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lazyasian

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  1. I have been checking my local classifieds an the following nihonto came up. The hamon appears suspiciously clear and regular even from the poor picture. I am thinking fake but am a novice and the seller is only a short drive away. So is it worth calling and seeing if I can take some pictures of my own to post? Thanks all! Cory
  2. "I think I could spot an obvious fake, but a well done one from only the pictures people post...." *,but I am well aware I couldn't spot a well done fake :/ Cory
  3. Thanks so I have ordered used copies of Yumoto and Sato's books as it sounded like they were the best beginner's guides. Any recommendations on books for fittings?
  4. Just inherited a nihonto and while I know it is not extraordinary as nihonto go to me it is a masterpiece and it has started a desire in me to begin a collection. I have picked up some reading and know a few of the very basics. Still I am looking for any advice people wished someone had given them when they first started collecting. Some of my questions If you couldn't afford at this point to drop a few thousand for a nice nihonto where would you begin? just looking for opinions here Wakizashi? Koshirae? WWII NCO? etc Ebay is tempting me but I realize while I think I could spot an obvious fake a well done one from only the pictures people post..... Obviously nothing from china, only public auctions, check kissaki shape, hamon, nakago, etc still... I guess I am asking as an amateur can you with some studying actually reliably buy off ebay or any auction site? Are there ways to get a good deal? I am not talking about the obviously bogus $100 buy buy buy ancient Japanese sword but one that you can come away saying wow I am lucky. If so any tips people are willing to share? Any sites you recommend beginning to browse for a beginner without thousands to spend? Anything else? Finally if anyone has a little extra money please look into texting redcross to 90999 to donate $10 to help the Japanese victims or any other reputable channels of donations. Been talking to friends/family in Japan the north is in really bad shape. Even as far south as Tokyo they tell me stores are running out of breads and frozen foods. Not trying to sound preachy but if you can spare anything I am sure it would help. -Cory
  5. Thank you everyone eventually I will definitely have the sword taken to a shinsa. Thank you very much Chris for your information and offer both public and private. I will sincerely consider your generous offer to take my sword to your planned shinsa. Still, I would prefer to attend one myself. Firstly I think it would be a rewarding and interesting experience and secondly I admit I prefer not shipping it to someone I don't know personally. Anyone have a general idea of how often a shinsa actually comes to the US? Has anyone heard of one ever coming to the mountain west? I have seen some in California which is a little closer than Minneapolis how often do they occur? Finally I have some family and friends in Japan and hope to be fortunate enough to go back there within a few years has anyone tried to bring/or ship a sword to Japan and submit it directly to a NBTHK or another shinsa in Japan and have information on that? From the web it seems transporting, customs, police registration, etc is quite a daunting task. Thanks for all the help Cory
  6. Thank you for the suggestions Eric. I have posted a new topic (less ignorant inquiry) that hopefully has better pictures and more specific questions Cory
  7. I would like to start by saying I am a beginner when it comes to Nihonto. A week ago I just inherited a katana from my Grandfather and since have been trying to absorb all the information I possibly can but I am still pathetically green. I am truly sorry for my peppering of this forum but please allow my one last topic post that hopefully at least partially hides my incompetence and articulates what I wish to know a little better. Thank you to all you have helped me learn as much as I have. A little information about the sword: It is a daito with the nagasa being about 30 inches. The Nakago sadly does not have a mei. I have posted pictures of both sides. I have been told the blade is likely Shinshinto by some and earlier Shinto by others. The Tsuba I believe is cast iron and has a wood grained pattern. The kashira and fuchi are decorated with a dragon pattern and are dark in color apart from gold colored eyes. The Fuchi is signed and some on this forum have kindly translated it as being signed by soten soheishi. I have done some research and it sounds like most signed in this manner were not done by either the father or son but by either students of the soten school or merely those who wished to increase the value of there work. The Menuki to me appear to be two shishi temple dogs. The saya is reddish brown and the ito is black. What I want to know: 1. Age of the sword. Shinshinto? Shinto? Other thoughts? 2. Forging location? Barry from sword international has kindly responded to my emails suggesting the blade to him resembles the Bizen region do people agree? 3. Forging school? Can anyone tell without a mei more about the school of forging that this blade is from? 4. More on the fittings and signature? Can anyone by the poor pictures I have taken, tell if it is possible that it is Soten Soheishi’s work or at least from his school? To me it doesn’t quite resemble the Soten work I see online but does anyone know the Soten school well? Basically is it a gi-mei? 5. Info on the tsuba? I have been told it is not Soten work and was likely done in the late edo period. Thoughts? Anymore info? 6. Am I correct in the menuki being shishi? Any significance of this? Other info on the Menuki? 7. Any info regarding the Saya? 8. Value? (apparently from my previous posts putting this question sounds like I am merely interested in pawning the sword I am not! Though this sword is priceless to me is it so weird to get a little curious about these matters when one just gets such an elegant work? and on a practical note Insurance is important. feel free to not answer this if you don’t believe me but it will NOT be sold!) 9. speaking on insurance I have never Insured an object of this nature any recommendations? 10. I have been so kindly told by one that if it is so precious to me I shouldn’t be posting on this forum but rather do my own research. I have been looking at many websites for information and thought this could be a wonderful resource. Still he is right I do need to learn more on my own so does anyone have any books or other resources on Shinto or Shinshinto swords they recommend? 11. Displaying? I have read it is best to keep the sword in its bag and store it in a dry place. It has been for many years one site recommended palonia wood boxes. If this is what is best for the blade I shall continue to do this. Still, I think it is a shame to keep this work tucked away is there a way to safely display a sword without being detrimental to its health? 12. Sword care? I admit when I got it I knew nothing and in my excitement and haste I placed it on the tile to take a picture. This elicited a rather nasty comment I apologize for my ignorance. I know now to not even lay the sword on a hard surface, no touching the blade with the hand, and have been looking at this http://www.Japanese-swords.com/pages/handling.htm still any other major thing I should know? One suggested that the fact that this is a sword passed down through my family since WWII and replaced one that was destroyed during the internment of the Japanese Americans is just “sentimental ****”. I believe caring for a sword is more then just knowing how to handle it but even if it is sappy cherishing its tradition and history which is why I am perhaps over eager to learn everything I can. Please help me do this. Thank you everyone Cory
  8. Keith thank you for your input I have been doing my own research however this is a site that is supposed to be for the learning about nihonto and I thought experts here could be of help. It is priceless to my family and its value is merely for my curiosity. I want to know anything and EVERYTHING I can about this sword as I stated in my original post by any means possible. Please If you have any information let me know.
  9. Reinhard you are correct in that I am a novice and I DO need to learn the basics. I am sorry if I said anything brash and would gladly learn about sword care from you.You are no doubt a credit to collectors. However, your last statement is PATHETIC and surely beneath you. While I am forth generation American my Dad's side of the family remains very traditionally Japanese in many respects. My great uncle felt so guilty that he had helped convince his older brother that they needed to destroy the family swords when they were rounding up the Japanese Americans that he purchased an expensive wakizashi and in his will gave instructions it should go to my older brother and my grandfathers sword in my brothers possession to me rather than his own kids. My brother and I are the last heirs to my grandfathers name. My dad is the first son of my grandfather who was the first son of his father. While most of my ancestors were farmers in Japan there are still some from samurai class a notion of pride to my Dad. My dad has given me explicit instructions that this sword is to pass to my son and barring me having one to my brothers kids. I certainly am no Samurai nor Japanese and merely a beginner. But IF you cant understand that my Family tradition is not just sentimental crap than my sword has more meaning than your entire collection! And the desire to know value is just out of curiosity it is priceless to my family!
  10. closer Nakago pictures Thanks for the info cabowen Cory
  11. Just inherited a sword from my grandfather and have been trying to find some information out. First Thank you to Mark and Fred for their guess of the sword being from the Shinshinto period and koichi for the translation on the handle. Now I have had some more time here are some better photos of the sword. Please If anyone might know anything from age, forging location, school, possible value, etc let me know. Thank you to all those who have helped me understand my family heirloom. fuchi translation 江劦 Goshu 彦根 Hikone 住 ju 藻柄子 Soheishi 宗典 Soten 製 sei Also does anyone have information about Shinsa? are they ever held in the US? I would rather not have to let the sword out of my sights and ship it to Japan. Thanks, Cory
  12. Reinhard haha I must say not my finest photography work but in my defense it was out of over eagerness to get information. And rest assured though I just placed the sword on the tile in my haste this time I will not again and my grandfather's sword means to me at least as much as any sword you could possibly own to you and will be well taken care of. Thank everyone who has given me information so it is likely a civilian Shinshinto period blade can anyone else tell me more? Cory
  13. Thank you for the clarification I just heard the Soten school was known for thier Tsuba and thought they might have been related. I have posted pictures of the Kashira and fuchi. Cory
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