Gakusee

Use the normal methods - Paul Kremers or Bob Hughes or Kelly Schmidt as intermediaries.

Not really an issue. How do you think smiths reuse material from cracked blades (yes, it does happen) or blades they do not approve of for presentation to their clients, which they subsequently reforge. Smiths control the forging process by choosing pieces with higher and lower carbon. They do that with tamahagane and also other materials in order to achieved the desired result. So they could for instance use lower-carbon tamahagane pieces for the softer core and then the repurposed older blade remnants (with some added higher carbon tamahagane pieces).

I had never read of the kogai being used n that manner. Very interesting. Thanks.

A lovely man and a substantial loss to the community.... May he rest in peace

Thank you!

Dear Piers, thank you so much for satiating our visual cravings! These are wonderful koshirae. I particularly like the various tachi ones - the efu one and kenukigata one. Without reading the labels and from a distance while not zooming in, I thought we were dealing with plain old egg-shell technique in the above conundrum. Interesting to learn something new in relation to the otolith usage. Please keep sending us info and images (much appreciated!) as Tumi is too busy given all that is going on in the museum and his exciting life stage, and Paul Martin - even busier with the various media outlet participations and projects. Thank you sir!

Watching this and collecting are not mutually exclusive….Good luck to the sellers and buyers. The ones who are the best off are Sotheby’s, skimming value from buyers and sellers. Regarding Peter’s broader point: yes, collecting has changed dramatically as Japan is more accessible to us, mere mortals (while before it used to be a select few’s privileged domain) and information in English is much more available than before. The Internet democratised access to information and brought us closer together.

I am sure the friend already knows the answer

Note that some of the initial estimates have sensibly been revised lower for the formal auction. Still some pieces are rather highly estimated (and it is up to the buyer to figure out why etc) but others seem attractively priced…. Just a word of caution to potential buyers: obviously, with Paul’s connections and friendships with the NBTHK, what could have been papered probably got papered… Sometimes, people believe they find gems in auctions etc that are undiscovered and hold a potential for this or that…. So, buyers need to factor in papers, provenance, sayagaki, estimates, hammer taxes, value added taxes, insurance and shipping etc etc Good luck to everyone (sellers and buyers)!

These could be stolen Juyo papers. The copy of the Zufu is accurate etc

Thanks HB I have met both Hataya san (senior and junior) and Shono san (father and son). It is good they will be visiting again. Your post is helpful and clarifies matters. I think such an initiative will be particularly helpful to new starters in this hobby, of whom undoubtedly there will be a representation at the fair.

Several Ko-Bizen Sukemura are mentioned by the NBTHK to have existed. Token Komachi mentions the same in their description. Nice blade, which has been with them for several years (3-4?) and has indeed been decreased in price to probably close to cost to them. Note some areas of weakness/ scratches but after all it is more than 800 years old. The Juyo Zufu describes the good nie and nie hataraki and nice remaining koshizori and some utsuri. A worthwhile blade.

Well, in fact, my main interest is Bizen den, particularly Koto and Heian, but life is too engrossing to be contributing to the forum unfortunately… My workload has exponentially increased in the last 15-20 years since I have been on the forum and my presence here is now mostly reduced to reading what others write and the occasional post. Yoshifusa is a great smith and, for a stereotypical/mature/ top Ichimonji, one can also go to Sukezane and Norifusa. In fact, you get more “bang” for the proverbial “buck” with Norifusa, as Yoshifusa and Sukezane seem very premium-priced. Sometimes the top quality Norifusa are surprisingly cheaper than a Yoshifusa which could not be as good in appearance or preservation. My own Norifusa, when I still owned it, had a very fine jigane and jihada (better than on almost all Ichimonji, including my other ones). The hamon was also very active etc.

In fact, Piers, with your profound knowledge of armour, teppo, language, the Japanese culture and elegant, polite manner, I think you will be one of the best moderators ever…. In fact, you will elevate the role and discourse, if I may say so. And after all, keeping control of us all will not be dissimilar to your teaching career and managing unruly hotheaded youngsters.

Hmmmm, you seem to know me better than most . Not sure whether to be flattered, perplexed or perturbed? Well, in fact, I know this sword and its previous 2-3 owners….. In reality, the sword looks much better in life than these pictures give it credit for. I am not sure why it has been changing hands so much in the last 4-5 years…. When I first considered it, it was “only” at Hozon level but of course it made it to Juyo…. Perhaps one thing to note for those who might consider it is that it is in the early Ichimonji style, more akin to a late KoBizen in nature. It’s more heavily nie rendered and the choji are rudimentary, if I could say that, and the hamon is more sugu-/midare with some wild niesuji activities. Anyway, for someone like me who likes KoBizen that will tick the boxes but it is not for everyone or for those who are after a stereotypical Ichimonji… P.S. The koshirae is a recent add-on by the dealer. In fact, it must have been added by the last or penultimate dealer who had it.

Thank you for the reminder, HB. Could you please help me understand something in case you have more information. Who is leading the shinsa, what format is it going to have and what will the outcome be? In other words, is it an informal friendly evaluation or a formal exercise with some certificate issued thereafter? Thanks.

Legitimate, although worn-down work with typical mid/late signature (albeit some of it wobbly) and priced where it is because of the TH and condition. Price already down from the 25m yen at the DTI to what currently I believe is a very good (even bargain) price for a Mitsutada long sword. Note, as CH mentioned above, that these are rarer than Masamune and in my subjective view more desirable.

The real daisho regulations really applied to the koshirae and the length of the blades. The names of the swords were not regulated and did not matter.

Proper sword daisho are extremely rare indeed in pre ShinShinto times but they do exist.

I would say, firstly start with the correct orientation of the inscription, and then try to decipher it

Well, good luck with the sale in any case. For those in NY, please go and see the swords. It is a great visual treat.

Your are right. But it is OK. I am also having a laugh. Joking aside, it is a great blade but I am not sure what their pricing thinking has been lately. There has not been a wider benchmarking of the global market, which they ought to do….

Talk of someone who wants to play in the big boys’ playground Frankly, the prices of top pieces have nothing to do with chin chin or not.

Ok Stephen, grand old royalty like you deserve to be given the info. This is said not in jest but with my best sentiments. This is from the NBTHK magazine.

look up the auction sale poster and you are in for a surprise….