Alex A

"What is a price I can buy them at and not get hurt?" Without seeing them in hand, i would find it too much of a gamble, even at a low figure.

Grant, cool

Cheers Steve, appreciated. I was put in contact with another polisher a while ago, Mr Norman, hes at the Birmingham arms fair in February. Heading down there myself anyway, hoping he can have quick look at it whilst im there.

Nice one Chris. Is that a silver habaki i see?

Hi Peter, ive been having a few similar thoughts lately, the same reason i said "buy wisely" in Barrys thread. Theres a wealth of information available to newcomers that will have an impact on sales. Moneys the problem, but theres more to it. How often do we see newcomers asking for help on a new purchase. When it comes to spending $ you have to ask if you cant find the answer. Its a double edged sword, folk get advice, then a seller looses a sale. Ive asked for help myself sometimes, and still do, its a difficult and tricky hobby. On this site alone theres plenty of information on what and not to buy. A business i know does very well selling "plain janes" at high prices, but the key there is a certain "lack of information", you wont find no "evaluation scheme", not a shinsa paper in sight. There is a market for those not in "the know", folk that dont want to embark on years of study. Its only when a spark is fired or that first book is bought, then that certain naive person starts to ask questions, starts to look for information. Its the information and the advice available, that will sway them away from certain purchases, and theres plenty of information and opinions floating around in cyber world..

Quite right James, Nihonto is a poor "investment". We buy simply because we enjoy it, although you may well loose big time, if you dont spend wisely.

Interesting Brian, just scratched my head for twenty minutes, best i can come up with is something to do with Tanegashima

Hi Alan, Matilda looks like she worries too much, maybe she should adopt the attitude of Oscar below....

Hi Dan, i think you may need to have a re-read. I said that swords may be a better investment than a CAR in the long run, my humour : . Good or bad, no matter what way you look at it, there an "investment". An expensive hobby, as you know. For an average guy to take part, there needs to be some kind of "justification" to the spending. For me, i just see it as money spent enjoying life :lol:, bit like buying a shiny new car. I chose to persue this hobby with disposible income, that overwise would of gone on cars, bikes, etc etc. Hopefully with wise sword purchases, i may see more of the money back, than otherwise depreciated on other items, il see, not too bothered in either case. The scales have to be balanced though, cant be going gung-ho with spending in all directions. There will come a time in the not to distant future where i will sell, to move on with the hobby, as others do or go full impulse power on a new bike, il see. I work hard, so balance with lifes entertainments.

Money eh?...It is possible for average Joes (like me) to buy 3,4,5,6,7000$ swords, buy a push-iron or a really cheap knockabout (recommend 1.2 fiesta, 2004 model with lowish mileage £1200), run that for 3 or 4 years instead of buying that nice new shiny motor and spend that money on swords , the swords will be a better investment (hopefully) in the long run. The one big thing is make sure you have your own home and your misses doesnt live with you, 30 miles should suffice :lol: Only joking, not financial advice. Seriously though, most folk interested in swords will no doubt bump into the NMB site sooner or later, so, keep up the good work, if anything will get new folk into the hobby, its this..

What if we all write a polite letter?

I remember the reactions from folk i know when i first started collecting. Most of the guys found them interesting, but when they asked how much, i knew full well they thought id gone slightly bonkers . The girls of these guys thought i had become a bit of an eccentric, a geek :lol:. Judging by these reactions, its fair to say this hobby is a "niche", to say the least. With the interest in Nihonto, Koi, bonsai and now a "Japanese bronze vase", im beginning to wonder if i was Japanese in a former life :lol:. Anyone remember this song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEmJ-VWPDM4 . My brother went through a brief spell of annoying me with it. . Even with all that, i dont think there will be any shortage of newcomers in the future, eccentrics abound :lol:

Horses for courses Chris.

Not so long ago i was at a local antiques arms fair. I stumbled across a lovely post-war signed tanto with a nice suguha hamon and very tight hada £360. A beefy signed decent shinto wakizashi with nice antique koshirae £1360. A tidy mumei shinto wakizashi blade in old polish and tatty war mounts £260. Not a shinsa paper in sight, a pleasent day out. My point being, this hobby doesnt need to cost the world.

8 years ago i was totally clueless as to where to buy a Samurai sword, then i discovered the internet. Surely there are more buyers now than there was say 20 years ago.The little i have learned i have picked up from the internet, books and speaking to folk online. Over the last few decades prices have esculated to the point where joe average cant afford average. So, whilst the internet as introduced more buyers, its also introduced higher prices that shuts doors to most of us.

$300 Chris, il have remember that one :lol: Since i started collecting, ive not seen any change within the UK online. Google "antique samurai swords for sale uk", and you will see the same old results that i seen several years ago when i first started to look. One shop in particular, high prices then and now, but still doing well, so, someones buying in. I think an high percentage of these newcomers buy their first sword, then for one reason or another, thats where the interest ends. A vast majority will be put off when they eventually figure out how much of a minefield it can be and how much wising up is involved. I have to say though, i have noticed quite a few newcomers to this site over the last year, a good sign maybe.

As i found out selling a sword last year, if the price is right, there isnt a shortage of newcomers at all. I was surprised by the number of inquiries within the UK alone, few of which where members here.

I live in the UK, like Ron, mine are covered under the household insurance. Each time ive bought, ive simply called the insurer and added it, usually adds about £27 onto the annual premium.

Hi Darcy, cheers for the tips, appreciated. The blade is in koshirae, with a modern lacquered saya. My main priority is sorting out the saya. Ive calmed down a bit now, not the end of the world, just one of those things. The scuff looks far worse in the pic then it does in hand. Il sort the saya and i expect this little episode may just end there, il see, an education none the less. For anyone reading, and for future reference, dont just take your blades out, clean, oil, put away. Take a good look for very (and i mean very) faint lines appearing, hopefully catch damage before it escalates. As for break free oil, you summed up my thoughts exactly.

Hi Stephen, whilst inspecting the saya with the torch, i noticed black marks where the mune touches the saya when it slides out. Looking down the saya with the torch, i could just about see similar black marks on the side of the saya, the same side as the scuff. Ive been careful about taking blades out, especially since i got told off for doing it assways about 5 years ago. Theres only me here most of the time, lads here weekends, but he knows better, i hope. An acquaintance i know as also suggested that its the saya is at fault, possibly may even have warped over time. Now waiting to hear from the saya guy, a shame it will have to be split and re-lacquered, more expense. The hidden joys of sword collecting

Cheers Hoanh, not the end of the world, but something i could do without. Not that i have one, but i sure wouldnt want this to happen on a real expensive sword

Cheers Franco, i agree. Il have a word with a saya guy i know, see what he can do, sure dont want it to get any worse.

Hi Brian, just spent half an hour looking down the saya with a torch . Pinched an aerial off one of my lads toys (needed something harder than a pipe cleaner) and scraped down the saya where i estimated the bother might be. I tapped the saya out on a piece of paper, a picture below. Feels like grit, sure isnt wood. Whether it was this or not i will never no. Ive gone back to using the more viscous oil i used to use. If anyone knows how much this will cost to put right il be happy to know. It is annoying, best sorting it. Ps, I know there is a pro-polisher in North West UK, if someone knows him, could you please send me the details. Found a number on my phone of a guy in Liverpool, is this the guy?, been years since ive spoke to him.

Hi Franco, maybe your right about it catching the saya, although there does seem quite a lot of room for the blade to slide in without it catching the sides, difficult to say. It is possible it as always been there. Ive added a pic, looks worse in the light than it appears normally. The saya was made in Japan professionally no more than 3 or 4 years ago. Dont really want to start messing too much with it, the lacquer is perfect. I presume it could be buffed out by a pro polisher easily, il look into it, dont think its worth the hassle though. The mark is only 7.5" from the top of the saya, wish i had one of those slim engineers bore-scopes, would come in handy from time to time. I dont think theres any grit there. Its just one of those things that really pisses me off, especially when ive been so careful, even wear a glove on my right hand so i dont get grease off my hand on the blade when re-oiling. If it was something ive done, let this be a lesson to other folk, you cant be too careful!. As for the BREAK-FREE oil, maybe its risky on these blades, with all the chemicals.