Lewis B

Seller also has a bridge for sale. Jubi papers are extremely suspicious and look to be easy to fake. Worth reading this

This one is Hozon and sold through a Bonhams auction

Here is the Mei for a couple of other tantos by Miyamoto Kanenori. I see some differences not least the location on the nakago. A TH tanto

That wakizashi was originally purchased from a dealer in Andorra quite recently. They have a very poor reputation and their 'certificates of authenticity' are worthless. I would advise you to consider very carefully and certainly ask your friend why they are selling so quickly. As Lex says this dealer sells many gimei blades and is known to remove valuable fittings eg urushi saya, replacing them with cheaper, poorly fitting parts.

Here's an English translation Sword valuation en.pdf

Wow thats a LOT of uchiko. Its use is frowned on in many quarters, but who am I to critique.......

You're not the first to find the blade was not as impressive in hand relative to the published images. They must have a very good photographer. Caveat emptor.

Hi Lukrez, While I certainly agree some EU dealers leave a lot to be desired (avoid Catawiki and the dealers selling on that site), there are certainly some notable exceptions. Pablo Kuntz of Unique Japan is based in the UK but has an office in Tokyo. His teams photography is among the best and he appears to be offering some more accessibly priced pieces. I would trust him implicitely to curate the blades he offers. For informal contact with enthusiasts consider joining the NBTHK-EB (European Branch). They organise bimonthly meetings (usually in the Klinge Museum in Solingen) and occasionally closer to you in Manching. These events are incredible and I have had the pleasure to examine many Juyo and Tokuju blades by some grandmasters. Next week we will have a special meetup and a unique opportunity to see several swords by 3 generations from the Rai school, the founder Rai Kuniyuki, Kunitoshi (son) and Kunimitsu (grandson). There is also the German Nihonto Club but they only meet once or twice a year. I haven't attended one of these yet but hope to attend next October. Next month will see the annual Japan Art Expo in Utrecht and this is another unmissable occasion for European collectors. Over 15 retailers from Europe, Japan and North America will attend offering many high quality nihonto, tosugu and katchu from all eras. The lectures are also worthwhile.

Max, did you buy through the sellers Ebay account? Seller doesn't accept returns but under certain circumstances Ebay might rule in your favour if you decide to return. There are financial considerations at play. Import duties into Germany are 19% and these may not be easily refundable (never tried so don't know for sure). Return shipping can be expensive too unless you have access to a business account. For such a small nick I'd not worry and remember, these things can happen at any time.

Yes the Masahide article was enlightening. I had no idea the mune was used in an offensive mode. And that swordsmithing techniques were adopted to strengthen the blade when used as such.

That video is at least 10 months old. I can't see any damage along the edge but a lot could have happened in the interim. Nice blade in good polish. I can see why you like it.

So this was from a dealer in Japan? Can you check the photos to see if it's something you might have overlooked? Shipping damage is a stretch, especially if the seals on the box were intact. The nicks are small but might diminish your enjoyment over time (or you wouldn't have posted here). Talk to a togishi like Massimo Rossi in Italy and ask if it can be fixed without a full polish and therefore at a reduced cost, which might be justified from a value perspective.

Yes I concur. Horimono- check, signature-check, shirasaya with metal fittings-odd. I would even say the horimono looks stamped with maybe some hand finishing flourishes. The Mei looks really weak as if someone scratched the kanji into the Nakago. Overall lots of red flags.

He's in Poland. I'm guessing 19% customs duties will be due if anything like Germany.

Doesn't look like any Fukuoka Ichimonji I've seen, but I've been looking for one of his books (Tatakara Daikan). He makes some quite controversial claims like Go Yoshihiro was a Yamato smith, namely Senjuin, having connections with Yamato Shizu, but no association to the Sagami smiths.

I think thats only a reflection (see last pic in 3rd post)

Hard to define 'best' as these makers worked in different styles but were equally accomplished in technique. I would also say Rai Kunimitsu should also be up there. He and Shintogo Kunimitsu are regularly referred to as the best Tanto makers. As representatives of their respective schools I would say these 3 are the pinnacle of whats been accomplished.

The 3 on Nihonto.com are some of the best currently available online.

My first opinion is that it is at least a partial depiction of a flood event. The submersed Torii, tops of trees, what appear to be a pair of sails on one side of each tsuba etc. Any idea what the vertical poles with golden supporting elements represent? I like the depictions and storytelling in these tsuba.

I agree. Who would you say was more accomplished, Sadayoshi, his adopted son Sadakazu or 3rd gen Sadakatsu?

So we get to see the subject of this epic thread from a few years ago? Even more exciting. Such an amazing journey.

Speaking of Kiyomaro, the NBTHK-EB will have an opportunity to study his work at the next meeting together with his closest rival Koyama Munetsugu, as well as blades by students of the two smiths. Should be interesting as these are considered 2 of the best Shinshinto smiths.

A Reddit group such as https://www.reddit.com/r/SWORDS/ might be more useful for fact finding for the type of blade you're looking to buy.

Unfortunately, unlike for modern blades you're not paying per mm.

Some of the blades in the Albrecht von Roretz collection have Mei. And some of these have been examined in hand by an expert and all those blades were deemed gimei by the expert (there is a signed Yukihira tanto and a Sadamune katana for example). Of course, I wouldn't be saying all big names in Western collections are similarly questionable, just that many of those swords that left the country in the 19th and early 20th century (as gifts, purchases by wealthy collectors, often purchased through unscrupulous middlemen etc) are not what they purport to be. https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/49787-today-is-a-red-letter-day-a-personal-audience-with-the-albrecht-masamune/#findComment-518658