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My God... Where Does One Even Start...?


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I agree with everything. I've been learning more, every day. The only part i hadn't considered was the thinning of the blades over the eras. I'd always wondered about the robustness of a 400-500 year old blade, in terms of theoretical 'use' strength, and i guess certainly that would have an effect. Is the difference here what some people mean when they say "healthy" blade, over those who do not?

 

Anyways... i already bought a Chinese blade... the best of them for what thats worth. So i have something to appreciate in my house, or to use should I get into JSA. It will be some time likely before i can start shopping for a nihonto again, but by then i should be a lot more read up on what i need and what i like. 

 

There are two blades i have on my radar right now. Should financial situations shift... i'll be after them (though i'm sure they'll be gone by then). One is edo era, and on eJapan, the other is post-war gendaito and on aoi. The former i could see as purely collectible, and the latter i could see as a sword i could use. I'd more or less decided on a modern sword for use in the beginning. I just liked the idea that they hadn't been polished more than once, and were still exactly how they came from the smith's hands (no shortened sword, no polished off niku, and no rusty nagako). Hell... i'd commission a new one if i could. 

 

As i have said before, the one thing i'm not interested in doing is having a blade polished. That will double the price on a cheaper blade, not to mention the hassles. The ones in the links (in my range anyways) definitely look a bit rough.

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Hi Judas, its good to have your eye on swords for sale as it helps to motivate to save faster i believe and helps to learn ofcourse. Ejapan seem to have a lot of swords that are similar consistently so if the one your watching is sold there is plenty of hope. Good luck with the saving and enjoy the journey.

 

Greg

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Really, you need to be patient. Keep 2 eyes out and wait for something that speaks to you. Just don't use an antique blade that should be cherished and conditioned to last as long as it possibly can.

 

But you should find something that speaks to you, not just something with papers or a name.

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What an interesting piece, almost two shaku on the nose yet hira zukuri... and the koshirae beautiful.  

 

-John

 

 

And another pretty example of a "mixed" Koshirae where the Tsuka has been cutted to stick on crappy Kogai .....Alone this would leave me miles away from this reseller....

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And another pretty example of a "mixed" Koshirae where the Tsuka has been cutted to stick on crappy Kogai .....Alone this would leave me miles away from this reseller....

Do you mean this mess...do you mean "kojiri" and not "kogai"?

 

2be1cc28c9754d28409ec56b7d462ce0.jpg

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What an interesting piece, almost two shaku on the nose yet hira zukuri... and the koshirae beautiful.  

 

-John

CUTTING EDGE 58.8 cm/ 23.15 inches......so not really "almost 2 shaku on the nose". Possibly a wakizashi with a katana tsuka added at a later date? Katana typically do sell for more than wakizashi.

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CUTTING EDGE 58.8 cm/ 23.15 inches......so not really "almost 2 shaku on the nose". Possibly a wakizashi with a katana tsuka added at a later date? Katana typically do sell for more than wakizashi.

 

Yeah thats a wak, less than 60.1cm nagasa.

i see what he meant now.

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Really, you need to be patient. Keep 2 eyes out and wait for something that speaks to you. Just don't use an antique blade that should be cherished and conditioned to last as long as it possibly can.

 

But you should find something that speaks to you, not just something with papers or a name.

 

 

Oh, i definitely agree. Though, its hard when it seems everything (to date anyways) i like is found on these sites that take mugshot-like photos (very descriptive mind you) of blade profiles, nagakos and kissakis... and kinda miss the... i cant even describe it... the 'art' of the blade perhaps. I mean, i understand these photos are useful for the blade-whisperers and collectors... to discern health, issues, flaws, etc... but there is no 'feel'... that i get anyways, from site like, say aoi art, or eJapan. Some ov the members here, such as Raymond singer, or the Canadian site, take wonderful pics that can give at least some sort of feel i suppose. Problem is... i've fallen in love with only three swords so far, and all have been on aoi or eJapan. I guess you kinda just have to order it and wait to see what you get... if you like the look and feel... if it speaks to you. 

 

I suppose you could ask your sword broker to ask for these details from the Japanese end... but then you get a child's game of 'telephone'... only further limited by the severe frustrations of electronic (mis)communication, translations, and further miscommunications. I bet that would be a LOT of work... if it even paid off.

 

 

I just recently went through this very issue. I mean, i only bought a Chinese forged blade... but the ONLY one i could find i liked was in the Netherlands, on one site, with a buy it now. Vague on-site purchasing details. No one answered phone calls. No one answered on-site messages. No one on sword forums knew a thing about them. No one answered E-mails until i asked Jussi to message the guy (he knows him) for me and prompt him (and Jussi was more than nice enough to do it!). I got two very terse, quick Emails out of the effort, which took a week, and it was enough i decided not to drag this out over three more to have my (simple, quick) questions answered. I pulled the trigger, got hammered on my end by hidden costs (i could have been warned about), and i got something that was not quite what i ordered... one very key detail was off. Well... i'm still happy, it was a deal,  (i can spend $150-200 and fix the issue and still be ahead). But if i wasn't... well... i'd be married to it. 

 

The point of all that... was that i can imagine the Netherlands is a lot easier to deal with, and communicate with, than Japan, there are no regulations or laws jamming up the process, and it was a LOT less money tied up in limbo. I'm not sure i'd have the patience to go through this for a nihonto...

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