How old is the average Nihonto collector?

[Lareon]

late 30's for me

[Sebuh]

enjoying my title as potentially the only 18 year old on this forum!

[AussieMacca1972]

7 hours ago, Scogg said:

Funny, selling my collection of Star Wars Legends Comics is what allowed me to purchase my first gunto 

May the force be with you,
-Sam

Selling my Star Wars collection (the collection was known by a lot of collectors in Australia at the time…. Yep was quite big) could have paid for our new Lexus with cash and still enough to buy some of my first swords…… I choose more swords!!!!! 🤣🤣🤣

[Tengu1957]

67 , I started collecting 45 years ago. I have lived every minute of it !!!

[Stefan]

55, started  at  the young  age of  14.

 

[The Blacksmith]

In an earlier post I mentioned that I was about 22 when I first started collecting Nihonto. In fact, I was younger than that , about 20, though I started collecting edged weapons when I was six, so have been collecting some sixty years now.

[DENihontocollector]

41 here  started with 38.

[Pentland]

80. Started collecting in 1982.

[Akaryu]

70+  Started in 1985

[Rawa]

39 never really started for serious 

[tlzkaasen]

54 and purchased my first Japanese Katana about 17 years ago. 

[george trotter]

I'm 77 next month, and started collecting in 1973. I stopped in 1981 and sold my collection as I had joined the West Australian Museum and did not feel I should collect. I started collecting again in 2008 when I left the museum - but this time only gendaito 1876 - 1945.

I first became interested in Japan / Japanese swords as one uncle had spent 4 years 1945-1949 in the Occupation of Japan (in Hiroshima) and another uncle had brought back a sword from a surrender his Australian Army unit took in New Guinea (it is a gendaito of good quality but mumei - Type 98 mounts)..

 

i was therefore always interested in Japan and studied Japanese history and language at Uni...and here I am, on a Japan oriented site - love it.

 

[vajo]

+56 Padawan

[Toki]

23 for me. 
Will be getting my first this summer

[RichardY]

On 8/9/2025 at 9:15 AM, tlzkaasen said:

54 and purchased my first Japanese Katana about 17 years ago. 

Ooh we're same age and i started collecting 1 year ago.. lol expensive stuff now .. 

[tlzkaasen]

25 minutes ago, RichardY said:

Ooh we're same age and i started collecting 1 year ago.. lol expensive stuff now .. 

 

I've collected firearms most of my life.  I thought that was an expensive hobby. That hobby is cheap compared to the Nihonto world.  

[adtharp]

38 here.

 

I have been collecting antique swords for 20 years, seriously started on Nihonto about 5 years ago.

[Spunjer]

58
just started a couple years ago

[David E]

17 now

Started with my first sword at 15

[David E]

On 8/7/2025 at 6:17 PM, Sebuh said:

enjoying my title as potentially the only 18 year old on this forum!

Catching up to you 

[Sebuh]

18 hours ago, David E said:

Catching up to you 

my records broken and now i’m no longer able to show my face here.. 

 

retiring from nihonto for good, was a fun year. 

[John C]

17 and 18! Wow! At 17 I was sewing the paisley print material into the hem of my bell bottom jeans and trying to figure out how to attach my surfboard to my bicycle!!! At 18 I traded in the bell bottoms for army uniforms. I never would have dreamed of collecting swords back then.

 

John C.

[Peter Bleed]

80, bought my first sword in 1966 - I still own it!

[Lewis B]

13 hours ago, John C said:

sewing the paisley print material into the hem of my bell bottom jeans 

 

John C.

Glad to hear I wasn't the only one. Back in the 80's, in my late teens, I was stitching Liberty pattern fabric on one sleeve of my denim jacket in a vain attempt to look hip. I even had the bandana tied around ankle. I hope some things like platform shoes and flared jeans with the high waistband never make a comeback.