Alan F

Bazza, you should be publicly condomed ​for saying that Alan

I am a bit perplexed by the title of this thread. Is it not derived from Matthew 22:21 (I quote the King James version) ...Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. It is a somewhat ambiguous passage that has been open to varying interpretations. By all means pay your taxes to Caesar, if you must, but reserve your soul (or your devotion) for God. That's just one interpretation. Don't worry, I'm not a bible thumper. Atheist, in fact. So Naotone might not have made a notare or midare hamon if he was aiming to copy a Yamashiro blade, but perhaps this one on Aoi Art was intended to imitate a Soshu blade. He was supposedly familiar with all traditions. If the blade was altered (by polish or whatever) after the NBTHK papers were issued, then surely they don't say anything about the blade being sai ha (retempered). That's just an assumption. Unfortunately the nakago photos on the certificate are just that: nakago photos. They do not include the rest of the blade and are not taken so as to highlight the hamon. No denying it looks different though. I would tend to go with Darcy's first scenario. This also wouldn't be the first time I have seen horimono that pass through into the hamon. Of course it could have been added later. Does it devalue the blade? Not so sure. By the way, the blade in the second photo is priced similarly to Aoi Art's Naotane. Alan

Check out Lot 419, Juyo Y. Ichimonji (Nanbokucho) http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24721/lot/419/?category=list&length=10&page=12 If I am not mistaken, isn't that the same Nanbokucho sword and fittings that Fred Weissberg had for sale recently? It was discounted to $35,000 for a quick sale. Even if it sells for the low estimate, the buyer has to pay a 25% premium (plus taxes I suspect). They don't tell you what the seller's premium is. To answer Jean's question: I would think the estimates are a bit high, especially considering the current sword market and the economy. Alan

Double negative. I'm sure you meant to say: there won't be any loss. In erratum, might you be correct? By this, do you mean to say that there won't be any loss (if you pick the right sword) because you should never have to consider selling it? But what if you do decide to eventually sell it, or have to sell it for whatever reason (consider also illness or financial circumstances)? In a previous post, regarding "upper collectors circles", you said: they will sell at a loss juyos to buy Tokuju or jubi​. ​​Is this avoidable? I'm not so sure. Expensive juyo swords are not easy to sell, unless you happen to know someone living around the corner who fancies your sword. Otherwise, you might have to consign it with a dealer who expects a substantial commission. Or take it yourself to a sword show (such as in San Francisco) in the hopes of finding a buyer. That would incur considerable expense also. You can set your price, when it's a good juyo sword, but you may have to wait years to find the right buyer. Alan

Of course it isn't rational. But is it rational to buy any sword, even for the well educated and discerning collector who finds a nice item which fits in with the goal of his collection, when one knows that these are relatively illiquid assets (particularly the higher priced swords)? Art in general is an illiquid asset. Not just nihonto. Although you'd probably be better off buying historical artwork (paintings) if you are worried about getting your investment back. But that's not why most people buy nihonto, I trust. At some point, even for the most worldly collector, isn't there some degree of irrational exuberance and emotion that plays a part in the decision (or impulse) to buy a particular sword? I agree with what you said in a later post that one had better be prepared to keep a sword for ever, rather than lose money (or worse, not be able to find a buyer for it). You should have added: if it is an expensive sword. I am not sure that it really matters all that much if it is an inexpensive sword which someone bought with money which they might have otherwise wasted at the casino. Let people have their fun. That's how more people will get involved in this hobby. Alan

Now that's just silly! Almost as silly as my previous post. Perhaps it was meant to be tongue in cheek. What if someone buys a sword and sends it in for polish? Then he submits it to shinsa and it passes to a higher level. Expenses are incurred. Should he then sell it for 5% less than he originally paid for it? The market ultimately determines what a piece is worth. It is the same in the art world. The market goes up and down, and some artists pieces become more or less desirable as their relative desirability and the trends dictate. Quality of the piece and the reputation of the artist also come into consideration. If you are treading around at a gun show looking for a bargain price, then you will not likely come home with anything very special. Are you a true collector, or just looking to accumulate average items with a view to trade them off after a short while? Perhaps for a loss, which may be necessitated by their relative undesirability and commonness. Regarding Peter Bleed's lamentation about a sword that won't go beyond T. Hozon: They can't all pass to Juyo, even if they are good candidates. If all swords that were worthy passed to Juyo, then there would be no sense of accomplishment and no real reward. Of course it is a game and is subject to the whims of the shinsa panel, but hey have to be selective and subjective. Even if it is a T. Hozon Norishige, it is not guaranteed that it will pass on the first try. That's what you are up against when you submit a sword for Juyo shinsa. Sure it's disappointing, but you have to realize that the competition is really good. Alan

Parsley, sage, cheap tsuba, and gendaito. Koto swords were a true love of mine. Sung to the tune of Simon and Garfunkel's Scarborough Fair (1966). Good Koto swords are part of the history of Japan. A "losing game"? Alan

So what level (or value) of sword would you trust to Priority Mail Express? No insurance. Alan

Come on! Seriously? It would likely cost at least $100 to ship a sword from mainland U.S. or Canada to Hawaii one way, and that would be by budget travel. It would cost that much at a minimum to ship it by Fedex. So he repaired it for like a hundred bucks or so, and then shipped it back to you at his expense? Alan

I guess that I am just an alarmist. You are correct Josh, that I probably haven't held enough swords with issues to know what I am talking about. A patch left behind, after removed corrosion, does make sense. Just that it did look strange in the photo with the red circle. Also the photos are not very good (low resolution). If Klaus has bought the blade, I hope that he is happy with it. Hopefully he will share some better photos, once he has the sword. Alan

Not so fast. Seller says that it is an "atari (something hit )". Suggesting that maybe it was damage from a strike. Grey deduces, without inspecting the sword firsthand, that this is just a bit of corrosion (really?). What about umegane? A sword patch. Just a possibility, from looking at the second photo. Save your money for something better, Klaus. Alan

Here are some pics of the blade, as Joe requested. Alan

Thank you gentlemen. So the other side would read 15th day October 1943, if Jussi is correct? As Joe said, the 賢 could also be Yoshi, etc. So, the owner had also considered that it might be translated as: Yoshikazu. He only sent me pictures of the nakago. I'll ask him to send me a photo of the entire blade. Alan

Someone who is not a member of this board sent me some pictures of the tang of his gendaito tanto. He also speaks very little English. He is unsure who made it. I translated one side as Kenichi (or Ken-ichi possibly). I have difficulty with the other side. Does anyone recognize this signature or know who the smith might be? Alan

Ha! Skull theme mekugi-nuki repeated, after all. Up on their auction page now: http://www.aoijapan.com/silver-mekugi-nuki-skull-motif Perhaps my message got through to someone on this board, because there are no bids this time with only two days left to go. It's a nice little item to hold in the hand, but probably not worth any more than the starting price. Note that they say that the cloth bag is different from the picture. That is because the pictures are of the item that I bought, including the cloth bag. They couldn't be bothered to take fresh pictures of the new item. Alan

Guido, your genius for tact and diplomacy shines through once again! That photo of the dog is hilarious. I am flattered that you took the time to prepare that, just to mock me. I rather prefer this gruesome painting by Sebastian Kruger: I am not too proud to admit that I am a big sucker. I can't imagine what possessed me to buy these items in the first place. At least I have not yet seen the skull themed mekugi-nuki repeated on their auction page, yet. My intent was to warn any NMB members who might be bidding on these items, that these items are not particularly unique and to be cautious with regard to overbidding for them. Here is an excerpt from an email reply that I received from Aoi Art last November regarding an inquiry that I made when the second mekugi-nuki popped up for sale on their auction page: This item is order made so it is very unique. We have posted the two precious items on our auction. That's all I have to say. Alan

Has anyone on the NMB been bidding on these items? http://www.aoijapan.com/silver-mekugi-nuki-youkofox-spirit I bought one of these fox-spirit mekugi-nuki just over a year ago from Aoi Art, along with a skull themed mekugi-nuki, from their auction page. I posted images of them a while back. I believed that these were one-off items, at the time. The one that is up for auction now is identical to the one that I bought last year. Identical! I paid a premium for it by virtue of their "auction" system. The one that is up for auction now is the fourth one that they have auctioned, including the one that I have now. Three were identical. Only one was different because it did not have the dragon (or snake) wrapped around the stem. The last one that sold went for 61,000 JPY. Well above the starting price. Buyer beware. These items are obviously not unique, and they'll keep pumping them out (and auctioning them off for ridiculous prices) until people cotton on that they are not unique items. They are relatively expensive curiosities, I fear, with little collectable potential. Alan

Very interesting. I agree with Tim that it does almost look like the pattern left behind by tape residue. Particularly in the first photo where it looks like a rectangular band across the sword. Similar to what one might see when removing old duct tape from a hard surface. Many theories might be proposed as to it's origin. If it is not a residue that can be removed with solvent or uchiko, then perhaps the marks have been etched into the surface of the blade. Chemicals in tape might do that too. Perhaps someone wrapped the blade first with tape or something else and clamped it to do some work on it. Just another theory. One thing that I would like to mention, is that blades should be protected inside the shirasaya when shipping with cling film. This is what Darcy and Ted recommend, and do, when they ship swords. When shipping, the sword can vibrate (rattle back and forth) inside the shirasaya. This might lead to marks on the blade surface (like brinelling or scratches) if unprotected. I don't think that these marks on the Kiyomitsu are due to that, because I would expect them to be further out towards the end of the sword. But who knows? Alan

This is all I could find: I am by no means an expert, but I wouldn't touch this thing. Certainly not for 3700 USD. Aoi Art sometimes offers some nice stuff for sale, but nothing they sell is truly a bargain. I have bought a few items from them. This is like bobbing for rotten apples in their big bargain bin. The koshirae is horrible (just my opinion). You could buy a good used dirt bike, or a really nice new kitchen appliance for $3700 USD. Save your money for something better. If Shinshinto, it should at least have a signature (mei). When Tsuruta san says that it is recommended for lai practice, basically he's saying that this is a "beater sword". Alan

I tried to do it that way, but all I got were a bunch of photos of an ugly guy holding a camera. Might as well experiment with the sword itself, from the start. One might get lucky and produce a few nice photos. By the way, Uwe, you have some very nice photos on your website. Alan P.S. It all depends how you want to do it. Emphasize hamon, or emphasize hada (or both). Reflection is a persistent problem when photographing hamon. Have to trade off a bright spot for the full kaleidoscope of the hamon in a short segment. Three photos, all the same sword:

Hoffentlich nicht. Das war ein Insider-Witz, in schlechten Geschmack. (Hopefully not. That was an insider joke, in poor taste) Richard's photo is impressive. At first glance, one might think that it was a scan. But when one realizes that it was a photo taken with a good camera, you have to appreciate that there was much experimentation with regard to the perfect lighting setup (and camera settings). Alan

Just use a scanner, Vajo. It's a lot easier and much less time consuming. Then you won't have to be told to "shut it down on the NMB" regarding photography tips. Alan

Wow! I had no idea that there would be so many items that would pass to Tokuju in one shinsa. 70 blades and 7 tosogu? How many more would have been submitted that failed? That would be a total of about $232,000 USD in shinsa fees (more, if some submissions were made by non-members), just for the Tokuju shinsa. That wouldn't include the fees for swords that failed the shinsa. It would be interesting to know how many items were submitted in total for Tokuju. How many of those were second or third time submissions? I would also be curious to know how many items were submitted to the last Juyo shinsa in the fall of 2015, and how many of those did they pass? We have all been told how difficult it is to get a Tokubetsu Hozon sword through to Juyo, and that two or three submissions may be required. Perhaps the same is not true for Tokuju submission? Perhaps having already attained Juyo status (which means that they are undoubtedly very good swords), Tokuju submission is a relative cakewalk. Don't get me wrong. I am sure that all the blades that passed to Tokuju were exceptional candidates by very important smiths, but the reported number was an eye-opener to me. It just tends to give one the impression that they are really cranking them through. Alan

Wow! The Yasuchika was very nice. I love the bat fuchikashira. 1,500,000 for that supposed Teijo? Even if it were to be genuine, would it really be all that special? Alan

Turkey season. Hunting for turkeys, or the advice of a jive turkey? Alan F. (relatively old guy who chooses not to collect bargain bin stuff) P.S. The last four posts, starting with Peter Bleed's post, were very sensible.