Coming Soon! My Japanese sword website realnihonto.com

[Christian Chaffee]

Hello Everyone,

 

It's me Christian Chaffee in San Diego. I just want to let you know I will be launching my Japanese sword website "realnihonto.com" in the next few weeks.

 

I am sure some of you know me personally as I have been a seller at most of the Japanese sword shows in in the US for the last 18 years.

 

I have also been selling antiques, art, and collectibles on ebay for the last 8 years. Over the years, I have sold a few hundred Japanese swords on eBay. I have received positive feedback on every sword I sold, and never had one returned. I have always done my best to include complete crystal clear photos of every blade, and to show the all the good and bad points.

 

I may not have gotten the astronomical prices I see some swords with crappy photos sell for, but I can say, I have made many friends, and have loyal satisfied customers who get real value for their hard earned money.

 

Last year I sold an osuriage mounted daito on eBay which was out of polish for around $2300.00 The happy buyer has informed me that it was awarded Tokubetsu Hozon to ko-Bizen, and is a Juyo candidate. Congrats to Jim in the midwest for recognizing it. I'm happy it has been recognized as special, because I know it will be properly preserved.

 

I wish I had recognized it, but then that's all part of learning. For every good one I have unknowingly sold, I have recognized others, which I have had polished and papered.

 

As my collection of polished and papered blades as grown, I have decided I should sell some of them. Since I don't want my beautiful blades tossed to the wind in a 10 day eBay auction, I have decided to build a website, and offer them to serious collectors who demand the time necessary to carefully consider their investments wisely, and solid guaranteed value for their money.

 

EBay is a good place to sell blades which need restoration and papers, because it is a long, expensive, and risky process.

 

I can easily have $4000 invested in restoring a blade with new shirasaya, tsunagi, mailing, agent fees, shinsa fees, and if it is worthy, for costs for a sayagaki.

 

It is easier to sell a sword which needs restoration on eBay for $2000, than to invest an additional $4000.00, taking the risk that something ugly won't show up while it is being polished, and a waiting a couple of years to see how it papers. If it is not awarded good papers, I am stuck trying to get $6000, just to break even!

 

Most of my swords for sale on my website have been polished by a top polisher, and have NBTHK papers. My website will only feature a few swords at first, and as time goes on, I will be constantly be adding more and more, swords, fittings, and related antique Japanese art items.

 

Most items are for sale, and others, are part of my personal collection, and images are made available for comparison and study purposes only.

 

I will also have a links where you can view my collection of Japanese art which has been passed down to me through our family. This collection of Japanese art was assembled by my grandparents from the 1930's to the 1980's. I have many paintings, some of which date to the late koto period, and many beautiful antique woodblock prints.

 

I hope you get a chance to take a look at my website from time to time, because I am going to do my best to make it fun, and as informative as I can.

 

I am not an expert, and do not want to represent myself as one. I want everyone to know that I welcome input and advice, and want to make and keep, my website to be a source of accurately described, investment grade swords, fittings, and related Japanese antiques.

 

Thanks, Christian

[Steve Waszak]

Hi Christian,

 

Nice to know this will be coming. I look forward to seeing the new site. Incidentally, I happen to be in San Diego, too. Maybe we could meet over a coffee some time and talk nihonto a bit... Whereabouts are you in San Diego?

 

Steve

[waynes]

Hi, I know I'll check it out when it's up. Also what's your ebay screen name so we can check out some of your sales on there.

[Christian Chaffee]

Hi Guys,

 

My eBay user name is finearts29mv.

 

Please check out my long time 7+ years history, and culmulative 99.5% feedback rating.

 

I could have better than 99.5 feedback, but I do my part to police eBay. If I buy something that is misrepresented, I let people know by leaving the seller bad feedback. Thus I have gotten retalitory feedback just about everytime I nailed a bad seller.

 

You can also see that I have sucessfully completed 3338 transactions, although eBay only shows my feed back as 2929. This is because I have repeat customers, and eBay feedback only reflects unique buyer and seller feedback. This means if you sell three items to one buyer, your feedback will only increase by 1 feedback.

 

You will also find additional information on my website which will provide you with all the verifiable information you would want to know, so that there is no doubt at all, that you are dealing with a good guy, with a long time, solid reputation.

 

Thanks for asking,

 

Christian

[Brian]

Hi Christian,

have you ever thought about giving up sales and going into advertising? :D

Just kidding..a good introdution.

Let me know via email when the site goes live, and I will be glad to add it to the links section.

I have communicated quite a bit with Christian in the past, and his only major flaw is to keep sending amazing pics of stunning swords that he acquired for bargain prices through his business (Where is that jealousy smiley?)

 

Brian

[Christian Chaffee]

Hi Brian,

 

Thanks for the nice email!

 

I figured you, and all the nihontophiles would want to hear about my latest discoveries, as they are special.

 

I got a call from Bob Benson last week, and he says an osuriage daito I found and sent him last year for polishing has been completed.

 

Bob says it was made by Sekishu Naotsuna. When he first told me, I recognized the name, but couldn't place it. I then asked him how to spell Sekishu. Bob started laughing, and explained that Sekishu Naotsuna was a top level swordsmith, and important.

 

According to Fred Weissberg's site, Sekishu Naotsuna is considered one of the best of the Masamune Juttetsu (10 famous students of Masamune). Needless to say, I am very happy. I never expected to stumble on a blade like this fresh out of the woodwork!

 

There is a Tokubetsu Juyo example pictured on page 40 of the book "The influence of Masamune". Bob Benson assembled the display and lecture, which was the foundation for this beautiful book which was published by the NBTHK American Branch. The book was written on the exhibit of blades at the 2003 San Francisco Token Kai, which is sponsered by the NCJSC.

 

Bob also told me that another osuriage wakizashi I sent, is from the late kamakura or early nambokucho period, and looks like a ko-Mihara, or Enju blade.

 

Anyway, there are other discoveries too, all of which will be added somewhere on my Japanese sword website.... coming soon.

 

Good Luck Hunting!

 

Christian

[Humbleshogun]

Christian -

 

Looking forward to your website. Please do let us know when it's up and running. I am in the market for my first wakizashi and would be interested to see what you are offering.

 

All the best,

 

Paul

[Christian Chaffee]

I get fresh swords regularly, so there should be several nicer wakizashi available. I hope you will enjoy the website.

 

Thanks, Christian

[Steve Waszak]

Hi Christian,

 

Any idea how soon we might expect your site to be up and running? I'm sure many of us are excited to see it! The gorgeous blades I had the privilege of seeing at your home have only whetted my appetite for the opening of your site... ) Looking forward to it!

 

Cheers,

 

Steve

[Christian Chaffee]

Hi Steve,

 

I should have realnihonto.com launched in about a month, and will post the count down here on the NMB daily when the time gets close to putting it on line.

 

Building this website has been a monumental task, and it still needs more work. I am including a unique feature which no other Japanese sword website has. I am not copying anyone else's hard work, so every line of code has to be written.

 

The best part is, that every sword I will be offering for sale, is a fresh discovery, not offered for sale (except when I purchased it) or seen by knowledgeable eyes for at least the last 62 years.

 

I will keep you posted on the progress.

 

Regards,

 

Christian

[Steve Waszak]

Sounds terrific, Christian. I am in a state of anticipation already!

 

Cheers,

 

Steve

[Jean]

Christian,

 

My only wish is to survive till mid-August :D :D

[Jason]

sounds fantastic :lol:

[Christian Chaffee]

Hi Jean,

 

Dang!!! Now I know there are lots of people who are waiting for my website, and I better not disapoint them with a "failure to launch" on time.

 

Just so you know, I am the one who hopes he survives ...when mid August gets here!

 

 

It isn't easy for me to part with any of these blades, because each and every one of them, was one of my keepers which I couldn't bear to part with for years, which is why I still have them all today.

 

These swords represent the cream of the crop of years of treasure hunting for these crystalized iron gems, which I know I can never replace.

 

I realize that I am just a cutodian of these treasures, some of which have had at least 29 different custodians before me, assuming they changed hands once every 25 years.

 

I will eventually sell all of these swords, but I will treasure the memories of discovering them, for the rest of my life.

 

I am very fortunate to have grown up in the antique business, working as my fathers assistant from the time I was 11 years old. My accumulated knowledge in American antiques and art has been the key to the sucess of my estate liquidation business "Chaffee Estate Services". I have many long time friends in the antique business all over southern California.

 

When I look back, I never expected my estate liquidation business to put me in such a unique position to acquire so many fresh Japanese swords, most of which come straight from old untouched estates, or from the family's of the men, who personally brought these back from the Pacific theater after WWII.

 

San Diego is a very beautiful city, and many GI's returning from the war loved the climate, and settled here. Thousands of swords went into closets, garages, trunks, and on to walls for display.

 

Today, when these estates need to be liquidated, and a Japanese sword turns up, I usually get a phone call before the estate sale is advertised, and many times, get to purchase the swords.

 

I have been the very first person to remove the tsukas from hundreds of Japanese swords, which had not been removed since WWII. Of these swords, only about 1 in 30 is anything really special, so building my collection has required many long exhausting searches for each keeper I have found.

 

Anyway, I got another phone call today from a guy named "Owen", and I am going to see another fresh blade tomorrow morning so I better cut this short, and get to bed.

 

30 days and counting down!

 

Christian