Great topic and discussion! I was checking in all day from work. Knowledge base here is amazing. And clean discussion too.
I generally like to study and appreciate most anything and especially if there is an associated story about the smith, the time period, or the providence of a sword.
BUT......the title said most unpopular opinions so here are a few of mine:
- Outside of Ichimonji, I just don't get any vibe or thrill out of Bizen blades. I have spent time on many but I almost never save a link or add one to my "review to buy" list etc. I understand this is a serious offense, but I thought we were still in the trust tree right? In the nest? (obscure reference)
- I have a mental MUTE/BLOCK on anything Kanesada. So many fakes, so many bad ones, and they come up all the time, day in, day out. Even if a good one, I just skip over every one at this point.
- I think Shinto swords get the shaft most of the time in appreciation, but Shinto had many excellent schools (Mishina, Ishido, Hizen) that are fun to learn from and study. Also here is where the average mortal can get a good to high quality sword without having to sell a kidney or be rich as a starting point (last point is a thread starter all on it's own).