Katsujinken

What’s your budget? That’s really going to determine the mix of characteristics available to you. As for period, I believe that every collector should have some Koto if possible. As for UK dealers, Pablo Kuntz of Unique Japan is now based in the UK. But other dealers outside of the UK, many of whom are on this board, would be happy to work with you I am sure. With a budget in mind we can make more specific recommendations. Good luck.

I used to own that Shoami tsuba. It’s quite enjoyable! Lovely fukurin.

Why on EARTH would you do that with the sword?

Also, worth noting that insurance values/appraisals often are/should generally be ABOVE what the retail market will bear, and are not the right barometer for deal making or negotiation. To clarify what others mean to say re: the current attribution, they are trying to confirm if the blade has gone through an actual NTHK shinsa, which is not the same as having an opinion from a member of the committee. In any case, for “ubu/signed” Koto work I’d much prefer a NBTHK kanteisho. And ubu at 71cm seems short to me for the time period you hope for. And I agree with Brian 100%. But photos will be helpful!

This has been covered elsewhere, but it is standard to require a tax ID during import when packages are above a certain value. A SSN is a tax ID, but it is also possible to get a separate number you can use (usually for businesses). So the SSN is not required, but a tax ID is. Most people only have their SSN though. Nothing nefarious here.

Always a treat to see a great shinsakuto get this kind of treatment. Congratulations! PS: I think Tanobe sensei liked it.

The last two comments are spot on. I’ve got nothing to add! :-)

Grey is great!

Where on the east coast are you? A bit of a moot point with the pandemic, but the New York Token Kai would be a good bet for in person help when the time comes. As others noted, this sword was likely made during a period of mass production. That’s not necessarily a bad thing – it’s still a traditionally made sword that is nearly 500 years old, and this sword was made to be used and not to be worn on a merchant’s hip. However, the ultimate value will be driven by the quality of the workmanship in the blade itself. You’re safely in the $2000-$6000 ballpark though, I think. One question: what is the length of the cutting edge (straight line from tip/kissaki to the notch on the tang/nakago)? With an in person evaluation you can figure out if it’s worth making additional investments (polish, shirasaya, etc.).

A properly oiled blade (i.e. not too much oil!) will not damage a shirasaya as long as it is stored properly – laying down and not standing up vertically.

Indeed an anti-corrosion bag is not really for display: https://www.bluguardvci.com Yes, you should oil the blade whenever you’re not studying it (see more in the short guide Grey shared above).

I suppose that depends on one's risk tolerance. I live in the northeast US, and the humidity inside my house ranges from 25% to 65% during the year. I store my juyo blade in shirasaya, inside of an anti-corrosion bag.

Again the issue is climate control, mostly the humidity. Are we pretty conservative about this? Yes. But given the cost of a polish – both in terms of cash and steel – it’s better to be safe than sorry. It is our responsibility to ensure that these blades survive another 1000 years after all.

On the contrary, lacquer work requires some of the most specific climate control otherwise it can easily degrade. And Japan is a pretty humid place. If lacquered saya did the job, there’d be no need for shirasaya...

One major difference is that the saya for koshirae are lacquered and the shirasaya obviously is not. A lacquered saya is not designed to create, allow, or support the ideal microclimate inside because it’s not designed for long term storage. There's a reason that shirasaya are nicknamed “sleeping saya”. As Darcy has said shirasaya are effectively an ancient technology, and there are truly modern climate control alternatives that are arguably better but certainly cost prohibitive. But either way a lacquered saya is not optimal, especially depending on the surrounding climate.

If you are concerned about damaging a blade (or just making mistakes) when going from shirasaya to koshirae (and back), then with all due respect you are not ready to own a nihonto. Do you have a club nearby, where someone with more experience could help you in person? Please read the material that Grey shared in this thread, as it is the bare minimum you should master if you are going to own a nihonto. Most “iaido” schools are not going to teach you what you need to know in order to properly handle a sharp sword, much less a real Japanese blade. An antique nihonto should not be stored or displayed in koshirae.

Yep, I can corroborate Darcy here. My recent shinsakuto purchased from Touken Komachi was shipped via UPS a couple of months ago.

At your budget I echo my colleagues: look in the for sale section here, or work with a US-based dealer like Ray Singer or Mike Yamasaki (Tetsugendo.com). Of course any of the well known Japanese shops will be fine, but overall it will be a more challenging (and potentially) expensive proposition due to the time difference, possibly language barrier, etc., etc. Your goal should be to buy the best possible blade you can get for $10k or less. This could be a tanto, wakizashi, or katana depending on the package. Just don’t be seduced by fancy fittings or a poor sword made by a “big[ger] name”. Both Mike and Ray are well suited to guide you through this. Good luck! Michael

That’s mid to late 1600s by the way.

The contents of my recycling bin are worth significantly more.

Ah, of course!

From the Vail Daily: https://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&pubid=40b4514b-010b-403b-afbb-0ba1cd8007a5 Go to pages 18 and 26. Thoughts on the signature? Looks like a blade made by human hands as opposed to machine, but WWII isn't my area so I'm at a loss beyond that.

Bumping this – help me help NMB (and Brian) with a nice donation. Free insured shipping in the US, international shipping at cost. Cheers!

Figured I’d circle back to this thread to say that I finally, recently bought a sword from Touken Komachi, and my experience mirrors the others in this thread. Tsukada san was patient and helpful, the items were shipped quickly and safely, and they were exactly as described. I would definitely use this shop again in the future and can recommend them without hesitation.

Why is the price already $1500? Something about "a fool and his money" comes to mind...