Mark

**********2020 Chicago SHOW CANCELLED******* The hotel just contacted me to say in line with CDC guidelines they are cancelling all events in April. If you have a room reservation they should cancel it Tuesday and you will get an email. If you have paid for table(s) give me a week and i will contact you. I will have dates for 2021 shortly and hope to see you all then.

no idea what the future holds but as of now it is on. My intent is to have the show if i can. If there is some travel issues or if you can't have more than 10 people in a room i guess it will be a problem. A lot of people drive so that should be a plus. I can see large events cancelling where there are thousands of people but the number of people at the show is more like the numbers you might find at a grocery store so not sure what type of restrictions there might be. If there are any changes i will post here, on FB sites, and my show website www.chicagoswordshow.com

As of today March 10, 2020 the Chicago Show is ON as scheduled. If anything changes i will post it here immediately. The hotel room block is getting full, if you have trouble getting a room let me know. Tables are sold out but if you want a table let me know i may have a cancellation. Thanks for the interest i look for a great show this year. Thanks Mark www.chicagoswordshow.com https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/group-booking/CHIRW/G-MTKN https://www.facebook.com/Chicago-Samurai-Sword-Show-247511275418215/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel&eid=ARBZrmEi4Kpgsf1BuMuUYgz_x8XkzXqAtEA4mhswfiexQhqgDy1Y26s2RUsZVHnkRIIv2Iyrndxr-xs8

website has pictures from a past show. i saw them taking pictures so maybe new posted in the future http://www.sosovms.com/Gallery.aspx?Display=Gallery&GID=11&PageIndex=0

Dan what day were you there? NCO swords are good merchandise and i saw a lot purchased. I bought a couple and i don't go out of my way for them (they were under my table as i don't usually sell items i buy at a show). I know one guy bought at least a dozen. Most were bought wednesday and thursday morning. So depends when you were there. I didn't count but i saw at least 30-40 (and i wasn't really looking hard) but most were gone quickly.

I out bid Bruce, just to make it easy on him.... i doubt i will win but will be happy of i do. Nice sword Fred

Bruce don't worry i out bid you, just to relive your worry. doubt i will win but will be REEEEEEEL happy if i do

are you sure it is a Hozon paper? I thought the NBTHK put the nagasa on the right of the mei/attribution

not sure i understand. For mailing from the U.S. to international location the USPS offers Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, Global Express Guaranteed, and first class. They had an EMS service some years back but changed it to Priority Express. So what serice are you referring to as EMS ? Or am i missing something? https://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/tz_018.htm

what do NMB's think about the outcome of the auction? I thought a lot of items went for much less than i would have expected

not sure where you are but i use John Tirado

it is a navy officers sword. this type was replaced \by the Ka iGunto in about 1936 so it dates from before then. Not sure about rank of the officer. Hard to say value from the pictures, it looks like there may be damage to the tip? maybe the point is broken? Should be worth $1500+ but if a good restore able blade possibly a lot more.

KaneMoto? hard to see the very bottom

Moriyama-san thanks! that helps a lot. someone had told me 仝 dou had the meaning of "same family" but maybe that was incorrect. I know it was made by both but i was trying to figure out of Kiyotsune was just a student or if it was his son and student. I appreciate the help mark

could someone please help me with this tag. i can read Chikugo kuni Aoki Omi Suke Minamoto Kiyohide then ??? Kiyotsune, the sword is signed by both makers but i am nor sure if the ?? kanji i can't read has a meaning like son or same family? the other kanji are hard for me, i think it is the name of the person who surrendered the sword but it looks like 2 kanji are a bit obscured or crossed out If someone could help me with the translation but also understanding what it means i would appreciate it

i agree. the issues i see: handle may have been sand blasted but you usually see some remnant of paint in the recessed parts of the handle, serial numbers are too close together, the scabbard matches the sword but it has the screw on the Nagoya side yet the stamps for not Nagoya (Suya Kokura), and the Tokyo stamp seems to rounded at the upper part. may be wrong with some of this as i do not collect NCO I will have to watch for these as they do look good

thanks! i will have a good look and see if i can figure that out. I find "grass script" or that type writing hard to translate

I am having trouble with the date. It should be shinshinto. I think I can see year 8 th month day but can't figure out the nengo and number of the year. Any help appreciated. Thanks

i would recommend Grey Doffin, he is well known here at NMB. He describes honestly and will answer any questions. check his site and "click" on sword section http://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/

didn't have time to try it all but a quick look Showa 17 1942

yes, that was what i heard

if the auction house/sword is in CA there is a shinsa in CA in July/august they could submit it

i think it is shinogi-zukuri, just yokote worn away. mei seems very crisp and deeply cut (for 600 years old) but poorly done, maybe added at some time?

i would think TH papers would say the material

my opinion would be that these were done by a sword dealer to fancy up the swords for sale. It would seem to me that if an owner was 91 and had 2 swords he wanted inscribed in gold he would have had the 2 done exactly the same like a matched set