Yves

Hm, the price I got for a quality polish was a lot better than that. 190k for a sword and 140k for a wakizashi or roughly 1200$ for the sword. I also got the comment that a quality polish would easily get damaged when used (in out of the saya)

It may be in the translation but the 3 of them are polished it seems but different levels. I'm talking to the smith directly, who is discussing with other craftsmen about completion. Something I didn't knew either was that they can use different grades of tamagahane, the better of which will give a better finish on the sword as more work is involved. For the fittings it seems that you have what you could call regular quality and then top quality. Seems to have to do a lot with the shaping and such of the saya and especially the lacquer they use.

I was told there were essentially 3 different types of polishing on swords: - standard - iai + bit of art polishing - full art polish Is the full art polish something to be avoided on a swords that would occassionally be used in iai?

Yes, but not that finding fittings was easy by any means. Alternative would be new swords. Which would then be from the same smith. Then everything would be according to my specs. The main problem with existing daisho's is that their length is too short.

Yes they are not from the same era. Intention is to be combined as a set. Wakizashi is rather bulky.

second

Would like your opinion on these swords.

My primary concern is a good sword that from time to time I can use in iai. The sword has no hi so is quite heavy. It also makes me wonder why older swords would be much cheaper, but I get the point on keeping the art alive.

So Tsutomu of Fukuoka pref. Sword made in 1993

A question: is it always worth to buy an older (30+ years) sword of a mukansa rated smith versus a new made sword?

Why then going over the details for weeks confirming things are possible to ultimately not reply? This comes across as quite rude especially after I bought the fittings (and believe me they were not cheap). I made it specifically clear to them what my intention was. If this wasn't possible they could have let me know far earlier and not at the point where I agreed with their price and asked for an invoice that I could pay. Anyway, the firm where I bought my fittings is willing to work with me on this. So they will be the ones that will in the end get to sell the swords (one of 1993 and one of the Enpo era) to me and make a profit. Guess he was convinced of my intentions after I bought my fittings and he had no issues getting paid by me. Only drawback is that the swords are no-hi and I originally wanted bo-hi. So be it.

Not sure what it is with these Japanese guys, but most just don't reply? Guess they don't want to do business.

I'm very disappointed in the way Tozando has treated me on this....

Seems he cannot be sent any messages.

I tried to write to them at some point but they never (early in the proces) responded. Quite a strange situation in Japan it seems. Not sure what to make of that. Very unfortunate as at first everything was not a problem and now all of a sudden it is. After I bought the parts mind you. And this is not the first time I had someone selling something with swords in Japan back out in last instance. I'm a firm believer in keeping promises you make and sticking to your word.

I seem to have some bad luck. Was going to go with Tozando to have the katana made and outfitted with my fittings, but they seem to be reluctant because the fittings are ancient fittings. Not amused.

Yes, I think they would mostly be a set. The problem is that these sets are very hard to find. Either you find fuchi kashira with kozuka or kozuka, kogai and menuki but not all of them.

Another question but this time around the Menuki. I think that normally the koshirae on the daisho is a set, but does this also mean that the menuki have to be the same. As mentioned above and purely on the basis of spiritual meaning: - ageha cho: transformation/rebirth/growth - fan: muliple paths starting from the same beginning - I have plum tree blossoms in the tsuba which mean perseverance. For the menuki: I was thinking of combining a phoenix on the daito and coiled dragon on the shoto: - phoenix: rebirth/rising from the ashes. - coiled dragon: unitiy of anything material and spiritual/continous circle of destruction and recreation.

75 cm is the nagasa of the blade...

Actually there is a tail but pointing downward and not very well visible.

Attached the fuchi kashira with the same design.

The ageha signifies transformation, rebirth. A fan is the symbol of multiple paths leading away from the beginning. So it could indeed be a combination. I've purchased a whole set of fuchi kashira for daisho and kozuka with this design and it will be used on a set of swords I've ordered in Japan. I intend to use it in a kamon that will go on the habaki.

I also had the impression it is the Taira clan Ageha. But it riddles me why the fan is there.

I believe one is from Ashikaga

That's indeed what it is. Any ideas on the basis of this design? Kamon?