Pawn Shop Type 95 for sale

[Bruce Pennington]

Found a Type 95 for sale in a local pawn shop.  Rough condition, one nick in blade edge; almost no paint left on saya; dark staining on most of blade.  Owner asking $900 USD but you know those guys are always ready to negotiate.  If anyone is interested, let me know and I'll get more pics and/or do some dickering for you with the shop.  Local city tax is 6% and shipping will add cost, so figure another $100 to whatever price we get him down to.

 

Only 2 photos I have at the moment.  Suya Shoten company for the Tokyo 1st Arsenal.  Stegel said the serial number puts it in the last year of the style, before the wooden handled versions came in.

 

[Stephen]

One would really have to have a NCO to spend more than $250. Tell the shop owner its all about condition!! Hes been watching to many TV shows.

[dwmc]

Twenty years ago I walked in to a small Pawn shop in Roswell, NM and bought a RS signed by Kanetsugu dated 1945 with "Gi" stamp for $200. 

 

Well, since then, as Stephen has suggested shop owners have been watching to many TV shows. Just a guess, but I suspect the shop owner took in the NCO shown above for less than $150. 

 

In the past few years, I've bought several swords from pawn shops/military stores and have found (most) of them willing to negotiate in a fairly reasonable manner.

 

I have to admit, even the sword which Bruce has located, I find some what intriguing. It appears solid with the only real problem as its loss of paint and the blade possibly only needing a bit of a cleaning in an appropriate manner. When I see a sword like this, I can't help but wonder, how did it get to this condition, did it lay in the rain and mud for days on Okinawa, did it remain in a damp garage for 75 years, did someone apply paint remover?  There seems to be a little original greenish brown paint remaining near the hanger.

 

Definitely curious to see if someone will be willing to have Bruce negotiate...

 

Dave M.

[ChrisW]

Times change, so do prices. As well, you might not look so pretty after 80 some years of wear and neglect! Is it worth the $900 he's asking? Absolutely not, but as Bruce points out, he's a pawnbroker so he should be willing to negotiate. The guy is probably just watching eBay and seeing what far better condition ones are going for and thinks he can get that price with the right customer too.

[Lareon]

Well that's the thing isn't it. The right customer. To a well trained eye, who knows the value of something as a collector is one thing. To the average Joe whos first impressions is "wow genuine samurai sword" with all the connotations that gives them it could feel like it's worth it.

 

In the UK at least the average price for a 95 that I see is close to £700. The most I've ever paid is £400. I would only pick up a 95 now for a copper handle if I spot one for a price I think is a deal, sadly I've rarely ever seen one in the UK and I'm not sure id risk buying one in the usa then it being siezed by border force on import.

 

Different here as swords are generally rarer and importing machine made swords is illegal so there is less supply.