Poll:- New collectors and ages of Nihonto enthusiasts

[Alex A]

Rob, you just told my story, :D

 

Alex.

[nsealrob]

Welcome to Nihontomessageboard Rob. Did you ever meet Han Bing Siong? He made many many great contributions to our understanding of swords.

 

Hallo Barry,

 

Unfortunately i have never meet Mister Han Bing Siong!

I believe he just pass away 1 or 2 years earlier... As far as i know from all the story's and all the writings...he was a great lost!

But still...he lives on in our harts end memory...

 

Best regards

 

Rob

[nsealrob]

Rob, you just told my story, :D

 

Alex.

 

Hey Alex,

 

I believe we both come from that good year 1972 :D

If you live in Holland, we should meet ones?! And relive that moment when it all started hahaha....

 

Grz,

 

Rob

[Alex A]

Spooky lol, Shogun friday eve, shotokan sturday morning, them where the days

 

Alex.

[obiwanknabbe]

Hey all,

 

I figured as a newbie on the board, I should also throw my hat into the ring here. While I am 37 now, I have been fascinated with the Japanese sword since i was 8 years old. As a child of the 80's, I think there existed a genetic predisposition towards bad Ninja movies. In one such film, Sho Kosugi's "Prey for Death", the main character is forced to make his own sword as his old one is broken. Being a self confident, and rather naive adolescent, I seized upon the notion that I TOO COULD MAKE MY OWN SWORD.

 

We had a coal burning stove in our living room. That was the first piece of this soon to be tragic tale of invention. I took a few buckets full of anthracite out of the hopper on the side of the house, dug a hold in the horse shoe pit in our back yard, started a huge fire, rigged the exhaust of our shop vacuum as a blower, and proceeded to melt my fathers tools.

 

The end result of my efforts were a few minor burns and a rather crude, twelve inch, metal toothpick. I was exceedingly disappointed, my father was pissed and proud, and the fire department had a few harsh words for me about starting a massive coal fire so close to the woods. I still have my "sword" though.

 

A few days latter a neighbor comes knocking at my door. Mr. Moore was a metallurgist, and as it turned out a metal working guild member, who made a living in the R&D department of Grumman Aviation. He had heard about my black-smithing misadventure and was there to offer some training in real metalworking. I took him up on his offer and spent the next 5 years in his garage, learning the right way to put hammer to steel.

 

That's where it started. Today, after 28 additional years of study and practice, I make my own blades with the flare that I originally hoped for as a child. With my corresponding 28 years of Martial arts study (everything from Ryukyo Kempo, to Genbukan Ninjitsu) a natural love for the real thing developed. I spend my leisure time raiding antique shops and estate sales in true Indiana Jones fashion (I even have the hat), exploring deep and dusty corners for whatever treasures they may hold. I have to say, in those endeavors, I have had some great luck and found some wonderful blades.

 

So here's me, living on the raggedy edge of poverty/hunger, harboring an insatiable lust for these formidable works of art. That's my tale of woe, and so it will remain until such a time as I win the lottery. At least then I wont be hungry anymore .

[Stone]

Stone,

I can not remember to clearly but was about 1955 when I see my first Japanese sword a World War two Katana but it was some years later about 40

or a month or so less when I purchased my first blade with only a Shira-Saya

hilt I still am caring for it a Gendai - To by Echizen Sadaroku.

 

T. Norman.

[AikiScott1]

I got my first real Japanese sword more than 20 years ago at the age of 14. It was a late war 1944 pattern shin gunto my father bought for me for getting good grades. It was nothing great really, but at that time I thought it was amazing. While my tastes have matured since then, I still have that sword and the memories.---Scott M.

[Uechi]

Got minimal start back in the late 1980's with Florida Token Kai. At the time not much interest in older more knowledgeable collectors helping newbies. Can't remember ever having a meeting. It was all about selling swords. At the time,I neither had the money or the time to pursue and interest that I never lost. Retired now and 67. Lots of time and a little more money. Love the whole topic. It is an enormous challenge just to not be a complete ignoramus. Great fun learning.

 

 

 

 

J Dromm

[atma-san]

I did't read the thread yet so it might have been said, most young people don't have the spare cash. I'm only 23 was lucky enough to inherit one. I can barely afford a 300$ production blade, let alone a genuine article. Not at my current stage in life.

 

Gabe H.

[bobtail44]

Hi,

 

I just turned 25, I have a dozen or so blades now. My interest started when I was 17 watching an anime called Bleach. I watched the market for two years on and off, before my first purchase. I have only made money and not lost any so I consider myself doing well.

I buy and sell swords to pay for new ones. So far I've collected about a dozen which I am pleased with considering my age and many other interests. The ones that I am keeping I consider fine art.

 

It is a very satisfying pastime but is hard to start without hard knowledge and a bit of capital.

 

This is a great forum, im pleased to be here,

 

T Spencer

[Nathansan]

Greetings to all:

My interest started at age 12 whrn I fell in love with my next door neighbors katana; that was 49 years ago... I"ve been hooked ever since.

Nathan Young

[Jean]

Nathan, you know, taste, colours.... At the same age, I fell in love with my next door neighbor' daughter (sorry, I could not resist, it is the nerves )

[echizento]

I got my first sword at 19 in 1972 when I was stationed in Yokosuka Japan.

[Doug]

I have to give credit to Mr. David Pepin senior and subsequently Andy Quirt for my interest in nihonto. 1983, thirteen years old, and jet father bellows "come here boys"! We scurry to the kitchen,my brother and me, and my dad shows us a late war 7.7 Arisaka. Turns out it came out of a blind that had been leaning against the wall, fell and unrolled in the small room under our basement stairs. After our oohs and ahhs had subsided he reached around the corner and produced a Type 44 with tan saya and olive drab tsuka. My mouth dropped at the drawing of that blade. Some weeks later , while perusing our monthly Smithsonian, I saw an ad (David Pepins)for "Japanese swords: 200-10,000 dollars paid!

We'll by golly, I sent off for my "kit" and filled out my form as perfectly as a 12 year old could. The instructions did not mention the possibility of TWO mekugi so I ended up damaging the wrap but managed to produce a nakago rubbing on the provided EKG paper. Apparently my showato Nobumitsu was not in high demand but it got me to wondering; what sword WOULD command 10,000 dollars? There was almost NO info available back then but I read every tidbit I could get my hands on.

I met Andy Quirt at a hotel buy and he graciously translated a shinshinto Mei for me. He thankfully , understood my more than passing curiosity and proceeded at various times to teach me has been a great mentor ever since. He did not spoon feed me however as so many new to this field seem to desire. I would read, think, and THEN humbly ask what I hope were thoughtful questions. Always the fair and consummate gentleman, he NEVER made me feel stupid but he expected me to do my homework. I went on to find a Satsuma Motohira, and a Hankei, mainly due to his encouragement and support. Life's dealings have made it too long since we have spoken, but I would like to publicly thank him for the gift of his time, knowledge, and friendship, I hope to speak with and see him again soon.

To the newbies, this community is replete with people who will freely and gladly share their knowledge with you but please do them the respect of learning what you can on your own, they, and this passion so sacred to us, demands it of you.

 

Doug

[RocklockI]

I am 58 and been interested in Japanese swords most of my life . I have really only looked at swords at gunshows and in books ,that has been a problem I have not been able to look at very many blades.

 

I recently bought a sword and am looking foward to learning more about it.

 

Gary

[laowho]

I got gobsmacked by Chen Rong's "Nine Dragons," and shortly after got smitten by the astronomy bug. At some point came the realization that stars were doing all "this," that the production of iron is the end of every sun and the beginning of all the heavier elements, and that these somehow and nevertheless managed to keep doing interesting things with it (it being iron, the most stable element and the pivot around which everything turns), not the least of which is framing it in the most exquisite arcs and heat treatments ... Well, it was all just too ironic and profound and absurd, the katana embodied it all, a veritable microcosm and expression and continuing of the story of all that is, frozen in time. The universe does have a center, only it isn't a point, it's an arc, a broken ellipse. Tsuba weren't far behind.

[smicha6551]

Turned 39 - I've had an interest in Japanese swords since I was a teenager playing D&D where I figured a Nodachi would be the best thing since sliced bread. Never really got serious about studying them until now, having found this forum and watching some YouTube videos about how they are made. I've spend...too much time...reading old posts here and going to all (I mean all) of the commercial links. I've got a bunch of the widely recommended texts coming so hopefully more posts will be understandable in the future.

[Brano]

I accidentally discovered this thread.

It would be interesting to see how the age group of nihonto enthusiasts has evolved over more than 10 years
BTW, it was instructive reading and I could learn a little more about the healthy core of this forum.

It seems that Jean is the "nihonto" positive for the longest time of those who published their story - admirable and honestly a little envious

[Surfson]

I never saw this thread Brano!  I am guessing that they are all ten years older.   Not sure, but an educated guess.  Hopefully we do have some new, younger collectors joining us.  

[MHC]

Well better late than never...I'm 62 and been a Nihonto fan for 30 years. Bought my 1st sword in '94, 2nd in '18, 3rd in '19, 4th in '21.

I had an old house restoration pause and feeding a porsche habit between '95 and '17,  yes my other addictions!

 

Anyway Porsche's gone, old house on the market as we speak, retirement at full speed ahead with Thailand as the destination!

 

Mark

[vajo]

40 is the old of the younger. 50 is the youth of the older.

[Apercus]

I’ve been lucky enough to stumble across a few nice swords over the last 30 years or so. I’m sure I won’t make any great contributions to the field but I will manage to have a few blades polished, preserved, and rescued from the trash heap. I have also managed to teach my children and grandchildren about Nihonto and bring a few new faces to the study. I will leave them a lot of books and a few nice swords for their growing collections. Be nice to them when you meet them.
 

Shannon Hogg

[Brano]

19 hours ago, Surfson said:

I never saw this thread Brano!  I am guessing that they are all ten years older.   Not sure, but an educated guess.  Hopefully we do have some new, younger collectors joining us.  

:-)

Yes Robert - I agree, we all get the same time quickly and fairly (sometimes it seems to me that the older I get, the faster it all goes)
When I followed the contributors in this thread, the vast majority of names didn't tell me anything (I came here in the summer of 2019)
So I looked at the last logins and many have not been here for several years.

I may be skeptical, but the average age of the guys we are here will probably be higher than the result of the poll + 10

[Markdd]

Hi,

Newbie here a slightly 58 year old collected Militaria fo approx 50 years mainly 3rd reich stuff got far too much these days so decided to sell things to fund my passion for the japanse sword which I have held since a kid spent 20 years dong Karate ,did get my first sword over 40 years ago knew even less than I do now ,think I made a mistake letting it go looking back as the mune was flat something I have never seen since.

Mark