mei adds alot to the value, am I correct?

[Kuat]

sorry guys, I'm a total noob.

 

all other conditions the same, a signed sword values much more than an unsigned one.

 

correct?

[loui]

Yes and no.

 

If a signature is correct then yes it can, if false then it can decrease the value, but sometimes the mei is false but the sword is still made by a good smith. And, sometimes the speculation of a good mei by a top smith can fetch a higher dollar - for the treasure hunter.

 

Nothing is simple in the world of nihonto.

[Brian]

Well....that assumes that all other issues are the same.

In other words, if the workmanship and skill are the same, then a signed (shoshin) blade is worth more than a mumei one.

However a low quality signed blade is worth less than an unsigned good quality blade.

 

Realistically, signed blades do fetch more in the beginner to mid level range. People like a signature, even if there is a high risk of gimei. I would even say that a gimei blade would fetch more than a mumei one with everything else being equal. Should it be this way? No. But realistically I think in practice it is. Perhaps this changes as the level of the collector goes up. More advanced collectors know that gimei costs $ to remove, and might prefer the mumei one.

 

People are going to mention here that there are a heck of a lot of other factors though. Condition, length, grooves, flaws, origami, shape, style, hamon pattern etc etc. However you did say that all other conditions (factors?) being the same...

 

Brian

[Kuat]

thanks for the replies, guys

 

pretty much as i had though.

 

what about the swords with real N.B.T.H.K. papers? are they spot on when they claim that the mei is real?

can I 100% trust that what the papers say about the blade is correct?

 

the reason for this thread is that i've seen some swords for sale, all rated TOKUBETSU HOZON by NBTHK

but the signed ones cost about twice as much as the unsigned ones.

[nagamaki - Franco]

what about the swords with real N.B.T.H.K. papers? are they spot on when they claim that the mei is real?

can I 100% trust that what the papers say about the blade is correct?

 

the reason for this thread is that i've seen some swords for sale, all rated TOKUBETSU HOZON by NBTHK

but the signed ones cost about twice as much as the unsigned ones.

thanks for the replies, guys

 

Hello,

 

if the NBTHK 'Tokuho' papers are genuine, they can be trusted for accuracy (there are exceptions that involve earlier papers, tokubetsu kicho from the late 70's and early 80's, but they were not named 'tokubetsu hozon' back then). If the NBTHK has any real doubts about a mei, even when that mei happens to be the same name of the sword smith that they believe made the sword, they will still bounce the sword. At least until the mei in doubt has been removed and the sword resubmitted. A signed sword receiving tokuho level papers should very closely follow, if not match precisely, a text book kantei description of the swordsmith's work. In the end it remains up to the collector making the purchase to carefully confirm what they are seeing in the sword. Which means a text book open examination of the sword under good lighting, and not simply accepting a sword at face value simply because a paper or seller says so.