Matsunoki

Forgot to say….hachi is iron, shikoro is leather.

Attempting to learn! This is advertised as 100% Edo with nice old maedate. Seller is apparently reliable. Certainly visually impressive in excellent condition but is it Edo? Tehen no kanamono looks “new” Showa? All opinions gratefully received! Many thanks. Colin

Yes, for me, but with regrets (and for a variety of reasons). One door closes…another opens…….🙂

Brian I agree but with genuine respect it also means that “they” don’t get to spread blatant falsehoods ie lies and treat with disrespect and derision anyone who sells or collects what they view as below their lofty standards. I was somewhat surprised that unjustified and offensive comments on dealers went unchallenged. Anyway, I hope your health is improving. All the best.

Things have changed ……inevitably. I come from over 40 years ago. No internet, no computers, no mobile phones, very few books, no contact with Japan….starting from scratch armed with enthusiasm and a modest budget. I experienced the treasure hunts. Building contacts by word of mouth, adverts in papers followed by days spent responding, visiting the local weapons dealer to see if anything had turned up. Phone calls from strangers (some very strange) I’ve bought many swords from sheds, garages, country houses, local auctions (if Peter Yorke hadn’t found out about it) I’ve driven 400 miles to see a newly discovered dealer (Chris Shewen) but having arrived an hour early being told by his wife that he was asleep on the couch and I’d have to wait! Fellow enthusiasts driving down from Scotland because they had heard I was interested in Japanese swords. Can’t remember much about those encounters…they brought this rather potent liquid with them. A bundle of swords arriving in the post….one looked nice…turned out to be a Heian period blade in untouched Efu no Tachi mounts that made a bomb through Sothebys years later. Being brave and going to a Token Society meeting in London …..the less said the better. Going to see Mike Deann London (a dealer) ….did I want o sell them….no….then I really need to charge you for valuations… Virtually no swords in shirasaya. All in original koshirae from gunto to stunning Goto mounted daisho. Some rusty, some good but old school polish …..etc etc etc We learned things the hard way and slowly. That excitement has largely gone and will never return. IMO the hobby has become sterile….we were “sword collectors”, now it seems to be more “blade buyers” dependent more on your budget. Lots of shiny things in shirasaya with modern polish and papers. Ok if that’s your thing…fine. There are those that sneer at us early birds sadly….but they will never ever enjoy what we enjoyed.

Bye Rayhan.

Still no facts. Just more insinuations. And everyone has an option not to buy something. Please ……facts. You do know what a fact is? …..and I am not a dealer. When the last 5 swords are gone that’s it. John, fine by me but I’m not usually one to back down when facing personal attacks and insults. Whether face to face or from a keyboard warrior. I’ll shut up and let people draw whatever conclusion they like. Bye Rayhan….be happy.

Try to stay with it mate…..I am not a dealer, simply selling my collection. In your anger to spout I think you lose track a bit. Check what I said, I didn’t say I sold them “on the cheap” STICK TO WHAT YOU KNOW, NOT WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW. TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE. In other words you don’t have the slightest clue about me, what I’ve sold or anything else. You cannot offer a single fact to back up your insults and insinuations. Everything is based on your imagination and very obviously driven by an insatiable ego. You obviously have no idea how or why a market works the way it does. You are making yourself look like a total idiot. Whether you are one or not I cannot say but I could guess.

OK @Rayhan, of all the swords that I have sold please tell me which ones people should not have bought and why. Let’s stick to facts, not plastic plates or assumptions. Let’s not base our answers on the prices I sold them for because that tells us nothing. You obviously know what I’ve sold and who bought them (including many members on this Forum and the UK Token Society) so fire away.

I guess you just don’t like anyone disagreeing with you and so you continue to insult with absolutely no knowledge…..just assumptions. All you display is disrespect for perfectly genuine items collected by enthusiastic collectors who are happy with them for a variety of different reasons. If you don’t value them fine but why be so obnoxious? I must have really got under your skin which is obviously very thin. Sorry about that.

I’m not upset. You and your opinions on what everyone should do are not worth getting upset about. I’d forgotten about it all, maybe you hadn’t? let me add immature to my post above.

Showing yourself for the childish ego driven person that you are. Do you think this post will impress anyone? You just carry on insulting, it says a lot about you.

Bit like East Anglia on a good day.

Thank you Piers. Greatly appreciated. I have asked my wife to remove the cable ties from my wrists just so I can write this. They, and the gag are going back on now🙂

Piers is our netsuke man on this forum. He will see I have mentioned him above and will doubtless help you (and me!) Actually I think the one on eBay is a better carving.

@Bugyotsuji Piers is the signature man (but I do not recognise this one) and I am very suspicious of this piece. I suspect it is not what it seems although carved with some degree of “Japanese aesthetic” See this very similar but more highly finished piece that has popped up on eBay . I am suspicious of that as well. I have never seen this model of tiger before and boxwood tigers were a big part of my old collection. But of course I may be totally wrong. edit..link didnt work. Search eBay for “netsuke tiger”

@Brian My apologies Brian. Sorry to hear you are poorly. Wishing you speedy improvement and better times ahead.

This simply does not make any sense and ignores the reality of the market. In what way is it a better buy?

So, are they a better buy than a lower tier item or items? …..let’s just stick to clear straightforward answers about swords and not muddy the waters with real estate.

Ok, a simple question. All the high end swords being sold by dealers everywhere….Japan, USA….anywhere - even here on the Forum……are they all being sold at a recoupable price? Does the dealer(s) not have a substantial mark up built in? Are they a better buy than any other “lower tier” item?

Wrong, I don’t need to sell anything. I am just choosing to. Another assumption. Where did I say that? I’m not interested in £50k Kabuto or £100k suits. Another assumption. Why insult anyone? Dealers name their price. Buyers decide whether to buy or not. ….again you keep talking money and values…..it’s all about the money with you.

Wrong again. I am selling my second collection because I am developing an interest in armour and my home is full of far too much stuff. Please don’t jump to conclusions. I have let that be known in this forum. Many of my first collection went to Japanese (and UK )dealers and many highly experienced members of the Token Society many years ago. Did I need to “convince them to buy them”? Sorry but you are talking garbage with no knowledge and little forethought and now you are starting to insult not just me but anyone who is a dealer. What bit of that is difficult to understand? …and as for “the world is their oyster” get real please. PS As I have said many times , I am perfectly happy. You are the one throwing your Teddy out.

Wrong What amazing options? They own one sword….they may have bought badly I agree knowledge is necessary but only to your personal chosen level. I dislike talking money but I have been fortunate, I could buy a great many things but I simply choose not to. Therefore I do not aspire to be an expert at Kantei nor to own expensive swords for the sake of ownership. They are not “my thing” and in my experience there are a great many others who share that view. You can make snide remarks about my selling swords, but we all seem happy, many customers have returned many times. I do not make them buy anything. Is that really so darned hard to understand?

Tut tut, temper temper. what happened to being gentlemanly and a forum for open discussion? No chip on my shoulder, I just don’t agree with you and I don’t have the same views on collecting as you. Anyway….you keep talking money and I’ll keep talking enjoyment and tolerance.….and your last paragraph is utter rubbish

@Brano Brano, I agree with much that you say, knowledge is essential if you want to buy expensive things unless you are so rich it doesn’t matter. But not everyone wants to buy expensive things and many cannot buy expensive things. Thankfully this hobby can happily accommodate all levels, tastes, preferences and aspirations. However a couple of questions…. What exactly constitutes a great blade….is there a definition that everyone would agree on? Does a great blade have to be an expensive blade?…does everyone agree on that? Are all expensive blades great? Is there a difference between a great blade and a great sword? Basically what I’m saying is let people happily buy/collect whatever they want (or can) and stop trying to judge them. This whole topic started with the suggestion that “newbies” should save more (how much more.?) and wait before taking the plunge. How many of us on this forum honestly did that? Speaking personally, I’ve built two collections of swords (not just blades) the first over 40 years ago…in all well over 200 swords and 195+ have been sold to very happy people …..dealers (including Japanese) and collectors, experienced and beginners, rich and not so rich. None of these blades would probably fit your definition of “great blades”…..but neither myself nor the great many happy customers give a stuff. Many would definitely fit my definition of truly great swords. Live and let live without judgement.