TheGermanBastard

never dull / petrol with enough patience

Most probably not meant to be mounted on a sword but rather on some tourist tobaco pouch ... but what the heck is this?! https://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-samurai-sword-menuki-SH-1B-20K/302652901805?hash=item467784c9ad:g:0RAAAOSwmZdalPoB A camera? A TV Set!?

Hell Jeremy, better be worries rather than be ripped off.

PS: By the way, South Afric asis number 72 in the corruption index right after Bulgaria. Would I hesitate to buy something from Brian or sell to him? No I wouldn't at all!

Hello Jeremy, Western Union is totally save on a sellers side while the buyer has the full risk as tehre is no protection of any kind. Western Unio is nowadays often the best thing to do in international transaction between trusted parties as it is much much cheaper than PayPal. PayPal sucks in many ways. I have to say that I do disagree with what Christian has said about Bulgaria. It ranks at place 71 out of 180 countries in the corruptioin index. So that is not that bad ,,, but even if it was the bottom line ... so what? What does this tell about yoir potential buyer? Nothing but the fact that he lives in a hardly developed country. I have had very good expirience with people from Bulgaria. No problem! We musn't predjudice against peope this way. Furthermore advie to get someones ID or a written contract is no good, What if the other person is evil and wants to rip ypu off? Then they will just send you a false id and write in a contract what ever you wish to hear ... As a seller get Western Union ir Wire and you are always fine. It is the oppsote for buyers though ...

Thank you very much Jean for your kind words. My pleasure!

Well, get a blade done by a modern blacksmith like Rick Barret and you will pay more than that. The big bummer is that it is falsely adverized and thus a scam. The blade istelf is pretty decent given it is probably made by some self taught guy. I have to repeat myself and think that there would be a honest markte for them woth martial artists or just people who want to have a custom blade made according to their specs.

Chines made

Yes it was definately you and me is the uneducated idiot who will also listen to you if told me it is a stylized UFO Anyway I personally like that Tsuba very much. It has a very elegant feel to it. The late Japanese Gentlemen from whomse esate it came had labelled it as Muromachi periode. However I can not make a judgment on this. I definately think though that it is not a late Edo piece.

Number 4. You had once thought it was stylized goose.

Wild Goose

Won't be there but keep my fingers crossed for you that it will paper.

Do you have more images of the blade at this time?

Because good news is no news ... Well, a good sword gives you relief ... a problematic sword gives you a pain in the ass ... If you can spot the bad in a sword you will not end up buying them. Good things require less discussion that problems ..

Thank you for teh clarification!

The blade is back up for sale ... and looks indeed troublesome. https://www.ebay.com/itm/302659246744?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&fromMakeTrack=true

Hello Peter, this is not necessarily right. As a basic rule, yes you are right. But a Mumei Kiyomara would well receive TBH and could even get Juyo ... the Kiyomara which had been on Aoi Art some time ago had TBH and was said to have been submitted for Juyo as an example. But again aside from the paper I feel that this blade just does not stand up the lebel of quality you would expect from such a high ranking smith. It is my cheap oppinion but I am more picky over Kizu the younger the blade. While I wouldn'tz mind Ware on a Heian blade at all but jsut be happy to have such an old thing it is definately the kiss of death for me to see a young blade with lots of Kizu.

Sorry Ray, I meant Kiyondo ...

Efu sytle Tacho Koshirae and not a national treasure but way better than the one from AOI: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/-66-c-3ca4d8183d Around USD 3000.00 inlcuding premium I would roughly estimate.

Hello Peter, Geraint is right and I have missed out the most important point ... it being Mumei. Bob Benson once told me that he does not buy anything Mumei that is later than Nanbokucho. Persoanlly I try to stick to this piece of advice. Some time ago a very nice Kyonori Mumei Tanto in full polish Shirasaya with Hozon got sold out of Japan. The dealer sold it as low as about 1300.00 USD ... it has sicne changed hands several times. Highestes price tag was about 2400.00 ... a very nice blade. Kiyomara school ... but again Mumei. Nihontocraft had a signed Kiyonori Tanto with Hozon and small Umegane. Also went for under 2k. I have an Enshin blade, nihontocraft.com has an Enshin Daisho. Again both linked Kiyomare school but not moving - while they are of course inferior to Saneo ... but there is just not huge interest in Kiyomara school as it seems. At least less than I would have thought. Also I have to correct and critize myself for being sloppy. Geraint is right. I didn't bother to even open the Koshirae image to its large version. It is not a quality piece but just a rather cheap, flashy knock off. The Tsuba is good but not a Tachi one has Geraint has again suggested. Still it is the best thing on the Koshirae. The F/K are poor. So in end the I have to quote myself in a recent topic about a potential Tadayoshi Wakzashi: If you can buy a great masters work cheap because it is all but great then you probably shouldn't. If Monet painted a penis wile drunk it probably wouldn't fetch billions at Christies eventhough being a real Monet.

Thank you John. The Aoi Tsuba is a pretty sweet deal! It is quite large and even has a costy paper! The Bonhams & Butterfields piece went for 1200 or 1300 without any papers.

Thanks for your kind words Greg! The last one is indeed in versy nice condtion and well executed. In hands I very much enjoy number 4. Big but elegant.

Hello Peter, I don't know. Big Name and nice periode Tachi Koshirae. The blade itself does not appeal to me. Quite some Kizu, too that I wouldn't have expected with this smith.

Thank you very much guys! No it came without any saya.

Hello all, I got this Paradae sword / saber. It has a dull edge. I assume it is a Japanese piece. Any help on identifying is much appreciated. Thank you!