Seth

+1 on this. I won an auction back in September and they shipped mid-October with no additional shipping fees.

Just in case you happen upon a real blade in the future it's never wise to run it along a granite countertop or any countertop that way! I agree with everyone else it looks very similar to some Chinese blades I have. I suspect more effort was put into making it look old than actually making it. Edit: Also, the stain on the nakago could be glue residue used to secure the tsuka. I would almost bet when you remove the habaki you will have a very rough and uneven ha/mune machi. What you can see of the hamon looks etched, mono steel most likely.

I am interested, I have the original version but have also shied away from the price. $175 is much more reasonable.

I haven't experienced anything that you have listed above on this board. Maybe this will be helpful for you or maybe it won't, but I examine an item and then decide if I want to purchase it or not. If I decide to purchase it, I send a PM and ask if it is still available. If it is I tell them, I will take it and request their PayPal. When they give their PayPal, I pay immediately on the spot. I do not haggle on the price since most users here are already very reasonable with their pricing. If it's not available, I move on with my life. I thought the pictures provided above were reasonable and gave plenty of details for a decision to be made. Again, not an attack just trying to help you be more successful BUT from reading some of the other threads and seeing where you requested a contract for a book sale I wouldn't be surprised if people are hesitant to deal with you in regard to items well over that threshold. Have to have some trust, especially with members who have been on here for decades. They aren't going to decide to rip someone off on a small value sale and ruin their reputation just to take advantage of you. All the best!

@jesse I second this and would love to see more! Maybe start a new thread?

Jeremy, you can not go wrong with either of the books noted above. Thomas is 100% correct check the FAQ at the top and read it ALL, it has many book recommendations as well as other useful information.

Oh wow, a quick google search and you will find that these are low-end Chinese swords. I think you already know the answer to your question, sorry this happened. This is why everyone recommends the fantastic books on the subject before the blades.

The info on the pics is Exif data. Maybe in some scenarios, people dive in head first, and then the new wears off and they realize they aren't into Nihonto as much as they thought and sell back to the dealer? I can see that happening, have quite a few compulsive friends that do not think things through.

Another Nagamitsu tachi. I was able to pull a little more detail out on this as the kesho polish isn't as heavy. No stamps or dates on either.

Wanted to contribute to this thread that I have been through 10 times. I tried to capture details but my photography is sub-par at best! Ichihara Nagamitsu Tachi

............ Thank you for this. Great thread! So much to learn.

Just flipping this for someone with more knowledge than myself.

Beautiful sword, congratulations. Did you have shirasaya made for it? Mind me asking who you had polish it?

For what it's worth, I purchased a blade from EK on a Sunday and he had me a tracking number the next day. It arrived with no issues.

I think you will find that this board will be of much use to you if you respect the knowledgeable members that frequent it (not me, just friendly advice). Coming in aggressive and immediately going into defense mode is never a good idea with anything in life. With that being said the odds of getting a bargain big-name smith is on par with winning the lottery, it's possible but extremely unlikely. Certainly won't happen from a dealer that you say is knowledgeable... All the best.

Okan, this is great thanks for compiling this!

I do not have Facebook, curious as to what the thread or discussion is about.

The post above yours is referencing connoisseurs being sold. Just an FYI.

I was actually able to see this exhibit, it happened to coincide with my first visit to Paris. I could not have had a better time. I thought the art below was interesting.

Eric, for what it's worth I just went through the Yasutsugu Taikan and I have to agree with everyone else. I have just begun studying Yasutsugu so I am by no means close to knowledgeable but the mon looks way off. I know this thread is aging but just spent the last two hours trying to find one that is remotely close. No dice. Side question for the more experienced students how accurate are oshigata in regards to mon and mei? I have never had an oshigata and blade in hand at the same time.

Either or, I read Samurai sword a handbook first and still grab it whenever I have to fly.

I got both in early 2020 from Amazon I believe.

Wondering if it is out of print, I do not recall paying that much.

Hey Andrew, I would start with these two. Then if you have any cash to spare pick up a collection/catalog book, these will be more for enjoyment and allow you to read about and look at some fantastic blades from different collections. With that being said I am not as educated as the majority on this board so I am sure someone with more knowledge will step up with recommendations. The FAQ at the top also has some great books (I purchased all of them and have been working through them slowly but surely.) I would also advise you not to settle on your first blade, trust me I know. I did this just to have a blade in my hand and this was cash I could have just put towards a better blade I ended up purchasing anyway. If you can hold out and keep saving and get up to the 6k-8k realm things will open up nicely!

This helped me tremendously! A LOT of good information and the recommended books were and are worth every penny. http://www.nihontomessageboard.com/faq.html