Lindus

Have been off the NMB for a while ,found this interesting and not defending anyone but have to say that selling swords is damned difficult. Two examples come to mind, the first when selling a Daisho from my collection around eight years ago, a gentleman who desecribed himself as a "Newbe" spent around three months demanding oshigata & Photographs all of which were sent along with my opininion based on signatures in Fujishiro and other, that is seemed genuine and was one of the three good smiths from around 1300,dropped the price and deal was agreed.............he was in fact a dealer in the US,put the sword to shinsa and it was declined,his reaction was that it was my fault that his concluisions were wrong. Second is similar in some aspects, an Itomaki no Tachi sold to a chap around five years ago,good mounts and blade with Gimie inscription,he took it to a dealer who came up with the classic comment...."If you were here last week I could have sold you a far better sword at half the price" Moral....ask questions & then if you are sure enough to part with money and can afford to buy,go for it. If you have made a mistake learn from it.............. Roy

A better picture of the nakago. Roy http://www.collectorsloot.homestead.com

Prosperous,Healthy & a good hunting year gentlemen. Around ten or so years ago I sold a 15 year old chap a few military items including a WW2 Japanese sniper Armour as well as some other odds and ends. He became very popular at enactor meetings as he was the only replicant IJA officer amongst hordes of Replicant GI's, all wanting photographs taken of him surrendering his sword!!!!,harmless fun. This last weekend he turned up with the sword,seems at the great age of 26 he has started a bussiness and wants to cash in the sword,here lies the question.... Beutifully mounted as far as gunto go,excellent fine lacquer on the steel saya,good early soft metal fittings throughout and probably the finest Mon apart from one other similar, I have ever seen. Sori only 7mm in present form,62.5cm kissaki to machi, width at mune machi is 3cm and at the yakote 2cm. The Hamon is a very fine example of suguha and although difficult to see the Boshi is all there with what seems to be Kaen. Hada I cannot describe as it is so polished, The Nakago may I suggest is O'Suriage, this conclusion is bare bones as in the past with Suriage blades I have allways detected an area where the Tsuba has been seated. Nakago Jiri has obvious chisel marks where an area has been removed, all in all it is a very handsome blade gentlemen so any comments would be helpfull in putting a value for Ryans project. http://www.collectorsloot.homestead.com Thanks Roy

True, I remember meeting people at the first Token Taikai who would never further their adventure into Nihonto for fear of seeming foolish in presenting the sword/swords they had. I on the other hand had no such fears and offered up to Kenji Mishina twenty swords that at that time was sure via a vast knowledge gained from John Yamoto { } that all mine were national treasures. Of the three, none treasure swords, that he would polish, I learned quite a lot....it needed the question to be asked did it not. I quite agree that watching and listening is a splendid idea but why not become involved, be foolish or embarrassed, question where appropriate, the current thoughts on Nihonto are changing, EG, Choji oil/veg oil. Being of the opinion that questions are the ultimate to further knowledge for the individual,foolish or not is subjective, & the life blood of advancement in any field. Socraties,love the chap for his questions and demise....also am a Freudian..... The weather for our picnic does not matter, portable BBQ,Flask's of hot Tea & Coffee,the tree cover in Lord Falmouths woodland and my child bride of 43 years is all we need, Music by pink of course. If any member would care to join us..........and they are completely mad. Mial me.........then so are the 100's who sit in darkened rooms with their PC's.. Roy

Well,that went well, all questions answered?. Roy

P_S Arent there any female collectors out mthere??? Roy

One of the buyers of my reference book library asked...."Why, with so many good reference books do you ask so many questions on the NMB" Hi Jeff, simple,either I am stupid or see the NMB as a forum for debate. See the strand " On the question of Gimei", this started a debate that has had more contributions recently than any other,it allows both senior members and those new to the NMB to ask the questions as well as being informed. Perhaps when the site seems to be just a Q&A session, the occasional open question is of use to all the membership, one chap mailed me to say that he had watched the NMB for several years, learned a lot but was cautious of asking questions for fear of looking a fool......Dont, ask the question of those selling items,if you are not sure what Utsuri is then there will be members out there who will inform you,eg, my learning curve re Aino swords. Lastly I would thank the membership for helping even a collector {with a large'ish reference library..now rapidly disspersing} with many odd & obscure questions. Happy Christmas to all who are into this celebration.....we are haveing a picnic on Christmas day in a wood by a stream .... :lol: :D Regards To all Roy

Yes I have mailed him a couple of times with no reply,has two houses and the PC is in one!. I suggested that members take a look and perhaps keep the address, I know what is to come and am pretty sure that in due course it will knock your socks off. Has some good & at least as far as private collections are concerned,unique items. Roy

See that by now a few have visited,what do you think?. As I recomended I would appreciate an opinion. Roy

An old friend who collected at the same time as me, has decided to sell off his collection. The site is still under construction but well worth a visit,his is very professional unlike my own {Described by one visitor as similar to an Arab Bazaar} as his son is a professional.....very envious!!!! Check it out at......Similar to my collection eight years ago, some "Flashy stuff" and Rare items. Competitor! no a friend. http://www.japaneseswordbay.com/ Roy

I would thank members that mailed me, cannot do any more,found his web site and mailed that but no reply, seems that whatever has happen'd to Roland I have now done all I can. Thanks Roy

NMB member Roland Mueller started to buy a sword from me,paid a deposit and one instalment, now way over the completion date and outside my buyer guidlines, I have tried on many occasions to contact him via NMB and direct email. Have now offered the Tachi for sale again but am not happy with this situation as have reasonable large payment in his name. If any member has any info on Roland Mueller from Germany would you please let me know. Roy

Have today had a conversation with the owner of an Auction house. With Guns,eg Match locks, he sends in two parcels, one declared as "Metal, Tube,Engineering ." while the stock goes as "Ornate wooden artifact".....Japanese swords he tells me that with Royal mail Global, they accept and insure "Collectable item, decorative". Another Auction house which I am trying out with a few items as they are only chargeing 8% total, will not post themselves but use a company based in Plymouth,UK, called "Post Box's" who collect and will insure for full amount but will pack and photograph for insured purpose. Transit of goods is becoming a real nightmare,recently a fellow collector found a way around this by takeing a long weekend holiday by coach to Germany, the daisho, cost £8000, was cheaper for him to take with him and arrange a meeting to exchange than to post!!! £250 as opposed to the holiday trip of £235 plus he had full board in a Holiday inn and several excursions to places of interest...........................PLEASE NOTE ANY EUROPEAN BUYERS FROM MY SWORD COLLECTION. Please check as I have the exclusions that carriers include, this can be quite sobering and you end up wondering what they actually do insure. Roy

As you all know I am selling off my reference library, have run into a cost problem but should say that printed paper postage should not be a problem with any postal service, no customs problem and usually a cheaper rate but insured can add quite a bit. Always mark as "Book,Reference material,printed paper" and you should not have a problem. Roy

I have over a few years seen seppa that have been decorated with designs that vary from abstract to scenes of battle,One "sadly now gone to Germany,with a tiny fine inscription,perhaps a poem, as these are never seen can anyone offer an opinion as to why this would be done other than a whim...? Roy

Try Using a flatbed scanner on these small items,usually gives a good image and is a quick method. Roy

Possibly Dog skin?. Roy

So this would be 2nd generation?.......If 1st,which I think it may have been, a chap in Aus is a very hapy man now.... Roy

Two other options are the use of a fibre glass propelling pencil to remove light rust without affecting and patination or polish,another is to wash the blade in Bicarbonate of soda which should neutralise the process, then if you want Uchiko and oil. Roy

That was interesting on a number of levels............ So, we all have it nailed down then?. I remember the biggest dealer in the UK saying to me "Tell every seller it's a fake & every buyer it's genuine,you will be right 95% of the time,by the time the 5% find out its to late". That was of course befor the NMB In the words of the Hill St Blues,"take care out there". Roy

Thanks gentlemen, interesting and final I think. I raised the question as when Mishina san was working in the UK I took 20 swords and one Yari for his opinion, he went through them and selected just four he would have been prepared to polish,one a Yari with Ha Giri, I assumed that as he had agreed to work on it that this fatal flaw on a blade was of little consequence on a robust koto Yari. Thanks again, let me know when you decide to rub someone out Grey,perhaps a deal for the future Roy

In a previous post I asked about Ha Giri on Yari, the opinion at that time was that this was a flaw that deleted the weapons value completely. I would propose that as the Yari is a stabbing weapon as opposed to katana/Tachi/Wakizashi,Ha giri is not a critical flaw.... Would be most interested in the opinions of the membership as after some research there seems to be a difference of opinion on this subject. Nothing too serious folks one chap recently told me he could "park a bycycle" in the Ha Giri he had. Roy

That would be very interesting,I remember that there was some discussion way back about papers being issued to donors or buyers (Big league chaps) that were not worth the paper written on. How true I dont know but one fairly recent{and may have mentioned this befor so please excuse if had} Of a chap who bought an early Koto tachi blade with good papers,when it arrived he brought it down for some of us to see, as the paper was a decade old and the sword was pretty spectacular, it was suggested that he send it back to the same society and see if the paper could be bettered. It was returned from the same society by the same man who had agreed the the original paper but as he had not informed them that it had already been shinsa'd by them, this time they would not issue a paper and stated that it was not by the man and a later copy. Complex subject. Roy

Hi Piers Although my posts are always pretty ordinary I try to provoke a renewal of interest in some area of our hobby, I have noticed that older collectors tend not to spend time with sections of their collection untill another collector calls. This recently happened when an enthused wine collector dropped in, he had bought a mixed case of Bordeux wines all dated from the 70's......I have since ploughed through the remains of my small celler & am now minus two Grand Cru that have been sitting there since 76. I remeber the great English Armour collector John Anderson saying that it had reached the stage when he only opened the door to his massive collection when another came to view them, this led him to selling his entire armour collection to a Japanese. Once gone he started again with renewed vigor...we are an odd lot but huge fun. Roy

Would enjoy seeing your work on the subject....as to "Love",the basic biological urge to reproduce a genetic similily,that seems appropriate to this subject dont ya think..... Were the Chokuto that appeared some years back and were accepted as genuine untill after some study declared as modern,signed?. Roy