Jump to content

I Have a Collection of Japanese Steel, and Just Enough knowledge to get into Real Trouble


Recommended Posts

So I find myself with a collection of 12 Japanese blades....

and only 5 crummy books on the subject. Probably an inverse ratio, but I just can't seem to refrain from the "best offer" button on Ebay. Yeah, you read that right, for the past 2 years I have been a bottom-feeding Ebay buyer, but I have had a great experience and made friends with all of my Ebay vendors. If nothing else, it has been a really fun time connecting with interesting people on the other side of the world.

 

 The good news is that I have started slowly... papered blades, straight from Japan, shirasaya only, in good to excellent polish, and in the $500 to $1500 price range. The overarching philosophy is to link my financial exposure to my first hand knowledge.

 

 My personal goal for this collection has been to buy beautiful things that inform and inspire my career in industrial design, and to have some nice heirlooms that my nephew will one day inherit and hopefully cherish.

 

 Jay Leno once told me in regards to collecting cars-  "buy what you like, maintain it properly, and the market will eventually catch up". I think that there is some crossover wisdom in that statement that may apply to the Nihonto world and help to demonetize the pursuit, and help to elevate the art of it all.

 

 As a professional designer, and fine arts major, I can tell you that Masterpieces definitely pop up in unlikely places. The Masters of fine art (humans every one) make mistakes and produce bad work on occasion. Amateurs sometimes get lucky and do exceptional work. What separates the two camps is the concept of BRAND.

 

 The unfortunate reality of the way human minds work, is that we inherently need to classify and order our wold in ways that are reductive, due to our limited processing capability. Brand becomes mental shorthand for quality. Think Mercedes Benz- They have made some great cars, but have also made some real turkeys, nevertheless their brand is regarded as having value. I suspect that the "brand" of any single piece of Nihonto may carry too much weight and is used as a selling tool. I could be wrong about that statement, so consider the source.

 

 I am sure that Every single Japanese sword smith of every era, was human being. That fact carries with it emotions, and attitudes - good days and bad ones. Not to mention financial pressures to deliver goods, supply chain issues (so sorry- no good tamahagane this month, make do with what you have on hand to be able to feed your family). Just plain luck due to the handmade nature of these objects and how close they are to unrefined raw materials....Great smiths can have terrible outcomes that they have to deliver to remain viable, mediocre smiths that had a perfect day where everything worked out just great! Therefore, I decided two years ago to stop worrying and start buying.

 

 For my own quest, in this strange, dimly lit, little corner known as Nihonto, I have endeavored to assemble a collection that has variety... Different shapes, different eras, different hamon, different schools, but all work that firstly appealed to my artistic eye as being beautiful stand-alone objects in their own right. Focusing entirely on the maker- and not the work- just seemed a little pretentious for where I am on this learning curve.

 

 Now that I am at capacity (I more or less have everything in the collection that I set out to acquire), I find myself curious about the opinion of an expert of the entire collection. I have a couple of swords that I think would benefit from a touch-up polish. I am not convinced that all of my papers (NBTHK) are accurate. I would love to get an in-person lesson on spotting hada with in-hand examples (I have never really understood how to identify specific schools). You know, make an evening of it.

 

 I am not looking for an official appraisal, as I have absolutely no desire to sell ANY of the swords that I have collected, rather a casual fun experience where I can learn more about the topic through the work that I am now the caretaker of. I am ABSOLUTELY certain that I have bought stuff that the majority of the people reading this post would turn their collective noses up at. I am totally OK with this fact and view it as a learning experience that in itself has value.

 

 I am willing to pay for the service. I am willing to travel. I am located in New Orleans, so I would really appreciate someone within reasonable driving distance (flying on airplanes with a bag of swords during an epidemic is beyond ridiculous).

 

 So what do Y'all think? Anybody know anybody who might be into helping me more fully grasp the nature of the objects that I have the good fortune to own? I have 12 swords to review. Thanks for reading this exhaustive rant! --- JT

 

 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

JT, I used to live up north of Hammond in Tickfaw, & miss N'Awlins food & music. I'd kill for a Central Grocery muffaleta!

 

On your swords, let me first give you my opinion that if you buy what you like, & aren't worried about reselling them, then you have nothing to worry about. You can learn something from any blade, as long as it's real. If they're papered, the "real" part is satisfied.

 

Now, my question is: What are you expecting to learn about your blades, with or without a mentor? Construction? Culture? Details?

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

You have Ed Marshall in Lousiana, he's the first person I would recommend that you reach out to. Ed is a respected member of this group and his contact information can be found below.

 

http://yakiba.com/contact.htm

 

 

 So what do Y'all think? Anybody know anybody who might be into helping me more fully grasp the nature of the objects that I have the good fortune to own? I have 12 swords to review. Thanks for reading this exhaustive rant! --- JT

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ken-

 That is a great question... I have acquired these beautiful things, they are a part of my life now. Every morning, the first thing that I see when I wake from sleep, is an object that was created over 700 years ago, by a person who was much like myself - a craftsman who was on a quest for immortality. As a motivating tool to get me out of bed, put on the work boots and get busy making stuff goes - it is a great motivator!

  I want to know more about the things that I own. I can't help but to feel a bit separated from the people who made them. I don't know enough about them, and it makes me feel like an interloper.

 We are all on a quest to add MEANING to our lives. I think that that is why most people who collect art, find comfort in the presence of great work. 

 I want to be sure that I can tell the correct story of the work that I own when asked by those that will inherit it from me. It would give me comfort. --- JT

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

jt nesbitt,

please sign all posts with your first name plus an initial. It is a rule here. You can fix that in your profile.

Learning is always a good thing, and if you can learn more about the items that surround you, it's still better!

A good way to learn are the sword clubs. Maybe there is one around in your area. It would also be a good idea to read some books on sword philosphy, because I believe that your idea of the motivation of swordsmiths (or other Japanese craftsmen) is not at all immortality. (....a craftsman who was on a quest for immortality). Their goal was most probably humble and more earth-bound: Going the way (DÔ) and getting better without the expectation to reach the summit.   

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jean is right that a sword club can get you connected with other collectors, JT. But Ed Marshall is in the north part of Louisiana, & is a real asset when it comes to Nihonto. If you haven't browsed yakiba.com, I suggest that you do so.

I want to know more about the things that I own. I can't help but to feel a bit separated from the people who made them. I don't know enough about them, and it makes me feel like an interloper.

Hmm, I've been to Japan dozens of times, trained in several martial arts for over 60 years, & am part of a Japanese clan, & I still feel like an interloper, so not real sure how to address that part. Understanding what was happening historically when a blade was made has been a big help, for me. A tachi made during Kamakura has a totally-different background story than a katana made during Muromachi, or a wakizashi made during Shinshinto! That takes a lot of reading, because the history of Japan isn't exactly a straight line!

 

Do you study any martial arts? That can be a good entry-point for digging into the cultural aspects - sword arts, in particular. Iaido is what got my wife & me interested in Nihonto, about 35 years ago.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So I find myself with a collection of 12 Japanese blades....

 

 

 The good news is that I have started slowly... papered blades, straight from Japan, shirasaya only, in good to excellent polish, and in the $500 to $1500 price range. 

 

Hello JT

nice to read. I think we would really like to see some pictures of your collection. Btw - your collection sounds like the real deal. All blades papered and excellent polished in that price range is incredible. 

 

Haha, i dont want to do some math but it would be nearly impossible to build such a collection in Germany with shipping + value added tax (+19%) + custom fee between 5% and 7%.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

JT,

There is also a vast amount of info online, if you are a reader. Many articles here, at NMB, can be found here: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/forum/17-articles/

 

Rich Stein built a small kingdom of information on this website:

http://japaneseswordindex.com/nihonto.htm

 

You didn't mention whether you had discovered the vast, beautiful world of WWII shingunto. There are more pages than one can read on Ohmura'sans website, with gorgeous pictures as well:

http://ohmura-study.net/900.html

 

There are many more.

 

Welcome to the club!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Raymond, Bruce, Vajo, Et All-

 Thank you for taking the time to read my post and for the sage and salubrious advise. I am reaching out to Ed Marshall this week. He is just 2.5 hours away from me, so a perfect excuse to get the Bentley out on the highway for a fun road trip. If anyone else in the Deep South would like to connect, the bars in New Orleans will be open soon (we can socialize safely, I promise), the first round is on me. Thanks again for the warm welcome. --- JT

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So you drive a Bentley and know Jay Leno - you are our kind of guy JT!  Seriously, collecting these things starts with finding the beauty and esthetics in a finely worked piece of steel that is the product of centuries of evolution of both craft and art.  I do wonder whether any of your blades have koshirae and you have become enamored of the mounts?  They are yet another world of entertainment and awe in the Nihonto field.  

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This thread is quite old. Please consider starting a new thread rather than reviving this one, unless your post is really relevant and adds to the topic..

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...