buying my first well expensive sword and need help

[Scifighter]

hi all, this is my first post, due to stay at home order i had some time to research online, quite a few things one of them acquiring a actual Japanese sword,

 

i have been training martial arts all my live  and have been always been fascinated on getting my hands on the real deal, i do  have a 500$ 440 steel one   but i dont think that is considered an actual sword now.

 

now looking at all those different deals out there what is really confusing and not being able to spend 20k on a imported sword from a real smith from Japan and the sheer amount of stuff on ebay  what is even more confusing  i was hoping maybe someone here can help me out and give me some advise on what i should get for the price range i can buy at.

 

 

so option 1 the cheapest i guess 800$  Genuine Bugei Samurai Wakizashi New Sword Swedish Powdered Steel Folded

 

 

option 2 2400$   more moeny but maybe m,ore value as well https://www.ebay.com/itm/SIGNED-Japanese-SWORD-WAKIZASHI-ENGRAVED-BLADE-WITH-HORIMONO1993-SAMURAI/254480818653?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D225074%26meid%3Dc56f90a784ef403a9300cc9c4df372e5%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D15%26mehot%3Dnone%26sd%3D324038461863%26itm%3D254480818653%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3A734b837e-9d4e-11ea-a396-74dbd1805881%7Cparentrq%3A43e699381720a9cd5c30de9aff90313c%7Ciid%3A1

 

and get something liuke this for it 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/A038-Real-old-Japanese-sword-mountings-KOSHIRAE-for-middle-sword-WAKIZASHI/233585240158?hash=item3662c3e85e:g:5xoAAOSwEuRel-b2

 

 

option3  more affordable but not clear what it is https://www.ebay.com/itm/HUGE-76-5cm-BEAUTIFUL-TRADITIONALLY-FORGED-Japanese-SIGNED-SAMURAI-SWORD-KATANA/324038461863

 

 

 

other option https://www.ebay.com/itm/Moon-Signed-Wakizashi-antique-sword-Katana-Samurai-Japanese-Tachi-tsuba-menuki/264718931714?hash=item3da27a5702:g:r5kAAOSwaOpesbnW

 

 

 

 

this is what i really want as i am also a fan of Japanese manga culture   but now we are looking  about 9k 

 

http://www.sanmei.com/contents/media/G75979_S5026_PUP_E.htm

 

 

 

yes itys confusing to buy a sword  i hope someone here can give me some inside on whqt is best to do

 

'thank you so much  , very informative forum

 

 

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Christian Job

[Ganko]

Your last choice is obviously the best sword. As for your other choices, I believe you could do much better purchasing something from someone on the NMB.

I recommend that you hang on to your money for awhile longer until the right sword comes along. In the meantime you can glean more information from this website.

See what other members have to say about the items you have listed. It is all too easy to buy what you think is a real treasure until someone more knowledgeable comes along and bursts your bubble. Take your time and gain more knowledge and you will have no regrets.

It is recommended that you sign with your name so we know how to address you.

[Oshy]

Hi Scifighter,

 

May I first ask, have you read up or studied nihonto much yet? You will often hear your first blade should be alternatively spent in books. Below is one of my favorites to get you going.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Connoisseurs-Book-Japanese-Swords/dp/1568365810

 

Study, study, study and look at as many blades as possible online and in person if possible. Your studied brain/eyes and experience viewing blades and their costs will aid you in your first purchase so that it will hopefully be a piece that you will not soon tire of.

 

Ebay is full of counterfeit and fakes. Avoid it like the plague until you have some good experience.

Along with the NMB site, there are a lot of others that sell traditional nihonto, a few are listed below:

https://www.aoijapan.com/

https://www.toukenkomachi.com/index_en_tachi&katana.html

https://www.Japanese-sword-katana.jp/

https://www.tsuruginoya.com/artwork.html

http://www.nihonto.us/

http://swordsofjapan.com/

http://yakiba.com/welcome.htm

https://www.japanswordart.com/?fbclid=IwAR2lY2aI0iscLkeVPPVXGkij81QHe0EMpo-uyVFjcqSQmpkHDw1SGZsRacs

https://soryu.pl/

https://www.raindragonfineartandantiques.com/swords-sword-fittings

https://www.touken-matsumoto.jp/eng/index_e.php

 

Hope this helps!

[Bruce Pennington]

Christian,

Looks like you're searching for nihonto, but I can tempt you with a Mantetsu, or a Type 95 NCO, I have both for sale.

[vajo]

Christian,

 

you should first become clear what you really want. Spare your money and wait for the real deal. If you look in the trade section of the board you find tons of offers of very good antique Japanese blades for a decent price.

 

Btw i found this one not a bad deal for the price. And he is in the US.

 

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/31907-fs-gimei-shin-gunto/

 

I didn't go with gimei.

[16k]

Christian,

 

First, welcome among us. 
 

If it were me, I know I’d go for:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HUGE-76-5cm-BEAUTIFUL-TRADITIONALLY-FORGED-Japanese-SIGNED-SAMURAI-SWORD-KATANA/324038461863

 

I don't know what it is either but it is traditional and I have a feeling it might indeed be a very good surprise. Actually, if I had the money, right now, I might have bought it.

 

However, what are you looking for?

 

As the others have said, you seem to react in function of your budget, not of your needs or what attracts you.

 

If you want a sword to do some cutting, then get a Chinese repro made of 1060 to 1090 steel and you’ll get bangs for you bucks.  they are made for this, will cost you a fraction and some of them actually look very good.

 

If you want the real deal, don’t plan to use the, tō do some cutting. First, they are old and might not be in condition (you don’t ask your grandpa to outrun Hussein Bolt) and then, among collectors, it’s almost considered a crime to risk harming or scratching a venerable blade. You break it, a blade is lost, you scratch it, it needs a new polish, which removes metal which when repeated over the centuries kill a sword too.

 

Then you seem to oscillate between a wakizashi and a katana. So what the others say is right: save money, read books, buy here where good swords are often offered at great prices, but don’t make a hasty choice.

[b.hennick]

Jean-Pierre the seller does not show the tang. I would not buy a sword without seeing the tang. At least I would ask for a picture of the tang without the habaki on. I do not like the tsuka and wrap. Both need to be replaced which will add to the cost.

[16k]

Clearly, Barry, I’m with you there. I wouldn’t buy without asking a picture of the tang, I should have clarified that.

 

The Tsuba looks real and the blade is, at best, a Gendaito, at worst, a Komonjo, which, in the end makes a good cutting weapon. As for the mountings, well, if the blade is good, it’s worth having a new tsuka made and if it’s a Komonjo, this type of mounting is serviceable as a iaito I guess.

[Gakusee]

Save your money, study first and then buy. I suggest you postpone buying until at least next year if not later

[Scifighter]

hi, i wanted to thank you all for your input and yes i decided to hold of on buying a Japanese sword till i know more about them, i also found that what i really want is a sword that is not just an exposition sword but beautiful and functional.

 

so all you helped me really out on figuring out what do i want and what i should buy for now. 

and i actually spend more money then i wanted to originally and bought 2 swords that cached my eye from a church estates sale  listing on ebayl 

 

 

booth are custom made by howard clark  polished by Ted Tenold,  and fitted by Fred Loman,   and i got them for 2500 each   .   each of this sword i understand is custom made by those 3 persons  and was about 13k  in original pricing to be made,  the church administrator actually spoke to  ted tenold and he said  they should be worth 7k each now in the condition they are, and by me buyng both a better price that i think works out for everyone  , i think i will be happy and got a good deal on this.

 

pictures are here:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/uuy117bye9y626j/AACINLSkKoi-mICAu6u53Zb3a?dl=0
 

 pictures are here:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/id715twfx77sh7l/AACQAYk9SCq7JynSccoy8BZha?dl=0

 

 

i also bought a few books on ebay on Japanese sword to study  and read   and sure in the future maybe will be looking for a good find and building a sword with antique peaces that i like as a display only type of sword.

 

so i ended up not buying a sword here but all your suggestion helped me to make a choice and find something that i think i will like and enjoy for years to come.  thank you very much 

 

 

-------------------------

 

christian job

[Josh]

Sounds like you got a great deal! If there's a better swordsmith in the US than Howard Clark, I haven't heard of them. I hope you enjoy and continue to learn.

[Jacques]

Christian,

 

First, welcome among us. 

 

If it were me, I know I’d go for:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HUGE-76-5cm-BEAUTIFUL-TRADITIONALLY-FORGED-Japanese-SIGNED-SAMURAI-SWORD-KATANA/324038461863

 

I don't know what it is either but it is traditional and I have a feeling it might indeed be a very good surprise. Actually, if I had the money, right now, I might have bought it.

 

 

 

 

I kindly disagree, that sword has all chances being fake, Chinese swordsmiths are in progress and today's fakes are not the same than those of 10 years ago... 

 

No bare nakago to be seen is a very big red flag...