Dan M

Just a quick note to thank the organizers and the folks I talked to, both here and at the show. I couldn't have had more fun. The exhibits were great to observe and handle objects I wouldn't otherwise see and in a noncommercial setting. I'll keep reading, but it's all more tangible now. Mostly I liked talking to people and look forward to seeing everyone next year. I've told Mrs she probably won't be lucky enough to escape two shows without a nihonto in her house... I hope all enjoy the rest of the show and safe travels.

Wow - thanks to all for the encouragement and advice. I'll read Grey's handling link closely and will be there for the tutorial at 10 on Sat. Again, really appreciate it. Looking forward to meeting everyone.

Hi all - I'm a newcomer to nihonto and am planning to come to this show. I'd like to ask for advice about how I should approach it. I respect that some (most?) of the crowd will be here for shinsa and to deal rather than to chat with a noob. I'm currently reading intro books (Sato and Yoshihara "Art"), and am following the advice to "study at least a year before you even think of buying swords." And yet, I'm local here in Chicago and this seems like a great opportunity to see and learn. All the better if I get to meet some area graybeards. I'm grateful for advice you might have on how to make the most of it. Perhaps a first question: Sat or Sun? If relevant, I'm gravitating to shinto and shinshinto but appreciate that knowing koto is necessary. And I might change my mind 3x before my first purchase anyway. Thanks very much, Dan