Lewis B

Not to mention the 19-20% minimum import tax if buying from the EU.

So starting bid was 8.5mil Yen?

Only a couple of bids posted for the cheaper blades so far. The Kake seem to be doing very well though.

Were the bids cancelled? The auction listing states it ended without any bids.

I wasn't aware we had that option. Much better experience on the 'dark' side.

I hope this isn't a sign of things to come

Happened to me too...briefly,,,,, this morning. EU time.

Brian will know based on the associated IP address. There is a legitmate Mustafa Umut Sarac with that gmail account in Istanbul.

Original thread for the Go

Relisted, 1 hr to go and only 951k yen. I guess the word has got out. Update: Auction cancelled....quelle surprise.

I doubt he'll be back. Last visit 28 Feb. There are other forums better suited to his personality and objectives.

Pure conjecture. All I can say is I'm glad I don't live in your world.

Where does this one fit? Not quite the archetypical Muramasa with the pregnant fish nakago shape. https://katanahanbai.com/en/katana/muramasa/

I'm on the waiting list for the Yamato edition in English. Will pick up the others as they are released.

Does that potentially extend to the level of papers? Asking for a friend.....

It will be interesting to see where the market is for these notable and high quality pieces. That Yoshioka Ichimonji.....

As Jean says getting good pics of a blade is down to lighting and camera angle. I'm a complete novice but after some experimentation I can get some nice images even with an iPhone 12 mini . Here are a few examples of one of my blades taken with an iPhone (1) and a Fujifilm XT-2 with a macro lens and halogen (2) and a super cheap IKEA LED light (3). Keep practicing, it will be well worth the effort.

One could say Gene Hackman might be alive today if someone in his life was similarly concerned and motivated, now that the cause of his death and that of his wife have been released. Tragic chain of events. This was the right call fortunately with a happy ending.

Was this confirmation after a welfare check by the authorities? If yes, good on them.

I have more details regarding the kantei. It will be an informal event without issuance of papers. Basically its for an owner to get an honest opinion in case they were thinking of submitting to Japan for Shinsa. Sort of is it worth the effort for this particular blade. The experts on hand will be the very knowledgeable Hataya-san (Daisuke Hataya) and Shono-san (Ginza Seiyudo) for the evaluations. It's possible there will be a 3rd as of yet unannounced expert. These guys really know their stuff. I think we all have swords we would like to know more about so this is a great opportunity for the European contingent.

Nice spot. Hopefully Kungfooey is still visiting the forum to get the headsup. Seller isn't a noob this time, and this is likely going to provide more legitimacy than the previous Go and Kuniyasu examples. These sellers have no shame.

The Mei is a problem even for those described in the Sesko reference.

Thanks. Tough one to call. There seems to be quite a bit of variability and the clarity of the OP blade doesn't help. Size seems close although my biggest red flag would be the spacing. The genuine ones are closer together which makes me think the Jauce Kunitsugu is gimei (and likely done a long time ago).

It does have a nijimei. Just not clear in the images and raises some concerns IMHO. Righthand one is genuine Kunitsuna Mei.

This is my translation of the Zufu. Blade is described as Naginata. Don't see any mention of ubu Japanese swords Designated on August 10, 1967 16th Important Sword Tokyo Ujino Kanki Naginata, inscription: Bizen Province Ukanju Kumoju Sadaharu (hereafter "kiri"). Ichiro Sujigai, one mekugi-ana, long inscription on a fine chisel near the ridge, Sadaharu's handwritten inscription below, the year is probably 22-no-4. Small round on the back and sweeping on the back. Carvings: Naginata-hi with a groove. Round stop. Base born, tip cut short. Tip chestnut. Large file marks Shape: Kanmuri-rakuzo, Iori-mune, head not too bulging, small, shallow curvature. Length 40.0 cm, 0.8 cm, width at base 2.6, tang length 12.6 cm, slight tang Hamon medium straight blade, small irregularity, mixed with alternating lines, shallowly curved upper half, sand flow, gold lines, small boiling. Hat surface Forging The grain is mixed with moku, and the surface has a strong ji boiling. The scarcity is probably due to the slightly dried out fukura. It has been changed to sho. Unju is a swordsmith of the same school who took over the succession of Unsho Unju, and there are few surviving swords with signatures, but this naginata is valuable because it is inscribed with the date of Joji 4. Although it is slender, it has a powerful appearance compared to those from the Kamakura period. Description It is made by Unju of the Bizen Ukai school, and the fact that it is marked "Ukanju" is also helpful. In other words, what was once Ugansho was later Ukai