New here – beginner question about Nihonto

[Luba Marketing]

Hi everyone,

I’ve recently started getting interested in Nihonto and Japanese swords in general. I’m still very much a beginner, so I’m trying to understand the basics first before diving deeper.

Could anyone recommend good resources (books, guides, or websites) for learning how to identify different types of blades and their characteristics?

Also, how do you usually tell the difference between authentic pieces and replicas when you're just starting out?

Appreciate any advice — thanks in advance!

[Geraint]

Dear Luba.

 

Welcome to NMB!  As you probably already know this is a lifetime pursuit in terms of learning and understanding so be prepared for some serious addiction.  Some of the information you are looking for can be found under the FAQ system tab at the top of the page, including suggested reading.  You might also spend some time looking at the Nihonto info tab and the Downloads tab, a lot to get your teeth into.

 

I think most people would suggest that looking at bad swords or fakes hurts the eyes but to be able to distinguish fake from real go to Browse and scroll down, there is a section devoted to fake swords.  To see good swords look to the dealer section or you might try NihontoWatch which you will find at the top of this General Discussion page.

 

Feel free to ask questions, there is a huge ammount of hard won wisdom at your disposal here.

 

Enjoy!

 

All the best.

[ROKUJURO]

Luba,

get into contact with our boss, Brian. He will tell what you could find and see in S.A.

[Brian]

Ah, didn't see you were in SA.
Yeah, not too many places in SA to see the real deal. There are a handful of us collectors here in Jhb, and I'm sure a few in CT, but not sure.
Drop me a message via pm with your details if you want to chat about it.
Funny enough, just helping someone locally to value a collection of about 25 swords, they may come up for sale. Unusual, but let's see what happens.
The secret is seeing as many real ones as you can, then the fakes stand out clearly. Browse the forum daily, you'll learn a bunch.
I have some Japanese sword books I'm selling for someone if you are interested in any reference works, prices well under market value. Need to pull them out.

[The Blacksmith]

This is a great place to start, welcome to the forum!

 

A library will be absolutely required, and a good book to start with is this one:

 

The other thing that I would suggest, is look in the Nihonto info section at the top of this page here under the forum banner, there is a glossary there and I would suggest trying to learn the various terms used in relation to nihonto, at least try and learn as many as you can, they can easily be cross referenced with the above book. this will make the subject a bit more accessible and easier to understand, as there is a whole vocabulary of terms that are used when talking about Japanese blades. Perhaps try and learn a few different terms each day.

 

Have fun with this absolutely fascinating hobby!