Poll by request. Your first sword era?

[Brian]

Was asked to place this poll by Ken.
 

[Stephen]

Dude that was a long time ago....got a headache now....lol

[16k]

Showato... remounted in a Edo era koshirae. Even when I bought it, i suspected it was a Showato but it took me some time to be sure of it, having no one to ask. But it was cheap and I still have it, and will keep it because you can never forget what you feel the first time. I felt like King Arthur having found Excalibur!

[Vermithrax16]

Shinto Kanemasa.

[ChrisW]

A poor, beat-up, scraggly mumei Muromachi wakizashi is technically my first nihonto. I doubt its worth showing here as its been polished down to a toothpick.

[PNSSHOGUN]

Muromachi wakizashi as well, tired but in good polish, I still like to get it out because it has just about every activity (and many flaws) in the book. Having your first real old sword in hands is a special memory.

[uwe]

Like Chris.

Tired and bend waki in broken black saya, missing it’s rest of the mountings. At least signed, “Mune(ie)” (last character was punched through by one of the later placed mekugi ana). Unfortunately, every polisher I asked, refused the job

Anyway, still have and love it!!!

[16k]

Hey, posting these, for those who still have the, would be fun! I’ll post mine tomorrow!

[Moley]

What would be interesting is to post first sword purchased (for me about 30 years ago, when I was relatively poor and knew nothing) and peoples latest purchase.

 

My first and my latest shown here.

[peterd]

Early Shinto.  Shinano Tadakuni

[Vermithrax16]

I replied above, Shinto Kanemasa. Only pic I still have is with my 2nd sword, a gimei Yoshimichi, but was clearly Ishido school. Go figure, gimei down the ladder, amazing.

 

Here they were, off to good homes now:

 

Only 2 buys since then.

 

Suifu Ju Katsumura Norikatsu and a Tegai Kanekiyo that I think is a Hosho sword, but what can you do:

[Surfson]

My first was a mumei mounted shinto wakizashi bought in Japan.  I didn't realize it at the time, but I smuggled it out in my luggage!

[IJASWORDS]

A showato Kanenao oil quenched, in rubbish WW2 mounts. Sold it, and took a sizable hair cut on the price . BUT, it convinced me to buy some books and research before my next purchase.  

[lonely panet]

my first was a shinshinto yoroidoshi (mumei) in rough mounts with 1 or 2 blisters. sold with a loss. but opened my eyes to what the new internet could offer

[Ken-Hawaii]

Thanks for posting this, Brian. My first blade was a Shinto yoroidoshi that I still have, but it was more than 30 years later when I started studying Nihonto, & realized what I actually had.

 

I had been looking for a good hunting knife in a pawnshop in 1964, & was impressed by this really thick blade that I bought for $20. I had no idea that the nakago was signed!

[Blagoy]

Unfortunately I don't have any sword. I have several books and read a lot in NMB and internet. Just need more knowledge and

money to get nihonto. Maybe one day....   

[Ken-Hawaii]

Only 51 of our members have a first sword?

[Apercus]

I’m already mentioned mine, the juyo Ichimonji from the kamakura period. It was the second Japanese sword I had ever seen and I bought it sight unseen for a $10 trade. I didn’t know anything about swords but I was overwhelmed with the metallurgy I saw. I’m glad I didn’t cut it up to examine samples at the time.

[hobnails]

mine is a koto tanto

[Ed]

Been thinking about it and can't remember what the first sword I bought was.  The first sword I ever owned was given to me if that counts.  It is a suriage muromachi katana which had been remounted in Kai Gunto mounts, still have it.

[charlie1]

Mumei Shin Shinto katana with a sambon-sugi in Japanese Navy mounts.

[Frank Reile]

The first Japanese sword I bought was a Muromachi period wakizashi in polish, but it was tired. I kept it for a few years and then sold it.

 

 

 

Frank R.

[tbonesullivan]

Most of what I deal with are Showato, which is what the majority of "Bring-Backs" are. Lot of oil-tempering, to completely machine made. Thankfully I was able to get a close up look at some real blades over the years.

[Austus]

Showato. Type 32 ko.   Knew it was a real sword; but didn't think it was Japanese. Was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was a 100 year old cavalry sword.  It was rusty on the outside; the blade was mint. But they have this zig-zag edge that looked weird. When I asked a local knife dealer if he could sharpen it, fortunately he said No. Scuffed it with a sock, putting oil on it. Have learned a lot since then. Good thing my first sword was not a Nihonto.

[O-Midare]

My first sword is a Muromachi saki-sori katana, gimei signed Sukehiro. Old and tired.

[Jamie]

 

My first one was a gunto. Sold to a friend that since sold it.

Second was a pretty decent muromachi sue Soshu tanto that I literally just moved on to its new home. It had an active temper.