GARY WORTHAM

Over the years, i watch people advertise, for sale an item, that they re selling at a loss !!

I have a problem wrapping my head around this concept; for the status of an adult. 

To look and spend the high dollars for this study / hobby; one should take the high road, and know what they are doing.

This is a serious study / hobby; and to throw their money to the wind; is not in line with rational thoughts.

I looked to the future, as I study and purchase, to avoid this pitfall.

Simple directions are thrown to the wind, and a pure path to follow is yet to be revealed.

Planning for the future in 2018; I am scheduling the annual visit to Tokyo to this show, and all to follow.

So, I would appreciate the correct time ; to begin air and hotel planning.

Thanks Brian, for the positive comment !!

His next, more educated purchase may be a good sword / with mounting; which could propel him into this world we are are captured with.

Ok, I'll bite;

I focus on one new fully mounted sword a year. Papers preferred, and hopefully koto. Yet, the exception of an other era may over ride.

Better that the previous years purchase; but the exceptional and great deal may again over ride the purchase.

I look for the reality of the purchase, a true samurai sword in mounts; not a court sword or a " Frankenstein of mixed mounts ".

Cost ??; each year is a bigger budget with better financial planning for the future.

My taste knows it when it sees it !!!

Living in a high % humidity location, I found that even kept in a vault in a secure area, the swords were at risk, over the years; even with the best intentions and oiling.

My solution and success, was DampRid, which is easily available at Home Depo,  Loews, etc. You will be amazed at the moisture the container draws from the air.

Thank you Darcy for what I was implying, but received the usual " board " stomping !!!!!

A fact !! Your wisdom and clear sightedness is a rare and refreshing breath of air.

If you are at the SF show, I have a table and will look you up.

The ' opened minds need to inspire the closed minds ".

Hung an old calligraphy on our wall, but no idea what the 2 kanji says or the 10 kanji vertical statement.

Sure would feel more happy to tell others what it says.

Thanks !!!

After a few shinsa, where great looking swords with signatures, are pronounced as gimei.

I watched the shinsa team as they studied the swords with their books !!!!!!!

It became apparent that they looked to find the correct signature, but when " not in their book ", it was pronounced as gimei.

Her lies the most critical of evaluation !!!!

You have a great quality sword, a signature [ by smith, student, attribution ]; yet designated as gimei. 

I feel we are wrong to cut and paste an absolute where we can not see the past.

The shinsa team should be honest, say they don't know and just give an evaluation of the sword itself..

This old Japanese silk screen has a complex motif from the rabbit & the moon to the samurai offering his sword to the river ???

Anyone have the actual interpretation or thought behind, what I find to be a beautiful and facinating historical representation of old Japanese culture / folklore.

Well,  I don't wish it to be a true cut signature. An idiot can tell how it was produced.

I was just interested in what is the implied inscription, an evaluation of why it was done, and what we all thrive for, " true education and not speculation ".

I have found over the years, many know what they have, from others giving them the answers, maybe correct.

The pure nature of this study, is to research, over and over, with many wrong solutions; till the pick of the litter shows; but then is over shadowed by new facts.

Yes !!! The fun of it all. 

Ok, real snappy answers, but are not the answer. Why would a fittings smith put this on his fuchi. I have others with such type etchings. He's not going to do 44 !!

It's not scratches of a focused artist. Is it his way of signing ??  An attribution to a past of his ?? We don't know, but would sure like to understand !!!

Axel R;

             Well, the obvious is what do I have ??  Era, den, age, school, smith. Are not we all looking to expand our education and experience.

I, as many, have taken the bold step forward to purchase a piece of history. And now look to the future of what is to be. A great adventure !!

Tanto cutting edge = 29cm.

Era, school, smith ??  All thoughts appreciated 29cm.

     After 20+ years of study, evaluation, and purchase of a lot of " polished swords  ", I have always asked who did the polish. The cruel answer in 90% is of an individual who has been in the study and collection for years, who now how taken upon himself to polish.

Just bought a wonderful fully mounted tanto with such polish. Attribution is wrong, and the polish  is so weak !! Could be a really wonderful study sword, shinsa will tell.

But, I am unsure of the current prices extracted from us for the polish of a blade. It seems a lot for many of the items that are not so in bad shape. Cost per hour of time would be of interest. And, the protocol of polishing seems to be a complex maze of direction.

I too, believe, even after 20+ years of being a student/collector of the " Japanese sword ", that the blade is an intended part of the package with it's koshirae to make it be called a " sword ". The blade in shirasaya is, of course, just the blade.

That being said as the obvious, what one collects is as unique as their visual to brain interpretation, of what they like and want to own; and willing to spend.

My choice from the start was the entire sword package, which, every year I increase with quality. The better the choice and cost, the better the blade quality polish, and even papers; etc., has pointed me in the right direction for the future; with naturally, a matching set of it's koshirae.

Yes, I do has a few that are in shirasaya, with their matching koshirae  ; but intact. They just came that was, were great swords to behold, and it works for me.

What I found in my early days of purchases,  were the " Frankenstein " swords, where the great fittings were stripped from the blade, and replaced with a poor vision of it's former self. These ill fitted fittings, by amateur or uncaring sword folks, replacements, were at it's best, in the early days, still able to contain, yet a quality fitting, here or there; so I have yet to turn them loose as a sword. These are a great reminder of what was once something, but was reduced by the tampering of others.

Greetings Rohan;

E-bay is for the bargain hunters, and to sell as an entire collection will get you a real under sell. You will loose big on your wonderful collection.

Why not fly you and your collection to the biggest show in the USA, in August, in San Francisco, and get a table to present your collection.

Here will be a lot of serious collectors, with money, and interested to see what they can add to their collection. Their site will tell you how to get a table.

The Northern California Japanese Sword Society has hosted this event for many years, and this year, 2017, will have a Shinsa by the NTHK, which will ensure a really big turn out.

You will not only be successful in your selling, but to meet and engage others at this event will be more than you can expect.

The sad part of this is the fact that an old sword with it's koshira were separated and sold; as well as accepted as an honerable business transaction.

My collecting focus for the last 20+ years has been to purchase the total package; as one who would walk out the door to go to war.

We seem to strip the heritge for the history in the name of what ??????

Ok, I went to the show, my 20 year anniversary for it.

To be real:  No new public, no new members to the study, the only action was dealers searching each other for a new item to sell.

I tried to buy and was ready, but nothing there. 

I feel this is the end to this show; and the future is left to the San Francisco show.

But, this is not a bad thing. The show in San Francisco show will grow to be even better than it is and the hope & future of this study, collection, and adventure.

So, the tables will sell out, the room will expand, all who know one another will be there, and the most important will be the new to the group, to bring life to the future.

Live in the country, and found this head. Treated and cured. Used a wood stand from Japan town shop.

The rest is a personal security issue. To show the world how you display or store expensive items sets you at risks. 

Not for what you have but for those who think they may an opportunity to take advantage of an open opportunity.

Not a good choice in life..

Will be at the Tampa show, and looking for Robert Haynes catalogs # 5 & # 10. If you have them. See you there.

Joe !!

I am not here to make any judgement, but listen to the folks who know.

If you are so serious; and I commend your conviction of a future goal; there are other ways to move forward.

I see you are from California, and therefore have access to a fully trained Japanese sword  polisher, who has the respect of many of us. Jimmy Hayashi, in southern CA.

Contact him, tell him your vision and goals, seek his advice, and learn from him what you must.

Greeting to John

Well the great solution for both you and your wife would be to make your travel vacation to the San Francisco area and tour the beautiful city, enjoy it's history, and explore the unmatched coast.

While there, you could come to the biggest sword show in the USA, and bring your wife there. There are many with their wives there, they are great people, and enjoy the entire concept of the show.

I believe she would be supprised at how interesting and relaxing the set up of the show is, as well as meet other wives to see their reasons of interest.  

There is a lot to do in San Francisco as well as a show with over 140 tables; you both would have a wonderful time.

Interesting comments and ideolgys. To enjoy ones purchase at the expense of a loss or the lack of sale ability, is a dark force that is at the root of where there are but a few new serious collectors emerging to replace the fallen.

Collection as a passion; is far over shadowed by the shear expense to the new or finacially limited; not with standing the brutal learning curve with years to invest.

When one hears that they took a beating but learned things; well it is best to study the multitude of examples from every show in the USA and even the Dai Token Ichi.

I see at the shows, the younger new generation, buying the junk, the worn & tired; as well as a focus on cutting or polishing up there new find.

I feel that I am fortunate to have a somewhat learned low level of study after 20+ years, and a honest gut desire to collect, share, and advance the fully mounted swords that I have narrowed done as my field of interest. Never bought a sword that I would not be happy to keep forever, or as a concept of sale.

Anyway, I do my best out there to grow the study, share what I have &  know, and truly enjoy the unique, eccentric, & gifted folks that have dedicated themselves.