Scogg

Some of those premier auction houses bring crazy premium prices that would surprise most in the respective collecting community. Bonhams and Sotheby's not only draw in nihonto collectors, but also the ultra wealthy art collectors, who will pay big money for what they want. Like Lonely Planet says. Cheers, -Sam

Much appreciated Ray! The owner will be excited to have it translated. All the best, -Sam

Another militaria show, and another sword. I was hoping for help translating this one. The owner has had it for a while and it’s in WW2 fittings. He sent me these photos. I hope they are legible enough. All the best, -Sam

Thanks guys! I find it really fascinating that they repurposed these sam browne belts, but it makes total sense. Mine seems nicely made; they must have recognized the quality at the time. What I initially thought was a let-down, ended up telling a really interesting story. Thank you everyone! Cheers, -Sam

Hi @JRB387 Vertical like the photo below, with tip (kissaki) north and tang (nakago) south. Best of luck, -Sam

That looks just like it, thank you! Bummer not Japanese, but at least I know what it is! Much appreciated, Cheers, -Sam

Dimensions: ~48 inches long (~122 cm) ~2.25 inches wide (~5.7 cm)

Today at a gun show I found this belt. Or I should say, it found me. A seller flagged me down and asked if I knew anything about it. After explaining that I don’t really, I took a gamble and bought it for $50. I cannot find it in my books, or anything that matches nicely. The photos below are with my hanger change and 95 - for scale and reference. I attempted translation of the characters and have a potential match to occupied Vietnam? I can’t figure it out, what do y’all think? Japanese? Repro/genuine? What did I buy? Cheers, -Sam

My copy arrived today also, and I’ve already begun reading it. I’ve been waiting and wanting a book like this for a long time! I’m only through the Senjuin chapter, but so far it is refreshingly on my level of understanding. It’s really well written and spells out some of the things my other books assume I already know; or aren’t advanced enough to broach. Very happy to have picked this one up! Looking forward to the bonus chapter about identifying sai-ha. Highly recommended, -Sam

Wow, that sounds like a really worthwhile, and helpful project. I haven't had the opportunity to read your first article yet, but just scrolling through and seeing the photography has me very excited! Thank you so much for putting this together; and please extend our thanks to Ted and Markus if the opportunity arrises. Cheers, -Sam

I think that's meant to be the "tie" for the sword bag Although, I've seen those "ties" added to swords as psuedo tassels before. Cheers, -Sam

Thank you for reviving this old thread! These 95s with hamon are nice looking Would love a link, or the serial number + stamps if that information is available. Cheers, -Sam

My brain says: OWARI My heart says: AKASAKA My gut says: I am just guessing Whatever it may be, I like it. -Sam

This item is now SOLD So I'm not moderating myself in the rare event I sell an item here - I'll request that @Brian please archive or delete the listing Donation to the forum incoming. Cheers, -Sam

For what it's worth, I am now able to log into NMB on my work computer after about 72 hours of "DNS ERRORS". I didn't do anything special, it just started working again. Like others have said; local ISP issues makes the most sense to me. Cheers, -Sam

On hold.

@lorn9800, Your sword is a genuine Japanese sword. NOT a copy, fake, or repro. The paperwork that you have is misleading; maybe incorrectly and/or poorly translated. (or maybe even for a different item?) The signature may or may not be genuine, but the sword absolutely is! Take good care of it. Cheers, -Sam

Photo of how the saya fits

Type: Wakizashi Ubu, Suriage or O-Suriage : I suspect Suriage or O-Suriage Mei : (Mumei, Signature) : Mumei Papered or not and by whom? : Not papered. Era/Age : Unknown, see description Shirasaya, Koshirae or Bare Blade? : Koshirae Nagasa/Blade Length : 20.2 inch (51cm) Sori : 7.3mm Hamon Type : Suguha Jihada : Masame and Itame Other Hataraki Visible : see description Flaws : minor scuffs and scratching. Saya shrinkage and doesn’t fit snug to tsuba. Sword Location : USA Will ship to : USA Payment Methods Accepted : PayPal F&F preferred Price and Currency : SOLD Other Info and Full Description : This wakizashi in koshirae has a decent polish and is a good option for a beginner on a budget. Offering it here before I try on eBay, and I’ll make a small donation to the forum whenever/wherever it sells. Has a nice suguha hamon and intact boshi. Overall a healthy looking sword. I believe it’s osuriage. I suspect sue tegai, but my kantei is not sharp enough to be confident, could be mino- More study required. Nagasa: 51cm Total: 65.5cm Kissaki: 3.2cm Motohaba= 27.1mm Sakihaba= 17.5mm Motokasane= 5.9mm Sakikasane= 4.1mm Sori= 7.3mm Pm me if you’re interested or have any questions! -Sam

@Swords just incase anyone missed it, At it's current length this sword would be considered a Wakizashi, and not a Katana. 3600 for a suriage wakizashi, in it's current condition, without papers? Interpret that as you may. Best of luck, -Sam

I'm not super familiar with the hanger chains or how to identify fakes, But determining if that's a genuine chain could help piece together some of the story for the owner. These swords are mysteries... We know they aren't Japanese, likely Chinese, but that's about it. The chains on the other hand are better documented; and can be worth a pretty penny on their own. Just looking for the silver lining for the owner, Cheers, -Sam

If you go to the forums page, linked below, and scroll all the way down. You can then click on “Theme” in the bottom left. That should give you the dark mode option you’re used to, and maybe some others https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/ Hope that helps, Cheers, -Sam

Happen last week for me, and this morning on my work computer. With an error message about DNS. I tried my coworkers computer to go to the NMB homepage - and encountered the same issue. I cleared my DNS cache, deleted cookies+history, restarted the computer and internet router. Nothing seemed to work, and NMB was the only website seemingly affected. When I got home, my home laptop has no issues and I'm browsing NMB just fine. Weird though, I never experienced this issue before last week. -Sam Edit: It's always worked on my phone though

I made this guide recently to help folks take informative pictures of their swords. Taking photos against a dark and nonreflective background works best. As clear as you're able to. Also take a photo of the entire sword without fittings, centered from above - so the general profile of the blade can be seen from tip to tang. Tip north, and tang south. If you can get a good clear photo of all these things, it will help with identification. But keep in mind, that even perfect photographs might not be enough to definitively identify a blade, and expert in-hand assessment may be required (especially if condition is poor). But with the right pictures, the experienced people here can provide info and steer you in the right direction. Best of luck! -Sam