Kolekt-To

Where is the "Show us your Low-class Gunto" thread? That could be interesting! Lol

Thanks Chris! I do believe he over-prices his swords.

So, komonjo belongs in same category as Samurai Monkey and showa22, it appears. Good to know! I posted this question in another thread, but does anyone know anything, or have any opinions, about the reputation of eBay seller "zilvra10"? Sells on eBay regularly and currently has a Type 97 for sale.

So, we are aware of the antics from the likes of Samurai Monkey and showa22, but do we know anything about eBay seller "zilvra10"? zilvra10 has guntos for sale on a regular basis and currently has a Type 97 for sale on the 'Bay. Anybody know anything about this seller's reputation or the quality of what he is selling? One of the benefits of this board is being able to benefit from the knowledge (and scrutiny!) of experienced collectors and hobby enthusiasts who can help us with our awareness and steer us away from bad deals.

Congratulations on the latest addition to your collection! Saw that it sold.

showa22 has a Rinji-Seishiki currently up for auction on the 'Bay. The bidding has climbed to over $1100.00 and there's a few more days left. I'm suspect of showa22 in general, and this particular RS he is selling has a single mekugi-ana - I was under the impression that one of the hallmarks of the RS was two mekugi-ana. Am I correct?

And the style of Ito wrap (Hiramaki?) on the Tsuka is uncommon. Very nice, distinctive piece!

Thanks for the info! You've done a good job of offering reasonably priced sale options. Under consideration, as I'm sure others are/will consider, as well.

Do we know anything about the smith "Yukihira"? Sounds like a good deal from what you have shown thus far.

I may be new to the hobby, but I already know that George Trotter is a legend! Lol. And props to Nick, Bruce, and others (names I can't recall, or have yet to discover) for their knowledgeable contributions. And, great info from this Nagamitsu/RJT discussion!

Interesting...

A good amount of paint remaining on the Tsuka - hopefully original paint. And, yes, it would be nice to know the makers of these steel fuchi of the later version Type 95.

Excellent information Bruce - thanks again!

Monkey could be suffering from unmanaged/unmedicated Bipolar disorder. That crazy million dollar listing is manic, over-the-top fantasy!

Thank you Bruce! Yes, questions answered. I had an idea that "Na" might have stood for Nagoya and I appreciate your confirmation of that. And, good to know that smiths (probably most) made both traditional and non-traditional blades. I have also seen the term "semi-traditional" in reference to blade manufacture, and I'm wondering if there is a clear definition of what would be considered semi-traditional. In what ways might a semi-traditional blade differ from a machine-made and from a traditionally-made blade? Is there a thread here where this topic of semi-traditional blades was discussed?

Hi Bruce, would you mind clarifying the term "NA/Na" in the table? What does it mean and what is it's significance, especially as related to collecting? (Newbie here!). Also, although Seki is known for the manufacture of non-traditional blades, were there Seki smiths who also made semi-traditional or traditional blades? I'm making good progress with my reading (and book purchases), but haven't done the deep dive into all things Seki yet.

Nice photos of shark skins and snake skins utilized in Gunto manufacture. Thanks again Bruce!

Another informative post - thanks! I'm new to the hobby, but based on past posts on this topic (Real vs Fake NCO swords) from Bruce and others, I was able to gain some knowledge and correctly guessed that it was genuine. Without the knowledge acquired from this forum, I wouldn't know. Bruce says he first looks at the Fuchi - good strategy!

It usually goes like this with The Monkey: Typical question in the comments section of his YouTube videos: "I have an old Japanese sword that a friend gave me years ago, can you tell me what I have?" Monkey: "Message me, and make sure to Check out my Store. Thank you so much for watching." But, above all, check out his STORE! Lol

Wow! Great examples and photos! And, it seems that Shark skin is fairly easy to visually differentiate from Ray skin, judging from the pics.

Thanks for your informative response Rich!

What is the most common reason that a smith like Nagamitsu would have changed his name?

Thanks again for clarifying Bruce! Snake skin would be interesting to see, indeed.

Thanks for your answer and insights. I do have a Type 97 with twin Ashi saya in my collection, but considering adding another with single Ashi saya if other characteristics are satisfactory/desirable. My main concern was avoiding the purchase of a Type 97 with single Ashi saya if they didn't exist. Also, was Shark skin commonly utilized on Tsukas of the Type 97's? If so, were more produced with Ray skin vs Shark skin, or vice-versa? I am aware that lacquered black canvas was utilized for Type 97 Tsukas late in the war. Finally, I did purchase a copy of Dawson's Cyclopedia and Kapp & Monson's "Modern Japanese Swords" (considering purchasing Fuller's book, as well), and I've been doing a lot of reading and researching since I got into this hobby a few months ago. I feel like my brain is exploding with information over-load. Lol!

Bruce, if you were looking to purchase a Type 97, assuming the blade and mounts in good shape, but with a single Ashi saya, would the fact that the saya was the single Ashi type (or missing one of the original twin Ashi) be a deal-breaker?