I was a Junior in High school, when one day while riding the bus to school, I was talking about a Japanese Bayonet that I had gotten WHEN the kid in front of me turns around and say's What you all want to hear!
" My Dad has a Japanese sword that he got from a museum during the war"
I ask If his dad would sell it.
He say's my dad in a insane asylem But yeah He would sell it to me.
We met at a place called 5 points in Philadelphia( Not New York), Its an intersection of 5 avenues. There on that day I paid $25 bucks for a Uchigatana with a Nagasa of 80cm.The Blade was in great shape, I could see myself in the reflection. it was mounted in a saya that was maroon in color. It didn't have a tusba. But for $25 I wasn't complaining!!!!
I would, thru time find myself diving into every book I could get my hand on the subject of Nihonto!!!
And Just recently BECAUSE of this VERY SITE 30 years later
I was able to get an oshigata for MY
Shodai Bunmei Bungo Nagamori!!!!
Thanks GD and NMB