eternal_newbie

Apologies if this is straying too far from the topic... Unfortunately a great many people - myself included - often spend far too much time thinking about what they are attempting to purchase and not enough about how they are trying to purchase it. Some reasons I have heard so far from questioning people who do this: "I'm trying to psych out bidders by showing I'm serious right from the start" (or just make them feel like the item MUST be worth getting) "I didn't realize you could raise your maximum bid" (you can) "My maximum bid would be the same no matter when I place it, so what's the difference?" (you're more likely to get it for less than your maximum if you hold out) "I'm not going to be here when the auction ends" (fair enough, but you're probably better off using an auction sniper like Gixen) "This way it shows up in my bidding history" (you know there's a watchlist, right?) and my personal favourite: "It's more exciting this way" (maybe save your $2000 and go skydiving) But yes, the best strategy is to wait until the last moment possible and put in your maximum bid, and then walk away so you don't get "caught up in the moment" and ending up paying much more than you intended - or indeed, more than you can afford. And this way you don't have to be too worried that the bid was artificially inflated, as you were always willing to spend that much and not a dollar (or your local unit of currency) more. Rohan G

This is a mass-produced Chinese sword from the lower end of the market, used for amateur tameshigiri (although I'd recommend against it, since swords like this have mass-produced, one-size-fits-all tsukas) or for people who just want to swing around or display something that looks like a samurai sword. This particular model is called the Ryumon Dragon Katana, and it retails for around the US$300 mark, less if second-hand. Information on this sword is plentiful on the Internet and a Google search on it should tell you everything you need to know about this sword being "very old" or "an original." I would not say this is a fake or a reproduction - it does not even pretend to be Japanese or a sword made by a Japanese smith, as the product logo is clearly visible on the box and on the Internet where one can find these for sale. I believe the common term for these, as used over on websites like Sword Forum International and the Sword Buyer's Guide, is "production blade," and a lower end one at that. I've heard of people who use these as decoys, so when thieves break into their house the gaudy production blade gets stolen while the treasures in plain shirasaya get ignored :lol: As others have mentioned, the box is probably the nicest thing about this sword, although I can confirm that the inlay is not silk but rather some kind of satin-esque material. I have in fact purchased one of these boxes (sans sword) from a garage sale and used it to store a real nihonto when moving house - it was far cheaper than a gun safe or even a proper Japanese sword box. -- Rohan G

Microfiber cloth is your best bet, but plain white tissue will work with a bit of effort. If you can find some, use a bit of denatured/isopropyl alcohol (99% or higher) to make sure the finger grease is completely gone. Happy new year! Rohan G

My newbie two cents' worth - a couple of other things about this blade that seem a bit off to me: * Mei seems a bit sloppily chiseled, alignment appears to be uneven and it's, well, a bit large compared to most others I've seen - it appears to take up a whole 3/4 or more of the nakago width * Nakago appears to have no taper or so little as to be unnoticeable from the photos Also, not exactly related to the blade itself, but the disparaging remarks about the seller's wife (can be found in the other listings too) are a little... off-putting :lol: Being a relative newcomer to the nihonto scene, it's possible these attributes are found on Japanese shinsakuto that I just haven't seen yet. If so, don't hesitate to correct me - always better to learn through the wisdom of one's contemporaries than to learn through the folly of one's wallet! - Rohan G