16k

Impressive!

This would be great if it could become the Hada Reference Thread and a sticky!

Very useful and saved, Paul, thank you!

Mark, I’d be interested in G53

Brent, i don’t what your budget is but there often are some very good deals in the sale section. Keep an eye open. I’m sure that you may find a much better sword here in the $700-900 range. And you’ll be sure you get the genuine article.

I’m among those, probably scarce crowd, who don’t like any kind of horimono. I’m not too much of a fan of grooves either. Not that I wouldn’t buy one if the occasion presented itself, but I always prefer practicality over art and for me, horimono are more like a way to be showy (or hide a defect) than anything else. I like the average warrior katana, used in battle, not the katana of the posh samurai or high ranking officer who sits in the back and watches his men do the dirty work. For me horimono conjures up just that.

I see what you mean! but it’s probably a trick of light because it doesn’t seem wrong in the first sugata picture. To the OP, we don’t see enough to judge the blade but it appears older than the mountings and was at least remounted once (two holes). As for the mountings, they are WW2 military gunto type 98. The Tsuba isn’t WW2 though.

I’ll wait until it’s 10 euros. At least, it’s money I have!

I think the price is right. Do you see any stamp on the tang? Also, any shots of the temper line?

John, another very useful reference. Would you consider doing something like Stegel did where we can save this as one chart for future reference? I just have access to my IPad during the confinement or would do it myself otherwise. I think this is a truly great reference too. I’ll keep it as a screen capture though.

Bravo Chris, you have it right! more below, and a link about swords and Ainu culture: https://sugawarabudo.com/ainu-culture-and-Japanese-sword-1

Don’t think it is Klingon, their swords are different !

That must be the weirdest mei I have ever seen. And the activities look gorgeous. Could those be Buddhist or Shinto symbols? Astrological symbols? A code?

Oh my god that tang! Did their dog play with it? BTW, this sword is interesting because it shows one of the sure ways to know whether the blade is Japanese or Chinese(that is, if the rest isn’t obvious): the ha machi and mune machi don’t line up. They almost never do because their Habaki aren’t made the Japanese way and are cast, not folded and welded.

I don’t necessarily agree with that statement. First, I think that, as a teacher in life, repeating over and over is part of the learning curb. It’s also a sure way to make certain others share the same definition as you. And since once you’ve stated something, someone else comes up right after you to add details to what you’ve just said then there’s always a chance that you’ll learn something too. Passing knowledge is a difficult thing, two people can say the same thing , come to the same result but using different methods or ways to reach that point. I use it at school everyday. Everyone learns in a different way. Sticking to just one way is leaving some people on the border of the road and once you’re too far away, there’s no way to come back and pick them up.

I’d go for real too.

But that’s also the point, Brian. I think I discovered this site more than ten years ago. Read some posts and saw the vast knowledge of people compared to mine. It took me all that time to register, and even then (and still now) I was feeling hopeless and a bit anxious to sign up because what could I possibly bring to such knowledgeable people they didn’t have? What made me change my mind is that, without a mentor, I felt like I had reached a wall and couldn’t possibly go further than I was at without help. So I signed, but have to admit that sometimes, I hesitate to ask a question because some people will feel that since they know it, I should know it too. Or they play Holmes to Watson. They see something, deduce and give the reply like a magic trick without elaborating how they came to that conclusion. I understand questions can be frustrating for old timers, but the lack of a clear answer can be as much frustrating for the newbies. In the end, most of us share the same passion. Many, I among them, will never reach the level of some of the experts here, still the passion is the same and the goal is to teach that passion to others, make me see the marvel of the sword world, pass on the ideal of preservation. We all enjoy it at our level. Progrès and better understanding is just icing on the cake. NMB’s role is that: making sure those swords continue to live after we’re long gone.

I have him too in a French book, but without more info than you have.

That is a great reference Stegel. Saved!

I think I’ve seen it too on eBay.

Been here for a little more than a year now, so I consider myself as one of the newbies mentioned. I have to say that there is some truth in what Peter says. It must be pretty boring to see the same endless topics and questions asked and answered for old timers. The truth is I like it because when someone asks a question, as a newbie, reading the answers make me progress. Sometimes, I’d like to ask some questions myself but feel they are so ridiculous I don’t. Also, I have to say that I’m very surprised the most active and groundbreaking section seems to be the military swords section. I was completely uninterested in those swords but the wealth of passion and information I’ve found here made me love these swords too. I think NMB’s quality is just that, a mix of old and new, a mix of old timers and newbies. Best way to transmit a passion.

^ That’s beautiful, and yes, much more jinie

Hey Jacques, Just to expand my knowledge, how can you be so sure? i would have said Gimei too because there isn’t much jinie and the activities seem wrong for Sukehiro nidai, but please, more details!

They are beautiful Stegel! I have one blue brown tassel with the Deluxe borders and a regular one. Even the material feels slightly different. More crisp for the deluxe.

Nice one at a very good price. If I had the money, it would be a no brainer! What are you guys waiting for?