Michaelr

After all that you have been through and still going through my hope for you is to be paid for your loss and someday when you have totally given up you receive your long lost package.  Good luck

   MikeR

Just received the Yasuaki Tanto and it’s Great. Steven was a pleasure to deal with and I hope to do more business with him in the future. Another Great Forum Member. Thank you

 MikeR

Ciro I love them both. Nice work. Thank you for sharing   

  MikeR

Mark, I had the same question for DHL when I contacted them “ why did you turn over my package to the USPS when the package got to the US? “ I was informed via email from DHL that they have contracts with other carriers in the US and if they (DHL ) feel that someone else can handle the delivery they pass it off. Funny thing is I see DHL trucks on my street frequently. Maybe they have to have multiple deliveries in a area to make it worth their while, not sure, but that’s what they told me.

  MikeR

Thank you Tom

Many packages that I have seen delivered say “ signed for “ or “ left with individual “  when they were either stuffed in the mailbox or thrown on the front steps and I have someone home 24/7. Hopefully it ends it’s journey with you   

  MikeR

PM sent on the Ariska Yasuaki Tanto.  Thank you

  MikeR

Ben, sorry to hear about your situation. I have just recently gone through a similar situation that I posted here on the forum. ( stolen sword ). My sword started out with DHL that handled their end swiftly. My problem started when DHL handed my sword off to the USPS? It landed 1 hour from my home and then started traveling, next stop 12 hours from my home. I immediately started filing complaints. No one cared. Two times USPS sent me emails stating “ consider your item lost as we cannot track it any longer”,  I just kept reopening the claims. At this point I filed a complaint with Consumer Affairs, make sure you actually talk to someone, and I believe that they were the ones that found my sword and got it to me. Hope it works out for you and I don’t know if Consumers Affair can help but give them a try. Hope you end up as lucky as I was and it all works out.

  MikeR

When you get your blade please post some before and after pictures and let us know what you used and what worked the best. If it’s dried cosmoline, that’s a bear to get off and sometimes stains. I have heard that sometimes a little, and I repeat A Little heat works. I am talking about a hair dryer set on low. Look forward to a follow up. Congrats on a new purchase.

     MikeR

Welcome back   

  MikeR

Bring them on. I always enjoy pictures when I can’t attend a show. They make me want to make time next year and give it a try.

   MikeR

Thank you all. It a good feeling to be a part of this Great Family

   MikeR

Good morning all, and yes it is a good morning. A couple weeks ago I posted my concerns about a recent Tanto purchase being stolen while in the care of the USPS. Well it arrived yesterday safe and sound. I want to thank all of you here that responded with their support. I also would like to thank the seller Volker from Germany for the great transaction, the extraordinary packing and the follow up with me and DHL. Let me say to others that may end up in the same situation, Don’t Give Up, Stay On The Shipper, Don’t Except that they Can’t Find Your package and close your case. I filed 5 claims on this package with the USPS. I had the claims expedited two times. During all of this the USPS sent me Two emails stating that they were sorry but my package was untraceable and lost. I then reopened my claims and made two calls to Consumers Affairs and filed claims with them. During this time Volker was also in touch with DHL. I believe that if we didn’t stay on the USPS and had accepted that they Couldn’t Find It I would have never received it. I still believe in being Pro Active in cases like this, when something doesn’t look right or feel right, get on it right away. If you feel it may be missing post pictures here so that all the good people can be on the look out for it if it should surface and most of all DO NOT EXCEPT THE SHORT ANSWERS THAT IT IS JUST LOST. Stay on it and push it. Again thank you all for your support, thank you Volker for the sale and all your help. I am Now the Proud New Caretaker of a beautiful blade that has finally found its way to its new home.

   MikeR

 Michael, congratulations on your great start and the way you are going about it. With the purchase of your first sword and a new baby on the way you have just begun to appreciate the beauty of new additions to a family. I am sure you will love them both and enjoy both the new hobby and new family. Thank you for sharing    
  MikeR

Looks like it was a Great show. Thank you for sharing the pictures   

   MikeR

Thank you all again. I would like to clarify my post: Volker has been a pleasure to deal with and very stand up and generous with the purchase of this Tanto. Volker sent the Tanto out via DHL from Germany and that only took 4 days to reach NY, USA. It was only after DHL turned it over to the USPS that the nightmare began. As of today 8-12-2021 I was informed by the USPS via email that they could no longer track it. By posting the stolen post I never intended to compromise my friendship with Volker nor suggest that he is at any fault here, I also never intended to condemn DHL shipping from Germany to the USA. It was only here in the US that things went bad. My main reason for the post was to be pro active. If indeed the package went missing then it was my thought that I had many members/friends watching out for the Tanto to surface. I hope it makes it to its new home with me as it already has a resting place waiting. Again Volker is a great person to deal with and I hope to do business with him again in the future. I will keep everyone informed. Brian if you feel that I have jumped the gun with my posting or that it is better removed please feel free to do so 

Thank all of you for your kind words and support. I hope it is found and in the condition it was sent and makes it’s way to me. Delays now days are expected and I am ok with that. Even it it makes it’s way around the whole country as long as it is handled with the care WE all take with items we we respect and they kept me informed of it’s journey. I still wouldn’t be happy but just the fact that it was being tracked and on its way to me would be assuring. That’s not the case as of yet. I will keep you all informed and will post a picture of me doing a Thank You Dance if it arrives. Again thank you

   MikeR

Today is not a good day for me. After a week of trying my best with the USPS, that really doesn’t give a s***, they just informed me that my package is lost. I purchased this Tanto and Book from on of our members here on the forum in Germany.  The package was sent to the USA via DHL and arrived in NY in 4 days. At that point DHL turned it over to USPS to deliver it, I still don’t know why DHL didn’t just deliver it themselves. I am in NJ and when I was informed that the package went from NY, one hour away to Indianapolis, 12 hours away I began calling the USPS. They didn’t care. SO NOW ITS GONE, AND THEY DTILL DONT GIV A S****. So here are the pictures I have and can only ask my fellow members to keep a eye out for this Beautiful Tanto and let me know if it shows up somewhere for sale. I wouldn’t normally do this but because I am devastated about this I am including my phone number and can be called at any time. I am not a wealthy person and have to choose my purchases wisely and this is very disheartening and a large hit to end and my finances. Please be on the lookout. This was originally post in the for sale section by Volker if you want to look at the complete description.

  Thank you all so much.  Mike Roberts

Congratulations on your new purchases and thank you for sharing

  MikeR

I have traveled down from NJ for the last 4-5 years to the Orlando Japanese Sword Show. I always shared a couple tables with my friend and mentor that lives on Florida. This year he didn’t want to get a tape so I had one myself. A lot of miscellaneous Japanese sword books and other sword stuff. Though I would not be a table holder I would be a spectator. I like cooler weather, not cold, just cooler. I also like a show that is at a hotel so that people like me that travel can stay at the show. I guess that a show place with a hotel next to or across from like Louisville would also work for me. Shows with displays are always great. Like the Orlando show a few seminars are also a plus. Good luck with setting something up. Like was already said and it sounds like you already know Mark has always treated me well at the Orlando show and is a great person.

     MikeR

Adam, that is a beautiful blade. You are a lucky man. Thank you very much for sharing   

   MikeR

Wow great looking swords with great pictures. Can’t explain the what ink are the extremely low prices. I hope someone can explain it.

  MikeR

Great sword. Thank you for sharing   

  MikeR

As far as swords go, no I don’t have my first purchase. I went into this blindly with one little book and a solid belief in fellow collectors and the “ it’s a  Vet bring back bought directly from the family” . I was so proud of my first purchase of a Japanese sword that you couldn’t get the smile off my face, that was until I found out from a true collector and now friend and mentor that my Prized Sword was a Chinese Fake😒. It took me a year to get my money back from the seller but finally did. After a couple years of reading and a lot of help from this forum and my now Two mentors I have a modest collection of REAL Japanese Nihonto. Thank you to all here that have helped me with this journey and allowed me to become the care taker of some of your prized pieces. A little side note I do still have the first K98 Mauser that I brought home on my bicycle 58 years ago.

   MikeR

WOW Thank you for sharing. The shame about the fingerprints and the lack of caring on the keepers part is the same reason other Great Pieces of Art are lost for ever or destroyed.
    MikeR