Katana Omiya, Good or is it better to wait.

[BjornLundin]

Hi everyone.

 

Aoiart has a blade on auction that ticks a few boxes. 

 

Still it is a bit of cash the shipment, tax and custom 😬, and not all boxes are ticked but still for me it is one of the better ones I have seen in this price range. Or is it? 

 

About 1m Yen - 9k USD - 8k euro.

 

Better to wait or is it a deal that is once in a year stuff 🧐

 

https://www.aoijapan.com/katana-mumei-omiya/

 

The blade was polished.
Habaki: Gold foiled double habaki.
Blade length:71.3cm or 28.07inches.
Sori:1.8cm or 0.70inches.
Mekugi:2
Width at the hamachi:2.81cm or 1.10inches.
Width at the Kissaki:2.03cm or 0.79inches.
Kasane:0.675 cm or 0.26inches.
The weight of the sword:705grams.
Era: The Nambokucho period, Joji era. Around 1362.
Shape: Osuriage-Mumei, the blade is normally thick and broad, has deep Sori to be O-Kissaki, well-balanced shape.
Jigane: Koitame-hada mixed with Mokume-hada, Jinie attached, the surface is beautiful and Utsuri appears.
Shinogiji: Itame-hada mixed with Mokume-hada to be like Masa.
Hamon: Koniedeki, Choji-midare works in the way of Shimari-gokoro, Ha works in
Koashi brightly to be uneven Hamon.
Boshi: It is Midarekomi style and the tip turns back in a small circle.

[Alex A]

Its in good condition and the koshirae is nice too

 

If you ask then you will always get back different opinions based on personal taste and  attract some competion maybe

 

I like it, as it stands with the price, tempting for a lot of people at the moment

[ROKUJURO]

Björn,

my impression is that it is a very nice sword that I would like to own as well.

It comes from an interesting era, is probably in good condition, and has papers and KOSHIRAE, so it remains the question if you like it enough to invest that money. Shipping is normally included, and as it is a certified antique object, most states do not charge customs on top. The experts may have different opinions about it as the question remains why it has no signature. There are many signed blades from that era.

It is an auction so the price may still go up!

[Alex A]

Pretty straight forward as to why it has no signature

 

Either was never signed to start with or cut off due to being o-suriage. we will never know, very common 

[BjornLundin]

Thank you all! 

 

Very tempting, if unsold on auction do they include the items in their normal cataloge?  

 

I need to brode on this one ^^

 

 

[Alex A]

Yes, straight to their sales page, be surprised if this does not sell in the auction though.

[Jussi Ekholm]

Like others have said above it is very nice sword. I feel the quality is definately there as it looks very nice in the pictures. However as I am personally very focused on shape & size, I would rather choose different type of Nanbokuchō item.

 

Here are 6 other Ōmiya attributed mumei katana that are/were around this same price point for comparison purposes.

 

http://www.nipponto.com/Sword/detailomiyaden.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20160817205440/http:/www.nihontocraft.com:80/Japanese_Sword_Bizen_Omiya_Katana.html

https://www.aoijapan.net/katana-mumei-unsigned-attributed-as-oomiya-school/

https://eirakudo.shop/token/tachikatana/detail/852780

https://www.aoijapan.net/katana-mumei-omiya/

https://www.nipponto.co.jp/swords6/NT330431.htm

 

Of these I would personally go for the last two, and even though the last one is in rougher condition it is my personal favorite as it has grand shape and size. Only negative thing size wise is the short length but that is often encountered with very wide swords.

[Alex A]

I see why you like the last 2 blades Jussi, but just look at the expression on Mr Tsuruta Sans Face

 

He loves it, good sales tactical photo, even im wishing i had some money 

 

 

[Curran]

For the last 15 years, I've only owned two blades.

One of them is a partially signed Omiya. I had it out last night and was appreciating it. Beautiful balance.

 

Opinion:  Omiya + 1

 

[BjornLundin]

https://www.aoijapan.net/katana-mumei-omiya/  - Nice shape 

 

But the last one - is smokey  - I like this one also but dont polish looks a bit soapy?

https://www.nipponto.co.jp/swords6/NT330431.htm

Wonder what price was on this one?

 

 

Its hard, as always. Lot of money for a chap like me, hard when it will probably will be the more or less the blade for lots of years to come. 

 

Again thank you, know I know a bit more and that the price is not totaly out of there  

 

 

[Jussi Ekholm]

The last one was priced for 850k yen. Just noticed again it was attributed towards Kinjū in sayagaki. Even though I was really looking at that one when it was available I had forgotten about the sayagaki.

 

I think it had some issues in the condition, it is sometimes hard to compare the pictures as some sellers use different techniques and possibly digitally enchance the pictures. I think this seller has quite honest pictures in general although sometimes they show the flaws in not too flattering way.

[BjornLundin]

1 hour ago, Rivkin said:

personal opinion:

These blades are nothing like Aoi's example. They are very much on the Soshu end of the spectrum.  Nie based, even choji are neither well defined nor isolated, instead you basically have gunome-togari.

Alternative attributions tend to be either some sideways Soshu-Mino names like Kinju or Kanenobu, or Sa lineage or Naotsuna group. Basically "Western Japan's Soshu" against Eastern Japan's style which would tend more towards Hasebe-Norishige kind of thing.

The blade in the thread's subject is as Bizen as they come.

 

I was trying to change the focus of other potential buyers 😤😭😬🧐

[DRDave]

On 12/20/2021 at 2:13 AM, BjornLundin said:

Hi everyone.

 

Aoiart has a blade on auction that ticks a few boxes. 

Still it is a bit of cash the shipment, tax and custom 😬, and not all boxes are ticked but still for me it is one of the better ones I have seen in this price range. Or is it? 

 

I'm curious what boxes it doesn't tick; what would you change if you could?

[BjornLundin]

8 hours ago, DRDave said:

 

I'm curious what boxes it doesn't tick; what would you change if you could?

 

Bizen - tick

Utsuri - tick but not necessary

Hamon - tick

Length - tick

Jigane - hmmm

Auction - hmmm - personally would be more comfortable to buy from the forum or after seeing a blade live 

Period - tick

Overall feel - half tick

Koshirae is a bonus.

 

My goal the past years have to save up to to be able to get a good quality sword, to a bit match my wakizashi, something you know "this is the one" and then the question is this one "the one"  Or will I pass and then later curse myself. Though, this one.

 

http://world.seiyudo.com/product/ka-010918/ 

 

[Shugyosha]

The Seiyudo example is probably the best of the bunch but I wouldn't dare ask for the price.

The problem is the old one - spend now or wait. Sod's law says that the minute you've spent your money a cheaper, better example will appear.

One more to consider, this time by Omiya Morishige (ignore the title in the link): signature is intact but it lacks the imposing sugata of the others. https://www.aoijapan.com/katana-mumei-kashu-kagemitsu/

 

[Curran]

Seiyudo....        If you can get a fair deal from them, then you are skilled.   In 20+ years, I think they are one of the few dealers with whom I have never had a single transaction.

Lovely example of a very healthy Omiya Morikage, but price is probably more than the new car I buy in 2022 or 2023.