Ken-Hawaii

I just received 3 packages from Hong Kong for orders I placed in March & April. They came EMS. Anyone else seeing a breakthrough?

Yes, definitely books, as studying will get you a lot more for your budget. Everyone is anxious for his/her first blade, & we've all been there. But, eBay is not for the inexperienced. Hmm, we've lost your first name, it seems. Guess you'll have to re-enter it in your profile.

Still very glitchy, Refused to accept my username & password, so finally clicked on Recover Password, which locked the site for about an hour. Finally got the password changed, but it now doesn't show me as signed in, & the Izakaya is off-limits. I'm almost afraid to log out!

Kubur, the photos we need to see are both sides of the totally-bare blade. The sugata (shape) is what determines jidai (age). The mei is the very last thing to look at.

Hi Mike, & welcome. Your number 1 goal is a good one, but please do not address self-polishing of any blades! That's an absolute no-no on NMB! Only trained togi (polishers) should do anything more than keep a blad from deteriorating. A good start point for you is https://to-ken.uk/resources/sword%20etiquette.html & we look forward to seeing your photos.

May have to buy that book. Thanks.

We do need photos, as well as your first name.

Man, you've got good eyes, Ray!

Everyone has his or her preference, Bob, but here is Darcy's article on why he thinks uchiko is harmful: https://blog.yuhindo.com/uchiko-considered-harmful/ This will give the newer members another viewpoint.

Wow! A female togi(shi)!

And this one?

James, if you understood how to evaluate a blade, & the current market for Japanese blades, you would know why we are advising you to skip this blade. Please take a look at https://to-ken.uk/resources/kantei.html for how Kantei (sword evaluation) should be done. The sugata (shape) of this blade is Shinto. The jigane (steel appearance) is, as I said, blah, as it shows no characteristics of a high-quality blade. The hamon is some kind of midare, but the polish is bad enough that it's hard to tell. Last, if a Shinto-era wakizashi is mumei (unsigned), it sticks out like a sore thumb. The only good thing is the NBTHK origami (papers), which adds a bit of value to an otherwise unremarkable blade. Does this help you to understand our comments? As far as books, please do a search on NMB, as this has been discussed many times. We welcome new people to NMB, James, & are willing to help, so please don't take our recommendations as anything negative. You're taking your first steps into a very-deep topic, & eBay isn't a place to wander until you have a lot more information. I don't know where you are in California, but if you're in the Bay Area (I used to live in Alameda), please contact the Northern California Japanese Sword Club (http://www.ncjsc.org/). Talking with more-experienced people is the best way to learn.

Geoff, please don't get hung up on mei! Look at the blade first. Is the sugata correct? How about the jigane? Does the hamon match? Unless you've identified these kantei points, looking at the mei is useless. Take a look at https://to-ken.uk/resources/kantei.html for more details. And please remember that the vast majority of blades are gimei.

Shindig = Shinogi ??

PM sent on #2.

Hope someone's that nice to me on my birthday. Can't figure out the other side. Mushroom with raindrops?

Geraint is right on, but what else can you see? Are the ana drilled or chiseled? Does the hamon continue unbroken, into the boshi? How about the condition of the nakago? Your closeup photos aren't sharp enough for us to tell anything significant about the hada or hamon, but with blade in hand, you've got all the clues.

Almost missed this. Good find!

Welcome to NMB, & please post your first name in your Profile, so we know how to address you. The wakizashi is far from being unique, & was made in the early years of the Shinto era. The fact that it's papered is good, but being mumei definitely isn't. The polish is substandard (check out a good polish at https://www.aoijapan.net/wakizashi-bichu-kami-tachibana-yasuhiro-the-1st-generation/),& the koshirae is almost too garish to believe. What I can see of the jihada is pretty lifeless, & the hamon is some kind of midare. If the blade is Bizen, the seller has gone out of his way to hide those features. I would save my money, but some books to study, & check out the For Sale section here to find a blade that's worth studying.

Most of these tsuba were created during the Tokugawa shogunate, when there weren't any major battles. That's why tsuba & swords became more ornate, to catch the attention of Samurai. Otherwise, the tosho would be out of business.

I wonder how many other small auctions are going on? Is there some kind of central registry?

Can't wait to see the polished Jumonji! I was unsuccessful finding a polisher for mine, & quite trying years ago.

Wow, that went for some serious bucks!

So, $2000 for the polish?

Nice find, Tom. Looking forward to seeing the "After" photos. I'd also like to know who polished it, & the cost.