Why did this sell so expensive?

[TheGermanBastard]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-Sword-With-Case-/183824382659

 

Katana 27.5'' Nagasa, O Suriage, Koto, out of polish. Shirasaya says Kanenaga.

 

Over 3.500 USD?!?

[ChrisW]

Eh... no idea. Perhaps the old saying of "a fool and his money are soon parted"?  Seems a few people were fighting over it and someone had a stupid amount of disposable income.

[TheGermanBastard]

Of couse it could be a fool with too much money, but most fools lack the later one. I assume atleast 2 or 3 people must have seen somthing significant in this sword that I may have been missing. I had requested additional image sand did not like what I was seeing though ... so it makes me wonder

[Ray Singer]

Someone probably thought it was an authentic Kencho.

 

Plus, they may have thought it had an actual nagasa of 34+" (rather than that being the overall length).

[TheGermanBastard]

I did not like this spot ...

[Logan09]

There is really no risk for the buyer on eBay. I have seen several swords sell for a lot only to be relisted later down the road(returned to seller)

[TheGermanBastard]

The seller did say he does not accept returns.

[Ken-Hawaii]

It depends on how much the seller wants to keep his/her 100% approval rating. I've returned several items despite 'no returns' posted.

[TheGermanBastard]

I think that one should honor a sellers terms and bid accordingly. I believe there is a bad fukure. Anybody paying so much should ask for more images unless money does not matter to them.

 

So let's see if it will turn up again ...

[PNSSHOGUN]

Treasure hunters must see more than us on this one.

[Surfson]

Luis, where did you get that photo?   It wasn't one of the ones in the listing.

 

My thoughts about it, considering the nakago ana at the end of the tang, was that the original length was around 30-31" or so.  

 

The last hole looks punched, making it appear to be possibly a nambokucho blade, but there were no photos of the entire sword to get an idea about the shape.

[Surfson]

Ray, does Kencho refer to Kanenaga, the era in the 13th century or something having to do with length?

[Ray Singer]

Kencho is the nickname for the Kanenaga who worked in Nambokucho as part of the So-Den Bizen group. A student under Chogi.

[Hoshi]

As Ray said. I will add that Kencho is vastly underrated in Fujishiro, at Jo-Saku. When counting his Juyo/Tokuju blades, he's at JoJo if not midway to Sai-jo. He is considered superior in skill to Chogi with regards to some of the hamon complexities he could produce, but is priced about halfway to his master.  

[Surfson]

That was my guess.  Darcy has a nice writeup on him, and it's interesting that both he and Chogi, his teacher, are referred to using the Chinese pronunciation of their names (on yomi).  Since Cho also is pronounced naga and is used for "length", I was unsure.  

 

Any chance the sayagaki is correct on this one?   The photos were terrible.   I emailed the guy a couple times with questions and requests but he never responded in any way.  Apparently Luis was able to get some better ones - is it possible to see either the shape or the hamon in any of them?  

[TheGermanBastard]

Well, first of all that is no Sayagaki which I would put in any confidence. It is two Kanji, no name, no kao no nothing that would add any creditability. Then we have about a douzen smithes that go by that name with a single that is remarkable.BUt of course any wishfull thinking and thus bidding would less to this specific smith.

 

The images provided by the seller were horrible. My own thinbking would be that based onb the images hardly anybody with bains would thrown in a lot of money. Uppon much asking I got some extra pics. To the best of my guessing there is a big fukure. It is not well visible in my image due to the highlighting but there is mor eindication of a perfectly round air pocket like blister. The seller failed to send me more images of this spot.

 

I could not see clearly see any kind of Hamon. My vague guessing would be more of a Suguha. Bit again that is just guessing. The sugata also does not help me much. I would tend to lean towards a Nambokucho blade ... but it could be Muromachi, too.

 

The seller should be very motivated to not accept returns as he originally had stated, especially since he probably never expected to get so much money and never will get it again.

 

had this blade come from one of the usual suspects I believe it would have fetched no way near 1k. So it seems someone was treasure hunting huge time based on two Kanji on a Shirasaya. Who knows maybe they hit it big time. Maybe we might get to know if it eiher reappears or there will be a Juyo attribution to that smith in an upcoming Shinsa.

[Surfson]

Hopefully we will hear more about this sword or it will pop up again.  Thanks Luis.  Cheers, Bob

[Ray Singer]

Taken into Photoshop I see a very regular and tall gonome hamon with a togari feel. My guess is Muromachi Mino.

 

 

 

 

[TheGermanBastard]

Hello Ray, well done! I was intending to write down it could be Sue Koto Mino just for fun as this is one of the worst scenarios.

 

That is the kind of blade I would like to pick up cheap for the fun in getting a surprise - but preferably one that I am not buried with for ever. At 3.5k ü polishing this is probably a deep grave ...

[Ray Singer]

Additional thought, the valleys between each gonome have a squarish feel. Something like Kanefusa.

 

You can see something similar in this photo (credit: yuhindo.com)

 

[Surfson]

This is from a juyo Kanenaga sold on Aoi for 3.2M.  

 

https://www.aoijapan.net/katana-mumei-kanenaga/