Matsunoki

Looks more like a textile patchwork effect. Doesn’t look cubist to me.

Kevin, the price and the value of perfectly genuine swords can vary hugely from a few hundred£ all the way to hundreds of thousands. No two swords are the same and the value depends on many inter-related factors.

Tachi and Tanto were often worn together and the smaller sword here looks like a Tanto whilst the larger is a Tachi.

To my eyes, that Mei looks to have been on that nakago for a very very long time. Personally I wouldn’t dream of removing it . Jussi’s advise above is spot on (as usual!)

For example……

Maybe the design is a rather stylised Nami no Chidori……waves and plovers…..a very popular subject?

Mine is a Tory, soon to be out of a job and out of power and thus a waste of time…..no change there. This type of headline grabbing political vote grabbing woke ignorance and disregard just shows how utterly stupid they are. To hell with law abiding citizens. ……and as for Parcelforce…..who owns them?…….the Govt! - and I suspect their knife ban is the result of a back door nudge from the Govt.

Leon, thanks for the images. The kozuka is without doubt a perfectly genuine Edo (imo) piece and of good quality and with good subject matter …..but I cannot agree that the seal is confidently done. The outline is very irregular and wanders around quite a bit and crosses over the background design. Just doesn’t look right. Maybe someone else can comment? Compare it to the precision of the seal on the second example that you show us.

One of today’s headlines. I despair. Will it solve anything…….? No need to answer. I just hope all of collectors societies start talking now because we are heading for a Labour Govt.

The first one looks like it’s been put on with a gold pen in the same way as we see on some nakago nowadays. I hope I’m wrong.can we see the face sides please?

Totally fake. Whoever looked at it for you had his eyes shut or knows sod all about Japanese swords. Sorry. The Chinese are very good at making things look old. Everything about this one is wrong.

Totally impossible to tell from images. On one the Hadori is so heavy it conceals most of the hamon details. Can’t see any hada at all, no idea re any other “activity”. Total gamble and at that $price I’d be wanting to actually have the sword in my hands. Best to be cautious and know exactly what you are buying rather than regret it later.

This eBay seller is not a scammer or con man. I’ve bought from him and his service is excellent.

Just thinking maybe the saya for the top one is an old converted civilian/Samurai one which might mean the blade is an older one? Difficult to say from these images. I would leave the remaining leather….its part of its history. You might try to take it off, doubtless damaging it in the process only to find all the lacquer under it falls off. Saya could be split as well. Wait till yet get em and post better pics.

Mick , wonderful comments which I (and many in the UK) can relate to. At least we had those times.

Wow, thanks Piers. Still swinging at hammer at 89! He was a wartime smith as well so I’m guessing he really loved his smithing and returned to it when the wartime dust settled. Thank you again.

Please could I ask for help in filling in the gap that I have on this Tanto Mei? It is a piece I plan to sell on this forum. I have got “Seikon Unryushi Sadatsugu” but I’m not sure what is between that and Saku. Many thanks Colin

For those of you who have the fortitude to read it, this I think is the thread Jeremy refers to.

True!

I think the issue ripples a bit wider. If UK internal shipping becomes either a total no-go or becomes prohibitively expensive with an independent courier you can envisage auction houses saying its just not worth the “hassle” or “the negative publicity “…..and simply stop selling all blades. Imagine the impact not just on Japanese things but the millions of other blades sitting in collections. That could make the arms fairs more popular but it could also go the other way if demand is strangled and they wither and die.

I try not to think about what this could/will do to the value of any bladed collection….Japanese or otherwise.

Many congrats. I knew it was a great sword!! Enjoy.

Entrusting swords to parcelforce within the UK transforms me into a nervous wreck anyway. I’ve had all sorts of problems. Give the potential values involved and the damage to our nervous systems I guess it makes sense to shoulder the responsibility ourselves and maybe either deliver in person or meet halfway. At least the risk is removed….thats a worthwhile result. Of course not so easy in larger countries.

@Spartancrest Hi Dale, sorry but advising someone to hit it with a hammer is just plain daft and to me very offensive and disrespectful and extremely ill-advised….and deserves to be called out. Had he said something similar on a sword for example the world would come crashing down on him.

Well you sure as hell are. Just keep your hammer advice to yourself.