obiwanknabbe

thats just coooool

As for the blade, i think all that can be said has been... I would have passed as well.... BUT .. that being said.. let's have a look at the tsuba, menuki, and fuchi/kashira... Could be something there?

i think it's going back.. The money is not what's important.. even getting a refund, ill have a 2700 dollar sword that i don't love... Tsuka is cut oddly as well. like it wasn't made for the sword. Mekugi holes are unevenly placed. Pin sits at a slant. No, this won't do. I will write them back and thank them for the offer, but respectfully decline.. One day i'll find one that suits me.. until then.. The hunt will be on again.

well here is the update.. not really sure what i should do.. They will take the return.. shipping and fees on me... option one.. OR... they will refund me 50,000 yen (440 usd) for the inconvenience and i keep it. Does anyone know what the reg fee is in Japan? I would like to justify the math.

Thanks for that piece of advice Ray.. I don't have photoshop anymore but this is a good technique for getting a better feel for swords being offered from afar. Live and learn. I'm going to return it and take the 150 dollar or so hit. Cheaper than a college credit and a better lesson all around.

As john said, the magic of hindsight.. i look back at my old post and can see it this time around, but it's easy to find Waldo when you already knew where he was. I'm not mad about having paid what i did.. otherwise it's a really nice sword and the fittings are sweet.. I am upset at the fact that it was not pointed out at all in the listing... If it has said i would have seen them for what they were .. and moved on..... Further, i'm disappointed at how it's being mischaracterized now... especially seeing as everyone here seems to agree that it is a quench crack. I may return it with lesson learned.. anyone know what the registration cost is? Just trying to figure out what this lesson will cost. and no.. there is no Noigiri.. its totally solid otherwise. just a slightly raised eyebrow.. did ANYONE catch those cracks the first time when i posted about this blade? Not at all to say it's not totally my fault for missing it (it is and mea culpa).., but i think i get a few less points off if the pros (which i am not by any stretch of the imagination) missed it too.

Original page with description is gone.. but it did not say anything about this.. They are saying its Kitae, not hagiri.. it's a crack.. no question. They will give me my $ back.. - shipping, insurance and registration. This is definitely leaving a bad taste in my mouth... especially after having done so much business with them in the past.

I wrote them a respectful letter and included the pics.. I guess i'll have to wait and see what they say.

Kizu or hagiri? I want to make sure i word it properly when i write to them. So angry.. waited almost 1.4 months to get this sword.

Not all the way through.. but as stated, into the mune... about half way across.. not papered.. it was not super expensive but then again, im not rich. this is the best shot i could get of mune.. point and shoot does not want to focus on such a small surface.

is this a deal breaker? It does run over into the mune.... It was delivered this afternoon. Should I be asking for my money back? Got it from AOI and this was not in any description. Kurt K

I have one ... not antique in the historic sense .. Picked it up mid 90's when the bug first bit me. This close to what your looking for? Kurt K

Hey everyone.. A good friend of mine gifted this tsuba to me and I was wondering if you could tell me anything about is as i know just about zero about iron tsuba. It has some engraving on it that i am struggling to make out. . Kinda looks like a fish.. or rope.. or fish bones.. Its very faint after all these years and does not come out in the pics. Looking forward to learning Kurt K

Anyone else have any examples of this mei?

Come to Texas.... When I import a sword the customs office sends it to me with a note asking why i didn't get more and Wazimono rated? We have no state income tax.. property tax may as well be free (im from ny where the taxes are more than some people elsewhere make per year). We have open carry, class 3 ownership (full auto and suppressed) and extremely low home/land cost. Oh, and jobs.. jobs everywhere. Need more? Well ok, steak comes from here.. You can get fillet Mignon for as low as $12/lb. Kurt K

See this makes it harder.. That bottom one posted by steve shares some similarities with my top picture.. especially the curved kanji for saku. further study needed.

hard to.. the one im being offered is not in hand or in the best polish. Im looking for some more examples to make comparisons against. Kurt

Thank you for your feedback Jean. Any other opinions? I would like to form a consensus.

Chris That looks different than what I have seen. Its usually on the same side as the mei and under the "saku kore" Look at the pics from J. Slough's book. You will see the same punch.... interesting though. Kurt

id say almost 100% gendaito Nakirishimei... EVERY blade i have seen by mano masayasu himself has a punch mark at the bottom of the nagako. I dont see one here (although i will say the mei itself looks dead on). Also, His work tends to be flush with chikei and that is absent as well. Perhaps signed by him but forged by student? Hard to say with the polish. I have one in hand.. Here are some photos for reference Best Regards Kurt K

Hello my distinguished friends, I have been offered a blade by a fairly well known smith, price neg, and i wanted to make sure i was looking at a legitimate example of the work prior to making an offer. The smith is Matsuyama ju muneyushi .. Below is the mei of the blade in question (red in image). I have also attached a known and certified example of his mei (black background).. I do see some differences, but also some similarities . Im also keeping in mind that these two blades were made at different points in his life.. that being said, does this look correct to you.. Yasuri mei looks right. Some of the kanji seems to line up.. Not sure how much the blade pic will help as its out of polish but solid. What do you guys think? If correct, what do you think is a fair offer? Kurt K

Oh this is an easy one.. There was a Hitatsura Nagamaki Naoshi katana on ricecracker years ago that called out to me .. alas it was just out of my reach.. Every now and again i still shed a silent tear for not mowing a few more lawns to get it. Kurt K

I have kept mine thinly oiled and have thus far experienced no issues... Note that i lived in Houston where heat and humidity actually come from... its true.. they make it there. Kurt K

If you want to get a really good idea of what is going on inside that steel.. polish the flat cut to 3000 grit and then submerge in 1/3 soloution ferric chloride and warm water for a few mins.. The metal structure will pop. Kurt K

Im still thinking about it.. I am presently negotiating with AOI. So far they have come down on price and are offering to throw in a fresh polish (shiagetogi). Right now my thinking is that if i can get it for a steal, and enjoy the blade, then the signature is not really that important (May as well be Mumei) . I do agree with Carlo's notion of quantity vs quality, but it also seems that blades of this style, with papers, dont come around often and tend to sell for FAR more than I can afford.. ($8k+) .. 20 years ago i may have been able to get them on the cheep, but if what others have said about this current market trend being on the down side, prices are only going to go up from here... or is my thinking flawed? To draw a parallel, is it better to have and enjoy a nicely made `66 Cobra kit car or keep dreaming about one day owning a 427 Shelby? Mulling it over.. All of your thoughts and feedback are welcome. Kurt k