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Pics: San Francisco Token Kai

kaigunair
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Brian

Brian

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Lucky buggers!

Just spent 2 days at our annual militaria fair, and was lucky to see a single arsenal Seki Shin Gunto there. That's as good as it gets here.

 

Brian

Curran Grand Master

Curran

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Thanks for the photos.

Several close family members there, know a few favorite restaurants, nihonto, and free box seats to Giants home games (I know they aren't in town this week).

.... Why am I here, and not there?

 

 

I recognize a few of Korin's tsuba. Good to see he hoped over from Japan. I also knew a dealer from Kyoto that said he as coming over for a few days.

Hope there were many people like them bringing the nice stuff.

kaigunair Experienced

kaigunair

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Closing thoughts:

Many of the exhibitors were really not dealers, but just collectors who buy tables, which comes with breakfast and dinners, to soak in the full experience and really make lasting connections with others who share the same passion. Not that it hurts to sell some items to fund new items, or get leads on future additions. So while its great to attend the show, its even better to spend the extra and get a table to get/add to the full experience. How great would it be to double the number of dealers and the size of the hall?

 

While I cut out early each day (leaving around 9 or 10pm the first two days to go home; most exhibitors hanging out well beyond that), I am still pretty exhausted. Both because of all the things to see, but also all the really interesting people to meet and talk too. If you're going to a show like this just to buy something for your collection, you're missing out on more than half of the value (and fun) in making such a trip. I met some really great people this year, some really really great guys (and a few gals too), just by hanging around and asking them about what was on their table. Was ableo to re-connect with a few forum members too. Only one person sought me out personally, but that in itself was such a treat! Another kind exhibitor did a private showing of uber uber fine tsuba which I am very grateful for. Several even dearer and more memorable things happen to me during this show, totally unexpected and underserved blessings, that I will forever remember with a smile and a full heart. No joke. Really crazy uber blessings / manna from heaven type stuff. While some of it involved physical things and items, it was seeing the character and heart of many of the people at the show that was the gift of this year's show.

 

Your actual mileage will probably vary, because putting up the light booth was probably part really great experience I had. I think it helped those who used it (maybe those who didn't like it just didn't say anything to me), but, in actuality, people coming up and talking to me because of it....Wow, that was greatest unexpected benefit of my meager efforts.

 

But as most of us go here looking to add to our collections, here are two pics of my physical take aways:

Items I bought:

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Items given to me!

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Selling wise, I brought out almost all the items from my little tsuba collection, including my top ones, and some tosogu. On friday it looked as though I wouldn't have anywhere to put out my little display, but then, in the evening, Tom graciously lent use of a small section of a table to display my little grouping of items. What sold was all my favorite items that I would have rather have taken back home! Wife was definitely happy to see cash in vs cash out for once. At the same time, what I expected to sell but didn't, turned to be part of a grander plan for my unbelievable 2014 Token Kai experience.

kaigunair Experienced

kaigunair

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I did have the distinction (or misfortune), of being the very last person to leave the hall (was hard for the staff to find a luggage cart as they were quite in demand):

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And as I sat there waiting for a cart to be brought, I saw this little pile of rubble the staff swept up. Kinda makes for a fitting shot to close off this thread of the 2014 SF Token Kai (and also promote the next sword show in Chicago as registration is probably open for that one; hope to get there one day myself!) :

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jlawson Collaborator

jlawson

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It was a great show and thanks to all who helped put it on. The light booth was something that we have needed for a long time and made it such a treat to see blades in different lighting modes instead of having to take blades outside etc as I have done in the past or searched for that one elusive bulb to see what I needed to. Great cross section of blades and fittings. Curran, yes Masa was there for the first time from his shop in Kyoto and brought some very nice fittings and based on his table sold quite a bit. Also a nice change to see additional Japanese dealers selling vs our standard few that come over and prowl for buys.

Brian

Brian

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This mini review in from a member:

 

A few more comments about the 2014 SF Japanese Sword Show, to complement Junichi’s photo-essay. As usual, the room was sold out all three days, with a very good bustling atmosphere, lots of activity and evident commerce taking place. And as Junichi says, great to touch base with old friends in the hobby, and meet some new ones. The kantei booth was a great success, with people bringing swords and fittings for closer examination under excellent lighting. I saw four Japanese dealers in attendance, as well as Yoshindo. Ikeda-san the Japanese polisher was opening“windows” on site. There were more Juyo pieces on the tables for sale than I have ever before seen at a western show – I counted at least 25, and that’s apart from Mike Yamasaki’s outstanding NBTHK display of representative gokaden blades. A special display of Echizen Kinai tsuba was another treat. And everyone got to have a piece of Fred Weissberg’s surprise birthday cake from his wife, Trisha. Another wonderful sword weekend, for which we thank the organizers – Fred, Mike Krause, and the volunteers from the Northern California club!
Mark Veteran

Mark

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I handled 2 Soshu Yukimitsu daito, Shintogo Kunimitsu, couple of Ichimongi a Norishige tanto with a nakago so pristine it looked Shinto, Shodai Hizen Tadayoshi with nagahisa test, Rai. Norinaga, (all Juyo) and several other Kamakura and Nambukcho Juyo blades. It was the best opportunity to see and examine great blades outside the Dai Token Ichi

raiden Proficient

raiden

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Just wanted to say thank you to all that visited our table. I hope that you all enjoyed our blades, this year we showed many Soshu blades for sale and study. For a while we even put the Tokugawa Shogun owned Sadamune on the table for all to study as well as the Shintogo and Yukimitsu. It was a great show for study and hats off to Fred and Mike for doing what they always do!

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