R_P

This is a good point, would it have come to where I am now if not for the 100? When i finally started working and earning i set out at first on a path of accumulating as many Nihonto from all the roads. As you know in Nihonto we speak of the roads like Tosando, Tokaido, Sanindo, etc and I thought i could master the Nihonto if I saw a single sword from each kaji along these roads, that became a mammoth task and I eneded up with a very flawed collection because each road or even each of the Gokaden is spread across a millenia and have different representatives. Then I decided to focus on certain districs within the gokaden but to do it for each district across their respective lineages. So you can imagine again a huge task and one that saw me buying single swords from Kamakura period to Shinshinto for Bizen for example. It is at this point I met a group of collectors who helped me understand that im all over the place. Without direction and study and focus I would not achieve what I had originally wanted. They explained that take Hizen, the Kaji in Hizen did everything from Soshu to Hizen hada to Masame, etc but their roots lay in the Heian and Kamakura periods. They asked what do you really want to know about Hizen that studying the original kamakura kaji cannot teach? And this was true of course. They introduced me to study and to observation on swords I would not be able to afford at the time because I had exhausted my budget. Until I had settled on what I wanted to study then they helped me to understand how to whittle down my collection. I could see by then that I had spent a decade plus collection only what I could get my hands on and not what was really representatives from the various schools, I was doing a means to an end style of accumulating and not collecting. Having a community can really save people in this jungle of Nihonto. There is a reason a society is led by senior members vs inexperienced. The swords I have today are still from that original batch, much less but they are the ones that fall into my road, the road I want to discover in Nihonto. And having streamlined im very content reading and learning and letting myself come to blades that fit my path rather than just accumulating or filling a slot. The collection also includes swords from more recent purchases that again fall into my road. I can say at one point I had 15 Kongo Hyoe swords from the inception of the school to its demise many centuries later but it is such a small representation of their work and very ignorant of me to have thought I was doing justice to them as a school. By whittling down the collection i also got to understand what was quality, by going to study sessions with people who had excellent pieces who also studied swords we could never hope to own, we get closer to our hearts content. We begin to see. I was shown a Masamune and TJuyo Chogi back to back as an example and those are moments you get to really study and memorise what you're looking at. Will I ever own one, no, would i have been able if I hadn't spent unwisely, maybe and it would be a single sword collection and I would be content. So, the craziness of accumulating led me to waste money. Would I have been here if not for that, i think if I had listened very early on to the people screaming at me to focus and study first, yes I would be here inevitably. You must understand that selling of the 100 was basically hitting a complete reset button. I started from scratch. My only wish for new collectors is, don't waste by rushing. Study and see and then buy whatever you like after you know your feet are firmly on the path you want to walk. Don't get duped by dealers of low end items. Respect yourself and your intelligence and your hard earned income and buy quality, it will serve you well in the future if you need to sell. Will there be mistakes along the way, yes, but they should not be the kind that makes you reset 10 plus years of hard work and studious love of Nihonto, that is a very arduous and painful path.

So with this kind of blanket statement I think examples should be shown to reinforce the "just buy what you like". I think my tastes changes over the last 2 plus decades, for example: Attached are 2 swords I have had since the beginning. - The Shinkoku was one of my first and bought because I liked it, over time had it papered and put i fittings. It was super economical and feasible well under 1000 GB Pounds. - The Masayuki came with no papers at all and it was in bad polish but I liked the Koshirae (I had no idea what Toppei Koshirae was but I liked it). In time I got it polished and papered. It is well, O-Kissaki loveliness that we all want and do not care who made it basically. Then there is what I also love now after 20 years of searching for the buy what you love feeling: - Enju _ Taken from Hozon to Juyo - Hasebe - Taken from THozon to Juyo Things have changed dramatically. @Mikaveli could you share where you bought what you liked then vs now? Any others wishing to share their journey please? If I had to do it over, I would have saved my money and waited and then gone where I find myself much later in my appreciation and collecting journey, and I would have had a much bigger budget to spare for what I love. In between the Shinkoku and the Hasebe are over a 100 swords I could have not bought, 100 very expensive mistakes to get here.

Hmmm ok

This is great advice but I would still do: - The Art of the Japanese Sword - The Craft of the Japanese Sword - The Connoisseurs Book of the Japanese Sword In that order Fyi Grey Doffin is your guy for books after this period more advanced so get through Markus books too.

Thank you! Amazing post! To forge a billet we fold 8 to 12 times, we make thousands of layers. Think like that before you buy.

Alex thank you for this view. I completely understand where you are coming from, I think to also get to this level of understanding a new collector would have to be in that zone, aiming for Shodai Tadahiro at suriage but Zaimei is not something to scoff at and will still be pricy and probably have Thozon papers. I would say ok you have walked an analytical road that has led you to an amazing smith and pursue that. But my message is for a NEW collector to take their time to go down the road and then get to that threshold rather than what we see people buying all too often. The context of my post is what to look out for in the beginning. Again as I have answered to Alex the premise would be the same for me. I think having the turn back mei on swords can be perilous sometimes we see Edo swords trying to be passed of as something they are not via this technique so should one choose this path, knowingly and understanding the pitfalls then that is completely their prerogative and I wouldn't say anything negative about the choice of path, but as long as they came to it from a long study and said "This is what I want because I understand it" All too often we will see people duped into buying items that they should not be starting with at all. There are still gems for starter swords if people are willing to wait and make an informed decision. Hoshi has this way of taking us back in time and I always appreciate that But completely agree on that point. I completely agree, but just to get to the terminology "Kazu -uchimono" one has studied the lengths and breadths of this topic. They would have gone through quite a road themselves and then said ok, thi is for me and I love it. Let us also not forget that even in Kazu-uchimono there exist some very nice blades, excellent in fact, not everything was just a beater. I think the more we study and observe the more we get "what we like and love" but avoiding pitfalls is avoiding the disappointment that can hurt that love or passion for this hobby. Buying a sword and then being told it is not worth the postage paid is one of the worst feelings especially when one is embarking on this from the standpoint of love and passion that inevitably involves academics and money. All i am saying is, if you are new to this please be wise and spend so that you invest in you passion growing and not your disappointment.

This is a great start! I think you should hold off on Nakahara till much later, a lot of his topics are a little controversial and you will need a strong foundation to get into his work objectively. I would now go for Markus work after finishing these books and his site is also very informative. https://markussesko.com/ and his Kantei series is also a very good foundation https://markussesko.com/kantei/

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Whatever you want it to be man

Im sorry is there a question here?

I trust you will choose wisely

Show us the Wak

Ladies and Gentlemen, collectors of Nihonto. I am posting this today of my own volition and the following comments are of my own opinion. This post is for new collectors of Nihonto and other Samurai items. The comments and statements have no bearing on the opinions of others or the negativity that some other NMB members wish to emphasize. It is just me. If anyone takes issue with my statements, please message me on PM and don’t go at this thread like a buffet please. As newcomers to Nihonto many of you will be wondering where and how to buy your first Nihonto. You will get advice from people you know and some you do not, you will be shown swords and armour and fittings for days that you think are coming from people of culture and solidarity, it is not. I will speak today on swords and my collecting experience on swords, and I can only hope that my mistakes will never befall your journey. Buying your first sword When you finally go to buy the first sword please, do justice to yourselves. You all work so hard for your money, please do not waste it or make losses if you can avoid it. There are small rules you can use to assist yourself: On Nakago: When is Suriage ok? Suriage Nakago is ok when you are dealing with sword from the Heian to Nanbokucho period and never after. Do not be swayed by any means on swords that have been shortened after the Nanbokucho period as collectible items. They are not. There exist a great many swords in Ubu that should be looked at first. When is Mumei ok? Mumei blades are ok when we go from the Heian to Nanbokucho period and no later. Swords from the Muromachi period onwards should be Zaimei and no matter what anyone says there are so many available examples that you can find sure swords that meet this criteria. On polish Buy swords in good condition and polish, please respect your money. On Koshirae If your sword comes with Koshirae please make sure the fit is right. Look at the fitting and make sure they are of similar style, and they match, do not accept the mix and match Cadbury style. On Papers Buy swords with papers, do not buy papers. If you are presented with a group of 10 swords and 2 have papers look at those 2 first before you look at the others. Appreciate the effort of Papers and where swords sit in conjunction to the certification process. (NBTHK). On grading Upgrade your swords when you can. On spending and budget Go into this with an adequate amount of money. Later, you will appreciate selling your single sword to one buyer rather than selling 8 rust buckets to 8 rusty collectors. Guys I am so tired of being ostracized and beat down on for trying to ask you to buy quality over fantasy. Just because it is a sword does not make it the sword. Do justice to yourselves, save, learn and buy. By doing this you will help educate others. As new collectors I urge you to please do justice to yourselves and go forward with knowledge rather than emotion. It is easy for a select few to ruin it for the many.

Im more than happy for your Florida redneck to sit as far from "the circle " as possible. You do know the Sekigahara comment was sarcasm...anyway are you buying, so much to sell you buddy

And you know the details of the historical journey of this so called Sukesada how please tell? I mean the specific one you're speaking of, or is it just fantasy dreaming and imagination? Collecting something just because it's old and was "maybe" on a battle field or "maybe" it was in the hands of a samurai (maybe)? This shouldn't be the motivation for a purchase. There's more to a sword than just that. I mean collect Tokugawas hashi then, they touched his lips when eating. I have a few rusty old swords that were in Sekigahara, are you buying, they're so historical, I said so.

Byeee

Fact is the last 5 swords will be gone and unsuspecting buyers helped fund your NEW armour collection, well played Colin.

Got that Florida redneck out in the open eh buddy

Colin you're very well known and what you sell is also known both by reputation. Some people will be happy with you and their purchases because they have no option but to be so. Please don't start pulling a new veil down to feign ignorance or because I've not seen you "high end" offerings. And you're a dealer.

You said it yourself 195 swords sold on the cheap right. What else needs to be said. How dealers like you pull the wool over the eyes of hard working individuals who are looking for a quality purchase doesn't make any sense to me. Using the Token Society as a platform to do it no less. Well at least they have helped fund your collection.

So you saw the sarcasm, very good. How you feel free to revel in your last post on the previous thread with the assistance of @Scogg (told you Sam). Just because the moderator took your side means nothing, there are plenty who understand that your crassness is down to your circumstances man. Very sad.

I wasn't speaking about buyers and sellers in the commercial sections of the NMB. Apologies if it read like that.

Not at all just saying it the way you like it. Anyone who knows no better will be happy with the plastic plate. What other option is there?

I and my descendants can look after a plastic plate for 300 years plus and it's still a plastic plate. But, there will undoubtedly be a member from @Matsunoki client base or the NMB that pays 2k for it down the line so there is that positive.

Oh man, I agree with you you get upset I don't agree with you you get upset, there is just no pleasing some super advanced dealers anymore.