Alex A

Good to see Jacques having fun, keep it up.

Thats one hell of an hamachi.

I get it, Though if folks pay god knows how many thousands for swords, then £300 is peanuts on top (insured with dealer) Low value swords, then definitely no. Though that's just my point of view.

Il be honest Lewis, i think thats ok. When i used to send sword via Parcelfarce abroad. When folks wanted it insuring it was roughly same price, £280 back then. Think i paid £260 for a sword a few years back, with insurance. Im glad they are trying. Think maybe the other dealer i was talking to quit before any effort, understandable if dont want hassle. Ps, would imagine a shipping agent being more expensive, never used one.

Its back on!! Had an email from AOI ART, see response below. Seems there is another courier. Anyways, its all hanging on by threads so if you plan on buying from Japan and not paying an hell of a lot to get it here, would try now. Shipping by UPS is "sometimes "available. We say "sometimes" because it takes more than 2 months to arrive or fail to arrive. But sometimes it works. It depends on each shipment. So we use OCS as the alternative shipping company. But the shipping fee would be 60,000 JPY + 5% of its price as the insurance fee.

The reason i brought it up is because i came across an O-suriage Koto sword in koshirae. The blade was cut to a length of 55cm, the nakago left long enough to just about make it useable for two hands. Its an old Nanbokucho sword, not late Muromachi single handed machi-okuri Uchigatana that are often of the size mentioned. Dont ask me why, just find that size of blade/koshirae interesting as they are a bit out of the norm and to be bluntly honest, cheaper than katana. Joking aside, i do actually like the that particular size for collecting. My thoughts now, ruling out anything Koto and sticking with EDO UBU swords. Off the top of my head, cant remember seeing anything UBU of that size with a nakago long enough for two hands. Might be having a mind blank moment here and probably seen dozens i cant remember seeing, dunno, will have a search when i get time. Ps, not trying to link the longer nakago with the term "Chiisagatana", its just me being curious about a particular size of Edo sword.

This is crazy. Parcelforce refuses to take antiques as imports but this company (just as one example) that sells repros lists parcelfarce as its main service within UKsending to anyone over 18 International Orders

I get that, and can only imagine the buzz you get when you pull it off. It would work for me a lot of the time, if only if what i see i know about. Much of the time its swords without papers with issues such as dodgy polish or tsuka falling bits. From time to time you see some good swords by well known smiths but without the study time i talked about there is a good chance your buying a gimei, not a cheap gimei either. There was a Shinshinto katana at the last fair in koshirae, unsigned, old polish with scratches on the blade. Looked ok but when the guy said £2k, i just thought about what's available from Japan or elsewhere for that kind of money. Was only thinking earlier about how often you see old swords in the UK, with koshirae but parts of the koshirae look modern, as in tsuba or menuki. Its like someone buys a sword in koshirae with missing parts and botches it back together with ebay modern stuff, seems pretty common. Anyways, hoping the Birmingham arms fair will be better. Though would expect high prices and lack of choice compared with simply shopping online. On a side note, as anyone seen the prices at Lanes Armoury lately?. Kind of watch their prices just to see how things are going in the UK sword market. They appear to be very high lately (higher than usual), maybe due to hassles with shipping, maybe realised folks cant import them and see an opportunity.

Might have to be the arms fair in future, trouble is, im not an on the spot purchase kind of dude. Personally, like to see something, study exactly what it is for a few days, then pull the trigger. The last time i saw something on the spot at a fair was the matchlock the other week when i was on to you guys Don't know how many papered swords one comes across at the Birmingham arms fair?, that would help. Its choice though, limited.

Agree, definitely conned.

Colin, anyone, who in the UK has any stuff they are selling? Yokoyama, Tadahiro?, Hizen, in polish?????????lol If only i could have bought your matchlock when you had it, Colin Timing, wasn't meant to be. More motorbikes it is, maybe.

I have contacted a few people but to be honest, not too sure i want the hassle now. The UK is an hard place to live at the moment, though sure there are worse places. The dealer suggested find a new hobby. Already have a few but this was the main interest. Perhaps higher end tsuba, dunno. Though saw a thread where folks were even concerned with those and descriptions for customs. FFS, what a world.

Eventually, it will be a bigger issue for everyone, the way things are going.

Making a few enquiries about a sword and the dealer says he cant use EMS, so i says i know that, try UPS, had one come in not too long ago. He replies, he don't think UPS will ship swords to UK now and checked with the dealer i used that told him "it was ok up until March". Anyways, he will check with UPS himself. Ps, when a dealer states "you want anything else besides swords", you know we are in trouble. You work all your life, eventually pay off the mortgage and finally think you have time and a bit more spare money for the hobby, then it all goes to **** That's life............. What can you do.

On a side note and maybe others have noticed. Anyone remember a time when Shinshinto swords used to be a lot cheaper than they are now?, its like no one was interested. Prices gone up a lot over recent years, especially for the likes of Yokoyama smiths.

Resurrecting this thread. According to Markus and from the interpretation of "Bakugi-Sanko" (see below. image from "Japanese sword mounts" by Markus. "Blade length measures 1 Shaku 5 sun to 1 shaku 8 sun (45cm to 54cm)" That is not tanto/Sunnobi kind of size, as mentioned by Guido at the beginning of this thread. Just happen to be going over this as seen the term years ago and was wondering whether it was a term for Ubu swords of a certain size that are smaller than katana (as in mounts). Going from memories, always assumed they were longer than average wakizashi with longer nakago. There was Samurai that preferred smaller Katana, obviously, by the number of waks we see that are mounted like Katana, but shorter than your pedantic 60cm nagasa. Semantics lol

At last. Thats the first time i have ever seen one of those hefty type of unusual tsuba on a sword.

The information available for later smiths.

Regarding mumei swords and papers. You have to be able to live with non fact, but opinion. Your opinion and that of the organisation. Some can, some cant. For me, its a matter of how much $$$$ you want to spend on something that comes with ???? and will always be ????. Organisations are not infallible with opinion, they get it wrong and that's a FACT.

Edit Dont want to say what i want to say in case it upsets folks. Horses for courses. PS, for any newbies with their heads spinning by all this, go back to what Ford Hallam stated and stick with that.

Not sure if i can post these so feel free to delete. My brothers friend is in Tokyo and saw these. Asked my brov send them on to me. A bit grainy.

Nail on head, Sam. I became dizzy many pages back.

Hi Peter, i will pm you over some pics and you can take a look, let me know your thoughts. (check your pm) Stumbled across it an arms fair. I know nothing but thought it was genuine or at least functional. Though i know nothing, so had to ask. We are at the stage where kind of thinking some cobbling of parts probably been going on in the past. Though i still kind of like it, i just like the smaller Japanese guns. Anyways, take a look and let us know.

No need apologise, Piers. It was just in hope that the timing was right. As said, a real unusual moment, sat in a corner of the arms fair on my phone. It does go to show that you never know what you might come across. There was a little replica on another table, first time I've seen one of those. The gent gave me a card but stated he don't sell privately, so i guess that's that anyways. Good learning curve, none the less. Cheers Ps, will pm you a few pics over of both sides of the gun, as im interested to know a little more. No rush, when you have time.

I get you, Piers. It could be genuine, just not typical. We see European pistols that stand out as shall i say "oddball", that's just a way for me to get my head around it. (in the grand scheme of things). I was very tempted, must admit. As in hand, id did appear genuine but knowing little i knew i couldn't pull the trigger on the spot. I will say, it had a certain appeal about it and for the right price may actually be a nice little kind of a display piece, even if it does come with some ???. As always, appreciate you helping out. On a side note. was reading up about these little Japanese pistol type guns. Came across a site that said they were not very well regarded for actual battle use, don't know whether that's true or not. Also, wouldn't usually upload images like that. It was a rare moment. Nothing at the arms fair that appealed and then that appeared in the corner of a display. The gent said he only sold at arms fairs, so imagine my need for quick answers