Dai Token Ichi this weekend!

[Sebuh]

1 hour ago, nulldevice said:

It has Juyo papers and a nice koshirae.

 

Price is unknown. I know a few people who asked and nobody got an answer.

 

They were very kind to let me see the blade however and study it.

 

thanks man, most appreciated!

[Gakusee]

The Yasutsuna is not for sale but just for display. Several dealers brought their own-collection items.

[CSM101]

A few impressions with The Usual Suspects...

 

 

 

[MassiveMoonHeh]

58 minutes ago, CSM101 said:

A few impressions with The Usual Suspects...

 

 

 

Thank you so much!

[Sebuh]

7 hours ago, Gakusee said:

The Yasutsuna is not for sale but just for display. Several dealers brought their own-collection items.

 

Thank you Micheal, most appreciated! 

[stackinnutts]

On 11/3/2025 at 4:36 AM, CSM101 said:

A few impressions with The Usual Suspects...

 

 

 

Thanks for posting! I could watch hours of this stuff! 

[Lewis B]

Some very nice, big name blades hitting the dealer sites now that the DTI is over for another year. Take this Rai Kunitoshi with a 83cm nagasa for example. 

 

https://eirakudo.shop/893683?fbclid=IwY2xjawN8o41leHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeLQq1a5LF0_auFK8Lfzf8ISvUcl-l-IbEOqlzlAbPNdLOLAkEdhB4DXdNaBw_aem_BP-p-U1Dmg9Vtxt31T2kTA

[nulldevice]

Just now, Lewis B said:

Some very nice, big name blades hitting the dealer sites now that the DTI is over. Take this Rai Kunitoshi with a 83cm nagasa for example. 

 

https://eirakudo.shop/893683?fbclid=IwY2xjawN8o41leHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeLQq1a5LF0_auFK8Lfzf8ISvUcl-l-IbEOqlzlAbPNdLOLAkEdhB4DXdNaBw_aem_BP-p-U1Dmg9Vtxt31T2kTA

IDK if it's just me but it seems that just in the last few months the quality of the photos on Eirakudo's site are compressed and blurry where they used to seem more crisp and clear. I wonder if they just got this blade or if they were holding it back from DTI. There weren't a lot of Kunitoshi or Kunimitsu daito at DTI this year that I saw. Lots of tanto for both makers and 1 or 2 Kuniyuki so an item like this would've stood out at their booth. 

[atm]

I could be mistaken, but I do not recall seeing this Rai Kunitoshi at Eirakudo’s booth—and I visited there several times.

[eternal_newbie]

4 hours ago, nulldevice said:

IDK if it's just me but it seems that just in the last few months the quality of the photos on Eirakudo's site are compressed and blurry where they used to seem more crisp and clear. I wonder if they just got this blade or if they were holding it back from DTI. There weren't a lot of Kunitoshi or Kunimitsu daito at DTI this year that I saw. Lots of tanto for both makers and 1 or 2 Kuniyuki so an item like this would've stood out at their booth. 

 

Seems fine to me now, but I have noticed it a couple of times on newly listed pieces that then look crisp a few hours later. Maybe it's a bandwidth thing, or they accidentally uploaded thumbnails/placeholders and then rectified it later.

[Lewis B]

Another interesting blade that sold very quickly attributed to Den Sukezane

 

https://www.samurai-nippon.net/SHOP/V-2153.html

 

 

There is a technical term for the style of hamon that transitions from notare in the central section to more suguha style in the monouchi that eludes me. As I understand it this was the intent of the smith for practical reasons, as it strengthens areas of the blade that is more likely to contact the opponents blade. 

[PNSSHOGUN]

You will also find similar interpretations (changing to Suguha in the Monouchi) in Muramasa and Yokoyama Bizen works. 

[Lewis B]

Anyone notice the listing price for the Den Sukezane ?

[Lewis B]

Did anyone buy a sword at the DTI this year? How were the prices in 2025 vs previous years?

[Hoshi]

Hi, 

 

I can chime in. 

 

Prices for Tokuju swords climbed by ~25% compared to 2023, beating the depreciation of the yen against the USD/EUR.

 

30M, 35M, 38M, 60M, 60M, 35M, with one mumei Aoe outlier at 25M (up from 20M in 2023)

 

The most expensive sword of the show was Jubi zaimei Kuniyuki tachi listed at 150M yen.   

 

Entry market and low Juyo felt stable in yen terms, so lower in USD/EUR terms.

 

High potential Juyo were absent, due to the approaching Tokuju Shinsa and the dealers preferring to defer cashflow for a chance at increasing value. 

 

A mysterious influx of Nobuie tsuba, I counted seven - some have counted more. The Nobuie market enters oversupply and prices are expected to drop as a result. 

 

Overall, a combination of factor have deterred sellers from placing high-value pieces on the market, contributing to high prices.

 

It's getting harder for collectors on the buy-side. 

 

Best,

 

Hoshi 

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 05:17 PM by Hoshi

[atm]

I bought a zaimei Hasebe Kuninobu tanto, although not at DTI per se. Sokendo sold it to me after DTI as it wasn't there.

 

To build on what @Hoshi said, there was a wide range of asking prices, with pricing on higher end swords seemingly higher than last year. There were a couple of nice Juyo swords of interest to me that had asking prices of 15M and 18M, which I thought were substantially overpriced. But by Sunday they seemingly had sold as they were no longer on display. Of course, we don't know what price was actually negotiated.

 

I saw some solid TokuHo and "lower" Juyo swords at decent prices--mumei Aoe with nice koshirae and the like. And some dealers were volunteering discounts of 10% on any expression of interest.

[Gakusee]

I think there were plenty of very good and great swords there. 
What however was the issue was the overpricing premium for the top swords. 
Gone are the days of plenty of great swords at great prices as the dealers have now overcompensated for the depreciation of the yen. 

[Sukaira]

On 11/8/2025 at 4:46 PM, nulldevice said:

IDK if it's just me but it seems that just in the last few months the quality of the photos on Eirakudo's site are compressed and blurry where they used to seem more crisp and clear. I wonder if they just got this blade or if they were holding it back from DTI. There weren't a lot of Kunitoshi or Kunimitsu daito at DTI this year that I saw. Lots of tanto for both makers and 1 or 2 Kuniyuki so an item like this would've stood out at their booth. 

Their photos absolutely suck in general (except for viewing general nioiguchi and hamon hataraki/quality). Seiyudo has the best out of anybody imo. They are literally 1 for 1 with what you see in real life.

 

I ended up purchasing a Rai Kunimitsu Juyo by proxy.

Edited Tuesday at 11:59 PM by Sukaira

[Schneeds]

25 minutes ago, Sukaira said:

Their photos absolutely suck in general (except for viewing general nioiguchi and hamon hataraki/quality). Seiyudo has the best out of anybody imo. They are literally 1 for 1 with what you see in real life.

[Sukaira]

44 minutes ago, Schneeds said:

You are not wrong sir

[Lewis B]

21 hours ago, Sukaira said:

Seiyudo has the best out of anybody imo.

Not sure I can agree with you there. The boshi are impossible to see and all the photos are taken perpendicular to the blade which is less than ideal to see activity in the jihada. Resolution is good though.

Best images now that Darcy's Yuhindo is no longer available are to be found on Pablo's Unique Japan IMO. This may be controversial but I think Touken Komachi gives it a very good go. Just a shame they stock mostly low end pieces. 

[Sukaira]

1 hour ago, Lewis B said:

Not sure I can agree with you there. The boshi are impossible to see and all the photos are taken perpendicular to the blade which is less than ideal to see activity in the jihada. Resolution is good though.

Best images now that Darcy's Yuhindo is no longer available are to be found on Pablo's Unique Japan IMO. This may be controversial but I think Touken Komachi gives it a very good go. Just a shame they stock mostly low end pieces. 

I actually agree with you on all of this. I am also a fan of Tsukada-san and Touken Komachi. Wish I could have bought this one from them: https://www.toukenkomachi.com/index_en_tachi&katana_A030817.html

 

Only reason I say Seiyudo is that I think given all the tradeoffs, their sets of images let me comprehend the overall qualities of swords the fastest. They really need to add angles and at least one alternative lighting set though. That being said, having 3 swords from them I can tell you that if you hold your sword up to their photos, they are pretty much identical, in color etc. At least from that angle. I think I just trust them the most at this point because every sword I have seen in person at their shop or bought, has been flawless or nearly flawless, never have to worry about quality there because they have a really high bar for their swords. They also tell you, proactively if there is anything going on, even a little polish scratch without having to ask. Aoi Art on the other hand will sell you anything without a peep about any existing problems . You really have to pull it out of them.

 

Pablo's site I always forget about as I have never bought from there. I think the format of his transaction has always been a bit tedious and embellished to me, but his photos are truly top notch.

Edited 22 hours ago by Sukaira