Perfectly preserved or scarred excellence

[raynor]

I've started to consider my next blade purchase, and have run into a bit of a dilemma.

 

For my next purchase, the main goal is blade quality when forged. I am not yet locked into specific schools, periods or smiths, tho I think I am turning into a bizen and soshu fan given a few more years to ripen. I will probably look for a Koto blade, and paper level not that important but at least hozon level.

 

My dilemma is should I go for the signed dated ubu freshly polished blades, or the mumei osuriage slightly more tired blades within a similar level of papers and price range?

 

If I am aiming for quality will I not with careful vetting be able to get a higher quality blade at my set budget if I accept conditions such as mumei, suriage, older polish and even other factors such as non fatal kizu or even tiny traces of old halted rust?

 

The reason for asking is both seeing what others experiences and opinions are but also that I have seen blades with some and even all of these "detrimental" conditions sometimes strike me as equally or more beautiful then others without.

 

For example I saw a osuriage mumei koto blade with old rust damage to a small part of its hamon near the nakago on one side with tokubetsu hozon papers (didnt know scarred mumei shortened blades could pass TH) awesome elegant shape and a flawless chu suguha hamon that left a striking impression not matched until deep into browsing Juyo blades after pretending I had no bills to pay for the rest of the year.

[Ken-Hawaii]

Omar, have you read http://www.nihontomessageboard.com/articles/Collecting.pdf ?

 

Speaking from experience, choosing a blade randomly seldom gets you the most for your hard-earned dollar/yen/euro. Sure, you can ask what we recommend, but just because I collect Kamamkura & Nanbokucho Bizen blades doesn't means that's right for you. I spent many years & $$ collecting flashy, high-quality Shinto blades, which I am now selling, because I came to the realization that "showiness" wasn't what I wanted, & the more-subtle elegance & grace of the older blades spoke to me, instead. My sword mentor collects elite Soshu blades, & although I enjoy studying them, I feel none of the attraction that Bizento bring.

 

So, I guess my recommendation is to hold off buying a blade until you have some idea why you like it. The right blade will call to you!

[Alex A]

 what Ken said.

[16k]

What they said but my two cents:

 

It’s a question of budget. If you can afford papered, signed, ubu, polished blades, then stick to that.

 

If not, then get the best you can buy. Small kizu, suriage, mumei are okay if you don’t collect as an investment. The only no-no, for me at least, is rust. You may get a blade that is a lemon and, on top of that, may not be able to have it polished.

[Alex A]

Yes, Budget, that's why I guess a lot of us have to go for wakizashi in the quality department. Some good TH about at the moment and at fair prices.

[PNSSHOGUN]

Papered and Ubu is the "smart" move, especially if you wish to recoup or improve your money at some point. However sometimes there are swords that defy all the "smart" moves and speak to us in different ways. My suggestion would be to buy smart, study smart and when the swords that speak to you come, you can move your smart purchases on easily to get what you really like.

[paulb]

It is impossible to argue against the logic of buying ubu signed koto blades in excellent condition. The problem is there aren't actually too many that fit that description about and those that do are often prohibitively expensive. Until very recently I have never held an Ubu signed koto blade in my collection. The swords that I have are in good condition and polish and to my eye beautiful. Some were very expensive, had they been ubu and signed they would have been totally beyond reach.

Bottom line is that first and foremost buy something you like, ultimately it is your hard earned cash you are the one that has to be satisfied. There is little or no point in buying an expensive blade because it is signed and papered if you don't enjoy looking at it.

Spend some time to identify what features really hit the right buttons for you and then aim for that. 

[Rivkin]

Signed, ubu, really old, with as few kizu as possible...

Sounds like the top priced Bizen swords. Maybe Yamashiro once in a while.

Almost eveything else pre-Muromachi will be multiple kizu, tired in places, and likely unsigned.

 

I am very open to admitting a "shameful" fact that I own two unsigned and non-ubu shinshinto swords, both with considerable blemishes. Will be selling both, but simply because I decided to concentrate elsewhere.

 

If we are to talk about money, 25 years ago there were plenty of tokujus on the market for 400-500k usd. Today you see them offered retail for 200. Very seldom, but you do see them auctioned off in dealer's auctions for 10 million yen. I am not going to pretend to be very knowledgable of the market in this price range (above my pay grade), but from where I am standing that's the price dynamics. And knowing people with money in Japan - it does not come as a surprise. I bought some books from Dmitry to be used as gifts, and then basically stopped as it was just a waste.

 

Kirill R.