TheGermanBastard

Of couse it could be a fool with too much money, but most fools lack the later one. I assume atleast 2 or 3 people must have seen somthing significant in this sword that I may have been missing. I had requested additional image sand did not like what I was seeing though ... so it makes me wonder

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-Sword-With-Case-/183824382659 Katana 27.5'' Nagasa, O Suriage, Koto, out of polish. Shirasaya says Kanenaga. Over 3.500 USD?!?

Here is mine for sale ... http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/28824-kubikiri-aka-infamous-head-cutter-tanto-for-sale/?p=292194

Hello Moriyama, thank you very much for taking your time and letting me know. I very much appreciate!

Hello Uwe, alway be wild at heart! Thank you. Yes Mori does look reasonable!

Hello, I could need some help on the names of these artists please. Also any links for biographical information or other reference is highly appreciated. Thank you very much

Helo Lance, thank you very much! Yes, this must definately be Jakushi school. Thank you for having pointed this out. Now if somebody would be able to nail this to a specific maker it is much apprecited.

Hello Uwe, the right side I belive is tough. Looks like gras script ... The tsuba meanwhile cleaned nicely.

Hello Uwe! Thank you very much! Much appreciated! That is most helpfull! Is he listed in the Haynes Index? The frontside of the Tsuba looks bad in my images due to being olied while I am cleaning it ... however I must say that I do like it very much and it is an impressive peice in hands

Thank you!

Thank you Steve. The Masanari I think is a good match for the mentioned smith. On the 2nd one I still have to do some cleaning. It is a huge Tsuba.

Hello Steve, thank you very much! I think you are most probably right as I just found a similar Tsuba by that smith. Thank you! Do you also have any idea on the other signature by chance? Thank you

I would appreciate kind helpf with the translation of these two Tsubas signatures please. Thank you

Hello Bazza, may I ask when you spoke to his wive? I last checked on him two ears ago through the Port Alberni city council and he was still alive as the lady took the local whitepages and he was listed there. 10 years go my impression was that he was living by his own without a wive. This is mere speculation but this may have been a reason why he got out of track. To the bets o my knowledge he had been around a very long time and all at a sudden went crooked. Personally I believbe there must have been a chnage in life events. In the end it is a most unfortunate situation and my only advice to fellow collectors is to not send to many swords at a time and to not pay upfront for a polish but only after it has been completed. If anything goes bad it will atleast reduce the potential loss ...

A douzen swords sent to Donald Myra of Port Alberni, Canda for polishing and paid for in advance. Never returned. A hand full of other collectors in the same boat. All swords reported as stolen to the RCMP. So case you should happen to have bought one of these Id be happy to buy it back.

Polished

Sure Brian! Your board, your rules. I will refrain from future posting but my own post in the classifieds.

You have to look carefully at Komonjos listing. What you see is what you get. The fact that many people dismiss his auctions, gives the opportunity to get something at a most competitive price. If Mike list a blade as junk piece for polishing practice you ust be prepared to get exactly what he said: Junk. It can be as bad as junk or it can bet better. If ike lists a Kotetsu with old papers he usually gve sthe gurantee to buy it back if the blades receives new papers As Ken said many of he Mumei blades will papers. Big Names without recent papers should always be regarded as Gimei but you have to do your own study and in case of Gimei have to consider getting it removed. Sometimes it is worth it. Many years ago I had bought a Rai Kunitoshi blade - of course ist was Gimei. Still it was immediately clear that it was Kamakura Yamato and it papered to this after having had it polished and the signature removed. Such a process can make sense with an old Koto blade. You might even be looking at a Gimei done by a Gassan smith or Kiyomara or Kajihi or some other well respected smith who did a copy of an old sword ... BUT this is wishfull thinking and dream chasing. So you have to assume the worst ans wil buy according to your knowledge / expirience or mere luck if you lack the first. So buying on eBay always be prepared to loose money - but atleast in a more fun way than buying a lottery ticket ... Komonjo just flips swords as a conseignor. It is sort of a flea market.. That is he will give you an accurate description and pictures without false claims ,,, if you buy something you get professional shipping and handling.

My expirience with Mike Yamaguchi has been nothing but good. I have bought several good swords from hin at very good prices.

Hands down: Tanobe is the greatest sword scholar alive. So the best OPPINION you can get is his. And still any oppinion has to be questioned for the mere sake of improvement and learning. Thesis and Antithesis will conclude a better Synthesis hopefully. Nihonto is Art and hence there will always remain uncertainities. If this was a simple scientific binary right / wrong things we would have a fancy smart phone app doing near bullet proof Kantei and not DISCUSS things like we do here. But dping so, discussing things and agreeing to not agree is good. With a scientific look anybody who gives you a 100% gurantee in something, is a blant bullshiter. 99.9% is the best you can get. So while somewhat frusttrating it is still better to get a resul saying: Sorry buddy, we don't know, more study is required ... as it is honest ... rather than some said ultimate result. The situation of the NTHK is unfortunate with two somewhat rivalling organisations. Then again it might be a benefit. Competitions may bring out the best in something... might. I believe that the NBTHK has better resources ... more manpower, more funds, more study pieces. Hence it is the golden standard. Just looking at the system I personally like the NTHK one better. But this is a whole different topic / discussion. To sum up my answer on the original posters questions: I do not know. I do not know is the most honest down to earth answer you probably can get to your question based on the provided details.

I can not not conclude from the topic starters information that we are talking about a sword that has been to a Japanese Shinsa. Most NTHK papered blades that I see hitting the market had been to a US NTHK Shinsa. But again this is all to vague ... the topic starter has provided too little information to make any assumptions ... Mumei or signed? US or Japanese Shinsa? .... What blade exactly.

Even at Shinto or Shinshinto it may be a pretty good sword. If Shinto Suriage, O-Suriage Mumei or lesser guy it went for retauil but no bargain ... if signed by a good smith it was a bargain. We will likely never know.

Chris and Barry are absoluetly right. Personally I would always put the hightes value twoards a Tanobe Sayagaki, then NBTHK, NTKHK NPO, Fujishiro and last NTHK. hat is my personal oppinion and I do believe that there are many darts flying in the dark and not hitting anything solid on Mumei blades ....

A bend is only a problem if it has caused a Hagire. Any good polisher can fix a bend ... much less worse than a ugly nick - to which there is no fix. This sword was looking very interesting. Of course in the worst case it was juts some Meiji periode piece .... but I do not think so.

It is just guessing right now but this sword does not look Shishinto to me and if Koto could prove to be an important piece.