Franco

Some very big names missing and that's after a quick glance.

Come on now. How about a more educational angled discussion than argument. What's good about this sword? (Besides the price) What's bad about it? This naginata was most likely a woman's weapon based upon curvature and length to be used for self and home protection. It is ubu and signed. It passed shinsa. While the polish is nothing to write home about, it is good enough for study. The value of the shirasaya alone cuts the price of the blade down to about thousand dollars. Is this an art sword, no. It was made to be a weapon first and foremost, and that's all it was ever meant to be. So, whether you buy it or don't buy it, buy it for what it is and not for what it is not. That's simply nonsense. How many Juyo blades are out there that were made by lower than Jo saku ranked smiths? Jussi? Anybody? Regards

Time period? Smith rating? How many Juyo + by the smith? Historical background? Sharpness rating? Tradition? Mainline (Yamato, Bizen, Yamashiro, Soshu, Mino) ? School? Smith? Den? Signed? Dated? Ubu? Shortened? Reshaped? Machi o-kuri? Polish? Flaws? Kantei: Does everyone agree about who made this sword and on the quality? Is this sword an example of the smith's best work? How do you know? How many swords by the smith have you seen/studied? Koshirae? Quality? Homework. Buy what you like, but know what you're buying. Regards

Another essential for the serious student's library.

In general, the better Japanese sword "books" do increase in price over time and become more difficult to find. I see the NCJSC no longer offers Yamanaka's Newsletters revised, too bad. Still, I would contact them and inquire. Yamanaka's should be in every serious collector's library. Place a wanted add here on NMB. Additionally, subscribe to Japanese sword dealers that carry books. Let these dealers know what it is that you're looking for. https://www.Japanese...index.com/sites2.htm Search the internet occasionally - https://search.yahoo...a+(AFU)+Koto+volumes Regards

Yamanaka's Newsletters revised Nihonto Koza (AFU) Koto volumes

https://search.yahoo...0&p=Brian+Tschernega

Brian Tschernega would top the list of artisans I would turn to first for such a project. Recommend holding off on purchasing fittings before consulting with whomever you choose to go with. Lots of luck. Regards Desire is the cause of suffering.

My first experience with nihonto came when I attended a gun show in search of an iai blade for practice. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending upon the perspective, I came across a Japanese Sword Study Group table where it quickly became evident that I had no idea of what a nihonto was or what I was doing. On the fortunate side of things this short overly enthusiastic Chinese man behind the table talked me into buying my first book (The Japanese Sword, by Sato), and then talked me into attending the sword study meeting that evening. A kantei venue where I got to see five quality swords in full polish. That was it, there was no going back, study, study, study, to make a long story short. Train your own eye, begin to learn the knowledge for yourself. It will be challenging every step of the way. The path becomes smoother and less intimidating with practice. Regards

Take this as a lesson of how much there is still ahead of you to learn. Try not to repeat the same lesson/s. If serious about collecting and study of nihonto join a study group, attend shows, build a library. Even the most experienced nihonto collectors will make mistakes. It's never easy. Regards "Don't mistake temptation for opportunity" "Desire is the cause of suffering"

After more than 30 years of collecting nihonto I find myself still wondering how to collect tsuba, too. A place to begin ... https://shibuiswords.com/ Regards

Please read the many posts about how to properly clean swords if you haven't already. You can find them using the search feature on this website. Regards

Flaws within the hamon should be considered there to stay. Regards

https://japaneseswor...ema-tanobe-sayagaki/

Yes, modern.

https://www.Japanese-swords.com/

Enjoy it as is and leave a note for the next caretaker. Regards

When a sword has been damaged, such as a broken tip as is the case here, should it be decided to restore such a blade it is important to find a polisher with excellent foundation polishing skills and ability. As the entire area that makes up the kissaki will have to be reshaped. Anything less will be spotted by a good eye searching for a collectible sword such as this one in the future. Regards

Yes, in plain English, unless someone fully understands what it is that they are looking at, even in hand, a big budget could result in only making a more expensive mistake. Yes, this applies shopping at the Juyo level too. When it comes to nihonto what you don't know is often more important than what you think you know. When Japanese say that kantei is the foundation for nihonto appreciation, do you understand and know what that means? Regards

It often works out that the Japanese sword one collects regardless of budget ends up in some way reflecting the level of knowledge of that collector. That may be, at least in part, what is meant when you hear the adage of "it's the sword that finds the owner." Regards

Unless a sword be it katana or wakizashi meets or exceeds NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon standards/requirements it becomes difficult to justify restoration, imho. This doesn't necessarily mean that a Hozon level sword is not worthy of restoration. It just means, in either case, the sword had better be a pretty darn good sword to begin with (meaning excellent work by a highly rated smith). Collecting nihonto requires hours and hours of study and experience, especially when it comes to old mumei swords. And even then there may be disappointment. So, here's a place to begin, lots of luck ... https://nihontocraft...hinsa_Standards.html Regards

A few thoughts since you are considering a full restoration. It would be wise to have the sword papered first to ensure that everything is proper before having this sword polished. Then, use this time waiting for a shinsa to both research which polisher to choose and reserve a spot with that polisher. You can "search" here on NMB for previous threads for names of recommended polishers. Generally, the polisher will line up a habaki and shirasaya maker as part of the process. Not all polishers are equal, so choose wisely. Regards

Thinking aloud. This sword could be pushing early Shinto based upon shape. Perhaps, even Momoyama. Earlier, hmm. Boshi, more Shinto-ish. Do we see hints of Yakidashi on the ura? Polish, color of jitetsu, sure looks Shinto-ish. Kantei based upon images is always a risk.

As with nihonto the cost of restoration vs value becomes a factor in restoring fittings. Regards

Well then, the patina would make the nakago older than the rest of the sword. Unfortunately it doesn't work that way. Sorry, no. You might try asking in the translation forum for a translation of the sayagaki. Regards