Kanenaga

Nick, I'll take number 6 (cross-shaped with small inlays). Bring it to the DTI, I'll collect it from you there. Cheers, Les

Hello All, Lurker here. I’ve been visiting NMB intermittently for several years, never posted because had nothing to contribute. But this is an interesting thread, thanks to the OP for raising it, it gets to the core of what is this Board for? Of course, the answer rests ultimately with the Admin, to whom we are all immensely grateful for the time and effort he donates to this enterprise. I have a friend who is a 20+ year experienced collector and student of Japanese swords, who never looks at NMB. He says “There’s nothing there for me.” To my way of thinking that’s a problem – partly with him, but also for this Board. I notice also that some high-end dealers used to periodically post special items, either as kantei or just for interest, but rarely do so now. Yes, those items were usually for sale, but hey – everything is for sale at DTI, and it’s the best learning experience in the world IMHO. This thread has devolved into a debate on the merits of providing free advice to newbies, but my interpretation of Peter’s OP (correct me if I'm mistaken) was a plea for more advanced discussion – not exclusive elitism, just more – and I for one would support that. I’m not exactly sure how to orchestrate that, but one suggestion might be to ask the greybeards to present a periodic question or topic – perhaps in some kind of rotation – that might stimulate meaningful discussion, or even a little (gentlepersonly) controversy. The goal as I see it is to retain the interest of the advanced collectors while servicing the needs of the newcomers. Anyway, my two yen. Before I lapse back into lurker status, let me quote one of my dear departed nihontophile friends with a piece of advice that has helped me time and again over the years: This is a hobby, it’s supposed to be fun! Les