Grey Doffin

And I see no reason to suspect that it is part of a broken sword. Looks to be a perfectly good O-tanto or Ko-wakizashi. Grey

Peter, May I ask who polished it? Seems strange the polisher didn't see it coming and take steps to minimize the damage. Grey

I also warned the buyer of the Hidemitsu; got a similar response from him. I'll try to email all the buyers after the auctions but I won't be able to get all of them right after the sale (especially not the ones that end in the middle of the night here or all those that end on Thursday). If a bunch of us take this on we should be able to warn all the buyers before they pay. Once the sale has ended click on the buyer's name and next on contact member. I told the buyer that the sale is a fraud and gave him the URL of the thread here on the Message Board. Hope you can help. Grey

This is rich. The 1st sword just sold; the buyer is vanguard1818. If we look at this current ebay auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/Japanese-Sword-Samurai-Officers-Sword-LONG-SIGNATURE_W0QQitemZ130099006874QQihZ003QQcategoryZ4080QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem we find that vanguard1818 is a non-paying buyer of Japanese swords. Hope the jerk in Bangkok has lots of fun trying to collect. Grey

The sword in question isn't a real Nihonto. It's a piece of steel with an artificial temper (cosmetic), cast fittings, and sloppy work all around. I suspect his grandfather works in a small shop in China where he works all day to turn out dozens of fake Japanese swords. Buy books and study; don't waste your money on junk. Grey

I'll leave the technical questions (do I have to send the blade or just a tsunagi) to others. I'd like to discuss whether or no this makes sense for your collection. As you progress with your collecting and studying your tastes will likely change. Something that impresses you today might be uninteresting in 10 or 20 years. What you're proposing is putting all your eggs into one basket. What's more, that basket of eggs will be very difficult to sell at anything near your investment when the time comes. If you do this you'll have a sword, either in nice koshirae or in shira-saya with nice koshirae on a tsunagi, and some number of other tsunagis with nice koshirae. Unless they're exceptional or historically important, koshirae on tsunagi are usually worth less than the sum of the parts, which is why they often get broken up when sold. There aren't as many koshirae on tsunagi collectors as there are tsuba or menuki or fuchi/kashira collectors and saya and tsuka are worth less than it costs to have them made. What you propose is possible and if you have your heart set on it, by all means go ahead. Just realize that when you want to sell and move on, you might have to settle for significantly less than you have in. I'll be curious to hear what others have to say on the subject. Grey

The 2 Kanji before Sukesada are the title "Daijo". Kozuke Daijo would be the obvious choice; either the 2 Kanji for Kozuke are smushed together or the "Ko" got left out. Grey

The altered nakago does seriously affect the value of the sword. Just off the top of my head and for instance (not talking about this particular sword): if a sword would be worth $3,000 with an ubu nakago, it might be worth only $2,000 or even less with the nakago as shown. Grey

http://cgi.ebay.com/Japanese-sword-Bisyu-Osafune-Hidemitsu-kabuto-FRAUD_W0QQitemZ300099034718QQihZ020QQcategoryZ95132QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The sword in this auction http://cgi.ebay.com/OLD-ANTIQUE-REAL-Japanese-SAMURAI-STICK-SWORD_W0QQitemZ280100436311QQihZ018QQcategoryZ95132QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem is a fake, but it has something no real Japanese sword could ever have. Can you guess what? Grey

Approximate date on your sword is WWII. It looks to be a Gunto in quasi civilian mounts. Grey

Eric, Other than what's been mentioned so far I would suggest, if funds are available, the following for your library. The 59 issues of "Token Bijutsu" in English from the NBTHK is as good as it gets in English; nothing else tells you as much. The new 2 volume set, Sue Koto, put out by the JSS/US is in English, is attractively priced at $50, and covers some of the lesser known smiths from late Koto. Harry Watson's translations of Nihonto Koza are well worth the expense. I own Yumei Koto Taikan, Nihonto Zuikan, and Shinto Taikan, all of which are very useful. I can also recommend joining all the clubs that publish in English: JSS/US, NBTHK American Branch, Northern California, Florida Token Kai, does one or both of the NTHK groups still put out in English?, and sorry if I've forgotten some. Hope this helps. Grey

Ebay's president is Bill Cobb. He can be reached at: billcobb@ebay.com Grey

I spoke with an ebay rep; here's the straight poop on why the listings are still up. Only the person whose online photos have been stolen can complain about them being stolen. It doesn't make any sense to me but ebay won't stop the sale unless the pictures' owners raise a stink. On the Hidemitsu sale where the scam artist shows pictures of multiple swords, ebay won't remove the listing because "he isn't required to show pictures of the item he is selling." Once again, makes no sense to me. Buyer beware. Grey

Here's how to give ebay evidence, copied site for example. Click on 'report this item', next 'fraudulent listings', and then 'you suspect that a listing is fraudulent you didn't bid'. Continue to email ebay and then you will be able to tell them what you know. As to how far to go to fight the fake sellers, I never email bidders on fakes. I think it's enough to report the scam artists; those who don't have the sense to research what they're bidding on will just have to learn the hard way. Grey

because I see: phoney baloney tsuba wear on a nakago that is artificially aged and has a phoney arsenal stamp and a misplaced mekugi-ana, poorly done lines in the kissaki, a cosmetic hamon that falls off the ha, a # stamped on the habaki, a tsuka with too much tapering from fuchi to kashira, and a seppa that's too small, I don't think there's a snow ball's chance in hades that this is anything other than a fake. Grey

Interesting ebay fraud here; don't think I've seen this one before. The seller has a picture of the real Hidemitsu tachi, which he claims to be selling, and pictures of the Thai fake, which I'm sure the poor sap buyer will end up with. I reported the sale to ebay; hope they remove it. Grey

IMHO, unless money truely is no object, it makes no sense to polish this blade. Even without the ha-gire it is seriously compromised by the corrosion of the nakago; shinto nakago are expected to be in good shape. Then there's the ha-gire. Neither the NBTHK or either NTHK will paper the blade with that defect. You can get as many opinions as you like about the mei but still, nobody will pay you what you have into it after a polish if you want to sell some day (and you will want to sell some day). There are a million better ways to spend the money on your Nihonto collection. You don't want to spend the next however many years saying, "Too bad about the ha-gire." Grey

All I've ever heard is that you don't mess with the nakago, let alone the mei. If you fear the rust will grow and cause damage you might apply a tiny bit of clove (sword) oil to the affected spots, but that's as far as I'd go (if even there). Grey

I had the exact same reaction; sure I'd seen it before. But I can't find it in completed auctions, maybe too long ago. I emailed the seller and asked for a picture of the other side of the tsuba, figuring he'd have to have the sword to provide the picture. His answer: "I am sorry I can't help, I don't have other pictures available, I am travelling with business and I don't have the sword with me." I smell a rat. (5 minute break) I just spoke with an ebay rep. They're closing the sale because he required a wire payment to his bank, a banned payment type on ebay. Grey

I don't see the papers on ebay all that often. Maybe once a year I'll see a group like this. Too bad, though. There's a chance, maybe a good one, that these papers will go to someone who will use them to sell bad swords and kodogu to the unsuspecting. It really helps to be able to read the papers so you can be sure they match the piece. Grey

I think it's Choshu, also. Look for a bluish tone in the iron; something you'd expect on good Choshu tsuba. Grey

At 1st glance it looks real but looking again I wonder about the placement of the 3 mekugi-ana in the nakago. They're too close to the ha; to my eyes an unnatural placement. Still could be OK, though. Hard to tell for sure with the little I can see in the pictures. Anyone else care to chime in? Grey

Mariusz, Hi, Grey here. The only reason I can think of to do a suriage on a tanto is to disguise a defect in the blade close to the machi. If there were a ha-gire just above the ha-machi prior to the shortening it would be lost in the file marks of the new nakago after. Can't say why this tanto was shortened but I'm suspicious. The suriage looks recent. Also, the new nakago looks clumsy, too long. I think the opening bid is full retail, maybe even more than that. Yes, suriage always hurts value; ubu is preferred. I think suriage on a tanto is more damaging to value than on a shoto or daito. Grey

I called ebay customer support and reported the listings. They could be a fraud. Grey