question about reliability of samurai museum shop, Japan

[help finding a sword]

I have been looking for a sword to present to my son as a coming of age gift, something he will treasure and hand on to his descendants, but I don't know very much about them (though I used to live in Japan and am pretty familiar with many aspects of the culture, and am reading up as I explore the subject). I have Japanese family members who are wary of buying sword online for all the reasons discussed elsewhere on this site. I have been looking at this site which looks legit to me, but I wondered if more expert sets of this site could weigh in. I am not intending to becomes a collector (and can't afford to be one!) but am looking for a single sword (preferably with fittings) with some age (Shinto/Edo or thereabouts), signed and with appropriate certification, for under $10,000 US. Any advice or suggestion would be welcome.

 

https://www.samuraimuseum.jp/shop/product/antique-Japanese-sword-katana-signed-by-kagemori-nbthk-hozon-certificate/

 

Thanks

 

Andrew

 

 

[John A Stuart]

Bungo Takada. This school can run the gamut from OK to near brilliant, there can be good examples within the school.. This is a nice tight package; not amazing, not poor a little above average. Compare and decide at this price "am I happy". John

[Brian]

For that budget, you can easily find something really nice from a reputable seller in the USA already.
Just take a look at our own For Sale section to see some great deals. I see at least a few awesome deals from Ray Singer alone there, never mind the other swords listed by members.

[Fuuten]

10k should get you a very nice wakizashi with tokubetsu hozon papers or perhaps a katana.

 

Nice budget for a present really. Are you in much of a hurry? The sale section here often has great deals. On the page you mentioned I failed to see the moto & sakihaba which makes me wonder why such a slacking description. I haven't done any business there so I don't know.

 

I think for actual (down the line), appreciation or the sparking of something, I would personally opt for something like this (I was looking at this sword a couple of weeks ago):

http://www.sanmei.com/contents/media/A15827_S5006_PUP_E.html

 

I have bought from Sanmei and I was very pleased with comm. Price, all round dealings there. I would vouch for Yuji at Sanmei/Tokugawa art. I would advise to take your time.

[Katsujinken]

At your budget I echo my colleagues: look in the for sale section here, or work with a US-based dealer like Ray Singer or Mike Yamasaki (Tetsugendo.com). 
 

Of course any of the well known Japanese shops will be fine, but overall it will be a more challenging (and potentially) expensive proposition due to the time difference, possibly language barrier, etc., etc.

 

Your goal should be to buy the best possible blade you can get for $10k or less. This could be a tanto, wakizashi, or katana depending on the package. Just don’t be seduced by fancy fittings or a poor sword made by a “big[ger] name”. 

 

Both Mike and Ray are well suited to guide you through this. 
 

Good luck!

Michael

[Fuuten]

The language barrier is a hurdle, as well as import costs or extra taxes slapped on, otherwise I would decide based on the sword not on where the seller is located.

 

I think it's most important to read up and take the time to decide. Less of a hurry equals a better choice. Best thing is what he did already (asking here).

[Rivkin]

If one looks for a blade with koshirae in this price range, its hard to do better than Aoi Art.

If something else (shirasaya only), with American dealers like nihonto.us, nihontocraft you get an extra protection of moneyback guarantee and more detailed service.

[Ken-Hawaii]

Welcome to NMB, Andrew. You're in the position where you have to depend on the expertise of others. I would send a PM to one of our sellers - Ray Singer would be a good one - & have him explain the pros & cons of what he has for sale.

 

Your need is fairly straightforward, & your budget is more than adequate, so choosing an appropriate blade is a matter of finding what pleases you & your son. Good luck, & happy holidays.

[Surfson]

You can buy a very nice sword for that price!  Is your son already interested in Japanese swords?  If so, it's a tremendous gift that I'm sure he will cherish.  There are several American dealers that have very nice swords available in your price range.  In addition to Ray Singer, who I agree is great, there is also Andy Quirt and Grey Doffin, who have nice websites.   If you search for any of those names and Japanese Sword, you will likely find their sites.  

[help finding a sword]

Thanks so much to all who have responded. I think we've made a decision to work with Ray Singer. Thanks for your tips and suggestions. We're excited about this new acquisition which we plan to treasure.

 

Much appreciated, all.

[EJMOPAR68]

Hello

How do I contact Ray Singer about finding a katana

Thank you

[SteveM]

4 minutes ago, EJMOPAR68 said:

Hello

How do I contact Ray Singer about finding a katana

Thank you

 

I think you'll be astonished by how easy it is to contact @Ray Singer

[Jacques D.]

Why not a sword made especially for him? It would be more in the spirit.

[oneshot onekill]

I can vouch for Ray Singer. Not personally yet but I have a friend who has bought quite a few swords from Ray and every one of them is Fantastic! And a fair price. 

[Shugyosha]

Ray is a gentleman and a pleasure to do business with.