drbvac

I have had this blade for a while and knew it was gimei for the famous smith of this name but wonder if it could be one of his students or later generations or even an unrelated smith with the same name. 2 character mei is rare for certain but considering the hamon I think if intending to want to fake a TADAYOSHI they might have tried to copy one of his more carefully. In any event it is a nice blade, probably shin-shinto and maybe I should just get the mei removed ?

This was on the board a long time ago and then I wasn't as close to the possibility of no longer being among the living. That said it is a real problem for collectors of anything as to what happens when you are gone? I have spent a long time and not an inconsiderable amount of money on Nihonto and my wife doesn't even know what any of them are worth. I do not see any of my children or grandsons really interested enough in the blades to take the time to learn of them and proper care if I should leave them to any of them. I don't want them left to a museum to be put in storage and never see the light of day again or end up all rusted to hell and worthless. I certainly don't want my wife to be at the mercy of any unscrupulous dealers or individuals who would offer her a fraction of their worth, nor do I want to sell them yet. I really don't own them as such - just paying the rent on them and caring for them as they should be. Maybe a market for dealers to pre-buy collections at a fair value and when notified of my passing the amount can be sent to my estate and the blades shipped off all together? I certainly want someone who is willing to pay a fair price and to continue taking care as someone has for the last several hundred years. It is quite a conundrum for us "older" enthusiasts for sure. I would not expect my spouse to list and sell them one by one and ship them all over the place - not fair to them and she is already annoyed at how many I have bought and sold. If she was to get into that and figured what I spent and possibly she will lose on their sale - I would be in hell for an extra couple of years. Should I make a list of what they cost and the date of purchase or what they should fetch at sale and say = do not open till I am gone? Has anyone else figured a way to assure they continue to be cared for and not losing a fortune in the process

The humidity is kept at around 30-40% which is low enough to make sure that the moisture available won't precipitate on a cooler blade which being at 68' all year round is not likely - It is like getting water on the outside of a cold glass . It is also not low enough that any wood would dry out beyond what it has over the last 100 years or so !! I built the cabinet with adjustable oak shelves and there is a small heat source in the bottom like is used in gun safes - it gets warm and enough to keep the humidity down. That said there is a dehumidifier in our basement to keep it lower as well. I usually oil the blades and apply a wax to the koshirae every couple of months and so far after 10 years = no problems

I really think it is a generational thing as many many young people have no interest in ANYTHING old or not electronic and we all have homes filled with antique furniture and collectiblet s from Royal Dalton Figurines to Picasso art prints. None of my children want any of it!!!! All the sets of china etc sent down from previous generations are in the dump as is crystal and all sorts of other items. They do collect stuff - video games and sneakers and sports memorobilia but it is getting rare and Nihonto is not something that appeals to very many people at the best of times I have no answers but appreciation for history and art blades is a dying field

I have all my bare blades exhibited in a humidity controlled glass front locked display case and with the blades oiled regularly and they have been like this for over 10 years. Oiling is vital regardless and most museums and nihonto displays the blade is bare so I am pretty sure it is OK. I get the added benefit of seeing the Koshira and all fittings at the same time and people can not touch anything. Actually fairly peaceful just looking !

AOI has usually very good blades and with the current exchange rate on the yen the prices are relatively good compared to stateside - that said the shipping is always a problem since EMS and some of the other couriers are not shipping from Japan to NA. I have no idea what the cost will be to ship but someone should be able to tell what the costs were in the past couple of months.

Where do you find these Ray ? Amazing variety and quality !!!

Always have great service and prices from Nick and all blades are excellent and papered: https://nihontoart.com/

In early 1980" I bought this katana through a Military Sword dealer in Canada from a collector in Quebec. The sword is not papered and unsigned but has been attributed to Akaska Senjuin Schoool in Yamato tradition from 1500's . It was in excellent polish and the mounts were as much an attraction as the sword itself which made me think that it was at some point very special to someone. The Tsuba is dragon design signed by Kinai of Echizen, the Fuchi/Koshira is of Omari waves signed by Tsurhide 1800's and the Menuki are Shakudo dragons with gold eyes. The white lacing and the whole package was just perfect and it is still one of my favourite blades and the only one from back in the day I still own. Many others have come and gone and many are more expensive that this was and I am getting too old to bother getting papers for it but one of these days someone is going to get a bargain and for them send it for shinsa. I am sure both the mounts and the blade would be given a high rating.

Morihiro Ogawa was the curator of Japanese Weapons at the Boston Museaum of Fine Arts probably 25 years ago and his book and the photos from that time in the museum is a work of art on its own. After he left there he became the curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and even if the blade was unsigned he probably could give some sort of attribution to the blade in question - that said I am almost certain as mentioned before he probably said as was mentioned earlier that it was a mumie blade of a certain date range - period. The last will and testament story I have heard before in several variations but that in and of itself would make no sense whatsoever. Wills are usually left in trust with someone other than the person whose will it is so that the people who are left after they die can access what their final wishes were for their worldly good. To hide the document in a place where it would probably never be found except by mistake makes no sense at all.

If you must have it from Japan then so be it but any good wood craftsman can make you one to order for as many or few swords as you want at a lot less price than having it shipped from the orient.

Nice - I would think the blade worthy of a polish and would be a very impressive piece.

This link to these documents are presented not to suggest that one should purchase here as they are all sold. They are offered for the beauty and information of the publications if you want to enjoy ! https://new.uniquejapan.com/currently-available-swords-at-unique-Japan/ Huge files so may download slowly !!

I guess because you offered him 400 and mine was only 50 is why he declined mine automatically !

I did buy an unpapered Naginata on ebay a fairly long time ago for less than 2000 that I am sure is a valid signature for Higo Dotanuki Matahachi - 1580's. Not a Juyo blade and still not papered but no re-polish and pretty impressive and at 1800 bucks - a bargain !!

When shipping blades I usually put a layer of oil on the bare blade, wrap it in saran wrap and put it on a board bigger in all directions than the sword with a small peg through the mekugiana into the board and then zip tied to the board. Wrapped in paper then bubble wrap and into one of the FedEX triangular shaped shipping boxes. Koshira wrapped in bubble wrap and placed in same tube. Never had a problem - knock on wood !!!! BUT in this pandemic with the amount of shipping going on they are being more than rough trying to get everything to where they want it to be.

"""EDIT TO ADD: Ah.....Thanks to Barry, I seem to have this archived from his wonderful cd's he sent me. This discussion goes back about 7 years! Haven't sorted it out, but the same old folk are still around Might provide some insight, maybe none of it is true. Worth a read though.""" Read through this old post from 2009 and was very happy to see many of the authors replying to the original question: Old names - great guys, Ted Tenold, Louis Skebo, Ian Bottomly, Jim Gilbert, Carlos Tacchini, Richard Turner, Jean Laparra - Amazing !!!!11

The straight blade is interesting for sure and the hamon looks pretty good nearer the nakago - seems a little long and wide for a sword cane - have had a couple and they tend to be wak length and about 1/2 - 3/4" wide .

Great story and unbeleivable research - I appreciate you are returning the sword to the shrine but are there any legal requirements to return any of these blades when discovered ? I would imagine if you tried to take it into Japan and it was discovered they might seize it /?

What a bunch of philosophers ! I collect them for the beauty and the perfection of the weapons that they are - and I like them.

I have never made any money on moving Nihonto in 40 years as I usually bought what I liked regardless of papers or not etc. Dealers buy for half what they sell them for and sell for double what they paid for them !! Very few collectibles on earth are money makers in the short ( less than 100 years) term. I always look at the price we pay as the "rent" to take care of a very old piece of art that happens to be a weapon that there are not a whole lot of. Again - like any collectible - very hard to get when you want one and can be for sale forever to get your investment back. Those that can buy and sell and make a living have to be good at what they do and have access to great blades at reasonable prices or be willing to pay the price for polish and papers which can add 2-3 thousand to the original cost. If you could lease them it may be a perfect way to enjoy the beauty without tying up a lot of cash. BIGGEST problem as you get older what to so when you are gone because most of our wives have NO IDEA what they cost or any clue what they may be worth or who to even contact to sell them. Last thing you should do is donate them to a museum where they will sit in storage and deteriorate as very few know how to maintain them !!! On that note - enjoy it all while you can !!

I have displayed my swords for years with a proper coat of oil in this cabinet that has an electric rod often used in gun safes that heats the air slightly and as it circulates in the cabinet it reduces the humidity. Never had any problems with rust and as I like to see my blades on display it has served me well for a long time. https://www.lockdown.com/products/moisture-control/dehumidifier-rods/golden-rod-dehumidifier-rod/725721.html

Is this what you were referring to as the Shimazu mon is on the koshira and the tsuba is as well. I found it interesting in and of itself to have mounts that were made at some point to be associated wiith a particular family or daimyo - the blade and smith have no relationship to the Shimazu as far as I can determine and is by Sadayoshi

Louis is into large lumber milling and snow mobiles now and I don't think he has polished in a while !

Custom case with dehumidifier and locked glass front doors - over blade LED lights and I can sit and look at them all day !!