AndyMcK

A lot of different styles indeed, thank you! Still looking! Antti

Thank you for that, actually missed it while browsing Aoi. looks like the features have been reinforced and little smudging is there but otherwise looks very good. Antti

Hello Antti! Thank you for the tips and photos, all of them are quite tempting, I would guess that Tadashige one is quite expensive and as yours is not for sale... Dont even want to know the price after that post on it. Still looking so please do let me know if you have some or stumble across them. -Antti

Thank you Stephen! And Thomas, do you have measurements and price for that one? I do have quite a lond katana in mind with over 75 cm nagasa. Antti

Thank you for the tip Stephen! Have to talk with the seller, shipping only in US it seems. Antti

Hello all! I am looking for moon-themed fittings for a katana project. Also other celestial themes would be suitable. Please pm me with possible candidates! Thank you and enjoy the starting spring! -Antti

And wonder why so many of the war throphies are stricken with deep iron wool or sand paper gashes and totally round... Antti

And if your martial arts teacher is not too experienced with nihonto, trust your instincts and don't let him at the blade. -Antti

Off-topic and following the last post, we have VAT 24% + 22 % on item/postage fees. And Alan is right on VAT refunds if the item goes out of European Union. Antti

Thank you Grant! More the better folks. Antti

Greetings to one and all. Have a favor to ask from you, if some one happens to have access or owns a gendaito by Hakuryushi Tadataka (real name Inouye Yoshiaki) couls you post it to this chain or pm it to me? Have an 80's shinsakuto with his name on it and would love to compare, found only few from net. Also as the blade seems to be custom made for exhibition or to customers needs/wants, I would like to get good comparison. Thank you all in advance! -Antti

Also by law the sword is not finished unless you make an ana and sign it so this might be unfinished sword deemed unworthy by the smith and might have flaws etc. characteristics that the smith did not want in the blade and therefore did not actually "make" a blade as ready ones need to be reported and registered. So mei might have been added later on by person purchasing that blade construct. -Antti

Sad times indeed... Condolences to his family and friends. Antti

Like Franco stated above thank you for the pictures, a lot better quality than my own. As a quite new collector and a resident of northern country where nihonto are still quite rare (as are the collectors) these photos folks take time to shoot and post here are valuable source of information to me and us here in Finland. The mune caught my eye also but it might be from the direction of the light that "eats away" the peak and it might seem off-centered due to this (one of the useful things you learn from aiming with iron sights ) Hoping to see a lot more of photos here on the board and good information to learn from. -Antti

Starting to be an interesting geneology discussion here... It is a shame that my ancestors didn't pillage too much around Scotland and Ireland! -Antti Mäkinen

True, I have few others on the way as well, so more presents for me! Soon have to start selling the older ones. -Antti M.

Ah thank you Hoanh! Good to know. -Antti M.

Well I'll keep my thumbs up and hope he is beginner with the nihonto. slim chance but still ok for me even if it turns out to be gimei. We luckily have a lot smaller market in nihonto here so probably can still get the purchase price back reselling as a gimei. -Antti M.

He was really hard to communicate with because I think his english skills came from google translator. I had to wait also for responses. If it is a gimei at least it seems to be well made one. What prices were you discussing with him? I got it of him a little lower than the starting bid. -Antti M.

Evening everyone! Has anyone had any dealings with dealer named Japanese-antiques-and-trading? He has suddenly poured dozens of nihonto into ebay. -Antti M.

Thank you all for the input! Decided to toss the dice and see how the Masaaki turns out... It is currently taking the long and slow route to Finland but if I'm lucky, I will get a nice Xmas present for myself. Will take photos and post them as soon as it is here... Cheers! -Antti M.

Klaus, it should be the same one, I have been asking for more information and some additional photos on the blade. -Antti

Thank you for the fast reply Kunitaro-sama! So it should fall into the very late Edo period 1865? Can you tell anything from the workmanship of the kanji? -Antti

Could you help mr pin this one down? I have trouble pinning this one, is it meiji or kaei era in your opinion? It seems to be keishi masaaki kitau kore but my knowledge on kanji is still very limited... Thank you for any help on this one! -Antti

I have heard of them but cannot remember through which contact. But as I recall it was also in the lines of "well managed site", so nothing negative. And have to say, love those magnifiable focus points in their wares! Antti M.