Peter Yorke

[Nico]

Hi!

 

I was told about this Message Board, by a collector, and thought I would take a look.

 

I am Peter Yorke's nephew and would love to hear stories about my Uncle, that any members may have. 

 

My Uncle always had a suitable level of eccentricity, to allow him to also have the best stories.

 

Thanks

 

Nick

[Brian]

Welcome, good to have you here. Your uncle was well known among the UK collectors and am sure there are some interesting stories about him.

[Davis]

Hi Nick

Something that was said about Peter in his heyday was "He would go out on Christmas Day during a blizzard with a thousand pound in his pocket to buy a sword".  That summed him up.  He certainly had his finger on the pulse in the collecting world and had the knack of searching out "fresh to the market" pieces. My first contact with him was in the late sixties.  I was running an advert in the Exchange & Mart with a box number.  I gave no contact details.  It was published each Thursday and yet prior to publication on the Wednesday he telephoned me on my number which was ex-directory. He introduced himself  and offered to sell me some swords. How he did it I don't know but he had tremendous drive and determination.  I thought he was a top dealer.

[Nico]

Thanks Davis, late sixties was when he first started with my Dad. He was always absolutely determined to look at every sword! Of course, back then you couldn't look up images online, you had to be there, which meant hundreds of thousands of miles travelled every year!

[kissakai]

Hi Nick

New knew Peter back in the 80's when I saw him for the first time at the Bedford Arms & Armour sale

I had money in my pocket and ready to bid

Peter was at the back of the room in his sheepskin coat and bid on all the Japanese stuff, for every Japanese item he just kept his hand up.

I bought nothing and in the end no one really bid against him. A waste of a long journey for me and I didn't like him at the time

 

I got to know him better as I bought 25 tsuba from him between 2015 to 2023 where we built up a good friendship

He knew what I liked and would let me know if he had anything that I would like to buy

I went to his house around 8 years ago so he could show me the tsuba he had for sale but wouldn't show me his best (keeper) tsuba

Loved his animals and would do anything for them

I miss him a lot as he was irreplaceable 

 

 

Grev

 

[Nico]

Thanks Grev! 

[Davis]

Hi Nick.

I remember back in the early seventies Peter was working with another young man, much taller than Peter, I was told that it was his brother. At one fair I bought an Asano Kanezane from them for £35. I can't claim friendship with Peter, he was a dealer I was a collector.  Just one of the many hundreds of people he knew, dealers, collectors and auctioneers throughout the UK. In my early days of collecting our paths would frequently cross. he had a great sense of humour and would sometimes greet me with a joke when we met, other times he would ask about swords that I had. He wasn't always friendly though.

 

One incident comes to mind.  I once attended an auction in the middle of nowhere. There was a sleepy aikuchi that looked interesting.  Peter was there too.  We both bid on it, within minutes the bidding went much higher than the blade was worth.  Sanity kicked in and I stopped bidding. Peter was furious and thought I'd ran him up deliberately.

 

Peter paid and picked up his prize and together we walked to the carpark. He offered to sell the aikuchi to me.  I can't remember the conversation that followed but it hinged on whether the blade was signed.  Back at his car, despite his best efforts the hilt wouldn't budge.  In desperation he reached inside the car for a very heavy yellow pages telephone directory.  Gripping the spine of the directory he began bashing against the hilt but still it wouldn't budge. He began whacking it harder and harder.  I remember saying to him don't damage it, he stopped glared at me and then his face turned to a brief smile. At that moment we both realised how absurd the situation.  I drove home having wasted a day, Peter drove off wondering how he was going to make a profit.

 

The last time I saw him was at an auction viewing, where a large collection was coming up.  He introduced me to the specialist there as his friend, which really surprised me. We then spent a couple of hours chatting and going through the swords.  I thought he had mellowed and he seemed very relaxed.  I still have several swords that I acquired from Peter, now stored away but I sometimes get them out and when I do I think of Peter.  Each one has a different memory.

Regards

Mick