Hokke

Good to hear, I hope that is the standard and not just a mistake on someone in customs. We'll see what happens when mine comes in.

Although I would call this damage more of a "nick" than a chip, it will likely have to be removed the same way, with a polish. As mentioned by Adam, I have a hard time believing this damage was caused by shipping, UNLESS, the saya is improperly fit. Looks to me like someone bumped this blade up against something hard. This may have happened after the sale pictures were taken or at some point after you removed the blade from its saya. To answer your question, it may not be worth the expense to repair this minor damage if the cost of the polish is higher than the difference in cost between what you paid and what you can sell it for. I personally would just enjoy this piece as the damage is minor and worry about values when/if it comes time to sell it.

This is disheartening, but a needed warning, particularly to those just starting in this field of study. My question is this, how do you react when you encounter a Japanese replica being offered as authentic. Seems to me there are a couple options, but each has its own consequences. Let’s assume the seller is unaware their item(s) is a forgery. Not only is it bad for them because they were duped, but if other customers are around to hear the conversation, they may choose to stay away from everything the seller is offering. So, the other option is you inform the seller privately. But what if they are knowingly selling these fakes. This is impossible to know unless they already have a reputation which is unlikely, otherwise I would hope they would be denied the ability to participate in the show. They will act as if they are surprised and shocked, but when you leave they continue to pedal their wares to unsuspecting customers. So unless you become a sales cop and monitor the table it’s possible that forgeries will be sold at a legitimate show. This is not feasible so the problem remains. At the end of the day I understand caveat emptor rules the day. It’s the responsibility of each of us to be as informed if we want to make safe purchases. But I also know this field of study is a relatively small group and if enough fraud permeates it’s way in, fewer and fewer people will be interested, which isn’t good for anyone.

I would say that coin has two sides. It seems reasonable that yes, a smaller canvas will make any flaws and messy work more noticeable, however, the smaller the work area, presumably the easier it is to create a billet without flaws. It’s very much like a diamond. It’s very easy to find smaller diamonds that are flawless than it is larger, which is why two flawless 1ct diamonds will never be as valuable as a flawless 2ct. More area, whether it be steel, canvas or mineral, the higher likelihood for flaws. Additionally, it is far less time consuming to scrap a billet and start over on a small piece of steel than one which has been drawn out daito length.

At the end of the day I think it all comes back to charging what people will pay versus a scale based on attributes contained within in a length and weight. Im not saying thats right or wrong, just how it seems to me. Imagine though if nihonto had specific pricing based on the total length an attribute was present. Yikes

I knew I should have gone to that show

Perhaps, although I would expect to see even the slightest hints of a coppery color, if only faint.

The color doesn't bother me too much, I see silver this color all the time on 17th and 18th century treasure coins we find here in FL. Like you though, im more focused on the level of craftsmanship, given the likely cost of this tsuba if it were made from silver. The design looks stamped and not with great attention given to detail.

Interesting, just out of curiosity, how was the jeweler able to determine it was silver? Was he able to scan it with XRF and if so, what was the actual composition of this piece?

I dont believe so, just a perk of being the king. The was another matching dagger to the one posted only it was made from gold. Everywhere gold........this boy king was smothered in gold and riches. While gold was obviously coveted, glass was one of the other luxury treasures owned by this king that is often overlooked based on how common glass is in modern society.

well yes and no. Sure, gold will always be gold and as such carry value. However, investment gold is generally bullion. Anything fashioned from gold will never carry anywhere close to the premium of bullion unless its of historical or artistic value.

There are two ways to go about this and it would appear you are already leaning. There are basically two types of collectors. First, there are those with a deep appreciation of the history of nihonto. Then there are those who just want something they find visually appealing and the specifics of the blade are secondary. Based on your comment above, it would seem you are the latter. Absolutely nothing wrong with this type of collector and it makes your decision somewhat easy I would think. The question is, can you afford it? If the answer is yes, then you have to ask yourself, am I ok with taking a considerable loss on this purchase in the future? If the answer is yes, then it seems you have found something to add to your collection, easy peasy. Sometimes we just want what we want, regardless of the advice of others. We've all been there at some point in our lives, myself included. Good Luck with your purchase

Im not sure if bleeding out via ankle is merciful, but it sure does make for good reading.

The lead time from Japan is just part of the process as they have to get a license for export. However, if you go with a reputable company like mentioned above, your risk is exponentially diminished. That being said, the biggest risk is the shipping itself, as pirates working in the shipping hubs have made a dent in the market. The only way to combat this is to make sure that the retailer you purchase from has your package fully insured in case of loss. This problem with missing packages seems to me more prevalent in the EMS system, so if possible you may want to choose UPS, albeit considerable more expensive. Purchasing things from overseas requires more patience, but if you love the piece you are buying, it's worth the gamble IMO. I made a purchase last month and the package went missing. It was fully insured and am now working with the retailer to process the claim. Thankfully, of all the packages I have imported, this was one of the most inexpensive, so I am relatively unbothered, just a bit annoyed.

Is there one specific feature of the nakago you are seeing which leads you to gimei or is it a combination?