Winchester

This commentary probably does not help; however, when will you find another one? If this is something you have really wanted and it brings you joy...it moves you...then go for it...and don't look back.

While I am not an expert, of the several items that you listed, the one I would focus in on is the robe. It MAY be Imperial and could be Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese or other. I recognize the style and design, but cannot give you much more information than that (and I am only looking at a photo). It would be best to contact a large auction house or museum for more information. Sometimes called 'dragon robes'. No one could wear the design outside of the ruler. It probably goes without saying that IF it were to be authentic and imperial, you are talking big $$$$. Good luck.

Friends, does anyone know if shinsa will be present next year in 2024? Unfortunately, I had other obligations and could not attend this year. Then I have another wedding to go to during the SF show....!!!!

I am a newer collector so please take my opinion with 'a grain of salt' or maybe a few grains. I have been studying fittings daily for about 6-7 months as I am trying to better understand more about this. The gold menuki is a sub-category I have been reading about and enjoying. There are probably no maxims or universal truths but here are my thoughts in descending order. -Take to a jeweler to see if they have the equipment to render an expert opinion; -I have seen many examples which chikaragane are gold; examples have been papered; -I think Brian made a very relevant point; that is, what percentage? I THINK one of the challenges is that there doesn't appear to be a standard gold content and it would mostly be mixed with silver. They may be 'solid gold' but is it 9kt, 14kt, 18kt? I believe this is one of the challenges in determining without testing or grading it--and with these variables--why it is a challenge to render an opinion. -ALL purported or papered 'solid gold' menuki I have seen have a quality level (so-to-speak) that may take a minute to recognize or distinguish, but the quality will or should be present. Just my opinion and hopefully worth the admission price.

For clarification purposes: Link for Northern California Club I still have to join and feel bad that I been busy and have not had a chance to...yet! I am in the same 'boat' as you are OP and trying my best reading, learning, but speaking for myself, I know joining this group is way overdue. *Fixed it* Will be mailing the check tomorrow.

The subtle details are just lovely. Thank you for sharing and trust this will go to a good home.

Just a guess, is the subject 'waves'? I suppose I could also be seeing things...

I contacted the seller, borrowing from Brian's post, asking would they guarantee it would get papers if resubmitted. A few days went by and they responded back that the papers with it are authentic. That of course was not my question. I have purchased from this seller before and had a good experience. Think I will let it sit for a while and think about it.

Dimitri, Thank you for asking and for the help everyone. I am also a newer collector, reading a lot but it is a journey. As a result, I never heard of the background on these 'green papers' prior to the post and thank you for asking more questions.

Just stumbled across this one...seems in decent shape. Thoughts? Ebay Listing

Hi Piers, Thank you for letting me know. I’ll keep studying and learning. Appreciate your help and hopefully this is a learning opportunity for the next person.

I was limited due to file size but here are a few more; again, I am sorry my phone does not pick up all the refinement or details.

I believe this is a higher-end netsuke and I am sorry the pictures truly do not do it justice. Can someone please help translate the signature? it is finely carved, very nice patina which doesn’t show well in the photos, and has a lot of detail and refinement in my opinion. I am a newer collector so if I am mistaken on the quality or another detail please forgive me, I am reading books and studying daily. Thank you for your help and any opinions outside of the signature as well.

I have been having the same question, thank you for your timely post. I hope this note more contributes to the discussion than be a digression, OP. This is something I am questioning: https://www.ebay.com/itm/155577992487?hash=item24392bc527:g:37IAAOSwijVkZkHo&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4FFCLK75YTNmmcdq08OedRY3ekfaognjmf3N96WxD60nNDNbLlZOafFcvj%2BkTvWalIvGooQBfMdlL2289gJZOkJg8G1bvG9X30waYinmK71FBPK11jflc0NLMfpJF8f50J5C17lHrpSHo1autHWBI1cVInb0LPdeocsng9Yw3AayXwmiZflnezQ%2FTJNPYy%2Bebe%2BbG4SJev9YUYbv1agxc46qmhD38VqMHQ3A6BA4GVW3id4jAU2X9ahRcabPKCIXETG1cAZUozWkYI5DBUrznkI9Sf2Og8BAZ9gLzPBk5Yop|tkp%3ABk9SR7al87aOYg Ebay Listing for Armor Thank you in advance for any feedback that we can all learn from.

Received my two dragon stands today in the mail. Awesome! Great design and exceptional customer service from Darren. Great communication, excellent packaging and arrived very quickly, especially given that these are made-to-order. Buy with confidence, friends.

Thank you very kindly, Bob, for sharing these with us. There is subtle beauty to appreciate, reflect on the process and be moved by.

A very hearty congratulations to you, Stephen!!!!!!! That is awesome. If you are willing to share, how many years of study and interest did it take to get this match/close match? To quote the 'A-Team'" "I love it when a plan comes together."

Please hold. Sending direct message in private. Thank you

Should any buyer have the question, I purchased a lower-dollar value tsuba from Marius and he was very prompt in responding and I received the item very quickly in the USA. It is notable to me that even with a lower priced item, it was treated with priority, extremely well packaged and shipped quickly with great communication. Great seller and could not say enough good things about the transaction. Buy with confidence!

Great seller and artist! Great communication. Buy with confidence. I purchased two and will be ordering more.

Please hold #1. I will purchase it provided I understand what payment methods you accept and will follow up with a DM to this effect. Thanks in advance.

Thank you, Darren. I really like it and will order some. I will message you momentarily.

I will try to pay it forward, with my experience and what worked for me, but this is only my opinion and I am not an expert by any means. If this has considerable value due to maker, stop reading. I have only done this on sub $500.00 tsuba. Please take my advice with a grain of salt, but again, I had personally fantastic results with this: -small amount of choji oil, about the size of a dime, placed directly on "0000" steel wool--a small, pulled corner. I would not use anything outside of this level of abrasiveness. -Next, take my time rubbing the tsuba paying very close attention that I am not too focused on one spot; that is, doing an initial cursory scrub of the areas of concern. -wipe the tsuba with a microfiber cloth (removes excess oil and any small pieces of steel wool). Review under a good light to see what areas remain. Pay more attention repeating the process in these areas. -repeat, rubbing with a fresh drop of choji oil and the 0000 steel wool. You will notice areas around the embellishments are harder to clean /remove the rust. Place a bit more pressure until you notice the rust is starting to be removed. *First start in an area without any embellishment to get a feel or sense of the type of pressure and amount of rubbing to remove the rust.* -Go slow. When you have it in an OK spot, stop. You may need to revisit in a couple months to see what areas rust was remaining and repeat the process. Once finished for that session, wipe with 1-3 microfiber cloths to ensure that any pieces of steel wool are gone. I would not use any sort of metal polish because it could result in ruining the patina. You'd really have to be putting elbow grease, for a long time, to do that with 0000 steel wool.

OP, there is a lot to unpack here... My opinion--worth the price of admission--is that yes, Nihonto prices are going down. This does not mean that they won't go up, decrease further, have less buyers in the market going forward (or more). Plainly, no one can predict the future. This is why my personal philosophy to collecting is does it bring me joy; do I like it/need it...need is a funny word. On the subject of younger collectors, this can change overnight. All it takes is one pop culture phenomenon; that is, popular movie franchise...whatever. Collectors and people in general are becoming more demanding in their tastes and preferences. Recall when sushi (in US) was hard to find, Mexican hot sauces which are now available most places, avocado...or how about in the 80's when most middle class were wearing the same 'brown colored clothes' which may have a brand tag label on it...now choices are endless. --> In my collecting experience, as a younger person and newer collector, there were a couple nihonto that I significantly over paid for...like someone said above, let's make sure it is fair. This can turn a collector sour very quickly... --> Also, in my personal experience, I have received expert commentary privately from collectors worldwide who have significant investments in this and other hobbies...for a total newbie like myself. I am thankful for this feedback and direction. Ultimately, I do not have all the answers...but my recommendation would be to simply enjoy nihonto collecting at a level you can afford or justify and simply not care about the costs. This should be fun and not a stressful experience. As collectors, we can sometimes overlook the basics and the reasons why we started. Rhetorically, was it to temporarily store money in the hopes you get it back or make a profit?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/225338026877?hash=item3477316b7d:g:WFUAAOSwh7djulSe&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoH2eSjTIzaQqPkHwJMaImuoLe6g2U8F3HW%2BOQTCpa2oPXhbJnEHxmLV2MO8V8hqY%2BURRPkrhCq9oLSl9v4AXfJaXnQloufwjh7P8phm%2FQ1R8zguyJ6tL7C21eXZe7NaQ7g5HpblJWC2Ttx53FL9o8P9kAiOMZrz4q4z997iUY36DIRzRu0L3xyCupwNKq9Lg8P6x6%2Ftz6DfRJ9egh73ULH4%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR-qPxfPPYQ It could be my mistake, but the Kanji appear different and spell a variation of the description. Is it worth it? Been watching and tire kicking for a little while...