EmmaNZ

Thanks!

Hi, Is there a name for the decorative (I assume) lines that are sometimes visible on a sword's Munesaki, as shown in the photo? Thanks!

My only photos are from the seller before they packaged the sword, I’ll post my own once it arrives.

I finally purchased a sword. I decided on a Kunihira Kawachi blade with Koshirae. I thought hard about an antique but ultimately decided, since this might be a one-sword collection, I’d rather put my money towards supporting practicing artisans who are keeping the swordmaking tradition alive.

I'm sad to have missed this. If the new owner decides for any reason they don't want to keep this, I'd love to make them an offer on it.

Thanks Paul. Something along those lines is a great suggestion. The blade you linked to is magnificent, but I’m not really looking for a Tachi. I tend to like the look of swords with less Sori than that one.

I would consider that for sure. I haven't yet seen any daisho for sale that grabbed my interest, though.

What do folks here think about Hitatsura Hamon? I read they can be more prone to Kizu, but this looks amazing. Really unique, not something I figured I’d like. It doesn’t hurt that the Koshirae is beautiful. http://world.seiyudo...m/product/ka-121222/

Ha, I'm a long way from being a billionaire unfortunately. I don't have this kind of money to just throw around on a daily basis. A genuine Nihonto is something I've been interested in owning for years, long before I had the means to even consider buying one. That's maybe why I didn't gain a ton of knowledge about Nihonto in the past -- for years it felt like something that'd never be attainable and learning more would just stoke my desire for something I couldn't have. I absolutely will make sure that anything I purchase is cared for correctly and handled only with the utmost respect.

I’m not quite sure what you mean by “study,” but I’d certainly take the time to learn all the details of a sword I purchase, though I doubt I’ll ever have time to make this a true hobby and gain the level of expertise that many here have. I just meant whatever I purchase will primarily be an art object, not that I won’t learn more about its historical significance!

Just displaying it -- likely in my home office where I'll be able to see and enjoy it every day. Nihonto represent many of the things I love about Japanese culture -- desire for excellence, precision and attention to detail, respect for the country's history, appreciation for simple elegance.

Thanks, Giordy. That’s a great analogy. I find I'm drawn to certain swords but there’s not necessarily a lot of commonality between them. I’m not sure that will matter all that much if I wind up with a “collection” that’s just one sword I love — it’s not likely I’m going to start a large collection of Nihonto. But I do want to make sure if I wind up making such a significant purchase I’m not getting fleeced!

I was recently in Japan and viewed quite a few swords, but it wasn’t a purely sword-shopping trip so I wasn’t able to spend days on end in stores. I do at least have a good sense of what I’m interested in from an aesthetics perspective, but I’m always happy to learn from others who are more knowledgeable (including folks on this forum) I certainly appreciate the advice I’ve received here and I’ll definitely post again before I make any purchase. Who knows, maybe I’ll blow up my budget and look at something like this: https://nihonto.com/111223/

Thanks for the response. I’m buying this as art and certainly wouldn’t buy something I don’t love. I was curious about others opinions but it also isn’t the case I don’t k ow anything about Nihonto. I’ve lived in Japan and have long been interested in an antique sword, but back when I lived there the price for even a comparatively inexpensive authentic sword was well beyond my reach. I mainly asked this forum for opinion because I was surprised how drawn I was to the Kawachi sword I saw on a recent trip — I always figured if I was buying a sword, especially in my price range (which I understand and acknowledge feels like a fortune to some, but for me I’ve been lucky enough to work my way to a place where it isn’t an unreasonable price for a beautiful piece of art and possibly history, depending on what route I go), I’d be only consider a pre-Shinto era blade. I’m not really concerned about investing — hopefully whatever I buy will be a heirloom piece. But I also don’t want to overpay and be in a situation where I’d lose a ton if I did eventually want to sell for some reason. I certainly don’t have nearly the knowledge base of many folks here, but I’m not completely new to this world!

Thanks. Yeah I’m in no hurry except perhaps for the newly forged Kunihira Kawachi, which is in the same price range and I know has some other potentially interested buyers.

Thanks. Yeah I visited Seiyudo a couple week back and was very impressed. And I appreciate the warning about the other dealer.

Hi all, I’m hoping for some advice about a first sword that might be the start of a collection or might be a one-sword collection. I’ve been looking at some gorgeous antique blades, a couple of which I recently saw in person on a trip to Japan. But I also saw an incredible newly forged Kunihira Kawachi sword and I’m curious what others here (who have way more expertise than I do) might choose in this situation. I’m lucky to have a significant budget, and was looking at antiques like these: http://world.seiyudo...m/product/ka-030524/ https://www.aoijapan...23/23003koshirae.jpg