AOI, Auctions, Shinsa, Polishing...

[Jwrussell]

So, was browsing the AOI auctions the other day and came across an item that got me thinking. I am not actually looking at bidding on or purchasing this particular blade. Currently my budget for the year is blown, so this is more of a hypothetical for use in future potential situations.

 

https://www.aoijapan.com/wakizashi-mumei-attributed-as-kanabou-school/

 

So, AOI is guaranteeing Hozon for this blade. I like the blade, and based on the Oshigata the hamon is very attractive to me. However, studying the images it appears to me that the blade is out of polish (comments welcome, if my novice eyes are not seeing correctly). So, if I were to decide to go after a blade like this, wanted to update the polish and send to Shinsa, what would be the correct way to go about it? I'm assuming by other threads I've seen that entrusting the polish to Tsuruta-san would not necessarily be best. That said, what then about Shinsa, as my understanding was that AOI would handle that? 

 

Again, all hypothetical, just trying to understand the best process for a situation like this.

[Katsujinken]

If you’re sending the blade for a polish you’d want to acquire an agent in Japan and have Aoi send the blade to that person. 
 

That person would also handle shinsa for you. It’s just an order of operations thing. 
 

Re: the polish, it’s always tough to tell from Aoi’s “photos”.  Always ask for photos in natural light. I think what we have here is possibly an old sashikomi polish and/or simply an old polish on a low grade sword. I wouldn’t call it out of polish per se. 

[Jwrussell]

Thanks Michael. I need to do some research on polish types I guess. 

[Ken-Hawaii]

That's a lot of sori for a wakizashi, Jason, & check where the center of curvature is located.

[Jwrussell]

1 hour ago, Ken-Hawaii said:

That's a lot of sori for a wakizashi, Jason, & check where the center of curvature is located.

 

Ken, I sense a lesson here.  I actually found that sori attractive, but yes, it is quite a bit. As best I can tell, it appears Torii-zori (mid-point for the deepest part), though my eye wants to say it tends almost to Saki-zori?

 

Please, elaborate your thoughts, sir. Appreciate the feedback.