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There is a simple solution to this. Buyer is not happy, send sword back. Seller refund buyer when sword arrives. If seller wont refund buyer than that wont help with future sales.

Hello everyone, I wanted to give a quick introduction to my new dealer section. Having been active in this wonderful community for quite a while now, and having sold Japanese swords for over three years, I thought I would obtain dealer status here on NMB. This allows me to support the forum and have a more direct way to communicate updates concerning stock and upcoming swords. My name is Lex van der Jagt. I started selling antiques when I was 14 years old and started my own company as soon as I turned 18, based in the Netherlands. I have focused my interest on Nihonto ever since I was legally allowed to own them here in the Netherlands. I specialize in Japanese swords from the Koto period (before 1596 AD), as this is the period that interests me most and is also the main focus of my own collection. Japanese swords are my passion, and I stand behind every sword I sell. Almost all swords I sell come with modern NBTHK Kanteisho, and some have been submitted to shinsa by me personally. I visit Japan every three months in search of high-quality Koto-period swords that I can offer to my buyers, which I personally export by plane. I plan to have a website up and running within six months. Until then, you can contact me directly here or send me an email at: lexvdjagt@gmail.com. Greetings, Lex van der Jagt The Netherlands

Yesterday the famous sword appreciation event in Tokyo co-sponsored by the Toyama Sword Research Group and the e-Sword Research Group took place. It took 5 months to make happen. The theme Soshu-den, showed off a luxurious selection including Bizen Saburo Kunimune, Shintogo, Masamune, Norishige, Go Yoshihiro, Sa, Rai Kunitsugu, Taikei Naotane, Dewa Daijo Kunimichi, and Kashu Kiyomitsu! And even had the sword fittings, including the famous Atsuto Shiro, the sword fittings and Kaga metalwork that came with the famous Satsuamee koshirae, and the Hirata school of cloisonné! More than half the participants were female! #Sword

Note, I have made a change to the above template, and added a "Returns Policy" to the template. Note, nothing is mandatory about the fields in the template, but sellers should consider using it, and consider adding your returns policy clearly, for buyers to make a decision on a purchase. It is highly recommended and I think a good thing to consider and clarify before making a purchase.

Dear Rob, I can chime in. How should I understand this blade within late Muromachi / Sue-Bizen production? It is a blade of the late Osafune school, in its fourth phase of activity, the so-called "Sue-Bizen" phase that last until the flood of the river Yoshii. Bizen was the largest production center of swords, and produced both domestic and foreign exports to the mainland. If you want to really take a deep dive into the school to contextualize the work within the broader school period, check here: https://nihontowatch.com/lineages/osafune (note that it is a very early project, and will contains errors). I understand that many Sue-Bizen blades were made during a period of heavy demand, but this example is signed, dated, Tokubetsu Hozon, and appears to have been considered worthy of a Hon’ami Nisshu oshigata. Does this place it above ordinary wartime production, or is that still too broad an assumption? Because it is a finely crafted blade, in a period where quality varied dramatically based on the client demands. Contrary to an old belief, even in blades without the full artisan name spelled out, there are some high-quality pieces intended as top of the line products. Note that Hon'ami Nisshu was not a exceedingly good at kantei, some of his sayagaki call for enhanced scrutiny (i.e. are inflated or simply off), and one should have ideally the kiwame (appraisal) confirmed by Tanobe sensei. Why does the sayagaki use the fuller attribution “Gorōzaemon no Jō Kiyomitsu”, while the mei itself reads “Bizen Kuni jū Osafune Kiyomitsu saku kore”? The traits indicative of master Gorōzaemon's hand are apparent in the blade to the eyes of Hon'ami Nisshu, allowing for the narrowing of the attribution. Alternatively, In certain cases, it is a statement on the quality rather than a narrowing of the attribution range, a way to praise the sword above those bearing this signature type. You can learn about “Gorōzaemon no Jō Kiyomitsu” here: https://nihontowatch.com/artists/kiyomitsu-KIY173 Am I correct in thinking that the sayagaki is identifying the specific Kiyomitsu generation/title, rather than contradicting the mei? It is narrowing down to the author, there is no contradiction. Kiyomitsu is a lineage within Sue-Bizen, and many smiths operated under this name. Similar with the Sukesada line. I am also commissioning a new koshirae in Japan using selected antique fittings. The planned fittings include an Aizu Shōami iron tsuba, shakudō fuchi-kashira, antique menuki, black samegawa, dark brown silk tsuka-ito, black lacquer saya, and a custom satin silver habaki. I will attach some pictures below. As a general sanity check, does this seem like a coherent project for this type of blade? I am aiming for something understated, historically respectful, and not overly decorative. I think this is the right approach and you don't need the usual warning of avoiding the "koshirae americana" style. In my experience, it is useful to study books on Koshirae with historical photos, check Markus's Sesko website - there is, as I recall, a lovely illustrated book on Koshirae that he has translated. Do keep in mind that you are unlikely to recoup your investment, it is a labor of love and a to leave behind a testament of care to the sword for the next owner. Also, be aware that Tosogu are not 'modular' in their ability to fit blades, there is no standard rail measurements. Fuchi, Kashira, Tsuba, all need to be appropriately sized to the blade's proportion, and reworked in some cases. Avoiding excessive rework on precious tosogu is important, as it may lead to the proportions being off on top of it. For instance, Fuchi and Tsuba Seppa Dai need to be close in measurements, and the overall pieces need to be appropriate for the motohaba and kasane of the blade. Finally, I would appreciate a market perspective on the total cost. The whole project, including the blade, koshirae work, fittings, habaki, import and transport to Europe, will likely be around 1.750.000/2.000.000JPY all-in. I am not asking because I intend to sell it; I see it as a long-term collection piece. I simply want to understand whether this total cost seems reasonable for a complete, papered, signed and dated Kiyomitsu project in the current market. I think you may be underestimating the total cost or going for lower-level labor. It's also possible to achieve decent results this way, but keep in mind It is not easy work to get right, and you should make sure you have the right person to handle it in Japan. Koshirae outcomes widely differ in results. The best way to handle it is full art patron style: elect a promising craftsman who wants to compete in the fittings competition of NBHTK, give them artistic freedom. If the Koshirae is made for submission at the contest, it is the best way to communicate your intention of historical accuracy and high-quality work. Perhaps, best for the next sword. I hope this helps, good luck with your project, and we are looking forward to seeing the results. Hoshi

城州住国重 – Kunishige living in Joshu The first two kanji must be 城州 (Joshu). 城州 (Joshu) is another name of 山城國 (Yamashiro province). The first kanji on the tang may not look like 城, but it must be a variation of 城 character. Ref. 「城」（U+57CE） | 日本古典籍くずし字データセット

Inoue Shinkai. Dated Enpo roku nen ni hatsu hi. (井上真改 / 延宝六年二月日 - A day in the second month of the 6th year of Enpō, 1678) Echigo no kami Kanesada, made with nanbantetsu. Sagami no kuni Tsunahiro, dated Bunka go nen hachi gatsu hi (相模国綱廣 / 文化五年八月日 - a day in the eighth month of the 5th year of the Bunka era, 1808)

Good afternoon Raouf, What you have is a perfect study piece for you at your stage in the great game. What you have paid is what is often referred to as "School Fees" in the Antiques Trade. Now you need to get to see as much of the best quality as you can, either physically at museums or using Google Museum search etc, and compare it to what you have, in a positive, take it on the chin and move on manner. I can remember my first purchase of an armour, way back, it cost me £20, an absolute fortune in those days, when woke meant something to do with the interim betwixt sleep and awake and Nihonto were dumped into old Tea Chests at the back of the Antiques shop with a standard price of £4 Ten shillings for a Wakizashi and £ 5 Ten shillings for a Katana. (As you are in the Americas, I think that would probably equate with a Burger and Fries for the wakizashi and a Burger and Fries and a Milk shake for the Katana....... and a slap up table for two at Dennys for the armour. But to a 12 year old, Fledgling Katchubunny, I thought it was amazing, and I was absolutely sure that Toshiro Mifune had worn it at the Battle of Sekigahara......... I looked at it so closely, every rivet, every delamination of the Urushi, every rust hole and fraying of the Blue odoshi, that it became like a road map. So, have the courage to fail old chum.

What I find surprising is that a collector/dealer did not notice a chip to the kissaki mune…..the kissaki is one of the first things you look at very closely. Also the mune ware are clearly visible…ok, not massive but they are there. That rust looks to have pitting, ok again not a massive area but does not look a few weeks old imo, especially as the sword was shipped oiled. And afaik an Iai koshirae is not an assembly of Frankenstein adapted parts but one that can be safely used for Iai As said above….lessons to be learned by both parties. A dealers reputation is hard won and easily lost. Buyers have to ignore all the sales BS and focus on asking the questions that are not answered in descriptions. Bottom line…..if you are going to buy from images you’d better know and be able to trust the seller. ……and the best way to deal with a rightfully aggrieved customer is to apologise and refund his money….as Alex says above. But then I’m very “old school” with an exaggerated sense of transparency and fair play.

I'm very confused by a couple of things. First is that I don't think there are any words about Hiromitsu or Akihiro making Kodachi in the entire 3 pages about them in Fujishiro Sensei's Nihon Tōkō Jiten, 1938 edition. Another point is that Kodachi (in this context) means Tachi that is around 60cm (say 50~65cm) in Hachou, so a 65~70cm one is just a full-size regular Tachi. This is just 101 for Nihonto learning. I also failed to find the Soshu Masters' Mei on the Sashiomote side part in The Connoisseur’s Book p. 202, or any talk about this topic in the whole book of its Japanese version 刀剣鑑定読本. (English version using https://openlibrary.org/works/OL12592939W/The_connoisseur's_book_of_Japanese_swords) On this issue, I don't think Soshu masters even are exceptions. Usually we say that in the Koto times, part of Aoe and Motoshige (who is considered under Aoe influence) are the exceptions, signing on the Sashiomote. Soshu works are mostly Mumei, but here are a few examples. (Juyo Bijutsuhin Hasebe from Nanbokuchou, Mei on Hakiomote) (Juyo Bunkazai Akihiro, specifically labeled as Kodachi at 63cm, Mei on its Hakiomote) (Many, many signed Soshu master Shizu Kaneuji's Tachi from Nanbokuchou, Juyo Bijutsuhin and Bunkazai, the go-to when praising a later-time Soshu style work, "Wow! this sword reminds people of Shizu!") Actually, I would love to see enough exceptions from the Soshu masters where their Mei on Sashiomote and being labeled as Tachi or Kodachi by the officials. So......May I ask where are you getting your information...? On an unrelated note, LLMs are extremely unreliable with Kantei Kanshou stuff, lack even the most basic resources, knowledge, and often hallucinate. Lastly, I'm going out on a limb here, asking, is there a little confusion about how the Suriage process works...? Because a sword like this could never reach 69cm in its original size. Suriage is a one-directional process, cutting a sword's Nakago and turning the bottom blade part to new Nakago part. (In this case, like this.) Many people would get this wrong, but one can not Suriage a Kissaki (unless an unlikely scenario of an Ichimai Boshi), they are shortened mostly due to damage. Because Boshi, like Hamon, are fixed, and a sword loses most of its value when the last of the hardened are on Kissaki is lost. (in extreme cases, a Boshi-less sword became what we call Satsuma-Age.) (And the Kissaki of your sword seems fine, I think. Perhaps 1 or at most 2cm lost?) So you can't "gain" extra original length from the Kissaki part, just the bottom, which is very limited because of the remaining Mei part, giving no more than 10cm of room in the most ideal circumstances, making your sword no longer than 60cm originally, like other has pointed out.

I don't think this is Nobu (信). The two angled strokes at the top of the character inscribed on this nakago are sort of floating in isolation to the rest of the strokes. The left angled stroke needs to have a vertical stroke centered directly underneath it. The right angled stroke needs to be more or less centered above the other horizontal strokes. And there would be a very boxy-looking set of strokes at the bottom of the character. None of these are present, so even giving a lot of latitude for artistic flourish, this character could not be 信. I don't think its 兼 (Kane) either, for similar reasons. Unfortunately, I can't offer a plausible candidate for what it might be. It doesn't look like anything other than some random strokes. I mean it kind of looks similar to 金 or 全 or even 年, rather than 信 or 兼, but none of those options look right either. So I'm at a bit of a loss. Random strokes by someone? An abandoned attempt at forgery?

Not that it means much, however I agree in principle with Calabrese - that if NMB is going to allow sellers to use the site as a business platform, they should be held to a higher standard than Ebay or some dodgy auction house. I've been burned by our "preferred" sellers as well. Before I purchased, I read so many posts about "buy from our sellers" when I, and other folks, had doubts on a purchase. Unfortunately, that trust was misplaced. Lesson learned. I think what gets to people the most is the feeling of betrayal. You expect to be ripped off on Ebay so you are somewhat mentally guarded, however this is different, this is community. Your guard is down when buying from the site. So I can see how tempers could be flared when a sale does not go as both parties felt if should go. Just my two cents on why this is more than just caveat emptor. John C.

Thank you everyone for taking the time to share your expertise, references, and insights on this piece. I really appreciate the thorough analysis of the dimensions, signature styles, and the historical context. You've given me a great deal of genuine knowledge to consider. Thank you again for your time and for a very educational discussion!

Kannon tsuba by Kano Natsuo Halo figures, recent additions to older tsuba? A cross over from Kannon to the Christian Madonna - "Maria-Kannon" This syncretic icon was developed in the 17th century by the Kakure Kirishitan (Hidden Christians)

I am currently on train so I cannot write too long post. However as the sword seems to be 49 cm in current form and would seem to have long portion of the mei intact, I would guess it would have been under 60 cm blade originally.

Hey Bugyotsuji, sure, and thanks for the question. I'm a newbie so it's been quite a challenge so far and always looking for feedback Here a few pics from the lab in Japan working on the habaki, koshirae and fittings. I'm adding a picture of the sayagaki, seems like signed by Hon’ami Nisshu I decided to ask for a new habaki in silver satin the blade is authenticated also with a Tokubetsu Hozon Token here below the measures: Blade Length: 69.2 cm (27.24 in) Curvature: 1.7 cm (0.67 in) Mekugi Hole: 1 Width at Base (Motohaba): 3.14 cm (1.24 in) Width at Tip (Sakihaba): 2.00 cm (0.79 in) Thickness of Rim (Kasane): 0.74 cm (0.29 in) Sword Weight: 780 g Signature: Bizen Kuni jn Osafune Kiyomitsu saku kore

チヤ (Chiya) Chiya is the name of a city that had a tatara furnace in it, and it is where he produced some swords.

應鈴木照雲師求源天秀鍛之 – Responding to the order from Rev. Suzuki Shoun, Minamoto Amahide forged this. I am unsure about 求.

As others have said, JAS is not about the level of the blades on offer but having an immersive experience in a very well appointed venue. As a noob to the field its a unique opportunity in Europe to handle many swords up to Juyo level. Yes, the quality as a whole is average but several dealers including Touken Takarado, Ginza Seiyudo and Daisuke Hataya will have upper tier TH (with Juyo potential) and Juyo papered Koto swords. And if Katchu is something that interests you, there are specialist European dealers in attendance too. It really is a one stop shop to ignite a passion and make connections. The potential networking benefits should not be overlooked, especially if you are fishing in the Juyo and Juyo+ pool. Where else in Europe are you going to have such an opportunity? In the US, with the annual Chicago, SF and Orlando Shows you are spoilt for choice. We Europeans are not so lucky.

The Birmingham Arms Fair is coming up (14th June) so here are some poor images of assorted kozuka that I will be taking (Table 81) Mei include Goto, Hamano, Issando Joi, Hirata (the incredibly rare enamelled tigers) etc. Quality ranges from “OK” to very fine (imo🙂) Hope to see some of you there. All the best. Colin

Frank, I'm not a nihonto guy, but there are many blades with 1 fuller on one side and 2 on the other. It's a nice style, if you ask me. Also, the guys will no doubt want to know some measurements like:

In koryū we don’t use antique nihontō for regular training. A blade from the Sengoku or Edo period is a historical object, and even if it is still structurally sound, it carries fatigue, old polishing cycles, and sometimes hidden flaws that you simply cannot detect without risking the blade. For daily keiko we use modern steel blades (shinken or blunt steel), made specifically for training. They are consistent, predictable, and you can stress them without worrying about damaging something that survived 300–400 years. In Europe we are also fortunate to have access to good-quality 1060 / 1095 steel blades for practice. They are not nihontō, of course, but in terms of weight, balance and general geometry they can get surprisingly close to the feeling of a traditional sword, which makes them very practical for regular training. Antique blades are handled only for study: balance, geometry, sori, niku, and the feeling of how a real sword “lives” in the hand. That part is extremely valuable for understanding the old techniques. Personally, I would never use an antique blade for tameshigiri. Cutting puts real mechanical stress on the steel, and it’s not worth the risk. For kata, however, an antique blade can be used carefully, because the movements are controlled and non-impact. But even then, it’s more about understanding the feeling of the sword than about “training” with it. This is just my personal view as a beginner practitioner and someone who is deeply interested in the culture and history of nihontō. So yes , old blades are still “usable, ” in the sense that they can be drawn, felt, and studied, but not for repetitive cutting. Modern training swords for practice, antique nihontō for understanding. Thansk a lot and nice to meet you :-)

I am sorry for the bad news, but this is not authentic nor Japanese. https://www.jssus.org/nkp/fake_japanese_swords.html

That's unfortunate, and just is everyone is clear, it isnt because @djcollection hasn't been online. He has visited almost daily since this transpired, which indicates a purposeful intent to ignore the buyer and his communication. As an additional testament to his lack of professionalism, he has just posted another item for sale. Anyone looking with interest should do so cautiously and with great scrutiny. Choose your purchases carefully friends, look for feedback and reviews, but dont rely on them solely. Ask for additional pictures if any angles are missing. Save all communications until such time as the deal is done and you are satisfied. Return policies are important always, but especially when shipping is far and costly. Gone are the days when you can trust people at their word. Business is business and conduct yourselves accordingly. No, shortcuts and no ambiguity.

To anyone who is still interested. I didn't get any reply, nothing. I guess ignoring people is a working strategy for @djcollection after the sale is done. Think twice before you start doing business with him.

I feel the 珎州 that Piers posted would seem most resembling the last picture, however I have never seen that before, so my guess might be on 筑州住国重 (Chikushū jū Kunishige). In my personal feeling there seems to be different feeling between the first 2 and lower 3 kanji. Your sword seems to have very unusual blade construction as one side seems to be flat (hira) and another side ridged (shinogi), at least that is what I am seeing from the pictures.

Hi All! I'm from Ireland. Passionate about nihonto. I've been in Japan a few times and eventually I decided to take the big step and buy my first nihonto. It's a Kiyomitsu (Osafune) dated and signed I decided to go for a dedicated koshirae project, a new habaki and papered fittings. The whole project took a long time to select all the parts and now I'm waiting a few months for the koshirae. Looking forward to have it and study it. cheers

I echo Piers here, if you want a cool piece of history in your mancave, this is a perfect old item. The condition is too poor for a collector, and a decent restoration will cost you an arm and a leg. Enjoy it as it is, it is genuine after all, and better than a replica.

Sword is on hold pending purchase

Regarding the Mon, I had a katana with this mon on it, and the late Vic Harris at the British Museum ID'd it as the mon of the Sakai family, though this may well have been used by other families as well. As regards the armour, it is a great study piece, and while restoring it you will learn a tremendous amount for use in future. Years back I knew John Anderson and his fabulous collection, and as John said to me, 'Don't think that all these were in this condition when I got them, many certainly weren't ! He had a garage full of armour awaiting restoration. Enjoy your armour!

I think Suzuki Shoun was a sword dealer of some sort, for there was a Gunto (Japanese military sword) store named Suzuki Shoun Dou opened in 1923, run by Suzuki Akio, so Shoun might be his art name (Shoun/"shining on clouds" is pretty artty). Also explains why there are multiple Gunto with signatures like "made to Suzuki Shoun's demand". 師 (literally "teacher") could just be used as an honorific way of addressing someone, close to Master or Sensei, but often associated with religious (like Buddhists) or instructive (say, martial instructors) occupations.

I understand your position on comments and links in sale posts, it's perfectly reasonable. The NMB is just the platform and buyers are responsible for doing their own research before making a purchase. But, please dont be coy regarding this sale as if there is any question what happened here. It isnt about WHO is right or wrong, it's about someone using words to describe something, it is not. No forging flaws....No kite-ware and No kizu are absolute statements, PERIOD. The structure of that statement says very clearly that the blade has been inspected and those attributes are absent. The damage to the kissaki and the rust can both be explained beyond a reasonable doubt, which is why I can ignore them. However, 10cm and 25cm obvious flaws in the mune are impossible to miss and everyone who has ever oiled or maintained a blade knows it. NMB may not be able to sanction or step in on private sales, nor should it, but it CAN decide not turn a blind eye to obvious misrepresentation and dismiss it as something lesser. That is precisely the type of oxygen shady sellers rely on to continue selling irresponsibly unencumbered. Remember, all this seller had to do was NOT make an absolute statement. All he had to say was, "minor forging flaws" or "no flaws visible, but IM BLIND and cant see anything under 2.5cm in length". He chose NOT to do this which clearly shows either extreme carelessness or an intent to deceive. Either one, IMO, is contemptible.

I agree: Masauji Saku. Grey

I’m certainly learning from all the thoughtful responses by our generous members. That said, I do have some concern that many of these detailed replies appear to be directed toward content from the OP that seems heavily AI generated. Using AI as a translation tool is one thing, but in this case the posts across a couple threads now read more like fully generated responses rather than translated personal communication. I do appreciate the expertise people are contributing, and I only mention this because every “thank you” reply so far appears largely copy-pasted from an AI prompt... For a purchase of this caliber; I would personally feel a more sincere form of engagement would go a long way. Sorry if my views toward AI are a bit strict; but all this just gives me cause for concern... When this happens; it can be really hard to distinguish between what could be a bot, versus what could be a sincere inquiry. -Sam

I would agree with this, if you agree its far more important for a seller to ACCURATELY describe their item for sale in the first place instead of trying to deceive a buyer with poor pictures and false descriptions.

長船 Osafuné 郷 normally read as Gō Heavy? One kilogram or more? Be careful though as there are many Sukenaga fakes, making for a wide disparity in values. The real Sukenaga worked around 1830-1850 ish

Well, I would try to keep things in perspective. Statements like “...so far, I've always come across honest people,” or “...I definitely feel cheated” imply that the other person is dishonest and a cheater. A situation like this is always very emotional and, in a way, understandable, but I would still be cautious with such statements. If no consensus can be reached, the only thing left to do is to warn others: “...hey, this and that happened to me recently. Make sure to ask for better photos if necessary, or explicitly inquire about specific details that are important to you!” Because what is of great importance to one person may not be a priority for others. This is a very simple thing I can do as a buyer, and something I can fully understand as a seller as well. “Everything has always been fine so far, and I’ve trusted the seller” is therefore rather childish and naive. Anyone who’s been involved in this hobby long enough has surely had to gain enough experience of their own and could tell similarly unpleasant stories involving much larger sums. I found my visit to the last DTI—and, in that context, to several dealers—particularly noteworthy, as it was a mix of highs and lows. Some pieces turned out to be better than expected, while others I would describe as “skillfully photographed.” The blades’ weaknesses were also definitely not described on the dealers’ websites. And this was true even for dealers who are highly regarded here. That was quite sobering, but also a wake-up call, because by then I had come to believe I was quite good at interpreting photos.

Just been reading this thread today, late to the party. There is plenty to learn and enjoy in this set, as Malcolm says, and you could even do some gentle cleaning yourself to make it more presentable. Ask for cleaning tips first! Stabilizing the cracking and huge lacquer flakes will take some thought. So much is lost on the kote that reducing them to bare iron could be a consideration. The kabuto looks nice underneath, and the overall shapes of the bowl and the shikoro look fine. The dealer probably knew little about it, as the sune-ate were upside-down. I'd look closely at the ho-ate though, as that could be (painted) fibreglass showing under the chin(?). I would mend or even change the maedate too as the destruction of the horn tips draws the eye and is ugly to look at. I feel that this armour will be happy that someone is giving it a home, and in return it should give you the new owner hours of pleasure. No need to listen to any negativity. Just save what you can of history, and eventually pass it on, hopefully in slightly better condition.

Hi! This is 濃州関住美濃守源貞継謹作 Noshu Seki-ju Mino no Kami Minamoto Sadatsugu Kinsaku 昭和十六年極月 Showa 16 (1941) Gokudsuki (December).

Interesting and informative comments from @uwe Again stressing my beginner status on armour, the use of nerikawa during the peace times of Edo was popular because you got the look but not the weight or the cost. Parading around on horse or foot in a heavy iron yoroi, especially the Kabuto, Menpo and Sode would be rather uncomfortable on neck and shoulders I think? So the lighter nerikawa was widely used (or so I have read) including by higher ranking Samurai. Couple that with the more luxurious lacing and a Kabuto/shikoro and Menpo that I personally found attractive with its high central ridge (ignoring condition) and you may have bought something that was once really quite decent. But of course I could be spouting rubbish🙂…..someone correct me if I’m wrong please.

From the series 風流花鳥尽 (Compilation of Tasteful Flowers and Birds) by Hiroshige 2nd. 雉子つづじ　Pheasants and Azaleas きくうづら　Chrysanthemums and Quail 藤の花つばめ　Wisteria and swallows Some of these are in hentaigana, so they look different to what I've written above

I do think it can often be confusing when lot of different status levels are thrown in for the swords. I do understand it is the easy way in differentiating perceived quality levels and for seasoned collectors it is fairly easy to grasp. However I do think it can be difficult for new enthusiasts, sometimes I think the appreciation status level can be overriding the actual item. In my personal opinion Iwato Ichimonji is a minor branch of Ichimonji school. I do feel the only smith of true importance is Yoshiie. I do have recorded signed items from 5 other Iwato Ichimonji smiths but it is very minor school. The two items by Yoshiie are quite nice. 83,5 cm tachi that is held by Yoshikawa Local History Museum (tachi is Jūyō Bijutsuhin) and a 61,5 cm naginata that is in the collection of Ōyamazumi jinja (naginata is Jūyō Bunkazai). Both are also dated around 1330 and feature Iwato in their signature. I have seen the naginata several times when visiting the shrine and while as naginata lover I do agree it is amazing item and has huge historical importance, I have to say in just pure quality aspect I am not too sold on the item. I just remember always liking other naginata at the shrine a lot more than this particular one. In the beginning I would just recommend looking into different time periods and seeing various items in general. Like how will Osaka-Shintō blades look like, what would be the Kotō Yamato schools like, how Bizen area was churning out various swords throughout history. How different can tantō be next to one another, how short and long can some katana be, how were Japanese polearms. Looking into smiths and schools that might be interesting, rather than going for status level like Jūyō etc. I do think any event with swords will be great for looking at different things. I attended few of the early Utrecht shows and I liked the athmosphere and met so many friends around Europe in there. I think for me the social aspect might have been more important than the swords.

Lots to be learned here by both buyers and sellers. Ok, so 25mm and 10mm respectively. So now all we need is @djcollection to explain why this is not a clear misrepresentation of his description stating "NO FORGING FLAWS". Those are YOUR words, are they not?

Azalea and pheasants? The second one seems to read Quail in Chrysanthemums. Kiku Uzura Some kind of red-throated birds in Wisteria flowers.(?) Just off the top of my head in order to get the ball rolling!

Utrecht is a no brainer for people in the DACH and BeNeLux regions. Even if you don’t buy, the social element and window shopping justify the expense. And it is also a great experience for the beginning collector in terms of viewing, handling and establishing useful contacts in the community. One does not need to stay at the expensive Karl hotel arranged by the organisers as there are a few budget-friendly and sensible hotels within 10-15 min walk. For a true top-level experience, the DTI is unparallelled worldwide. And given the FX, I think it is a very sensible buying proposition if one is brave enough to carry their blades across borders and sort out taxes and tariffs. It is all about having the appropriate documentation and being eloquent, clear and detailed in one’s written and verbal explanations to officials. It is surmountable, at least for Europe, while the US recent executive orders and legislation have made it trickier. Brano is right: without the correct introductions and relationship building, one might see some great blades at a dealer, among the ordinary, but not a full line-up. That takes years of relationship investment. Furthermore, dealers like “testing” you and ascertaining where a visitor is in terms of knowledge, experience and collecting interests. And in any case, people who go to the DTI, go to Japan for at least a week and combine that with visits to dealers, museums and of course the expo itself. So, abundant learning experiences apart from the DTI itself. Here the OP is not just any beginner but someone who feels ready to deploy substantial capital to start up. Therefore a person like that will benefit immediately from exposure to top blades in order to differentiate average from top from substandard. That is not to say that one should buy [only] at the top, but at least be able to appreciate and discern among the diversity of offers. Going back to the blades, I don’t think the OP will find a suitable quality blade in Europe to the Iwato (which it think is the superior of the two due to health, hamon, relative prestige of the school etc etc) at a similar price. I think the European dealers will price a blade like that at least at a 20% premium. My first Ichimonji experience was with Yoshioka and I ended up with two such blades with excellent hamon, Utsuri and jigane. Then I had the pleasure of owning a zaimei Norifusa, which I warmly recommend as an underpriced /undervalued alternative to top Fukuoka. In fact, Norifusa is a Fukuoka Ichimonji smith who migrated to Katayama and set up a new branch of the Ichimonji but he still is a Fukuoka smith, who combines the finest jigane of all Ichimonji (in my view) with flamboyant Fukuoka hamon. If, however, the OP likes Nambokucho grandeur, then I would recommend he consider the more mature Katayama Ichimonji (large Naginata style, boisterous saka choji hamon) within the Ichimonji school. Of course, Sa remains an alternative but there are better alternatives (sorry Mushin) in Katayama Ichi, Chogi, Kanemitsu etc.

I recently received results from the NBTHK shinsa but it lef me puzzled. So I would like to ask the community for any information on the maker and school of one of the pieces, which came back Tokubetsu Hozon. The piece: Iron mokko-gata tsuba with a starving wolf (餓狼図, garō-zu) in sukidashi takabori. Kin-zōgan for the eye and claws, shirogane-zōgan and lead(?) Ategane. Tsuchime-ji ground, uchikaehi mimi. The composition reads as a two-sided landscape, the wolf inhabiting the terrain implied by the omote. Signature: Two columns beside the nakago-ana on the ura: Right column: 駿高双山麓寓 Left column: 岩佐正 (花押) I read this as: "Residing at the foot of the twin mountains in Suruga Iwasa Masa [kao]." Or is there another reading? The 駿 abbreviating 駿河国 (Suruga province, present-day Shizuoka). The 双山麓 as a geographic locator, can only be Fuji-san or do know other twin mountains? What I am trying to establish: The Iwasa school in metalwork does not appear in the principal English-language references I have access to, and I have not found 岩佐正 in auction records or published catalogues. I would be grateful for any of the following: Has anyone encountered signed work by 岩佐正, or other Iwasa-signed tosogu? Any Haynes Index entries for Iwasa metalworkers would be particularly useful. Thanks everyone. Cheers, Alex

The inscription reads: 城州 住 國重 Which translates to: Joshu Ju Kunishige Which basically means: Kunishige made this in Joshu (or maybe in Chikuzen. Or perhaps in Chin-shu wherever that is). If my interpretation of the above is at all incorrect, I’m sure someone will correct me; and for Franks sake I encourage anyone to do so. You might think this would be enough for some detailed info, but unfortunately, nothing in Nihonto is that simple. There were many swordsmiths who signed “Kunishige” over the centuries, and unfortunately your blade does not appear to be dated (if it were dated, there would likely be an inscription on the other side of the tang). All hope is not lost though… Your sword looks interesting to me. We might be able to help narrow down a date range, but for that we’d need a lot of good photos. Primarily of the entire blade profile without fittings and the tip, both sides, and also both sides of the nakago up close. See my little photo guide below. All that said, even with perfect pictures, judging swords via photos is far from ideal. To get a really good idea of what you have, we always recommend getting it into the hands of a respected expert or togishi. -Sam

Helo Zhangshilong: I'm no expert. But since the answers to the questions are both objective and subjective, I'll offer my opinion. What is a true netsuke? Objectively, a netsuke is an ornamental device that attaches to a cord for the purpose of holding another object to an obi or belt. With that definition, it can be literally anything. Subjectively, netsuke represent an art form. And like all art, it's beauty is in the eye of the beholder. When I think of netsuke as a collector, I picture an historical object. I also tend to confine my collection to those objects made in Japan, since I collect Japanese items. This isn't to say that those items made elsewhere are not artistic, or not valuable, or not of high quality. I just prefer to collect those made in Japan and are at least 100 years old (how we define an antique). I think the reason for my collecting preferences are because of established provenance. Modern art, in any form, doesn't usually carry the value or prestige of older art because the artists are not yet established as "masters" of their craft. Some probaby are - and will be designated as such in the future. But for me, modern pieces do not have the same attraction as those that are antiques. I'm sure others will disagree, however I wanted to give just one collector's perspective. John C. 约翰 C.

Correct. Only items of significance are stored, and usually not lower end items or tosogu etc unless the buyer/seller requests it We also tend to archive sword sales and better items of Gold members, one of the little "perks" of Gold membership. I don't archive everything. You guys would need to fund waaaay more storage space if we did