BenVK

Thanks for the replies, I was thinking early Shinto myself.. Adam, that's interesting that you mentioned the Ito because along the the engraving, that was the other reason why I bid, It's outstanding work in my opinion which also drew me in. Hardware is/was silver plated so clearly a rather expensive setup back in the day. Tusba is carved and original to it but again, just my opinion based on fit and patina. Here's a photo of the Menuki, hard to say what flowers they are but they have gold highlights.. Kosuka definitely doesn't belong with this set up but I'm not complaining..

Koshirae

Other side

I took a chance on this Wakizashi from a UK auction recently as it looked quite interesting due to the Tokkotuki-Ken and a Fudo Myoo bonji engravings. Condition is worse than I expected with numerous chips out of the cutting edge and a blister on the edge of the Bo-Hi but it could be restored if it's worth going down that road. The Habaki will take some work to get it off so I haven't tried yet. What's do you guys think of it?

Hira zukuri and bo-hi?, that's very unusual for a katana.

I would definitely not recommend DHL. I've had problems with them recently with parcels going AWOL and one was returned to me without an explanation. They weren't swords but they were valuable collectible items and I paid for express shipping which was expensive. It took several phone calls to sort out their mess and get a refund and I'll never use them again. The returned item I shipped again with UPS with absolutely no issues at all.

In my experience, most other forums, WAF etc don't allow this kind of selling which is why I was puzzled. Thanks for clarifying that it works differently here.

I sent an offer at 6.53am this morning but have now been told that the current highest bid is 1700 euro. I didn't realise that members are allowed to run their own private auctions on this forum!

That could work, I've used a few of the "man with a van" type couriers for stuff like TV's in past and they were pretty good.

Problem with insurance of any kind is that you won't know how good it is until you have to make a claim. I just discussed this with my missus, she sells a lot of random stuff on ebay and used to insure the more expensive items. Not anymore though because she said that Royal Mail made it so difficult for her to make a claim that she gave up in end. Apparently they wanted photos of the item, photos of the parcel, dimensions of the parcel, proof of the item value, receipts etc, the list went on and on...

It's always been an inconsistent mess with Royal Mail and UK customs also. I recently had a sword delivered from Japan and was a bit surprised there was no customs fee to pay because the tracking said that customs had it for over a week. A few days after it arrived, I got a letter from customs asking me to pay the VAT and clearance fee! I'm now wondering whether to pay it or not.. In regards to insurance, I don't think it's worth buying it as I've never heard of anyone being successful making a claim with Royal Mail or USPS or DHL etc They charge a lot for insurance as well, actually it's extortionate! That's why I think using a third party company like the one I gave a link to is the way to go in the future. For example, they only want 6 euro to insure a £1000 item. Parcelforce will charge you 50 quid for the same thing.

Swords, knives and weapons of any kind are prohibited by Royal Mail/Parcelforce. However, some post office staff are ignorant of their own rules and will accept a sword but I highly doubt it will be insured even if they let you pay for that. For that reason I tell them it's something else such as a golf club or telescope and don't bother with insurance. I always wrap a sword in cling film first, then bubble wrap and then place in a heavy duty cardboard tube. Touch wood, I've never had a problem with damage even when one time, the tube had clearly taken a big hit. If you're not willing to risk it without insurance then all I can think of is to use Fedex but that will obviously be expensive. Or, you could buy insurance from a third party like this company. I've not used them myself yet but their reviews are pretty good. https://www.secursus.com

This unusual sword was auctioned on Yahoo a few weeks ago and I thought I'd post it here for reference before the photos disappear. I've not encountered a blade with a tempered spine like this before and I'm wondering what was the purpose. In terms of function, would it not make the blade prone to failing? so maybe it's purely for aesthetic reasons? It's not really my cup of tea but a lot other people obviously liked it judging by the number of bids. https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/h450692716

Love the blade and the photos are also excellent. Would appreciate some tips on how to take photos as good as this. My biggest problem is the reflection of the camera when taking macro shots.

Another deep chip in image #8. I agree with Jacques, best to leave it as is.

In image #9 is that a chip in the cutting edge? If it is, you'd need to discuss what to do about it with the polisher. To remove the chip entirely would mean losing quite a bit of the edge all the way along which is not ideal.

I've seen some dumb things in my time but this goes straight into the top 5! Did he really grind notches in the blades to fit the screws!?!?

Beautiful artwork, I really like it and thanks for showing us. Will you buy another? I bet they can become very addictive..

Although it's disappointing to hear it, there's nothing unique about dishonest dealers and corruption within the Japanese sword market. It goes on in all areas of collecting from baseball cards to classic cars. Neither is it a surprise to hear that the whistle blowers often become the target of ridicule. That's what happens when you attempt to derail the gravy train. It's also true that some collectors are happy to live in blissful ignorance, sometimes for decades and don't take kindly to members of internet forums telling them that their prized possessions are not what they thought they were. That's another reason why most dealers hate forums, especially if they made the mistake of offering a lifetime guarantee! So I understand that it can be a thankless and tiring task trying to help others but there are occasions where some good comes out of it. In other words, don't let the b'stards grind you down!

The auction house at least managed to get the photo in focus which is more than I can say for this sword! https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/bentleys-auction-rooms/catalogue-id-srben10220/lot-a5fd5322-7b57-438e-91bc-ab4c0139ec02

Any relation to legendary guitarist James Burton?

I acquired a katana by wazamono ranked smith Hata Morihisa back in 2016 and just recently bought a wakizashi by him with matching signature. Kelly Schmidt found it on yahoo auctions and got it for me. Still waiting on the export papers however which is taking a long time.. I'd love to find a tanto made by him as well but never seen one so far.

Buying and selling over the internet can be a frustrating business especially since auction sites seem to side almost entirely with the buyer in the event of a dispute. Therefore, I believe that taking good quality photos is important not only to attract bidders but also to protect yourself as a seller. Descriptions can be misinterpreted but you can't really argue with a photo. In the case of this particular sword, the auction clearly shows that the cutting edge (part of it at least) is not sharp so the buyer had very little cause for complaint. If sharpness was an important factor for him, this photo should have prompted him to ask if the edge was the same all the way along. But what can you say, some buyers believe they have the right to return anything they want, even after several months and sometimes years down the line...

Hi Ken, yes, same artist, Tsuda Shinobu. Merry Christmas Kelly, thanks again mate.

Merry Christmas everyone and look what Santa got for me this year. Well actually it was thanks to yahoo auctions and Kelly once again who worked hard negotiating with the seller so that I could afford it. The condition isn't as good as the first one but I'm happy to have a daisho of falcons now.