Thinking of buying my first sword, is this a fatal flaw?

[tomt]

Hi,

Im new here and am looking to get into collecting.

Unfortunately i have limited funds at the moment so will have to start with a Wakizashi, or a damaged blade.

Theres a Katana for sale on ebay from what seems like a respectable seller that im interested in.

Heres the link https://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Japanese-Samurai-Katana-Sword-SENGOKU-Nihonto-81-8-cm-Long/264994706019

but it has some rust spots, i was wondering what your opinions on the damage is? Whether it is fatal or not and maybe your overall thoughts on the sword. 

Thanks

 

[paulb]

Welcome to the NMB Tomas

When you are starting out eBay is not the best place to look. There are some good sellers there but there are also a lot of less than good ones and it is a minefield. You would do much better making contact with some local collectors/dealers and there is a strong Australian contingent on this board. Talk to them about what you want and take their advice. The sword you are looking at has some major issues. It may be that it would polish, it depends how deep that heavy rust goes. The cost of doing it would be far more than the current bid price and the results far from certain.

 

 

[SAS]

Buying a sword that is in polish will be better in the long run, as polishing is labor intensive and thus costly (good stones can run upwards of $3000 apiece.) The sales forum here is a good place to look for good values.

[tomt]

7 hours ago, paulb said:

Welcome to the NMB Tomas

When you are starting out eBay is not the best place to look. There are some good sellers there but there are also a lot of less than good ones and it is a minefield. You would do much better making contact with some local collectors/dealers and there is a strong Australian contingent on this board. Talk to them about what you want and take their advice. The sword you are looking at has some major issues. It may be that it would polish, it depends how deep that heavy rust goes. The cost of doing it would be far more than the current bid price and the results far from certain.

 

 

 

Thanks for the advice, will try that. Probably wont be able to afford a polished sword for a while unfortunately, so thought I might start with something smaller or in worse shape, any advice if I only really have $1300 AUD max to spend

[Shugyosha]

Why not start a thread in the “want to buy” section? Members often have swords they are thinking of moving on and the possibility of a committed buyer might get them to open their sword chests. 

[tomt]

15 minutes ago, Shugyosha said:

Why not start a thread in the “want to buy” section? Members often have swords they are thinking of moving on and the possibility of a committed buyer might get them to open their sword chests. 

 

Great idea, will do

[Ken-Hawaii]

I would take a few of those AUD, & invest in a couple of good reference books. Understanding what makes a sword good, is very important.

 

Everyone is anxious to buy their first blade, but I guarantee that you'll get more for your money if you study first.

[tomt]

5 hours ago, Ken-Hawaii said:

I would take a few of those AUD, & invest in a couple of good reference books. Understanding what makes a sword good, is very important.

 

Everyone is anxious to buy their first blade, but I guarantee that you'll get more for your money if you study first.

 

Any recommendations for the best book from the beginner books section of the FAQ?