Gakusee

Delamination / crack in the hamon is a fatal flaw. The hamon is very vulnerable in photo 6

Actually, having looked into it, the TH certificate of this tachi was issued at the end of 2015. So it could have been tried at Juyo in 2016 and 2017 but it might have not (probably more the former than the latter). I also bought a TH sword from Aoi which had had TH for a couple of years and then it passed Juyo at first attempt in my ownership. So it is possible to upgrade a sword bought from a dealer. I have been able to identify only 3 Sueyuki Juyo swords, all of which are tachi - two of them zaimei and one mumei. One of them is actually pretty close to this one in weariness, hamon, lack of machi etc. Given the scarcity of this smith, especially signed high level rated swords, I think it is a good investment at this value.

I am with Jussi For the price of a flashy-koshirae wakizashi (there was some recent thread on that), you get a Koto Ayakonoji sword. I have seen Zufu Nado oshigata of some Juyo level ones by Sueyuki and they seem similarly ground down around the hamachi. I am not saying that this sword will go Juyo (it has probably been tried already) but it is a grand old tachi. With some skilful negotiation a buyer could reduce the price a bit further probably.

Come on, guys, look at the execution of the kanji, the spacing, the patina

Unfortunately only two days, one of which is the royal wedding day, so not sure what attendance they will receive

Positive. Tsukada San is good and courteous. Their prices on average are a bit lower than most. I recommend them

I think “run away”

If you opt for automatic translation, you get stuff like ” the uncarrie on the hat is kicking” instead of “forging on the boshi is midare” or something along the lines.... I am improvising based on the countless Google and Microsoft Bing translations of Japanese websites but you get my point.

However, usually the folks who can afford to take such a “bet” do not normally hang around in regional auctions or on the web, scouting for bargains. They normally go directly to Iida Koendo, Sokkendo, Darcy etc where they buy papered and verified examples of top smiths. So, this goes deeper than the surface. Probably the bidders indeed studied the blade at length, discussed it with experts, examined the mei and the hada, checked out the sayagaki handwriting etc

You would benefit from an English translation of at least the headings, titles, major categories and the product names. As far as I can see, it is all in Japanese.

I also think it is Hatakeda school due to the kawazuko choji and the detached heads of some of the choji and the hadadachi. There should have been a bit more utsuri but that gets polished down.

I never met him in person but we exchanged emails. He seemed like a good person who wanted to help (eg he said he could try to dig out some old copies of the Koza, obviously by then long out of print, from his shed as I needed them). The Anglophone nihonto community owes him a debt of gratitude for translating these seminal texts (Fujishiro and Koza) regardless of whether that was done in an apocryphal way or not. So he has helped further our knowledge and understanding massively and gave us “educational light” in the fashion Prometheus did (without the consent of the other titans). For that we should be grateful and respectful. May he rest in peace.

Beautiful pieces! Kevin - thanks for the explanations as well Best wishes

What do the categories “invitation” and “judge” signify and mean? Thanks

These are slightly different and serve different purposes. For traditions, schools and main smiths’ characteristics, I recommend Connoisseurs, Fujishiro, Koza. For a deeper dive into why a blade is by a certain smith and not by another, the best is of course the NBTHK narrative, some of which is reproduced/summarised by Markus Sesko in his Kantei books. But beware that is an ongoing process and actually you have that kantei comparison in every monthly issue of the NBTHK magazine (which effectively means Markus’s books become a bit obsolete as there is constantly new material to supplement them - however, his books are a very good learning material). I also wholeheartedly recommend his swordsmiths index and encyclopaedia as well as his meikan.

So, who owns the sword now? Thanks

Guys, have you tried Sokkendo, Shingendo, Seikodo Iida Koendo, etc? If not, give it a go and then compare to Aoi.

As we well know, our best bet is Markus Sesko...

Curious about that story ) was the vampire ????‍♂️ slashed with a Japanese sword?

John, not sure about armour lectures (probably not) but there are two armour focused dealers being there: Giuseppe Piva and Phil Leemans. Probably others....

Being more of a sword guy, I am actually looking forward to seeing/learning more about armour and fittings, as well as some other decorative arts of ancient Japan. The study items (yet to be fully announced) seem to be outstanding as well. sae flyer_double.pdf

Bought tickets already. A no-brainer mega event of some of the most committed nihontophiles in Europe generously sharing their items but also their knowledge and time with the rest of the community. Not only will people be able to view and study top swords but also socialise with great friends. And you could buy some of the items from non-European vendors (normally you would need to fly to Japan or North America to view their items in person) in addition to some of the leading European dealers. Given low cost flying in Europe and actually train/driving being relatively easy there, it should be an easy decision for guys in Germany, France, Belgium etc. And for us in the U.K. - now one can take the train to Amsterdam too

Well done. Great outcome for 500 bucks

It never ceases to amaze me how skilled forum members are! I wish I was that good with my hands, Andi

Still a very good blade at an attractive price. Frankly, on a blade like this, the en suite koshirae are simply a welcome bonus.