Your Personal Nihonto Dreams

[Roland]

Back again after some absence I wonder what would be the personal dreams of the members of this fabulous group of Nihonto addicts. So let's make a quick and easy poll – three questions:

 

A: What's your personal Nihonto "wet dream" – if money wouldn't be a problem at all?

 

B: What's your personal Nihonto "favorite" – because of it's aesthetics, historical relevance or price/performance-wise?

 

C: What's your personal Nihonto "sleeper" – a smith or a school which is mostly overlooked but nevertheless an insiders' tip?

 

I'm curious about your answers :-)

[hybridfiat]

I dont know much about styles but a matched pair of blades with undulating hamon, a lot of activity and o-kissaki.

In matched period mounts, textured black lac on the saya and sakudo fuchi. inlaid tsubas (like this) Hope its'ok to post this.

Im not talking investment just something to look at.

Drool

[Roland]

Thanx, Steve,

 

you are right, commercial aspects are not the point of this poll. Just the very subjective personal dreams of each of us. I f.e. am fascinated by the "calmness" in the works of the Ko-Mihara school (B), would enjoy to own an early Oei-Bizen Osafune Katana, perhaps one made by Yasumitsu, who's serene shibui suguha hamon I love (A), and I'm thinking of the Fuyuhiro school as a kind of an insider's tip ©.

 

Well, no further dreams here in the forum?

[Walter]

Short and simple reply for all (A-B-C) questions (if money wouldn't be a problem at all) is:

REAL MASAMUNE (not the one on the eBay) ... do I ask too much?

[Joseph P.]

I want a Nagasone Kotetsu blade.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagasone_Kotetsu

[Bungo]

my dream ?

To find a signed Sengo Muramasa katana with outstanding kodogu, NBTHK papered ( Hozon level will be fine ) and all for less than 300 USD ( better than Mr. Dimon's offer, mind you. ..... offer price includes shipping/insurance ) from a Bear Sterns executive who will thank me profusely for taking this totally useless wall hanger off his/her hands.

 

It's a brutal world out there............

 

milt

[hybridfiat]

I have thought this over and despite the proviso of having more money than God my desire is still to have something beautifull to MY eyes rather than what is desirable to the 'collector' of nihonto. After all if I have so much money I wont care if it is going to apreciate or if others are impressed, it will be bought to please me. If a Masamune fits the criteria then so be it but if it by an unknown I wont care.

Selfish B@#$%^d aint I

[paulb]

Choices would be as follows:

A= Awataguchi Tachi

B= Awataguchi Tanto by Yoshimitsu

C= Echizen-Seki

I have seen very few Awataguchi blades but each one has said something. George Cameron Stone described the Japanese sword as "The nearest thing to perfection made by the human hand" I think he must have been looking at an Awataguchi blade when he said it.

On the premise that every school had its masterpieces I have seen some stunning swords atributed to very unpopular schools such as Echizen Seki, Bungo Takada et al.

Who made it is secondary to the quality of the end result.

Paul

[Walter]

I want a Nagasone Kotetsu blade.

 

Like this one?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Japanese-Samurai-Sw ... 0199247875

[johnb]

I sort of got mine. I love that great find! And it looks like I may have had the best one ever.

I was transfered to Jakarta 18 months ago and discovered that there are about 2 people here that know anything about Japanese swords. In light of an apparent lack of local interest and that the Japanese were here during WW2, I assumed there must be a few undiscovered gems to be had.

I have followed leads that have revealed nothing, I have received phone calls from people that have a sword that they will part with for $250,000!

I shouldn't complain, I have picked up a couple of OK gendai and a nice little tanto. That was about the extent of it until a couple of months ago.

Here in Jakarta the is a street called Jalan Surabaya. It's about 2 hundred yards long and every little shop along one side sells Indonesian artifacts, old pottery, brass compasses and various other brass instruments.

Years ago I suspect that everything was the real thing, today it's 90% reproduction. Nonetheless I deemed it worth a visit for a quick nihonto sniff out.

All I found was a beat up nco's sword with the tsuka missing.

On the off chance, I left my number with one or two tenacious stall holders.

Since that time I had a call every week always from the same couple of guys. "I've a sword, it's real. Can I bring it to your office?"

So, much to my disappointment, and theirs, in they trooped with their apauling copies.

I got so fed up with it that when I received a call from another Jalan Surabaya guy I told him not to bother. fortunately for me his persistence won through.

When he arrived at my office I was pleasantly surprised. As he unwrapped his newspaper package I saw a very beaten up gunto appear. With the exception of tsuka ito, it was complete and sported a family mon. When I drew the blade I realized that this was something worth discussing as a purchase.

The tsuka had a nut and bolt holding it on and people in the office were beginning to pressure me for meetings (how dare they! I was doing mens secret sword business) so I didn't get to really examine this find. so I quickly I settled on a price of $400.

To cut a long story short, that's how I got my Kanemitsu...how did you get yours?

[Darcy]

John, did that particular chicken hatch yet? I expect mad props if so .

[johnb]

Hi Darcy, regardless of my smug message post, no. Not hatched. I'm still sitting on it, keeping it warm. I have sent you a mail.

 

Cheers, Johnb