chameloon

In the $4000 range, more or less

Hello, I'm overwhelmed by the offers on Ebay, not being knowledgeable enough to detect flaws and quality of the blade in all the listings I see. Hence I post here, hoping to find a blade from a reliable seller (Europe, anyone?) at a fair price. I am after a Katana from the Kamakura/Early Muromachi. Mei or Mumei, as long as it comes with NBTHK papers, no Kizu and a sane appearance/polish. Thanks for your help

I have my eyes on this blade: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Katana-Japanese-antique-sword-made-by-Kanemitsu-Kamakura-period-69-9cm-blade/265114032740 For a signed Kamakura blade, I found the price to be really appealing and right in my budget...Is it a legit bargain, or there are flaws I wasn't able to spot? Thanks for your help! Laurent, newbie

Hoanh, blade will soon be shipped back to me. I'll post when I'll get it Laurent

In my case, beside mizukage, there is fukure and very few hada. That seemed like indicators of a retempered blade, according to what I read on other topics here, on the forum Laurent

Hello, is it possible to spot a re-tempered koto blade easily, before polishing? Or is it just a polishing that can reveal the mizukage? I bought my first sword via Ebay from a member of this group some time ago. Even if the seller is knowledgeable and described it "fully", he never ever said it was a re-tempered blade. It is only after polishing (that cost me a leg and an arm) that I was revealed by the polisher, the presence of the mizukage. Laurent

Simply copy the link, paste it on google image search. Et voilà, you'll get the link to the original auction. In this particular case : http://page8.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/h178090523

The original auction : http://page6.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/f119914545 Nice increase in price... Laurent

I don't know what the sellers on yahoo JP would think of what is done with their pictures Laurent

No matter the way, on real life or on the internet, you cannot sell something you don't own if the original seller is not aware of that. Legally speaking it is called a pyramid (or Ponzi) scheme (see Madoff) Laurent

Nothing illegal may be, but at least, with my method you can contact the original seller on yahoo Japan (or any other site) and finally skip those easy-money-seeking leeches... Laurent PS: If they list on Ebay something they don't own, without the consent of the original seller on yahoo JP, yes, it is illegal!

Another example, using this method (google image search): Ebay : http://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-SAMURA ... 0848008003 The original : http://page5.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/e131629818 13500$ vs. 402000 yen Have fun finding the others Laurent

Hi there, we all know the methods of these people. A funny remark : if you check the address of the pics they use in their Ebay listings, you can see where the object is actually listed : they don't even save them on their hard drives to repost them on Ebay, they use directly links of pictures coming from yahoo auctions. Demonstration : let's use this auction: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-SAMURA ... 0848216168 You can find this picture on the listing ( right click -> save image link to access the link of the picture) : http://auctions.c.yimg.jp/img309.auctio ... 427936.jpg If you want to go further, by copying this link in google image, you can find back the page with the original auction. In this case : http://winners-auction.jp/productDetail/3694/ (sold for 20000 yens already) Laurent

Yes, it's that sword Laurent

Hello, I recently bought a Momoyama blade on Ebay for a fair price. On the shirasaya, there was a paper label, slightly eroded. Here are a couple of pictures. I guess this inscriptions are not contemporary to the blade, but were added later... Can this however help "identify" the blade, some of its origin and history? Thanks for your help ! (I'm still at the beginning of studying, and really need help) : Laurent

Sure I'd preffer to buy from a EU source. Just have to find the right seller selling the right blade for my budge/taste So far, the only EU-located blades found were over what I'm ready (read: allowed by my wife) to put on them. Laurent

Thanks! But from where I live (Belgium) and with the limited budget I have, Ebay seemed a viable option to me...may be wrongly. WIll keep on looking on the ads of the forum, where I'm sure quality will be there. Laurent

Hello, why didn't this blade sell, at what I think is a fair price (at least in my budget) for a signed, papered Muromashi blade with koshirae and shyrasaya ? Blade doesn't seem to have so many flaws? Please enlighten me... Here is the link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Katana-Koto-Nag ... 1170251297 Laurent

Hello, Blades, Tsubas...can withstand march of time if properly taken care of, but what about more "organic" components of the katana, ie. the koshirae? It is possible to preserve saya, sageo, samegawa, tsukamaki... over centuries? Or their fate in middle-long term is to deteriorate? Laurent

Hello, skipped this post....sorry. I'm a new member here, from France. Glad I found and joined such a community of passionate people and experts ! I'm here to learn, and I thank you in advance for sharing all your experience with me! Laurent

Thanks. I still didn't browse all theforum but already found interessing topics Oh, BTW, I'm between France and Belgium (updated my profile)

In fact I googled "dr. stein + katana" and landed on SGB. I quickly noticed it was not for the kind of swords I am after Hence I asked for confirmation and/or exact link (that Jean kindly provided me just after) Laurent

Hello, thanks a lot for all your insights and comments. Thanks again. May be it should be wise waiting then. Jean, what is the site are you talking about (Dr. Stein) ? Is it sword-buyers-guide.com ? Laurent

Hello all, My name is Laurent, and I always had interest in Nihonto. For decades. I try to educate myself the best I can on the subject with books and internet, but nothing replaces expertise from other people, and this place seems to the best for that! I always dreamt to buy a genuine antique blade with a "soul". Until I could afford an antique, I bought a modern katana, just to train how to respect it, and to learn how preserve a blade from rust and other aggressions over time. I found this katana on Ebay, and even if the auction ended, I'm still in contact with the seller that kept it aside for me a few days: http://tinyurl.com/9h6g7hd It comes with a NTHK origami, that, from what I read, judges more the quality of the blade that its historical value. Please could you help me and have a look at the auction and tell me if, according to your experience and expertise, seller claims are right and it is worth purchasing it. This would be my first buy and my first step in the world of blades collecting, and I don't want to make a mistake funded by lack of experience. ANy expertise on the blade/fittings would be much appreciated! Thansk a lot! Laurent