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I’m sure there are many reasons blades were not re-submitted and they have been discussed here many times. While not every green paper is ‘bad’, they are however not ‘recognized’ by the NBTHK. I do not believe they will give you any advice or information based on the old papers, because in their eyes those papers no longer ‘exist’. The only process I am aware of is a fresh submittal for brand new papers. You are basically starting over. Now… my personal opinion is that if you have white or green papers confirming a mei of a lower profile smith, or a mumei blade attributed to a lower ranked school/smith, I would be pretty comfortable trusting it as a good place to start my study to see if the blade fits characteristics of the smith/school. Any ‘big name’ attributions should be looked at with a skeptical eye. My recommendation is to study more so you don’t have to rely solely on papers for your judgements… or to at least have some more knowledge if you’re going to gamble.

Hi Ben, There are no Tokubetsu Hozon katana for less than 5 or $6,000, unless something serious happened to the sword after the paper was issued. You are taking a big risk by throwing money at swords on ebay with little knowledge. You would be doing yourself a big favor if you held off on purchases until you know a lot more. Grey

I may have found him, waiting for the response. There was a "Joseph Macias" listed as one of Han's friends on FB who lives in California. Let's see if I can bring joy to his day

There is a high probability that unless (or even if) you go through someone high up in the NBTHK, the long process and the final answer will still be no. (An ordinary non/specialized Japanese person would not make much leeway in there.) Dealers tend to keep old paperwork with a blade, just on the off-chance, i.e. better for some customers than no papers. Resubmitting is generally too much trouble for them, especially if there is any possibility it might fail.

The short answer to your question above is no.

Just another bit of advice that you can take or leave… In January, there will be a sword show in Las Vegas and I see by your profile that you live in Vegas. Maybe hold off on purchases until then, go to the show, and get a good look at a large number and wide variety of blades in person and in hand. You will also be able to ask questions and learn a lot. You will also get a good feel for what your $$$ can get you. Go to the Show / Event section of the NMB to get more info on that show.

Hi friends, here we have the full package. If you’re looking for a very nice Gendaito with perfect Type 3 Mounts in Shirasaya with a full length tsunagi this is for you… Signed : Echigo (No) Ju Kiyokatsu Saku Dated : One day in March 1943 Nagasa/cutting edge : 26-1/4" Nakago : Ubu / uncut 8-3/4" Total blade length : 35" Blade thickness @ habaki notch : 5/16" thick blade Width @ habaki : 1-3/8" very wide blade Width @ Yokote leve1: 15/16" + wide tip Kissaki/point : Chu-kissaki @ 1-3/4" Sori/curve : 9/16"

Hi all! Totally butt new to nihonto and super, super appreciate you all sharing so much incredible advice here over the years and keeping this place flourishing and alive! @Brian, thank you so much for making this forum and supporting it tirelessly for so many years! Saw your post about all the stress of running this thing with people using and abusing the forum so just wanted to put in a little note of thanks - this is truly an invaluable resource and if I get into this hobby seriously and start collecting seriously, definitely count me in as a supporter :). I'll be honest - I definitely impulse purchased the first three swords I got on eBay with basically no information and am fully prepared for them all to be fake. That's totally cool, I paid pretty low prices for all of them so I'm happy to chalk it up to a learning experience - but I really want to get my next purchase right! The last thing I want to get for now is a genuine in polish ideally koto or shinto katana (or ideally tachi to be honest, but those seem quite rare!), and it seems like my best bet is to get a Tokubetsu Hozon papered sword as someone who knows far too little to be able to recognize genuine swords without papers - would that be about right? Any other suggestions on how to play it as safe as possible when I'm looking for something more affordable than I'd be able to get off eBay (unless there are other dangerously priced places to buy swords with great risk involved? :))? Anyway - for the four swords I've bought so far, I got totally lucky on the first one and ended up buying from @mdiddy! (If I'm reading things right and you're soheiantiques on eBay!) I feel like I got a good deal on this https://www.ebay.com/itm/225726071282?nma=true&si=vBmbmCmL88FikP1wahmvlyoYXd4%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 regardless of if it's a real Sukemitsu or not (and even if it's one of the crappy later generation swordsmiths that are 'genuine' sukemitsus?) - but I do have two quick questions - 1. given that this didn't come in a shirasaya, should I just store this thing oiled and fully exposed on a display stand or really get a shirasaya made for it or something else?, and 2. does this thing have any chance of passing a NBTHK certification test in its current condition or would I definitely need it polished first? Also, since you're here @mdiddy, thanks for offering such incredible blades! Was just curious (apologies if you've answered this elsewhere) - where do you source your blades and how do you ensure you don't lose money on selling these with no reserve auctions like this? So curious what being a seller is like for these blades and how American sellers in particular get such a huge reserve of blades! As for the second, I definitely just impulse purchased this because the price seemed so cheap to me (before I realized so many blades are faked and that wakizashis are way cheaper than katanas and have way more supply than katanas at least on eBay and that this seller definitely seems to have no idea about these blades at all or at least certainly didn't say much [is cutting paper with a blade a valid test of anything quality wise?? that seems like his primary attestation method for the quality of these blades] - got this Tadamitsu signed wakizashi for $470 - two questions here as well. Is there anything I can do in regards to trying to authenticate this thing short of an NBTHK certification process? And would you all think this blade is at all worth attempting getting an NBTHK certificate for? https://www.ebay.com/itm/126052180799?nma=true&si=vBmbmCmL88FikP1wahmvlyoYXd4%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 And for my third blade, this is almost certainly not a legitimate wakizashi at all from what I can tell, but I also impulse purchased it because it was insanely cheap and I figured it'd be a good project blade to learn 1. how to polish this stuff (not that I'd ever do that on a genuine blade) and generally take care of it and also have a real wakizashi I can just use and play around with. https://www.ebay.com/itm/115890040480?nma=true&si=vBmbmCmL88FikP1wahmvlyoYXd4%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 So here's the weird thing about this blade - it was found in a WWII vet's attic in an estate sale with a certainly commensurate amount of rust on it to authenticate its vintage status. It doesn't have a conventional signature by any stretch of the imagination, but has the weirdest writing on the blade itself above the habaki that's permanently rusted on lol. My wife is literally Japanese and she has no idea how to read this thing - it seems like at least two characters are some old Kanji or something, but just no idea for her. Do you...all have any idea at all what this could possibly be etched on here and why? I'm struggling to try to figure out what the origin of this blade might possibly be - as far as I understand it, it was pretty easy for WWII vets to take home genuine swords as part of the confiscation policy of the US - did vets also commission new blades commonly, is this a total random mass produced souvenir blade of some sort, or is this actually an older blade? So confused by this and it's a fascinating mystery to a newbie like me. Attached a better picture of the writing below than in the listing since I've started the polishing process a bit. And finally, after getting these first few impulse purchases out of the way and deciding I wanted an actually genuinely certified in good polish daisho set of blades as my final round out for the present moment, I snapped up this mumei wakizashi yesterday with an old tokubetsu kicho token from showa22 for $750: https://www.ebay.com/itm/235146427369?nma=true&si=kyZe6zLy5UVKWme4xFNpgzFLV6U%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 It kind of blew my mind that a blade that seems like it's in a great old polish with a shirasaya in good shape with a tokubetsu kicho token paper could go this low - given that this is a mumei blade with an outdated 1975 kicho attestation, what are the odds that this is actually a solid blade likely to live up to its attestation? Would it be worth trying to get this resubmitted for a hozon paper? Is this a reasonable price to pay? It's definitely a shorter end wakizashi that seems like 38 cm of blade length, so maybe that factors into the price versus longer 50-60 cm wakizashis? In any case - would this be safe to just oil up and store in the shirasaya and a sword bag and would that actually be preferable to leaving it unsheathed in storage on display for maintenance and preservation purposes? Being brand new to this, I've read a bunch of differing opinions here talking about how shirasayas are specially designed to be ideal for storage but also that leaving it oiled and naked on display is just as fine if not better, etc etc - would be reassuring to get an expert opinion on this specific case :). Shirasaya looks like it's in good condition? Curious what price ranges you'd all peg for these blades too! Finally, I'm now patiently taking a look at all papered katanas. My general reading from posts on this forum and elsewhere make me feel like kicho token attestations are pretty unreliable, especially probably for a mumei blade - does that feel about right to you all? As someone without any meaningful ability to validate authenticity on my own, would I be pretty safe sticking to Hozon and tokubetsu hozon blades, even from sketchy sellers like Komonjo? What would be the best way to validate that a NBTHK paper is authentic and attributed for the right mumei blade? Just call them up? Thankfully my wife is Japanese and On that note - we actually go to Japan all the time and are planning to be there another few months from October. Anyone have any recommendations on places to check out in Japan itself to find good deals on katanas and tachis actually in the country? And a final question - at this point in my journey I don't care so much about the different smiths yet so much as the direct quality of the blade itself - am I correct in understanding that NBTHK grades are not relative to the reputation of a swordsmith but graded objectively so that assuming that say, if two blades were certified to the same rank as a terminal certification (as in they failed to attain a higher rank, not merely that they didn't attempt it), they could be roughly assumed to be of the same quality (not necessarily the same value)? Would it be reasonable to then search for my ideal katana by filtering specifically for tokubetsu hozon papered blades as use that as my primary criteria on a quality perspective as a total newbie, or are there more effective approaches? And on questionable tokubetsu kicho token blades - WHOOPS! Turns out literally during the writing of this post I 'accidentally' bought a fifth blade which feels extremely sketchy to me. I lowballed the seller and really didn't think they would sell for this low but turns out they accepted my offer of $1400 + $100 in shipping for this blade listed for $2000 - https://www.ebay.com/itm/354970993519. Did I make a big no no here? This is from daimyou54eb who I see garners very mixed opinions here, especially regarding non papered blades. This is a mumei blade with a very old tokubetsu kicho token and he took $600 off the listing price just like that? Is there any remote possibility that this is an authentic blade? I'm especially cautious because he doesn't have anything else remotely listed close to this price with an NBHTK paper, with even another mumei kicho token katana listed for $2300 as the closest comparable: https://www.ebay.com...3:g:y0oAAOSwjQFk5Fbb Is this likely a case of a blade that failed to get a Hozon paper in reauthentication and is now being sold with the hopes that someone like me will fall for the tokubetsu kicho token or would anyone actually sell a real tokubetsu kicho token katana in this condition (admittedly not the best condition, but also doesn't look bad at all!)? Or is this some other sort of scam like a fake NBTHK paper/one for a different blade? And if there *are* places where you could feasibly get a real papered tokubetsu kicho or hozon grade katana in the $1000-3000 range that are more trustworthy and legitimate than this crazy eBay gambling I'm doing now that you all are aware of, or if any of you are selling a blade that falls into that category for that kind of price range, please let me know! Thank you so much all!! Hoping I haven't made *too* serious of mistakes and at least I'm playing at budget price ranges for now before getting truly serious about this stuff.

The one in Bruce's post is Takeyasu-saku (武泰作）

Thanks again everyone! I've got the Pecards antique leather dressing on order, and plan to take it very careful and slow. That Connoly Hide Care looks great; I've got an old saddle made in SF before great fire, and I think that might be perfect for it. The rolls royce angle is pretty cool! All great info and advice! Thank you again everyone! The blade has a wild and fun hamon, and interesting koshirae. I have a hard time seeing the jihada unfortunately. Nonetheless, I am enjoying cataloging and admiring the sword I will update when I finish the leather treatment, Cheers, -Sam

Good to know,I've brought back bone dry cracked holsters with saddle soap then lanolin. It's the amount of water used in saddle soap. I'm sure you realize you can't go rough shod on it treat it like it's your new baby's butt.

The best leather preservative that I have ever found is Connolly's Hide Food. I do quite a lot of leather work, and this is by far the best IMHO. It was originally made for Rolls-Royce IIRC. Apply it, rub it in, let it absorb, and then polish with a dry cloth and in the case of your Rolls-Royce, you can sit on it in you finest clothes soon after without problems. Beware of some saddle soaps, as this has been known to damage stitching.

Hi Gilles, the title of the book is as follows: 帝室技藝員　宮本包則刀60撰　草信　博著 (Imperial Household Technician Miyamoto Kanenori Sword 60 Selections by Hiroshi Kusanobu).

The Nagoya city emblem, resolved in the city council's October 1907 (Meiji 40) meeting, originates from the "〇に八の字"（ Maruhachi） used as a joint seal by the Owari Tokugawa family. In the history of the Nagoya city council, it is explained that the circular emblem symbolizes boundless and harmonious expansion, with the inner "八" representing a supporting and expanding form, signifying growth through accumulated years. Additionally, the "八" is likened to the earth's feminine principle, signifying growth and progress, akin to the path of supporting a load, as well as raising sails with favorable winds. This emblem signifies Nagoya's continuous and peaceful development, poised for expansion, and in alignment with the winds of progress.

Its unlikely to be kodachi and I would abstain from purchasing this blade. Muromachi period most likely, saiha is a possibility, nothing too exciting as it looks. Ko dachi look deeply curved only when drawn on the same page as regular contemporaries.

Just figured out the menuki. They’re bell crickets (suzumushi) Cheers, -Sam

Have a read of this thread…..interesting exchange of views.

long story, but got my stuff back from Hans and also got stuff that's owned by Chris Martin and a guy named Joseph Machids. do you know him?

Definitely Gifu in sakura stamp.

4500 Euro serious offers considered. Best Regards Daniel

Hi George all the leather tips you get are great. Good luck with your sword and the koshirae care

Takeyasu 武泰. I have yet to see a wartime made Toyosuke 豊佐.

There seems to be a Joe or Joseph MACHIDA listed in New Jersey who may be associated with this kind of stuff. John C.

A classy version of the chrysanthemum, posted by @Gilles HERE. Hoping to get some clear, close photos of it:

John, I recall someone mentioning a dedicated dirk book, but I can't remember where or who it was mentioned. A brief google search came up with this book on dirks based on the Banks Collection. Don't know anything about it, though: Japanese Pattern Dirks: The Banks Collection - Kenneth O. Banks - Google Books

That's an interesting one. Note the filled second, original hole in the nakago:

Many thanks to everyone for your time and help…….makes this hobby so much more enjoyable…..and educational. Best. Colin.

I guess I should wait until I've reviewed all of Thomas' updates on the other forums! He's uncovered a triplicate "45" on Gunboards: Toyosuke ND Small Standard Unknwn No 45 Jcstroud; NMB Mumei ND Small Standard Unknwn Unknwn 45 Ian Lim, W-A Mumei ND Large Standard Smooth Yes, shaped 45 Type-14, Gunboards

Thought I'd share an interesting find of something I've not commonly seen I wonder if others have come across other similar works? Kurihara Nobuhide Utsushi of a Heian period chokuto https://www.samurai-....net/SHOP/O-742.html

Ben it is good to see such enthusiasm in a new collector, my only advice is to hold off on any more ebay blades until you have gained some more knowledge and seen good blades in person.

This is not a tachi. It is a shinto katana. It is papered as a katana.

Hi Brian, did you sell this at the show? If not you should try to paper it. As from the 4th master till the 9th all Akasaka masters were called Tadatoki, I would be very interested which one this turns out to be. I believe it shouldn’t be too late.

Ref.

Hand forged by 堀井俊秀 （Horii Toshihide）'s son 堀井胤次（Horii Tanetsugu）

#八七

Yes they do an antique leather conditioner ( they call it antique leather dressing) it’s a good one.

I would say sword 1 is 義房 (Yoshifusa)

Sword 1. Kanefusa - June, 1945 Sword 2. Hiromichi - May, 1945 For next time, it is easier to read if the images are not flipped horizontally (these are reversed mirror images of the correct orientation).

Sam….suggest you Google it. Lots of proprietary products to restore the colour and the suppleness. I’ve use a recolouring product followed by saddle soap to great effect. Sometimes more than one treatment is needed. Better to take it slowly. Make sure you leave that partial label intact…..part of its history.

Hi Sam short family blade bring it to war gunto. It has the typical green ito. I had twice of these over the time. Some soldiers prefer the short wakizashi blades in ww2 for different reasons. Nice piece and a good buy. Please care for the leather and the leather clip. If you bring back the life into the leather it will be shine deep red. This was mine Dotanuki - Wakizashi Norisada - Wakizashi I had one more with green ito and a mumei muromachi blade but i didn't find the pictures. I like these waki in guto koshira very much. Good to handle and lovely in hand.

The design is 糸巻雁金 – spool (board spool) and wild geese. Ref. 鍔　無銘　京透　糸巻雁金透鍔(TU-021217)｜刀・日本刀の販売なら日本刀専門店の【銀座 誠友堂】 (seiyudo.com)

Greetings I just got a minute to post my new Tanto and figured I’d share it. I’ll post the paperwork, tang, opposite side of blade and length later today. Any insight would be appreciated. Off the top of my head it’s late Edo but re-homed in its current mounts which are period besides the wood obviously. God Bless

I have one in store. Try to guess who is the sworsmith......! hint : he received the honor of being appointed a Teishitsu Gigeiin (Imperial Court Artisan).

Just got a chance to take a look at this Wakizashi, which is signed 尚定 - NAOSADA on the tang. I did find a listing for this smith at Nihonto club, but have not been able to find out much else. The signature on the blade is definitely old, and did have a bit of trouble with it, as the chisel marks are very faint. The file marks are also long gone. Fittings are very nice, though probably later than the blade, and the polish does look to be in very good shape, though the JI looks much closer to a mirror shine than I am used to seeing. I'm also trying to figure out what to term the HAMON shape. https://nihontoclub.com/smiths/NAO268

G'day Matt, Gassan Sadakazu and Gassan Sadakatsu also made some of these. Here is one by Sadakazu. Cheers, Bryce

Typical Kaga Habaki form with five lines on omote and four on ura