Okan

Since you asked for an opinion: Mei looks ok(although not perfect), sword itself does not. (I'm not saying it's a bad sword, it's just not Tadayoshi..I've seen quite a few) I wouldn't waste time/money to send it for shinsa as I'm %100 sure that it's been there already. (Japanese dealers are not idiots)

What happened is exactly as you described @Jussi Ekholm

@Spartancrest Added some waves..you'll see it better now

Looks like he's surfing...

It takes roughly a month these days. I just received my export permit today, which was applied for exactly 28 days ago.

Perhaps this is a matter best left for the Japanese people to address, as they are the true custodians of their cultural heritage.

Knotweed...(or maybe Wasabi..who knows.)

Hi Simon, It’s most likely a cast tsuba made for tourists in the 1970s-80s. It’s not genuine, but don’t worry—buying a cast piece will help you learn and differentiate between fake and real ones in the future.

住東叡山忍岡辺長曽祢虎徹入道 Nagasone, priest name ´Kotetsu´, close to Shinobugaoka at the Tōeizan Gimei.

I'm just a fan

How about one with a built in seppa

Shopping can become an addiction, but collecting itself is not. For the true collector, a collection serves as a form of self-expression. Hoarders, on the other hand, often feel a compulsive need to acquire as many items as possible within their budget to boost their self-esteem. For serious collectors, a collection should evolve with personal taste, which requires knowledge to develop. That’s why the first piece of advice you’ll hear is to invest in books. This principle applies to various fields, whether it’s swords, ukiyo-e, ceramics, or others. Some collectors might purchase ten tsuba for $1,000, while others might choose to buy only one for the same amount or even much much more. It all comes down to personal taste, as long as you understand what you’re buying and why. Self-education is very important to distinguish between a $1,000 tsuba and a $100 one. There are also individuals who don’t feel a need to collect items but instead focus on research and knowledge. For example, Markus Sesko(who is a very big deal) owns only one tsuba, which was gifted to him. Hope this helps! I wrote this with "swords" in mind, but the same principles apply to tsuba collecting as well.

Was once in this box..now all around the world..

https://psychcentral...tention-seeking-kids

@Dan tsuba, I think you are overreacting. Paris probably didn't know what he bought, so I agree with @ROKUJURO and @Alex A. He mentions that he is learning, but these are not learning pieces. There’s no need to misguide him. Let him learn, and only then can he decide if he wants to collect rusted shipwreck pieces or Goto.