Humbleshogun

Jean, You made this comment in another thread. Could you please explain your last item, it seems to contradict the opinion here. Thanks..

Sir, Interesting comments on mumei. Other schools of thought suggest and recommend purchasing signed papered blades only (if financially possible). Not necessarily by famous smiths but decent average or above average smiths. I've read on posts here that a mumei blade is a disadvantage since there is no signature but rather an attribution and you can never guarantee who the smith was. However, I do tend to agree with you that mumei does solve a lot of immediate problems. No worries about a false mei and perhaps a more appropriate price for the consumer. However, in my opinion, one of the things that make Japanese swords so unique is that they are signed. This is quite rare in non-Japanese swords and adds a sense of character, tradition and even dare I say, "life" to the blade. But let me ask this: Why would a smith not sign a blade? I can think of a few immediate negative reasons such as flaws, ware, and not up to the smiths standards. Perhps the smith wasn't famous at first and thought that mumei would be more desirible than an unknown mei. Perhaps the reasons are external, limitations by government on signatures, etc. But I find it tough to explain to someone why a sword was not signed. Does anyone know of other positive reasons why a smith would choose to leave the signature blank? Thanks.

Thanks Brian.

Mr. Moriyama, I have not reserved the blade. I inquired via a translation assistance of the web page but have not received a response. It has been more than a week. I am inclined to think that Japanese is a requirement for this site.

I know that purchasing a blade is a matter of personal taste. However, there are some practical considerations that need to be taken into account such as authenticity, flaws, poor school recognition. I was hoping to elicit personal advice on the cons of this blade (if any). Assuming you like the blade are there any negatives of this purchase? Is this a fair and reasonable price? http://www.e-sword.jp/sale/0870_1072syousai.htm Thanks in Advance, Paul

Well said Brian. I was always under the impression that the wakizashi (short sword as they were called) was as a companion for daisho used for indoor fighting. I believe there were even schools that specialized in the short sword. Could be wrong though. Your comments are all valid.

Brian, Thanks for the explanation. I understand but not necessarily the logic behind it. Could you elaborate on where these trends came from? Has it always been in this manner? Thanks!

Rich, Not sure what you mean by your comment? Are waki's that much more difficult to sell than tanto or katana? What is the overall stereotype for these pieces? Thanks.

I circled what I presume to be the ware.

There seems to be a new seller on Ebay, Nihonto Gallery. He's been great thus far and accepted a blade that I returned. What are everyone's thoughts on this blade? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... %26otn%3D4

http://www.aoi-art.com/sword/wakizashi/ ... 8023-2.jpg What flaws (if any) do you see in this blade? I see several imperfections near the top on the hamon in the front half. What are your thoughts? Thanks, Paul

Thank you all for the insightful feedback. Now the chapter on flaws will is open and in the back of my head. Now, back to my original dilemma of a good and solid wak. I am open to all recommendations.

Hi All, I think Grey said it best. It all depends on the buyer and their intention for the sword. If I understood correctly, the deal may be fair but whether or not it's a good investment for personal pleasure or potential value is a different matter. Personally, this many kizu is more than I would feel comfortable with. Brian, Thank you for the previous post. Quite relevant and beneficial. This has left me in a bind. I am back to looking for a good wak. I have no preference on time period but would prefer to keep it under $3500 and hopefully finda good solid example by a respected smith. I am open to all suggestions. I am curious what everyone's thoughts are on this sword. I believe the mei is Seki Ju Kanemichi with a hitatsura hamon. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... RK:MESE:IT V/r, Paul F.

Thanks for the honest feedback. I will continue my search for a nice wak. I agree with your comments about value, appreciation and personnal appreciation. Personally, that's too many kizu than I would like in a single blade.

Nagasa: 44.5 cm Sori: 1.2 cm Kasane: 0.65 cm It's a mumei, early edo period wak. NBTHK Hozon Kanteisho. I've attached a picture of the mountings. The Koshirae is in excellent condition with a signed tsuba.