Is this blade made by Kawachi Nagakuni?

[Freddie]

Hi guys,

 

I know from the seller’s info that the mei say Nagakuni, but is it Kawachi Nagakuni?

 

Also, what would you guys say is a fair price for this blade?

[Shugyosha]

Looks more like Inaba to me, but it is Nagakuni. See here. http://www.jssus.org/nkp/kanji_for_provinces.html

[Geraint]

Dear Fred.

 

How would you expect anyone to tell you what  a fair price is for something where all we have to go on is an older paper?  Does it have koshirae and/or shirasya?  Is it in polish? Does it have any flaws?

 

At the moment your question is a bit like asking what a fair price is for a 1998 Ford.

 

All the best.

[Freddie]

16 minutes ago, Geraint said:

Dear Fred.

 

How would you expect anyone to tell you what  a fair price is for something where all we have to go on is an older paper?  Does it have koshirae and/or shirasya?  Is it in polish? Does it have any flaws?

 

At the moment your question is a bit like asking what a fair price is for a 1998 Ford.

 

All the best.

Ahh, sorry man,

I missed all the images :-)

 

 

[SteveM]

As John says, Inshū Nagakuni

因州長國　(using a variant of 州 on the paper). 

 

https://glyphwiki.org/wiki/u5dde

 

Pricing is dicey because we can't see much from these photos. Having older papers may also turn away some prospective buyers. Also, I don't know anything about Nagakuni from Inshū. 

[Freddie]

1 hour ago, SteveM said:

As John says, Inshū Nagakuni

因州長國　(using a variant of 州 on the paper). 

 

https://glyphwiki.org/wiki/u5dde

 

Pricing is dicey because we can't see much from these photos. Having older papers may also turn away some prospective buyers. Also, I don't know anything about Nagakuni from Inshū. 

Thank you so much. The have a reservation price valued to 8000€?!

[Shugyosha]

Even if all details were clear, I think I would say look for something else as unsigned wakizashi aren’t very desirable and it might be a hard sell down the line. 
 

I’m not sure that the (old) papers to a minor and little-known smith (he doesn’t show on an online search) add anything to its value other than to confirm it isn’t a fake. 
 

Is there an asking price or are you expected to make an offer? 

[Shugyosha]

Sorry, missed your post. Knock one of the zeros off that price. They’re having a laugh. 

[Freddie]

14 minutes ago, Shugyosha said:

Sorry, missed your post. Knock one of the zeros off that price. They’re having a laugh. 

That was what I said as well :-)

 

Thank you!!

[Freddie]

17 minutes ago, Shugyosha said:

Even if all details were clear, I think I would say look for something else as unsigned wakizashi aren’t very desirable and it might be a hard sell down the line. 
 

I’m not sure that the (old) papers to a minor and little-known smith (he doesn’t show on an online search) add anything to its value other than to confirm it isn’t a fake. 
 

Is there an asking price or are you expected to make an offer? 

injave been search a long time without finding anything either.

 

I’ll skip this one..

[Freddie]

 I found an old auction from 2017 where the blade was sold for 2500€ and was valued to 4000€.
 

At that auction they hade this document attached. Is this any help?

 

could not upload the pdf because it is to large.

INDEX OF Japanese SWORDSMITHS - Markus Sesko
NAGAKUNI (長国), Genna (元和, 1615-1624), Iyo/Ōshū – “Nagakuni” (長国), “Yoshū Matsuyama-jū Nagakuni” (予州松山住長国), “Ōshū Aizu-jū Nagakuni” (奥州会津住長国), real name Miyoshi Sōzaemon (三好宗左衛門), he also bore the first name Tōshirō (藤四郎), he was born in the fifth year of Tenshō (天正, 1577) in Hiroshima (広島) in Aki province, he signed first with Yasuhiro (安広), after the death of his father Tsuneyoshi (常慶, also read as Jōkei) he was raised by his uncle, the Hiroshima-smith Harima no Kami Teruhiro (播磨守輝広, the 2nd gen. Teruhiro), with the transfer of his lord Katō Yoshiaki (加藤嘉明, 1563-1631) also Nagakuni moved successively to the Matsuyama fief (松山藩) of Iyo and to the Aizu fief (会津藩) of Ōshū province, he died on the 18th day of the sixth month Kan´ei eight (寛永, 1631) at the age of 54, his blades have a wide mihaba and can either show a thin or a normal kasane, the jigane is an itame mixed with masame which tends to stand out, the hamon is a suguha or slightly undulating notare mixed with gunome in ko-nie-deki with a wide nioiguchi, but also works with a tight nioiguchi are extant, jō-saku

Referensmaterial från: 
NIHONTO MEIKAN 日本刀名鑑 - Honma Kaoruyama; Ishii Akirakuni; NIHON SHINTO SHI - Markus Sesko; THE CONNOISSEUR'S BOOK OF Japanese SWORDS - Kokan Nagayama - Kenji Mishina; NIHONTO KOZA VOLUME IV - SHINTO; SHINTO SHU - Mitsuo Shibata 光男·柴田 - Yoshio Fujishiro 藤代 義雄; KANZAN OSHIGATA SHINTO JITEN 寒山押形 新刀事典 - Dr. Kanzan; NIHON TOKO JITEN - SHINTO VOLUME - Yoshio Fujishiro 藤代 義雄 - Matsuo Fujishiro 藤代松雄; SHINTO MEIKAN - Markus Sesko 
 

 

[Shugyosha]

Hi Freddie, 

I don’t think it adds anything: there are a number of smiths signing Nagakuni and you need one referring to the province where this one worked. That’s Inaba or Inshuu. 
 

Unfortunately this is one of the difficulties of identifying Japanese sword smiths - different smiths with the same names working in different provinces or different generations of smiths with the same name in the same province. Their talents, and therefore the values of their swords, can vary dramatically, so it can be easy to overpay if you aren’t alive to this. 
 

I think letting this one pass by is the right move. Someone paid too much for it and the market is low at the moment. Have a look at what’s up for sale on NMB or the associated dealers and ask them questions so you know what you’re getting and that the price is realistic. 
 

Good hunting!

[Andrew]

Hallo Freddie,

A PM sent to You. Excuse fello members ..some Swedish needed...

Har sent ett PM till dig Freddie.Vänligen läs och begrunda.Återkom gärna med frågor. Är ingen expert men samlat några år...så svara gärna om jag kan..

Mvh

Andrew

[Jussi Ekholm]

I think auctions here in Northern countries are extremely poor representation of actual market. Japanese swords are very rare in here (at least they appear so to general public). Like John said I feel that 800 would be much more reasonable estimate for it than 8000€ reserve price.

 

 

[Freddie]

1 hour ago, Shugyosha said:

Hi Freddie, 

I don’t think it adds anything: there are a number of smiths signing Nagakuni and you need one referring to the province where this one worked. That’s Inaba or Inshuu. 
 

Unfortunately this is one of the difficulties of identifying Japanese sword smiths - different smiths with the same names working in different provinces or different generations of smiths with the same name in the same province. Their talents, and therefore the values of their swords, can vary dramatically, so it can be easy to overpay if you aren’t alive to this. 
 

I think letting this one pass by is the right move. Someone paid too much for it and the market is low at the moment. Have a look at what’s up for sale on NMB or the associated dealers and ask them questions so you know what you’re getting and that the price is realistic. 
 

Good hunting!

Really appreciate you taking your time. Tack you so much!

[Freddie]

29 minutes ago, Jussi Ekholm said:

I think auctions here in Northern countries are extremely poor representation of actual market. Japanese swords are very rare in here (at least they appear so to general public). Like John said I feel that 800 would be much more reasonable estimate for it than 8000€ reserve price.

 

 

I guess that is why the same sword shows up again and again all the time. Thx Jussi.

 

Now I’ll relax and let you guys rest from my newbie questions and read my first Nihonto book.  :-)