Help with deciding whether or not to buy a sword.

[Ilovekatana]

I found a sword that has caught my eye and a currently debating on whether or not I should try to bid on it. The main thing that caught my eye was the fittings, but I want some help learning about the blade itself before I bid. All I know is that it is a mumei sword with tokubestu kicho papers attributed to masamune( so in practical terms a paperless mumei blade). The main things I hope to learn are era and hopefully school of it. 

Here are some pictures

 

edit: here's a link: https://www.jauce.com/auction/t1124851065

[Toryu2020]

Unsigned - attributed to Den Masamune via green papers. Buy the koshirae if that is what you like, I would not put too much stock into that attribution...

 

-t

[Scogg]

Here's a couple really informative and helpful articles about green papers by Darcy Brockbank.

 

Also a NMB forum topic about the subject. Definitely worth considering before you buy.

https://web.archive....en-papers-no-papers/

https://web.archive....m/green-papers-pt-2/
 

That being said, Toryu gives great advice - to buy the koshirae/sword and not the paper/attribution

Best of luck,
-Sam

 

Edited February 14, 2024 by GeorgeLuucas
accidentally clicked "enter" before finishing comment

[Ilovekatana]

17 minutes ago, GeorgeLuucas said:

Here's a couple really informative and helpful articles about green papers by Darcy Brockbank.

 

Also a NMB forum topic about the subject. Definitely worth considering before you buy.

https://web.archive....en-papers-no-papers/

https://web.archive....m/green-papers-pt-2/
 

That being said, Toryu gives great advice - to buy the koshirae/sword and not the paper/attribution

Best of luck,
-Sam

 

Yes, I've read those articles. Which is why I am treating this sword as being paperless. I was hoping to learn more about the sword itself( era and/or school), as my kantei skills are practically nonexistant and I don't want to accidentally spend more than I should on this.

[Franco]

2 hours ago, Ilovekatana said:

I was hoping to learn more about the sword itself( era and/or school), as my kantei skills are practically nonexistant and I don't want to accidentally spend more than I should on this.

 

Do you see the problem here? Something about placing the cart before the horse.

 

Mentor/teacher, books, sword study, then perhaps a purchase. Of course, there is beginners luck or not. 

 

Regards,

[Jussi Ekholm]

Were you planning to use an agent for bidding? I don't believe Jauce, Buyee or other proxy bidders will be able to allow swords for bidding, as the de-registration process is bit complicated.

[Ilovekatana]

14 minutes ago, Jussi Ekholm said:

Were you planning to use an agent for bidding? I don't believe Jauce, Buyee or other proxy bidders will be able to allow swords for bidding, as the de-registration process is bit complicated.

Jauce does. You just need to agree to pay a 20,000 yen fee.

[Ilovekatana]

29 minutes ago, Franco D said:

 

Do you see the problem here? Something about placing the cart before the horse.

 

Mentor/teacher, books, sword study, then perhaps a purchase. Of course, there is beginners luck or not. 

 

Regards,

Fair enough. I actually do plan on buying The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords.

[Jussi Ekholm]

Whoa, thanks for information Now I must resist the temptation to start Yahoo JP hoarding...

[Ilovekatana]

10 minutes ago, Jussi Ekholm said:

Whoa, thanks for information Now I must resist the temptation to start Yahoo JP hoarding...

Just one more thing to mention they also ask for your shipping address for customs purposes before they allow you to bid. Though they with were fine with just the state I was in and I imagine just specifying the country you are in would be enough too. 

[Franco]

56 minutes ago, Ilovekatana said:

Fair enough. I actually do plan on buying The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords.

 

The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords is a reasonable start. But then you'll have to apply what you think you've learned.  

Which might place you right back at facing the question of overpaying. Which would make for an interesting test.

Of course if you failed, not so much.

Collecting nihonto is never easy as a good friend used to say. He would also say, it's just when you start to believe that you finally know something, you find out you don't.

 

Regards,