Good Deal, Or Rip Off?

[Whitegryphon70]

 I am just getting into Japanese swords and would like others valuable opinion in hopes i wont pay too much or end up with a junk blade or some chinese junk.  

 

I hope those on here with vastly more knowledge then myself could let me know what they think of this sword, on ebay item number 111861134673. Asking $3000.00 US dollars.

Do you think it is a real mei or a forged mei? Good price, overpriced?

 

 

 

 

 

This is a samurai sword Katana blade manufactured on the year 1623 by the sword smith Kinmichi from the Iga province, which is where the Ninja warriors originated.  Mr. Kinmichi received the honorary title of Lord of Iga province.  The blade is in great condition.  No dings to the edge.  No fatal flaws.  Retains a good amount of the polish.  measures 24 inches.  Beautiful pattern to the Hamon.  Straighter design (not as curved as usual Katana blade).  outfitted in WWII attire.  The fittings all have matching numbers.  handle remains nice and tight.  Shaking hands pommel loop.  Very difficult to find a blade of this age in this condition.

[Brian]

Sword looks nice, I wouldn't rely on that mei though. $3000 is not crazy, but not a steal. Depends what you are after. Must it be pre WW2 or just a nice katana etc? We have already seen some good deals on offer here for $2000 and up. Mark says he has RJT swords for $2K. Joe has some great deals for just over $3K.

24" is only barely a katana. You would need to make sure that is accurate, as 23.5" is a wakizashi...

You need to decide. Buy the sword, forget the mei.

[ROKUJURO]

Please sign all posts at least with your real first name plus an initial as is the rule here.

KINMICHI worked in KYOTO; you may get some information on the genuity of the MEI if you look for MISHINA school. The NINJA of IGA province do not add much to the value of the sword! 

[Whitegryphon70]

I would like a pre ww2 blade the older the better. How do I get in touch with Mark and Joe to see what they have?

[SteveM]

Hello Whitegryphon70,

 

Kinmichi is an "artist's name" that was used by about 24 different swordsmiths (maybe more). There are at least 6 of these who signed it exactly as you have in the sword you posted 「伊賀守金道」 Iga-no-kami Kinmichi. And as Jean points out above, all of the Kinmichi who signed their swords this way worked in the Kyoto area. 

 

There is no date inscribed on your sword, so the seller cannot know when it was manufactured (unless he/she radiocarbon-dated the sword!). Seeing as how it has a very shallow sori, my guess from just looking at the sword is that it was forged in the mid-to-late 1600s. 

 

As Brian says, it does look like an OK sword - no reproduction. It has a funky circular mark in the hamon (in the second picture), but maybe not a deal-breaker. It looks like it needs a polish, but with all the discussion of the delicate process of polishing going on, I hesitate to even venture into that arena. The shape is one that sword collectors tend to discount. The WWII mountings look fine. Bear in mind this is sort of like talking about how good the frame is on a painting from an old-master. I would question the seller's statement that it is "difficult" to find a blade in this condition. The condition is very average. The interwebz are full of blades in that sort of condition.   

 

So, this is sort of a long-winded way of saying, beware of that seller. He's fishing for people who have a weakness for buzzwords like ninja and samurai. If you really just want any old sword from the Edo era, they can be bought for around $1000 (or less if you keep your eyes open). If you have $3000 burning a hole in your pocket, you should set your sights slightly higher and watch this forum for a papered sword from one of the sellers here. Ebay is a dangerous place for people who are just starting to dabble in nihonto. 

[Jean]

Steve,

 

Just call him Sean as in his signature

[Greg F]

Hi Sean, I also saw this sword for sale. I remember reading the (where ninjas are from) haha. I think you can do better for the price, just my opinion. I must say you made a smart decision coming here before spending. All the best and welcome.

 

Greg