Sam Elliott

Hi all, I consider myself a novice collector - student of Nihonto. That said, there has been a great deal of advice I have received on this board that is quite sound. My current library as it relates to this particular passion is becoming rather extensive, and having the reference information at my finger tips has proved to be invaluable. When I tack down a hard to find book, I tend to get fairly excited. I study the blades and fittings I have, and am fortunate enough to have access to some incredibly knowledgeable people, willing to exercise the patience needed to aid in my education. If we are looking to attract new people to the collecting pool, I think one of the things needed is to make it as friendly and receptive as possible. As with anything rare and collectible, the risk of conveying an attitude that is rather effete is very real. Like I tell my kids, its not always what you say, but how you say it. Being conscious in terms of how behavior effects others can often time either attract or repel them. While I wont go quite as far as to fully agree with the old adage "There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers" the general concept is one that warrants some thought. This should be viewed as teaching and educating as much as collecting, and this requires patience and a smile more often than the rolling of eyes and shaking of heads. Cheers, Sam

Ed is as good as they come. There are many honest people- there is no reason to deal with those that aren't... Chris put it in perspective - Ed is top notch, and there are others out there on the same realm. Stick with them and you'll be happy. As for those like you mention above, when in doubt - retreat. Cheers Sam Elliott

Ed Marshall can also be tossed in the loop. Several dealings with him and the help he provided was invaluable to a beginner such as myself. At one point he went well above and beyond the call to complete a book deal. I really cant speak highly enough about him. Cheers Sam Elliott

And as a relative Newb....In the past two years, a full 45% of my total Nihonto budget has been spent on books. In several instances finding and buying difficult and somewhat tough to come by volumes. This has allowed me to learn a bit about what I am looking at and potentially buying, and perhaps more importantly what and when not to buy. The more I read, the more I understand that I really know so very little. This has allowed me to be more selective, cautious and (usually) not as inclined to the pretty in the corner that might relieve me of funds better spent elsewhere. Not to mention the books are now taking on a life of their own in terms of a collection. So...for every dollar you wish to spend, invest a proportionate amount into books. May not be quite on subject, but certainly bares mentioning. Good dealers are worth the extra money when starting out. Build the relationship as they are an incredible wealth of information. People like Ed Marshall and Andy Quirt are more than willing to aid in making an educated and informed decision, and their experience and professionalism are money well spent. Cheers, Sam

Man.....this is like sword porn....I'm going to need a smoke after this.

Hi Flemming, There are several areas most (if not all) here would consider taboo. Perhaps the number one is amateurs attempting to polish blades and undertake restoration that should be done by a professional. Without belaboring the point, you will do more harm than anything, and potentially (and completely) ruin a collectable item. You asked what you can do to restore the hamon, and hopefully the rest of the blade. The overwhelming consensus would be to send it to a qualified polisher…..period. If you ask the NMB members, they will happily direct you to some well qualified individuals who provide these services. I will now remove myself from the blast radius……. Cheers, Sam

Ran across this while looking at various and sundry items on ebay. Just out of curiousity, how oftten do people see just the paperwork going up for sale? It makes me wonder what happened to the sword. Possibly re-submitted for newer paperwork? http://www.ebay.com/itm/NBTHK-Japanese- ... 257a983255 Sam

Not to long ago I was offered a Daisho by a dealer. It warranted some interest, and while talking to him about the state of polish and noticing a few areas I had questions about, he came forward with the fact that the katana had a Hagire. However neither he or his polisher felt it would keep the blade from passing Shinsa. I politley disagreed and moved on...as he would not tell me who his polisher was it only added to my resolve. As they would have needed polish in the not to distant future, who knows what else would have popped up. Will I consider other blades they have to offer? Perhaps. I have no doubt they would have taken the blades back after examination, and I beleive legitimate and serious dealers would do the same. Frankly speaking the ones I have purchsed from I cannot imagine not voulenteering such information from the start. However ebay and similar is really a crap shoot in terms of what you receive and often times who you are dealing with, and certainly the ability to return an item. I suppose if one uses PayPal it offers some level of protection, but certainly not without a fight. Sam

Gents - great stuff and thank you very much. I will do some searching on Japanese websites....mostly for G rated stuff....but hey....if it falls in your lap... Sam

Thanks Ken -I collect, study and cultivate as well so it seemed like a natural for me to try and find. If - when I find anything I'll certainly make sure to post it. Cheers, Sam

Thank you both - especially the information about the birds They stay very well fed around my place, however I was not aware of their geography. As for the bonsai, it is certainly a point I'll try to explore futher. I have seen a number of pines that could certainly be such as well as some that appear to be other flora that might be bonsai, but as as you mentioned nothing with pots. Sam

Hello all, Has anyone seen (Or better yet does anyone have photos) of Tsuba with hummingbirds or bonsai as the subject matter? I'd also be interested to see any examples where they have been used in Fuchi & Kashira or Menuki. Done a bit of poking around but have yet to see anything. Thanks, Sam

Hi Alex, There are some sellers such as Aoi Art with their own estimation papers, however to the best of my knowledge these have no official binding with either of the governing bodies. Is this what you are talking about? Cheers, Sam

Paul, As a novice to Nihonto, this is something that one reads and sees tosed about a great deal, but this actually aids via a very strong visual. Speaking strictly for myself....this was an "aha" kind of moment. Thanks for the effort and in turn allowing me get a better grasp on the term. Sam

Thanks David..... a diving duck or other water bird makes sense.....clam....yeah, not so much. :lol: I'm still hoping to learn a bit more about the tsuba, so if anyone else has an opinion or informataion, I welcome your input. Cheers, Sam

Good day all, The attached photo is the tsuba from a wakizashi I acquired awhile back. When I fisrst saw photos, It was thought to be a turtle in the water, but after closer examination it appears to be a clam. I have done a bit of poking about, but have not made much progress surrounding further identification. I was hoping to appeal to those of you with a greater knowledge base than mine, and in the process learn more about this tsuba. Any help is greatly appreciated. Cheers, Sam

Gentlemen - thank you for the input. Chris - there is utsuri, so perhaps it does fall into the older category. It may be worth noting there is also a sprinkling of ji-nie, although it cant really be seen in the photos. Thanks again, Sam

Good day all, Not to long ago I came into posession of a wakizashi. Both the seller and I have been able to identify the mei as Sukeshige. However neither of us felt without question that it was any Sukeshige we have seen listed. Hawley's lists only 4 total, Fujishiro 2, Nihonto Koza 1. As many smith's existed in Bizen it seems dificult to believe that there were only a small number who signed Sukeshige. Could be one of the two Shinshinto smith's listed in Hawley's, but to the seller ( As well as my novice eye) the nakago looks older, probably not early Koto but older than shinshinto. Could it be late Koto or Shinto ??? Note: If all photos are not showing, the correct view for the nakago is #4163 Cheers, Sam

Hi Brian - The Shot Show as your introduction to the US should be interesting to say the least. Have fun and enjoy your time in "Sin City". Cheers &safe travels! Sam

Hi All - quick question, and I apologize in advance if I am taking this off topic. Granted, I am still in the infantile stages of my Nihonto study, however the polish on the blade looks, well.....odd. It reminds me of the acid enhanced blades I often see on mass produced blades. Thoughts or comments? Thanks, Sam

I have a rider for jewelry, watches and even pens. However I will now need to determine whether my insuarace company would in fact cover any of my modest collection under the standard guise or amended via rider. Similar to Ken, I have a pretty sophisticated alarm along with a vault, but this was after the fact. Earlier this year we found ourselves the recipients of some unwanted attention. The only upside is they took a few hi dollar electronic items and did not notice the sword bags on a book shelf in my office or get to the uper floor. Something I should have done a long time ago is now in place after a bit of a wake up call. I would be interested to hear from some of the dealers as to their experience with insuring blades and associted items. Sam

He is indeed a solid guy and top notch seller. Knowledgable and patient and his website is great. Now if only he could get his pond filled with water.... :D Cheers, Sam

I looked over his other items, and he did have anothe blade, something that resembles a Gunto. I did ask him where the validation and verification of this blade was coming from, was there any paperwork, as 10k is a good deal of money to part with. His response: "thanks for the reply. The sword is not mine and I am selling it for a friend in San Diego. According to him, there is a Japanes man here who has knowledge of these things and has verified the maker of the blade and also an "importing stamp"(? which was placed on it after WWII My friend is also ignorant of the sword's history and has relied on this Japanese man to provide him with the info about the sword" Even at my level (novice -10 ) This thing screamed flea market fodder. My fear always is that some poor soul spots this while under the influence of god knows what, and offers the guy half of the asking price thinking he just made an amazing investment. Sam

And he's in my neck of the woods....might have to ping him and find out a bit more about this...errr..."treasure". Sam

Hell.....I'm still trying to determine which is the real turtle and which is the fake....