Komonjo

[16k]

one word: Komonjo!

[DTM72]

8 hours ago, 16k said:

one word: Komonjo!

He has some good nihinto, every once in a while.

[16k]

Very true. Actually he seems to have three categories of swords: the Gimei Shinsakuto, the rusted junk and the fine swords.

[Peter Bleed]

Friends, I would truly like to know how Komonjo-sama operates. I THINK(!) that he somehow buys masses of blades that must have been sorted and assessed by sword-slicks in Japan. Boy would I love to see that action. I just assume that the system squeezes every yen out of anything in Japan so that whatever find its way to this side of the Ocean is just ain't worth anything over there. Once it gets here, however, the gunshow-hustler system seems willing to put some wind under its wings.Naive, third level hustlers are the target audience for these swords - BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!

But let me go in another direction - which I assume will cause ME to be seriously criticized.

PETER.

GO AHEAD and knock the rust off this blade. You will NOT(!) ruin it. The tip is gone the red rust is (slowly) eating it up. GO AHEAD AND GET RID OF THE Rust. No POWER, of course, and no really coarse abrasive, BUT I think you will learn a lot of you go at the red rust with something like 320 or 400 Wet and Dry.

As you develop skill, you will also want to explore that kissaki. Working there, you may discover that some of it is still there. Learn shape, learn hamon, and learn kissaki!

Best of luck!

[Mark]

Peter

 

from looking at his auctions most low end stuff seems to be here in the U.S. (seems to say shipping from CA), some of the high end swords say they are in Japan and will need extra time for shipment......  So i surmise he has a close relationship with a Japanese dealer, and the dealer ships him bulk low end items to list and sell (including ones described as gendai and shinsakuto) , he also provides pictures/descriptions of higher end swords that are still in Japan and komonjo lists  them (or the dealer lists them on his account), if they sell the dealer sends them (either to Komonjo - to be sent to buyer-- or directly to buyer).  Just my guess....  whatever he does it must work, he has been doing it for years.

[Peter Bleed]

I am interested in the flow of stuff thru society - call it collecting. When I started we could 1) "find" unassessed swords, - cheap! - 2) study them , 3) keep what we liked, 4) ditch the bad stuff, and 5) sell the rest -- ultimately to Japanese buyers. Apparently, the closets and attics of the WWII generation are empty now. That means that we trade stuff that was retained. The aura of quick riches still remains (even if the odds are now long) so that gun shows and flea markets are full of optimists who will buy Japanese swords in hopes of a great discovery. AND lots of the stuff we sold back to Japan have been assessed over there, rejected, and is now being marketed to the world - in large part thru the hustling sector of the US.

Komonjo-sama is assisting us in this process. Arigato gozaimasu.

It also looks like he is a full service provider, able to offer us excellent blades, junk blades and gendaito which mebbe are swordsmiths' "extras," modern blades made by smiths but in excess of their legal production limits - - can make'em, but can't register'em,   so export'em.

I am entirely non-judgemental in all of this. IMHO this is merely and aspect of the current state of sword collecting.

Peter

 

[Brian]

Lots of talk many of the swords are either made in China or Thailand. Have had some communication about that with certain people. No proof, but I suspect many are not made in Japan. The ones that look like shinsakuto with the same features.
Whatever it is, we should not be encouraging it.

[16k]

1 hour ago, Peter Bleed said:.

It also looks like he is a full service provider, able to offer us excellent blades, junk blades and gendaito which mebbe are swordsmiths' "extras," modern blades made by smiths but in excess of their legal production limits - - can make'em, but can't register'em,   so export'em.

I am entirely non-judgemental in all of this. IMHO this is merely and aspect of the current state of sword collecting.

Peter

 

Peter, I believe you are spot on here. It’s always been my theory.

[DoTanuki yokai]

JP you wrote some day that you have one of this komonjo "shinsakutu", could you  post some pics of it that show us other views then the komonojo pictures do ?

Im very interested in seeing it thanks.

[16k]

I can try, Christian, but I’m an awful photographer. Will try though as soon as I have time.

[DoTanuki yokai]

Thank you JP, take your Time with the pictures. Is it signed yoshinobu Saku ? From this pictures it looks like a nice blade.

[16k]

Thank you Christian. It is actually quite nice. The pictures here was somehow reduced by the site, don’t know why. It is actually signed Yoshihiro I think. Probably meant to be passed as a Seto Yoshihiro Blade.

[vfc]

As they say you learn by your mistake's.I to have been sucked in by this seller i bought a blade signed Endo Mitsuoki and thought it was a bargain, Before it arrived i sent him a message asking if he had a habaki for it and when in ww2 was it made this is the reply.

komonjo: Hi Vic, This is much more recent than WW-II. Bare blades I list are consignments from a Japanese dealer. He says he gets them from wholesale dealer auctions, but I don't think so. It is nearly impossible to see so many gendai bare blades in auctions. I think he has either a starving sword smith or an apprentice making them, then adding a recognized names on them for marketing purpose. The blades who all the signs of being traditionally forged and tempered, but I don't trust the signature. They are marketed for martial artists who want solid traditional blades but priced lower than antique ones. From some feedback I got from past buyers, they are darn good cutters. Regards,

Your previous message I am new to collecting Japanese's swords is this blade from WW2 cheers Vic.

komonjo: Hi I don't make or sell habaki. Sorry,

Your previous message Hi There do you have a habaki to fit this blade that i could buy cheers Vic.

Your previous message Oh s**t i have a lot to learn i can,t believe i just bought another fake, Hope it is not made in China

New message from: komonjo (4,183)   Hi Take a look at it with your eyes, and show it to your friends. I don't think Chinese are capable of producing this kind of blade, yet. I say YET because they've come a long way since their fakes started appearing on eBay in the early 2000s. But I don't they've reached this level. Also, this is circumstantial, but the fact that they are consignments from a dealer in Japan tells me that their chances of being Chinese fakes is very small. Japan has very tight regulations about bringing in swords from abroad. In order for them to come into Japan legally, they will have to be un-edged "decoration" swords. To import them in that condition, and then polish and sharpen them into the current shape would make them too costly, I think. Best,

[ChrisW]

Straight from the horse's mouth as it were!

[16k]

It confirms what I’ve always thought: Gimei, Japanese made by a starving swordsmith or apprentice, darn good cutter, martial art polish. Komonjo is being honest here I think.

 

And I agree with him about the Chinese not being able to do it just YET.

[vfc]

The blade does look to be well made but to my opinion is just Damascus not Tamahagane  anyway i will use it to cut s**t and see what happens i will make sure i have fun with it until i break it.

[16k]

Dunno which one you got, Vic, but the one I have sure looks like Tamahagane. I would be sorry to ruin it.

[vfc]

Thank's Jean. 

I hope it is cheer's, Then the price i paid was not so bad.

[Bruce Pennington]

My experience with him was concerning 2 Mantetsu blades that he was selling.  Both had hamon and were signed, dated, and had serial numbers. But very unusual for Mantetsu  blades.  I was able to chat with him though email.  He said, like stated above, that these were being sold on consignment. I suspect they were originally mumei gendaito, and a Japanese smith had recently add the mei.

[16k]

On 1/9/2021 at 1:46 PM, DoTanuki yokai said:

JP you wrote some day that you have one of this komonjo "shinsakutu", could you  post some pics of it that show us other views then the komonojo pictures do ?

Im very interested in seeing it thanks.

Here it is. As I said, don’t expect masterpiece pictures, I’m a lousy photographer. I didn’t take pictures of the sugata as it can be seen above, just close ups. The white spots on the shinogi are specks of dust. The only bad thing about this sword imho is the hadori which is quite rough.

[vfc]

Hi J.P

My blade looks very similar to your's maybe the same maker ??? 

[DoTanuki yokai]

Thanks Jp. 
But I’m still not sure what I should believe where they come from    
I think they are good for iaito or tameshigiri after they can’t really go as collectibles. Ofc it  looks nice.

[Ken-Hawaii]

Not sure what your problem is. I've bought several blades from Mike, & all but one papered. Can't get much more "collectible" than that!

[DoTanuki yokai]

I talked about the Shinsakuto blades Ken. And I would like to know if your blades papered by nbthk or some other Organisation? 
 

 

[16k]

3 hours ago, DoTanuki yokai said:

Thanks Jp. 
But I’m still not sure what I should believe where they come from    
I think they are good for iaito or tameshigiri after they can’t really go as collectibles. Ofc it  looks nice.

Yes, that's definitely what they are. Iaito, and wicked cutters too. Though to be honest, I'd really like to see one polished properly. I'm sure it would make a world of diffesrence. Besides, for the price you pay, it's a heck of a good deal!

1 hour ago, Ken-Hawaii said:

Not sure what your problem is. I've bought several blades from Mike, & all but one papered. Can't get much more "collectible" than that!

I believe that Komonjo sells different quality swords. Never bought one, but I'm pretty sure his rusted blades are good blades,if they can be salvaged of course!

[Jussi Ekholm]

Can't comment on the modern mystery items but I do know he possibly works with some Japanese dealers on higher quality stuff as his papered swords usually appear on Yahoo JP or on the dealer sites.

[vajo]

If they were made in Japan they must have a registration card. There are so many regulations for swords (weapons) made in Japan. Its a mystery indeed. I cant belive that a licensed forgery in Japan made this huge amount of blades incognito.

 

[DoTanuki yokai]

JP, does your blade have much niku? And does it have a ubu ha ? And a picture of the nakakojiri if it’s not too much I ask for. Thanks 🙏 

[16k]

Hi  Christian,

 

I've just checked. Yes, there is niku (moderate) and ububa for about 5 cm.

 

I'll try to post pics of the nakago jiri and boshi this weekend. What are you looking for?

[DoTanuki yokai]

Looks like they meet all Japanese "standards" except for the mei.

Im looking for a reason not to buy one.

Seriuos i think there are enough reasons like the fact that you compare other blades with it looking for similaritys to find out who made it and never getting a real answer.

Or because you support someone in bringing fake mei into circulation sometimes with national treasure names on it.

I dont know if this swords are good for the nihonto community.

And the story of starving smiths... could be true, but it could also be the case like you said JP "

On 1/10/2021 at 10:34 AM, 16k said:

It confirms what I’ve always thought: Gimei, Japanese made by a starving swordsmith

"

that "komonjo" is also reading the Forums and tell the people what they want to hear.

 

I want to see how they finished the end of the nakago because it is usually not seen in photos, someone could have been lazy and made it unclean.