drl

Darcy's unparalleled nihonto scholarship, passion, and generosity with his time was a remarkable gift to this community. I am so, so sorry to hear of his passing.

Thanks for your helpful replies. Here are some examples—all sold as tachi—of what I find confusing, or at least not consistent: Tokubetsu Juyo from mid-Kamakura (~1299), 72 cm, o-suriage, papered as katana (I assume because of the o-suriage?) https://www.aoijapan.com/tachi-mumeirai-kunitoshi/ Tokubetsu Kicho from early Muromachi (~1398), 71 cm, ubu (?), papered as katana https://www.nipponto.co.jp/swords6/KT332998.htm Juyo, mid-Kamakura, 73 cm, suriage, papered as tachi (meaning dai to) https://katananokura.jp/SHOP/1203-TC01.html Juyo, Nanbokucho period (~1362), 71 cm, ubu, papered as tachi https://www.sanmei.com/contents/media/S35492_S830_PUP_E.html Tokubetsu Hozon, late Nanbokucho, 75 cm, suriage, papered as tachi https://nihontoart.com/shop/tachi-signed-akikuni/

After having reviewed many NBTHK papers in my current quest for a pre-Edo tachi, I've noticed many examples of papers that list "1. Katana" and others that list "1. Tachi". However, I haven't been able to figure out what causes the NBTHK to paper a blade as one versus the other, *except* that I noticed virtually all blades from the late Edo period or after seem to be papered as katana, not tachi. But I've seen many blades from 1200s, 1300s, and beyond that are papered as tachi or as katana even though they are: - mumei, or signed - signed tachi-mei, or signed katana-mei - > 70 cm, or under 70 cm - pronounced sori, or less sori - ubu, suriage, or o-suriage - from a variety of schools and styles Is there a clear logic to the NBTHK decision to paper as katana vs as tachi? Thank you for enlightening me.

Thank you, Jean. But there are mumei long koto blades papered by NBTHK as tachi, such as: http://www.samuraisword.com/nihontodisplay/TBH/Kunitsugu/index.htm https://katananokura.jp/SHOP/1203-TC01.html Do you know why some are papered as tachi and others as katana? I noticed that for swords made in the late Edo period it appears all are papered as katana, even if signed tachi-mei and unusually long and curved. Thanks, David

Thank you very much for the suggestion, John! I like many aspects of this sword. Potential downsides are: - The horimono dragon seems not meticulously done. I wonder if it was added well after the blade was forged? - It's papered as a katana rather than a tachi - It's papered (tokubetsu kicho) on green paper so apparently hasn't been re-papered yet - The habaki is partially cracked. I appreciate your sharing it with me. Please keep the suggestions coming!

Thank you, Steve. Very nice, though not in tachi koshirae. I don’t see a price or if it’s in stock though, and when I got to the website’s sword listings it isn’t listed.

Thank you, Paul— email sent.

Yes, happy to share photos of the daisho once the export/import process is complete.

Thank you, Dan! I'm on the east coast but not sure if I will be able to make it to Chicago in April. But I will check. Thank you as well for pointing out that tachi. There's a lot I like, though the koshirae's utilitarian "tusken raider" aesthetic may or may not be my cup of tea. Will need to contemplate more.

Thank you, Gakusee—that one is already on my list of candidates. I really appreciate you raising it as well!

Many appeal, but none are quite what I’m looking for—but I enjoyed going through them. Thanks for sharing.

Does not need to be juyo (tokubetsu hozon would be fine), and the fittings do not need to be original, just period. But yes, I'm aware of the approximate pricing of these items.

Thank you so much, Jussi. Your tach-divining powers are very impressive. I'll enjoy going through all of these! (I just finished going through all the dealers' websites in the 2021 Dai Token listing).

Thank you; I appreciate—and agree with—your caveat. I guess a part of the fun for me is the challenge of finding that rarest confluence of history, art, and culture in near-original form. (Then again, I thought finding a true daisho papered together Tokubetsu Hozon with original koshirae would be impossible, but it actually came to be.)

Thanks in part to the helpful suggestions from this forum (what took me so long to find NMB?...), I recently completed my quest to purchase a true daisho, papered together as daisho, with original koshirae. I'm also looking for a tachi, ideally with the following characteristics: - Ubu (unshortehed) - Cutting edge ≥ 72 cm - Nanbokucho era (pre-Edo strongly preferred) - With period tachi koshirae (ideally original) - Papered as Hozon, Tokubetsu Hozon, or higher I've browsed several dealers' stock and thus far saw several nice pieces, but none that meet enough of these criteria to pursue. Any suggestions for dealers or candidate tachi would be much appreciated. Many thanks. 🙏

I enjoyed Darcy Brockbank's article-- thank you, Gakusee. If it helps expand the identification of daisho (with koshirae) candidates that might pop on people's radars, I am happy to consider ones up to $40,000 USD. So far I have identified several for which I very much like the blades, smith provenance, and/or components of the koshirae... but none that I've found yet have yet hit all the marks, including all the wonderful suggestions made in this thread. I'm grateful for any additional candidates this community can bring to my attention. Thank you!

Thank you, everyone—I very much enjoy learning about nihonto and I’m grateful for the wise advice. I would be willing to expand my budget for the right daisho. Please keep your suggestions coming! 🙏

Any more suggestions? I’ve really enjoyed learning about the suggested Daisho in the replies above. Thank you!

Thank you so much for the suggestions. 🙏

I am interested in purchasing a Daisho set (katana and wakizashi), Tokubetsu Kicho/Hozon or higher with complete certification in outstanding condition. The blades must be signed though not necessarily by the same smith (although that would be nice). Edo period or earlier. Ideally, the Daisho would be as complete as possible, including original kozuka, saya, and other koshirae components. Even more ideal— with original tsunagi and shirasaya and wooden blades. Target price is up to $30,000 USD. Thank you for your time and for any suggested leads on such a special Daisho.