (mumei in shirasaya only with several kitae-ware).

 

https://www.aoijapan.net/katana-mumeinobutaka/

[TheGermanBastard]

... and suriage ... and old papers = virtually no papers.

 

Hard to give you any numbers without any pictures.

[nagamaki - Franco]

Can anyone can help a newbie with a ballpark value? or is it the majority opinion to wait for a signed example which seem to ask around $9k usd (and means I sell my car to pay for it).

Thanks for reading

 

A mumei Shinto sword will have a limited value and resell market. Which means unless it's in someway an excellent example (in which case why isn't it signed?), be prepared to own it once you've bought it.

 

p.s. Shinto should not only be signed but ubu as well, o-suriage would definitely hurt the value. There is good reason why collectors adhere to TokuHo requirements.

 

Daisho = matched fittings and/or made together matched swords. 

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=Shodai+Nobutaka&oq=Shodai+Nobutaka&aqs=chrome..69i57&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Edited March 25, 2018 by nagamaki - Franco

[Guest Rayhan]

Hi Eddie

 

Shodai Nobutaka is an excellent smith and swords by this maker are highly prized. A mumei blade with healthy measurements 69 plus cm nagasa, 0.7 plus kasane, 3cm plus mihaba and hozon papers will set you around the 6 to 8 k mark if in excellent polish and shipping from Japan (I'm just going by my experience). But i concur with many on the board, please dont buy mumei shinto unless it really speaks to your heart and you dont mind the bad value.

 

A zaimei and ubu with measurements as above with hozon will come to around 13 to 15k for the shodai and with tokubetsu hozon it will be higher.

 

Factor in variables such as minor flaws and suguta and that is the ball park. The descriptions I have given you include koshirae.

 

Hope it's a good sword and good luck on your purchase.

[Bazza]

Well Eddie, if you're a young bloke you have a long time to live with your mumei Nobutaka.  Your aim is noble to commission daisho fittings and koshirae, so if it were me I would wait and look for a signed Nobutaka, even delaying your trip to Japan to acquire one.  I have seen them from time to time.  Having waited to to put this together you will be happier as you grow old with your daisho.

 

On the other hand, seeing you are asked to make an offer, make one commensurate with the unknown qualities of an unsigned blade.  The sword above that Ray pointed you to is suriage mumei, so is the sword you're contemplating suriage???  There in part is your answer.  Otherwise this situation is like marriage - buy in haste, repent at leisure...

 

BaZZa.

[Fred Geyer]

Eddie,

 

Been looking for 20 years seen 3 Ubu signed Shodai all were $14,000 plus all outstanding blades "be careful many 2nd gen papered as 1st "  I have never seen a Ubu Mumei Shodai Nobutaka , all of them Masatsune, Ujifusa and Nobutaka signed the works they did. Which have Never seen a Masatsune katana and only 2 Ujifusa all are very rare and should be considered a real find to see one and own one        

 

 

 

 

Fred Geyer

[Eddie Tree]

Thanks very much for your input. Really appreciated.

You’ve helped me decide and I will wait for one with mei which was my gut feeling.

 

[NihontoEurope]

Eddie,

 

I have one coming up this Friday on my YouTube channel.

 

Have a look at it if you like.

 

I couldn't find any link to "your" blade. If you want to share, please PM : )