Looking to buy my first traditionally made katana

[Paz]

If you want to know it cost me 450 bucks on books. 

 

Yep. They are absolutely required in this hobby par none. 

[swordnoob]

I really wish there were reprints of the Connoisseur's Book and Facts & Fundamentals. All the secondhand copies I've found are quite pricey

[Paz]

11 minutes ago, swordnoob said:

I really wish there were reprints of the Connoisseur's Book and Facts & Fundamentals. All the secondhand copies I've found are quite pricey

I've had to take the plunge on two books at over a 100 bucks. But I need to read them as there out of print. 

[Ledheadforlife]

21 hours ago, swordnoob said:

It's only slightly longer than a long wakizashi - blades between 1 to 2 shaku (~30 to ~60 cm) in length. This katana's 2 shaku 1 sun 4.5 bu which is ~65 cm. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but just something to note since you didn't want a wakizashi

 

18 hours ago, Alex A said:

It is also wide at 3.25, with little curve.

 

Looks ok, has hozen

 

This is why i say spend some time reading a book, its difficult shopping when your still trying to get your head around stuff.

 

No rush, always going to to be swords for sale.

 

Better picking your own and knowing what you buy .

 

So, basically it's not the deal of the century. Ok, one of the other members told me he's gonna have a table at a sword show not too far from me in a couple weeks, maybe I'll wait til then, go check out the scene, and read up a little before I pull the trigger. Thanks again guys.

[Ledheadforlife]

4 hours ago, Paz said:

If you want to know it cost me 450 bucks on books. 

 

Yep. They are absolutely required in this hobby par none. 

 

So which book(s) would be a good jumping off point for a noob? I'm not averse to spending $450 on books but $45 would be a lot cooler.

[Seth]

Hey Andrew,

 

I would start with these two. Then if you have any cash to spare pick up a collection/catalog book, these will be more for enjoyment and allow you to read about and look at some fantastic blades from different collections. With that being said I am not as educated as the majority on this board so I am sure someone with more knowledge will step up with recommendations.  The FAQ at the top also has some great books (I purchased all of them and have been working through them slowly but surely.)

 

I would also advise you not to settle on your first blade, trust me I know. I did this just to have a blade in my hand and this was cash I could have just put towards a better blade I ended up purchasing anyway. If you can hold out and keep saving and get up to the 6k-8k realm things will open up nicely!

 

[Ledheadforlife]

2 hours ago, Seth said:

 

I would also advise you not to settle on your first blade, trust me I know. I did this just to have a blade in my hand and this was cash I could have just put towards a better blade I ended up purchasing anyway. If you can hold out and keep saving and get up to the 6k-8k realm things will open up nicely!

 

 

Ha, too late, I already impulse bought a gunto before I literally knew anything about these swords(definitely should've joined this forum first), and from what I can gather I paid about twice what it's worth lol. At the risk of sounding like a douchebag, money isn't an issue, the question is whether I should buy one sweet juyo or a dozen hozen with varied koshirae and from different eras and smiths, etc, cause I just watched Kill Bill again the other day and Hanzo's attic with the racks full of samurai swords looked pretty appealing. Thanks for the book recommendations, I'm gonna get right on that!

[Alex A]

Andrew, you done the right thing asking in the first place, wish i had.

 

You dont need to go crazy with books if your just looking to buy a sword to satisfy your curiosity, Seths first book will do and also plenty on the internet.

 

To be honest, dont feel right just throwing links at you, i wont do it again with newbies.

 

Thought just helping out someone that wants a "samurai sword" but your not that person. 

 

Also, yes, much better to look at blades in hand and if its Grey, he is a top notch guy to deal with. He will admit that the blade photography on his site is not the best for us guys that buy online, but they dont need to be, as he does the shows.

 

Best.

[Paz]

In regards to books yes. The two mentioned are top on the list. However, as I enjoyed reading in general so much I went all out. I've owend 5 blades since entering this hobby and have sold 3. The one I kept was my TH ko uda blade. 

 

What l learnt was that knowledge is very important. So I purchased books by Leon kapp "art of the samurai sword" books by Clive sinclair, and another which sort of had the same opinion. 

 

Two books by Marcus sesko. And I'm waiting for Paul Martins facts and fundamentals of the Japanese sword. Already including the books by nagayama. 

 

I do enjoy reading different opinions and it sort of rejuvenates my interest aswell, but you'd be surprised how many dealers of general militaria don't know much about nihont, unless they specialise. 

 

Few things to keep in mind are as follows. 

 

Suriage processes ( which shorten old blades into katana and wakazashi lengths). This is due to change in warfare and laws, and you'd be surprised how many people don't know this. This is also a reason why signatures are missing on a lot old (koto) blades. This usually makes kantei more interesting, but your relying on papers aswell. 

The two signed swords I owned were from the edo period, in which there was no warfare. 

 

Nbthk papers. Again alot of people outside of nihonto don't know what these are, and their purpose. 

 

Koshiare. Just like you I wanted Koshiare for my first blade. But changed after my 3rd blade to blade before anything else. 

Because fact is yes. The sword may look nice in its Koshiare for a while, but I believe its not recommended to keep swords long term in their Koshiare. And this is what shirasaya are made for. Shirasaya also allow you to view the blade better.

 

Regards 

 

 

[Ledheadforlife]

20 hours ago, Alex A said:

 

 

You dont need to go crazy with books if your just looking to buy a sword to satisfy your curiosity, Seths first book will do and also plenty on the internet.

 

 

Well the cheapest copy I've found of the Kokan Nagayama book is $200, which is pretty pricey for a book, but I guess it must be commanding that kind of price for a reason. Checked today and of course my local Half Price Books and Barnes and Noble didn't have a copy so I guess Amazon it is.

[Ledheadforlife]

16 hours ago, Paz said:

In regards to books yes. The two mentioned are top on the list. However, as I enjoyed reading in general so much I went all out. I've owend 5 blades since entering this hobby and have sold 3. The one I kept was my TH ko uda blade. 

 

What l learnt was that knowledge is very important. So I purchased books by Leon kapp "art of the samurai sword" books by Clive sinclair, and another which sort of had the same opinion. 

 

Two books by Marcus sesko. And I'm waiting for Paul Martins facts and fundamentals of the Japanese sword. Already including the books by nagayama. 

 

I do enjoy reading different opinions and it sort of rejuvenates my interest aswell, but you'd be surprised how many dealers of general militaria don't know much about nihont, unless they specialise. 

 

Few things to keep in mind are as follows. 

 

Suriage processes ( which shorten old blades into katana and wakazashi lengths). This is due to change in warfare and laws, and you'd be surprised how many people don't know this. This is also a reason why signatures are missing on a lot old (koto) blades. This usually makes kantei more interesting, but your relying on papers aswell. 

The two signed swords I owned were from the edo period, in which there was no warfare. 

 

Nbthk papers. Again alot of people outside of nihonto don't know what these are, and their purpose. 

 

Koshiare. Just like you I wanted Koshiare for my first blade. But changed after my 3rd blade to blade before anything else. 

Because fact is yes. The sword may look nice in its Koshiare for a while, but I believe its not recommended to keep swords long term in their Koshiare. And this is what shirasaya are made for. Shirasaya also allow you to view the blade better.

 

Regards 

 

 

Thanks so much for the info, I've been reading a ton about nihonto and am already a little familiar with these things of which you speak. Basically it's this simple, I bought a gunto a month ago on a whim, then decided the only thing cooler than a WW2 samurai sword would be a sword forged while Musashi was alive. So for my first nihonto, I just want something 16th or 17th century, decent to kinda nice condition, preferably hozon or better, in koshirae. I don't really care who the smith was, how famous he was, or even how good he was at his job, just as long as it's FOR SURE as old as it's being represented as. I'm sure these NBTHK cats know their stuff, but for a noob like me it's difficult to imagine a guy being able to look at a sword and say with any degree of certainty that it was made by this guy, who was this generation, from this school, in this province, during this era/period. I just don't get it. Guess I need to do me some book learnin, and I'ma gonna! As far as shirasaya, not gonna lie, if I only spend a few thousand on a sword, am I gonna worry about putting him in his pajamas? Probably not lol(sorry purists)

[Seth]

18 minutes ago, Ledheadforlife said:

Well the cheapest copy I've found of the Kokan Nagayama book is $200, which is pretty pricey for a book, but I guess it must be commanding that kind of price for a reason. Checked today and of course my local Half Price Books and Barnes and Noble didn't have a copy so I guess Amazon it is.

 

Wondering if it is out of print, I do not recall paying that much. 

[swordnoob]

I haven't been able to find a new copy of Connoisseurs or Facts and Fundamentals at any major bookstores ever since I started looking into nihonto. Seth, when'd you purchase a copy?

[Toryu2020]

Check the for sale forum - I believe David Flynn has a copy for sale right now...

 

-t

[Alex A]

3 hours ago, Ledheadforlife said:

Well the cheapest copy I've found of the Kokan Nagayama book is $200, which is pretty pricey for a book, but I guess it must be commanding that kind of price for a reason. Checked today and of course my local Half Price Books and Barnes and Noble didn't have a copy so I guess Amazon it is.

I was talking about the The Samurai Handbook, sorry.

 

Usually get this for less than a £10

[Paz]

I was lucky to get the nagayama book for 50 bucks from Germany. But otherwise yes. These books are very expensive and you will have to fork out over a 100 for them if there not in print or available. 

I know for a fact that I've been struggling to get hold of facts and fundamentals of the Japanese sword and art of the samurai. 

 

Both good books that need to be on my shelf. 

 

Nagayama book has increased in price and only in a month. 

[Ledheadforlife]

20 hours ago, Toryu2020 said:

Check the for sale forum - I believe David Flynn has a copy for sale right now...

 

-t

Yeah but I believe he's in Oceania, so the more than fair price he's asking plus shipping is gonna be more than Amazon, and it would take me 2 to 3 weeks to get it as opposed to 2 or 3 days from Amazon.

[Seth]

23 hours ago, swordnoob said:

I haven't been able to find a new copy of Connoisseurs or Facts and Fundamentals at any major bookstores ever since I started looking into nihonto. Seth, when'd you purchase a copy?

 

 

I got both in early 2020 from Amazon I believe.

 

 

[swordnoob]

That's around when I started to look more into nihonto. Guess I just missed the last copies

[Ledheadforlife]

On 9/6/2022 at 7:00 PM, Seth said:

 

 

 

Ok, I ordered both of these and they're expected to be delivered tomorrow, does it matter which one I read first?

[Seth]

Either or, I read Samurai sword a handbook first and still grab it whenever I have to fly.