HiramAbiff

Thank you, brother! Yes, I decided to take the risk and use it as a display. The seller offered to submit each sword for NBTHK shinsa at around $250/sword, but I know they would not get papered. Honestly, I had looked at a lot of worse swords on Ebay for around the same price, with fewer/blurry pictures, and although I definitely like these swords for display, I'm looking forward to studying the flaws as well. I plan to do a lot more reading once they arrive and slowly learn as much as I can about them. Eventually I will move on to purchasing a recently-papered Hozon, but by then I will know a lot more about smiths, schools, hamon, hada, etc., and know exactly what to look for. Thank you, everyone, for your input!

Thank you for the warm welcome, my brother! Luckily, I was raised to a living perpendicular. Great coin, with the sprig on the front, and, I believe, 3 languages on the reverse. (More Freemason talk) It's amazing that no matter what hobby I get into, there's always a brother nearby. That includes archery, fencing, and pretty much any hobby about which nobody else cares! I understand these swords aren't going to be worth more than I pay for them, but I'm glad to know that they at least seem to be authentic. I'm more interested in owning pieces of history than I am in owning the best quality antiques possible. Of course, that will probably change after I go to the sword show and see what's on display!

This is an odd forum; the replies have been extremely helpful and informative! Where are the experts spewing vitriol at those of us just starting? I do understand that they likely look similar and were not originally a Daisho, but the price point is what I was looking to spend on one sword. They are definitely for display; I'm not going to be swinging them or anything. Thank you for letting me know that their current condition is pretty much the best I can hope for. I've been viewing the work of the two polishers in the United States I would trust and I understand the prices. I have wanted an authentic nihonto almost my entire life. I want something I can start out with, ensure my passion remains months later, and then start investing in better pieces. Kind of like buying a starter motorcycle and moving up (I have 3 now) Colin, I've seen them on ebay as well, for significantly more. The seller has a mixed reputation on various discussion boards and reddit. The issue seems to be additional damage, not undelivered swords. I think I may take the chance on this. Thank you again, everyone, for sharing your knowledge with someone who has done enough research to know I don't know enough!

Hi everyone! New member from Chicago. I'm looking forward to attending the Chicago Sword Show and hopefully learning a lot more there than I can from online pictures and guides. I was planning on buying my first katana after attending the sword show, but I came across a Daisho that I'm tempted to order immediately. After spending a few weeks looking at Ebay listings and trying to determine real vs fake swords, I am hoping someone can tell me if these swords are authentic, if they are worth collecting, if they could be restored (I know polishing is costly) and if they would fail NBTHK and NTHK based on the blade condition. https://tokyosword.m...7-68in-440mm-17-32in I'm assuming if they are still listed at that price, something is seriously wrong. Thank you in advance for any help! I hope I followed all of the rules