Record price for first NCO leather knot / tassel ?

[robinalexander]

For your interest...this knot sold on Ebay yesterday..... a very nice original Pat. 1 & 2 knot but the price has got to be a record.

[Shamsy]

Holy moley! I should have saved my knots to flog them off later...

[robinalexander]

Better than Bitcoin 

[lonely panet]

ITS not the highest,  truly minty dont make the market.  

[BANGBANGSAN]

Someone must want that tassel real bad

[jeep44]

Wow! I bought one of these for $250, and it came with an NCO sword attached....

[lonely panet]

how many years ago??

[jeep44]

Well, more than a few years ago. I actually only bought the NCO sword just to get the tassel -the only one I've ever seen "in the wild". It's in very fragile condition-if I tried to remove it from the sword, it would probably crack. 80 year old leather with tight bends is prone to cracking.

[Bruce Pennington]

50 minutes ago, jeep44 said:

prone to cracking

I have one like that. I made the mistake of messing around with it one too many times, and it broke! Now it’s glued back together.

[robinalexander]

Bruce @Bruce Pennington ...not uncommon as you would know given years of tropical weather or the heat and cold of China (/Manchuria).

 

One of my first tassel was found 'in the wild'  as Douglas said (nice!).  It was the second version and had two breaks which I accepted, but I didn't realize until I got it that it was quite fragile all over (newbie)...this has also been carefully glued back together with flexible bonding craft glue and is fine for display.  Of course the condition was reflected in the price.  I learned that if you want one, research the market, be patient and get a reasonable (genuine one).  Ive just got to apply that thinking to my involvement in the sword market  .... such a sucker for history over nihonto sometimes! 

 

 

 

[robinalexander]

On 1/30/2023 at 8:40 PM, lonely panet said:

ITS not the highest,  truly minty dont make the market

so they never get sold? ....what happens to them when the owner passes?

[PNSSHOGUN]

More that they aren't listed on the market and simply change hands among collectors.

[lonely panet]

9 hours ago, robinalexander said:

so they never get sold? ....what happens to them when the owner passes?

no, they change hands,  just in closed circles. 

 

example. shingunto Generals grade from the Han Bing Song collection

[jeep44]

I always have a table at a local antique arms show. almost all the good deals and trades happen between the tableholders before the doors even open to the public ( or close to closing time when someone doesn't want to take some item home, and is willing to deal on the price). I've bought many swords before the doors opened in the morning.