benatthelake

Fred D and all: Thanks for the comments and translation. Attached are a few pictures of the blade....not the best pictures and I don't have in hand. What would you suggest as next steps with this one? Send to someone in the U.S. for evaluation and possible Shinsa submission? Post more pictures? It belongs to a friend of mine who has only a passing interest in Nihonto but this is a Sword passed down from his father so he wants to keep it for that reason alone. He is interested in the value (relative range) for insurance purposes and to ensure that the next generation does not give it away. I find it interesting that the saya is missing most of the elements (I believe Sayajiri, Ashi, and Semegane). Not sure if the pictures show but you can see the gold color not as faded in those areas. You have to wonder why these would be removed? Clearly a shame as I find this Tsuka beautiful, but incomplete without a fully matching saya with all the mountings. I was thinking about buying him a book which features works from this Sukesada...perhaps peak his interest so that he may wish to learn more about Nihonto and interesting Koshirae like this one. All comments and suggestions welcomed. Ben M.

Brian and all: How long has "acid washing" been an option for polishers? Recently (last 30 years) or something done even back in the 1800s? I was able to pick this up on the low end of my range and quite happy but don't believe I took advantage of my friend. Price reflects what I now believe to be true for blade and fittings. Appreciate everyone's thoughts and guidance. Ben

Derek: Problem with internet so apologies if this is posted twice. I am assuming you're in the U.S. I had the same questions several months ago. As we know, the exchange rate for $/Yen has been very favorable to U.S. buyers of Japanese goods. All things being equal, baring inflation, this amounts to a 20% favorable rate for U.S. buyers in comparison to this time last year. In other words, Japanese goods are already discounted! This assumes again prices in Yen have not increased to accommodate this dynamic. However, during the 8 month window I was watching, I did not see prices adjusted. As a newbie to collecting nihonto, I narrowed my search (after reading and research) to a hand full of blades offered by a hand full of dealers. Members of this board provided guidance on the reputation of these dealers (based on their experience) as well as overall relative prices. As a general rule, some tend to price their goods higher, but overall, I could expect to ask for a 10% discount without offending the dealer as long as you are polite. I did ask for the best price (no surprise was 10% less), however, I was able to negotiate more...following what Ken suggested in outlining the reasons why I was looking to pay less. Other factors include how long the product has been in inventory. Of course, I don't believe you'll find any real bargains with any retail dealer. But as several others have described, you should not buy to make money but to get a fair price for a piece you love and is aligned with your collecting strategy. Just my thoughts... Ben M.

Thanks again everyone. Posted one final picture of the Fuchi. Although I agree it is probably not Iwamoto Ikkan based on his historical works and level of quality, it clearly has some sort of gold guilding or something on it. You'll see from the picture along the edge, some parts are gold and some more tarnished brass. One flake had come off as well. Also pictured is a picture of the complete sword. According to Chris Bowen and a few others, the mei reads Norishige. Which one will require more research and may be impossible to know. Bottom line...I'll be making an offer of $2,500 - $3,000 on it tomorrow. Any opinions on this price are welcomed..pm or otherwise. Very welcomed! I hope the discussion on Iwamoto Ikkan (although probably Gemei) and Tsuba pics (I do like this one) added value to the board. Ben

Chris: High confidence level? Thank you Ben

Thanks Stephen. Nakago posted under "very faint mei help" under translation assistance. Thought I should continue to seek help there as that's where it started. Mei is even more of a mystery. I'll need to pull the Fuchi off again and take a look. Could it be a gold coating? My friend knows nothing of swords, but he has a ton of antiques and knows better than to clean anything. He confirmed these have not been since he has inherited them 4 years ago. I'll take another look. The look of "acid wash" really came out with the camera flash. It is not that apparent under natural light. Does "acid wash" significantly impact the value?....i've heard mixed opinions. Really appreciate everyone's thoughts on the this one. Will help me make an educated decision on next steps with it..first one being to buy or not. Ben

Ok guys..Here is my 2nd attempt at this using chalk. Still not easy as it very very faint. Suggestions? Maybe sand off the patina? Does anyone see anything here? If not, I'll keep working on it. Thanks Ben M.

Jean: In my limited research this does not match anything from Iwamoto Ikkan to your point. Which I find strange. It seems that if it is Gimei, it would be "close" to something he did. Mei seems strong...again from my limited experience. Almost as if this was a practice piece...an artist sketch versus a full painting. Grasping I know. I think I should consider it Gimei. I certainly haven't cleaned it either. Attached are a few pictures of the blade. Thanks, Ben

The Fuchi is made from brass (I believe) as shown. I am assuming the Kashira is the same (although I have not removed it to inspect). Does this lead you to any conclusion? Thanks! Ben

Stephen: Absolutely, however the koshirae and fittings are interesting so I thought to start on this thread. More importantly, I've been struggling with the very faint mei on the blade and wanted to get the best pictures available. I hoping to get pictures out this weekend. Thanks for asking. Ben

Any other opinions on the Kashira/Gashira (still somewhat of a puzzle here) or overall Koshirae? Thanks to the feedback and verification on the Tsuba. Again...don't own it yet so any feedback is welcomed. Ben

John: Thanks again, a few more close ups and different angle. Shoot me a PM if these are still not good enough. Ben

Mei...close up. Hopefully this helps. GIMEI or not? Ben

John: I greatly appreciate your thoughts. Attached are a few more pictures of the fuchi-gashira. Please let me know if you need me to take a picture of the inside of the fuchi and I'll disassemble. Thanks again, Ben

Ludolf: Which masakata was better?

All: This is a sword I'm considering for purchase from a friend. I would like to evaluate based on the Koshirae/Tosugu alone. I'm very new to Tosogu and would like to get some thoughts from you all. I know...research online, go to a show, read more books but this is being offered now, otherwise will go to a dealer. Sometimes you can't always time your opportunities. The Tsuba I believe is Masakata Choshu. I'm quite impressed with it. I've seen a few online but this seems to be a very nice one. Thoughts? I could use some help with the Fuchi mei. However, with the tsuka, I'm very puzzled with the absence of Ray or shark skin or even a fabric under the wrappings. Seems to be a thin layer of some gloss material. I don't think it is simply a lacquer coat. This seem unusual...is it a sign of shoddy quality? Everything else seems to nicely match. Overall thoughts are again greatly appreciated. Ben M.

Grey. Thanks! Wow. Could it be this Sukesada? Not my sword, but if it is, my friend will be very very happy. No papers...I'll post pictures of blade. wow... Sukesada (6th gen) ID SUK893 Province Bizen Era Kanbun (1661-1673) Active Period 1661-1673 Father Sukesada Source Rating Reference/Page Hawley 80 SUK893 Toko Taikan ¥3M 333 Fujishiro Jo saku S487 横山上野大掾藤原祐定 yokoyama kodzuke daijō fujiwara sukesada

Whew! was able to get the Tsuka off. Has not been removed for at least 20 years. Screw came off like you guys said. Can I get some help on Translation? Fujiwara Sukesada? Ben M.

Oh...that Misuyo....last entry on the Nihonto Club page. Of course not, and I can't believe those bidders were thinking that is THE Mitsuyo blade. Really? Lots of bids...do people think a gimei mei but decent blade in Koshirae is still worth $4,000? I guess so. To me...one omission may lead to another. Ben M.

Mariuszk: Care to provide comments for the newbies now that the auction is over? After a quick check, I did not find a smith "Mitsuyo" from this older era, but several from various periods up to Shinshinto. Is that your message or is it the quality of blade, lack of papers, Koshirae, or all of the above? Ben M.

Henk-jan Thank you for you comments. Actually it is Watanabe mon thoughout koshirae. Ben

Although a relative newbie myself, the prices for the lower end nihon to seemed very low in comparison to those offered through US dealers. Also noted in another thread on this subject, it is difficult to bid online with the limited info/pictures provided. It will be interesting to see the final prices. Ben

Alex: Yes that is my sword. I was seeking additional thoughts and confirmation. Yuji Fukuoka (sanmei.com) also suggested the link with Takahira, but I cannot find any additional information. Ben

Thanks Joe. I saw your new sword pictures posted under translation thread as well with the beautiful hataraki. Please correct me if I am wrong but I see some similar characteristics in my sword hada. Ben

Full length pictures attached.