I think this more than the actual asking price was what really caught my attention. I would have to assume that at some point an attempt at TJ was made (Kotetsu blades have passed TJ) and failed. AOI (its not stated that this is a consignment piece so therefore part of the company inventory) seems to be capitalizing on the Kotetsu hype train.
Yes, and even saiha pass Juyo in rare cases.
I bet this is a case of buyers remorse. That blade looks rough and tired. Still a lot cheaper than the 22mil Yen paid for the dubious condition TJ recently.
Very nice. I could almost guarantee this seller has multiple Ebay/Yahoo sellers accounts. The photos are just too well executed to be a noob on the scene. They are some of the best I've come across on those platforms.
I would assume its gimei. There are kanji by 2 different hands on the omote. The bottom two appear older.
The koshirae fittings also appear above average and can I detect a signature on the tsuba? Hard to tell for sure with all the patination.
Overall if you like the blade its worth a punt at that price. The hamon seems quite distinctive so maybe this can be the subject for further research on the maker.
A swing and a miss. Again. You are choosing examples that prove your point. What you refuse to see are the examples above that have different style of boshi such that if the blade was modified to naginata-naoshi, a small kaeri could be retained.
OP doesn't own the sword or have access to it to take better pictures, but your point is well made. Taking good, informative photos is critical on a forum like the NMB to appreciate the blades details. It's half the fun.
@Brano excellent examples of why taking carefully executed photos, under sympathetic lighting is so important. The finer details come alive and can be appreciated when in hand examination is not possible.
This is a modern gendaito maker so why would he put a mekugi-ana through his Mei. The style of nakago and Mei appear problematic. What is the nagasa measurement?