Am I missing something??

[ChrisW]

Hey guys,

 

Just finished attending the Jackson auction moments ago (for just the Japanese swords) and mostly sitting in and listening. I was astounded that this blade went for $17,000! Am I missing something here? I did not detect anything particularly remarkable. Is this an unknown jewel or just a case of a 'fool and their money' ?? The nakago is especially bad and it looks like a real dog of a blade.

Its staggering is what it is!

The rest of the blades went for middling amounts between 800-2000, with the cormorant's neck shape blade going for $2400. Saw a gendaito go for $1300.

[b.hennick]

Two people really wanted it. The lucky one did not win the auction.

[Mark S.]

OMG!!!  I was just going to post this!!!    I just don’t get it but am willing to be educated.  Can someone even GUESS at what they THOUGHT they saw?????

 

I was kinda interested in the cormorant neck blade, but at $2400 + $720 (30% buyer premium) + $50 shipping (WAG)… is it really an almost $3200 blade? (considering mounts are ).

[Kaigunto230]

Holy cow! Thanks for saving me some time on the cormorant’s neck price. I had bid $550 beforehand but was going back on forth on going a little higher. Nice to know I was always going to lose (at $3k you could get something much nicer - papered, fittings etc).

 

That sugata seems difficult to find; hardly any hits on the forum here. I think they’re beautiful though!

[NewB]

It shows us how eFd up the blade appraisal is, if nothing else.. 

 

 

J.

[ChrisW]

I am still scratching my head as to what the heck someone did to that nakago?? I get that it is a weird catch release, but why?

[TheGermanBastard]

  On 9/22/2021 at 7:11 PM, b.hennick said:

Two people really wanted it. The lucky one did not win the auction.

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Excellent post! The auction winnder is often the defacto looser

[Mark S.]

  On 9/22/2021 at 7:28 PM, MichaelSeeley said:

(at $3k you could get something much nicer - papered, fittings etc).

 

That sugata seems difficult to find; hardly any hits on the forum here. I think they’re beautiful though!

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I agree… basically a bare, out of polish, mumei blade of ??? provenance.  I’ll make up some numbers (please excuse my ignorance at actual prices):

 

$3200 blade

$2000 polish

$500 shirasaya 

$400 habaki (don’t know if existing one could be used/saved?

$300 state-side shinsa 

Any chance this ends up being worth $6400???

OTOH… I would be interested in learning more about it though.  Not sure if this style was popular with any specific school / time period?  I’m guessing Edo?  A unique shape.

[TheGermanBastard]

Did anybody get any additiomnal images? I was not participating but had reqauested some for this Wakizashi since it stated that there were numerous flaws:

 

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/111347283_a-Japanese-signed-koto-period-sword

 

Not sure but the Tadayoshi looked the most interesting to me. I have to few Oshigata especially for the 9th generation. Would have liked to hear Roger Robertshaws oppinion on it.

[ChrisW]

Far as I've seen (which isn't much)... cormorant neck shaped katana are shinto/shinshinto, right? Has anyone seen an older koto? I know naginata were frequently of this shape.

[Mark S.]

  On 9/22/2021 at 8:12 PM, NihontoCollector said:

 

Excellent post! The auction winnder is often the defacto looser

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New owner is gonna be awful sad when they learn about NMB and come here to ask questions AFTERWARD…

[ChrisW]

  On 9/22/2021 at 8:22 PM, Mark S. said:

New owner is gonna be awful sad when they learn about NMB and come here to ask questions AFTERWARD…

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Its funny. I said the very same thing to the guy who was handling my bidding by phone.

[Mark S.]

  On 9/22/2021 at 8:25 PM, ChrisW said:

Its funny. I said the very same thing to the guy who was handling my bidding by phone.

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We’re all gonna look awful silly when it shows up at Darcy’s (yuhindo) website! 

[ChrisW]

  On 9/22/2021 at 8:42 PM, Mark S. said:

We’re all gonna look awful silly when it shows up at Darcy’s (yuhindo) website! 

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If that's the case, we'll all at the very least learn something from it. That's 100% fine by me. I didn't pay $17k for it!

[Stephen]

Price on star stamp? Mantetsu?

[Stephen]

Dental emergency probably save me some  bucks.

[ChrisW]

I think the Mantetsu went for 2k. The star stamp was $1300

[nickm]

Well this thread makes me sad. Planning to bid what I thought was a kind of obscene amount on something this Friday but if the above auction is any reference it should go for about 100k. Wtf

[Kaigunto230]

  On 9/22/2021 at 8:14 PM, NihontoCollector said:

Not sure but the Tadayoshi looked the most interesting to me. I have to few Oshigata especially for the 9th generation. Would have liked to hear Roger Robertshaws oppinion on it.

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I spent a long time looking at oshigatas and noticed numerous kanji that were way off. I am absolutely no expert, but I thought it was gimei and steered clear.

 

The $17k is just bonkers to me. You’re approaching Juyo prices at that high!!! I wonder if it’s two people with sentimentality attached to it. Maybe two people who each thought they would inherit it from the gentleman whose estate it was in and they didn’t inherit, so they bid against each other. Unless we’re all bamboozled, it’s got to be something like that.

[Stephen]

  On 9/22/2021 at 9:36 PM, nickm said:

but if the above auction is any reference it should go for about 100k. Wtf

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Nope not even close .... Nihonto god's are in your corner brother

[micah]

is has a korean  Scabbard and handle mounts  i  suspect  this is a Japanese blade in korean hardware which is rare but not cause for it's price

[Char]

Can't even imagine what is so special in this piece hopefully he doesn't have a life changing event its bad enough buying overseas for similar prices and then the origami was forgot and not shipped with the purchase.