drbvac

Can you put me in contact with the seller as I would buy it right now for $1400.00 - bargain in spite of questions.

All great advice Sean and another consideration is that it is not going to be cheap. Contact one of the people mentioned and get an idea of cost and they will also advise you if it is worth the cost.

As you stated you only broke even on the first blade you had done and if Moses told you that these two were not worth polishing I would trust his opinion and not bother. If you want to have a proper polish done then regardless of the toshigi it ain't going to be cheap. Don't look for bargains in brain surgery or parachutes.

I once had a Kanefusa 23 gendaito in civilian mounts that was a nice blade with a lovely horomono of a dragon and all dragon fittings that had a stamp - not removed but believe it or not it was filled with a strange - dark wax like substance. I only found it when I was cleaning the nakago with some alcohol and it t dissolved the material in the stamping and I could clean it out. The dealer told me he did not put anything in it but offered me a partial refund on the purchase but it was a beautiful blade in any event. Certainly did not look like an oil quenched blade and I am sure was traditionally made. Will try to find some pics of it but may be on an old computer as I sold the blade many years ago. In the first picture you can see a SHOWA stamp just below the copper hibaki. The horimono is very well done and crisp and clear. I sort of wish I had kept it but we are always trading up aren't we ?

I know with Gimei blades that I have the signature is usually the thing that is suspicious but as hard as that is to fake, the characteristics of the smith in the forging and hamon are just as hard to do as well. Even a blatant gimei signature is often on a very well done blade especially for more well known smiths. I have a gimei Tadayoshi that the two character signature is not in line with the age of the sword BUT it is still a pretty impressive piece of work. You can't put a Mercedes logo on a Hyundai and sell it as such to many people - well maybe a couple.

They certainly have been looked at and sold and resold a lot of times since the end of the war in 1945. The only "find" I ever had was a group of 6 swords a dealer had and wanted to move them quickly and were a hodgepodge of British Sabres, a Masonic sword and an Indian Tulwar but also a ShinGunto and a Naval officers sword in really great condition one of which had an older family blade. Paid 1000 bucks for the six of them and we were both happy. Mind you that was 25 years ago and since it has been nearly 80 years since they were brought back they have been spread far and wide and are in the hands of collectors and sold and resold to newbies ever since.

It is amazing as well how well intentioned, good ideas that could help the reality of on-line forums get hijcked with all sorts of inane back and forth comments. If you can't add a comment to HELP all participants keep your UNHELPFUL comments to yourself. This is meant to a learning and positive experience within the circumstances we have. At least we do not ask for high resolution scans of blades to determine they were made in China.

Surprised at the interest in this topic and I have always said you never buy Nihonto - you rent them for your lifetime or as long as your interest lasts and then move them on. Any collector really doesnt expect to make a profit on collectables with the 50% change in price buying or selling - especially with dealers. We hold these pieces of history and do our best to not have them in worse shape when you pass them on than when you got them. My concern was having them donated to a museum to go into storage and actually degrade, or have someone chopping sugar cane with a 500 year old katana. I am glad to hear that you are convinced that the next generations will pick up the flag as it were and carry on where we stopped but its something I do thing about. I have one son and 5 grandsons so I am certain they will love to get them but I will have to do - get them interested in them as history and art objects and the appreciation of that. Then I know they will be rented again for another generation. That said - you should all have some sort of forward thinking plan in case your heirs don't want to keep them and I am sure the market will let them sell them but probably closer to what I told my wife I paid than what they are worth. I did toy with the idea of putting in my will they are to be sold to the dealer I bought most from at what he considers a fair market price at the time and let someone who loves them continue to pay the rent.

It is odd as you get older you note many collectibles come and go in fashion. From antique furniture, Royal Dalton figurines, Hummel figures, Silver items, etc etc at one time were highly desirable have changed to where other than collectors of the same age - you can't give them away. Macdonalds Toys are worth more on some markets than Royal Dalton figures that cost hundreds of dollars when new. Anyone think the market is changing for Nihonto as the younger generations are not interested in any of the stuff I tended to hoard or purchase for my wife and friends.

Sideways again - be careful how many opinions you ask for and who is giving them - and ask more questions all the time and become able to make decisions yourself based on facts and learning.

This entire post is bizarre with all sorts of theories and postulations on many things. The most important point is literacy and the ability to sign ones name with 2 characters is equivalent of a 4 year old writing their initials. It was also pointed out that anyone who can forge one of these blades is certainly enough of a craftsman to chisel their 2 character mei on the nakago. No one writes their name EXACTLY the same time every time they sign anything but there are enough characteristics that are the same to allow someone to determine if they are written by the same person. All that said - I get tired listening to people argueing over topics that they actually believe are correct with no more evidence that they are than as someone else pointed out most beliefs - especially religious ones. For someone who believes something they don't need any proof and for someone who doesn't no proof will ever be enough. That said - this Board is not the place to argue - state your opinion then sit back and see the reactions and learn from them - don't go off on anyone you are not in the same mind with - lifes too short and trust me - in 100 years none of it will matter at all.

IT is like any other art form that changes with time - I personally hate "modern art" that looks like a three year old threw paint at a canvas but - some love it. To each his own and it is the artists decision as to what he puts on the paper. Collect what you like for reasons that only you may know and as with anything involving people to each his own. Trying to understand what one person likes vs another is a mugs game and can get you in more trouble than it is worth. Politics and religion come to mind

Well as we said Hadori is certainly more flashy but when having a blade "restored" it should in my mind try and reflect what the original polish would have been and not something with the potential to overstress some areas of the hamon. The toshigi is the one who should decide what would best bring out the best qualities of the blade. Matter of personal preference what one likes I suppose but shouldn't put lipstick on a pig either.

Interesting discussion in opinions and thoughts and personal preference. I do have preferences and although Hadori is more spectacular on any blade because it so highlights the hamon that everyone seems obsessed with, I do prefer the subtlety of Sashikomi. That said - what I really think is as many of you have said - it should be decided by the togishi based on the blade and its history and if possible a return to the style it was probably done in when made. I like shiny paint but wouldn't spray a clear lacquer over an antique oil painting and if restoration is returning an item to its original beauty then that is the way to go. Even something as mundane as furniture has seen a increase in whites and chrome but I personally like the older rich wood tones of antique furniture. Personal preferences in restoration should not include changing what once was to something not in keeping with the history and originality of any item.

The pics are a little blurry but is there a mon crest on the koshira? Go for it - not much to lose and as others have said - most of us have bought worse at some point in time,

Ian: Well I for one am very pleased to see you back and to have your badge as a contributor is certainly and understatement considering your employemnt history and knowledge attained in your lifetime. The blade you shared is truly amazing and only someone such as yourself would pick it out of an auction lot based on that spectacular kojiri - good purchase no doubt and certainly much more than you had to pay !!

Good question but as stated - if cared for - how long is a rope?

Hard to believe after this amount of time to read a post with both old spectacular nihonto geniuses commenting together as Ford Hallam and Ian Bottomly - where have you two been? Still making fittings Ford? Ian - where you been. Now if neither you are the REAL Ford and Ian disregard !!!!!

Many of us are getting older and its amazing where the time goes. We start together, raising kids and working all at the same time then retire - and at the age when peers seem to be passing on every day. He was a young man and his intelligence and willingness to share his knowledge with one and all will be missed. RIP

I happen to also be involved with model railroading and one of the major problems is keeping the tracks clean and free of oxidation to maintain good electrical contact. In researching this one of the people who make videos discussed the problem with using Polar Cleaners, those that attract water through their chemical makeup and enhance the oxidation. Water of course is a polar cleanser and no one would clean a blade with water prior to oiling. Oddly enough even though with Nihonto we are not concerned with electrical conductivity we do not want anything that could attract water to the surface of the blade into micro fissures or cracks and then putting oil over them. IsopropyI is also a polar cleanser and I may be stretching the chemistry but MINERAL SPIRITS - cheap and readily available is NON-polar and based on this analogy from of all things model railroad tracks a better cleanser prior to re-oiling any blade. Mineral Spirits will not attract water and evaporates after application and leaves a clean surface with no trapped water particles. Never having heard of this before I will never use Isopopropyl Alcohol nor Ukicho to clean my blades. I may me off base but the science makes sense especially if both cleansers are not harmful other than one attracts water and one doesn't.

Are you serious ? I do like green but even in that pic the blade is junk

I was positive that he had passed away as there were several posts in his facebook page for the last several years with different folks wishing him happy birthday in heaven and hope he is blessed. I am sorry if my post upset anyone and I would love to be able to send him a note if anyone knows how to contact him . I am really glad the rumours of his death were exagerated and he is still with us Maybe he will sell me back my sword cane.

Thanks so much Moriyama San - I believe I hold another paper with the Cut two bodies inscription. I can print your reply off and place it with the papers so when I am gone someone who ends up with the blade will know what it is !!!

I do know what most columns are but no idea what they are or what they say and I would be more than happy if someone could give me some information in English as to what they are. I know there are NBTK papers and the white ones are ? I also realize it is a big ask so if no one wants to bother I would not be surprised. Happy New Year to all and thanks !!

I believe he has passed away Brian - I used to converse with him on Facebook as well and no longer He was born in 1937 so would have been 85 this year but I think he died around 4 years ago = great guy = interested in many things