San Francisco Japanese Sword Show

[Brian]

Starting a new thread about this show which is coming up in 3 weeks.
Details are here: http://ncjsc.org/SF_token_kai.htm
I'm excited to be attending a US sword show for the first time, and will have a table where I'm selling some very nice fittings and koshirae for a friend here in SA. There will be some lovely daisho sets (no blades) and other goodies. For those with excess funds, there will be an amazing daisho set of tsuba, fuchi and kashira by Ford Hallam for sale. Wish I could purchase those myself.
I'm hoping to meet as many of you as possible, so please stop by and say hi. @Toryu2020 Tom has been an amazing help with the arrangements, as has Fred Weissberg.
If anyone is in SF on the 2nd, would love to meet up and have dinner at the New England Lobster Co. Who can make it? Otherwise maybe we can meet up for sushi somewhere on the evening of the 6th or 7th in SF? @yurie, I'm looking forward to meeting you too. And a bunch of other members and dealers.
Will also be in New York, Manhattan around the 9th for 2-3 days, if there is anyone that side that would like to say hi.

I'll take plenty of pics of the show and be sharing them throughout. Please pop in and introduce yourself. Wish I could bring you all some biltong, but I'm told it's forbidden to bring meat products

You guys have been amazing in your support of both the forum and some of you donating to assist with the expenses of the trip, so a huge thanks to all of you. USA...when did you get so expensive??!!
Contributions are still welcome if anyone is willing, link is in my signature.

Update here if you are going, when you are arriving and if we can meet up. 3rd time in the USA for me, going to be a blast.
If you have been considering attending or exhibiting, please do it! Aside from the chance to socialize and pick up some bargains, it is important that we support the organizers and societies that are behind these events.

See ya there!



 

[Matsunoki]

Brian, in fact all of you lucky folk, have a great time. I am so envious……nothing like this in the UK☹️

Enjoy and find treasures.

Best, Colin.

[Brian]

I better not find treasures. No money to buy them!
Here's hoping others find treasures from me. My biggest worry is I see everything I want to buy. That could be a problem.
 

[yurie]

Hi Brian,

I'm looking forward to meeting you too.  I will be in the show from 8/4 ~ 8/6.

New England Lobster dinner will be on 2nd, Sushi is on 6th.

2nd is not possible, 6th not so sure yet.

But either way, we will be in the same show for 3 days.

I am really looking forward to seeing you.  If the 2nd and 6th are not possible to attend for me,

Let's arrange something between 4th ~ 6th with mutual friends.  I have a few people I want you to meet.

I am not sure if Yoshihara is coming this year.  If he is coming let's arrange something including him.

 

Thank you

Yurie 

 

 

[Brian]

I'm wide open. I'm there from the 2nd till the 7th, so we will definitely be available for anything. See you there @yurie

[GeorgeLuucas]

Looking forward to meeting you Brian, and seeing the items you're selling

Unfortunately I wont have any time outside of the show. I'll be traveling with my Fiance' and we've got plans around the city during our downtime

That being said, a large chunk of my time will be at the show viewing items!

Cheers,
-Sam

[rematron]

I wish I could make it.  I hope everyone has a blast.

[Stephen]

5 hours ago, GeorgeLuucas said:

around the city during our downtime

So many choices to choose from I had to pick one it would be fisherman's wharf but I can't really say one LOL

[1kinko]

Japantown

[Vermithrax16]

Not 100% sure what I'll be doing off show hours, but I'm sure we will meet up.

[Brian]

We'll be hitting the oh-so-touristy Pier 39 I expect, and then definitely taking a walk through Japantown and Chinatown.
Maybe pop in to Tenderloin District to bring home some nice Fentanyl gifts for people.
One day isn't much to see SF, but we'll do our best.

[Soshin]

Hi Brian,

 

I just sent a late PayPal donation so you can get coffee at the San Francisco Japanese Sword Show via you signature link. I cannot attend the show this year. Say hello to Ito-sensei for me. He is attending for his business gallery陽々youyou. Have a great show and thank you for all your efforts over the years.  

[Brian]

Received, thanks for the coffee David. Much appreciated and it will be a very welcome start to one of the mornings. I'll look out for Ito-sensei. 

[Toryu2020]

They're here!

Your Administrator and Chief bottle washer made it safely to the hotel! I met him and Nicky at the door and they are by now well settled. The hotel is already full of sword nuts and its looking good for a successful show...

 

-t

[Stephen]

I know it's a working vacation but try to take some time for you and Nikki to go out somewhere.

Have fun you deserve the break.

[Matsunoki]

I’m turning green

look forward to pics and stories

have fun all of you lucky folk

[Brian]

4am and 3rd time bouncing awake. 2 x 11 hour flights and we made it ok. 
Hotel is great. Tom was a lifesaver who largely made this happen. 
Hope to meet a ton of you over the next few days and will keep you all updated. 
Just realizing now how much work this is. Free day tomorrow isn’t going to be free. Have to sort the stuff that was pre-sent and all the koshirae on the floor currently. 
DHL managed to smash every side of the Perspex display case we sent. Oh well. I kinda expected that. Everything else looks ok. 
Going to be a great show. If you are near SF, come say hello. 
Prices here on just general stuff? Ouch. 
I’d say if you come to SA you are going to pay about 10-20% of the prices for equivalent meals and general expenses. 
Back to sleep. Later all. 

[Ken-Hawaii]

I used to have my office in SF, & kinda miss the city. Was hoping to attend this show, but didn't happen. Just sent you & Nicky a few yen for a drink, or part of a tsuba. Enjoy yourselves!

 

Ken

[Brian]

Thanks Ken, really appreciate it. Will have to make it back here oneday when you can make it.

 

[GeorgeLuucas]

I’ll be at the show today in the later afternoon / early evening. Also going to be there tomorrow morning into the afternoon

 

At the airport now waiting to board.
 

Safe travels! 

[Vermithrax16]

Everyone is getting set up. Should be a good day.

 

Pic from last night across bay from hotel:

[Toryu2020]

Early action

 

[Vermithrax16]

Some pics 

[Brian]

So, finally the world is moving at slightly less than warp speed and I can update a little bit.
I'll be able to post much more in a few days when things calm down a bit.
Impressions: This show is world class, and amazing. I can't understand why anyone with the remotest chance of getting here would not do everything in their power to get here. @Toryu2020Tom and Fred and all the organizers have done an incredible job. Everything is streamlined and effortless and everyone here is incredible. I can't believe how friendly and helpful everyone is,
Met more familiar names than I can count, all amazing people. I'm blown away by the welcome and support and just overall friendliness of the members here. It is a huge pleasure to spend time chatting to you guys.
I hesitate to mention names, as I am going to miss out on a few. But you all know who you are. I've spent time with @Mark and @Grey Doffin...you guys rock. Special mention to @SteveM who is such an incredible guy both on the forum and off it.

@Vermithrax16 @kaigunair and so many others...it's an honor to meet you guys. Thanks for the welcome.
The forum is well regarded in general. I've now seen how many people do browse often but aren't members.

I have great feedback and lots of things planned.

Back to the show. My table has been busy. Lots of wheeling and dealing, some good sales, Attendance is great. It's amazing how much dealing goes on. I can't begin to describe how much stuff there is for sale, at ALL levels. You can pick up a reasonablly nice tanto for $550, or one for $20K if you like. Thousands of fittings at every level. You can choose from incredible varieties of every part you can imagine.
Probably the highest end table is by Itoh san. I'll post more pics and info about them a bit later.
@Curran You will blow your mind. How about not one, but ROWS of Nishigaki Kanshiro or Hayashi or Hirata Hikozo or Kamiyoshi? 3 shoshin Nobuie? It is Higo heaven, all the top generations, with several $70,000 tsuba.
I'm going to go back and spend some time just looking.
The number of incredible items is staggering. People seem to be doing good business.
But the social aspect is also amazing. I think this is far more fun than even the DTI. I'm in heaven. Tired, sore and broken heaven. But heaven.
Have to get up now, time to get ready for another incredible day.
If you have ANY chance of getting here today or tomorrow, do it.
Look forward to meeting more of you.  Later all.
 

[Brian]

Just a few pics to whet the appetite. 
I also have to single out @yurie and her husband John. Just the nicest and sweetest people you could ever meet. Yurie is doing an incredible amount of work to education and support the collecting of Nihonto. Had an amazing dinner with them both and you couldn’t find nicer people. Her book is a MUST have. I’m post links to it later. 
I know I’m missing out a bunch of people. Everything really is a fever dream at this point. 

[GeorgeLuucas]

17 minutes ago, Brian said:

So, finally the world is moving at slightly less than warp speed and I can update a little bit.
I'll be able to post much more in a few days when things calm down a bit.
Impressions: This show is world class, and amazing. I can't understand why anyone with the remotest chance of getting here would not do everything in their power to get here. @Toryu2020Tom and Fred and all the organizers have done an incredible job. Everything is streamlined and effortless and everyone here is incredible. I can't believe how friendly and helpful everyone is,
Met more familiar names than I can count, all amazing people. I'm blown away by the welcome and support and just overall friendliness of the members here. It is a huge pleasure to spend time chatting to you guys.
I hesitate to mention names, as I am going to miss out on a few. But you all know who you are. I've spent time with @Mark and @Grey Doffin...you guys rock. Special mention to @SteveM who is such an incredible guy both on the forum and off it.

@Vermithrax16 @kaigunair and so many others...it's an honor to meet you guys. Thanks for the welcome.
The forum is well regarded in general. I've now seen how many people do browse often but aren't members.

I have great feedback and lots of things planned.

Back to the show. My table has been busy. Lots of wheeling and dealing, some good sales, Attendance is great. It's amazing how much dealing goes on. I can't begin to describe how much stuff there is for sale, at ALL levels. You can pick up a reasonablly nice tanto for $550, or one for $20K if you like. Thousands of fittings at every level. You can choose from incredible varieties of every part you can imagine.
Probably the highest end table is by Itoh san. I'll post more pics and info about them a bit later.
@Curran You will blow your mind. How about not one, but ROWS of Nishigaki Kanshiro or Hayashi or Hirata Hikozo or Kamiyoshi? 3 shoshin Nobuie? It is Higo heaven, all the top generations, with several $70,000 tsuba.
I'm going to go back and spend some time just looking.
The number of incredible items is staggering. People seem to be doing good business.
But the social aspect is also amazing. I think this is far more fun than even the DTI. I'm in heaven. Tired, sore and broken heaven. But heaven.
Have to get up now, time to get ready for another incredible day.
If you have ANY chance of getting here today or tomorrow, do it.
Look forward to meeting more of you.  Later all.
 

I had a blast walking around and viewing items yesterday. It was overwhelming seeing so much at once! I saw more Nihonto related items yesterday, than I had my entire life beforehand. I hope to take a little more time and “take it in” today 

 

Where is your booth located Brian? 
 

I’ll be in there today around opening. I’ll be wearing an army green cap and a green/brown flannel button-up. I’ll be one of the younger attendees. If you see me, feel free to say hello!
 

And that goes for any other NMB member as well. It’s been great meeting people and seeing such incredible collections 

[Matsunoki]

21 minutes ago, Brian said:

Just a few pics to whet the appetite. 

Brian, ……How about one of your table……with you in frame🙂?

[Brian]

I’m better this side of the camera. 😁

Also I generally try and stay a little bit anon online due to my work and also the number of scammers and crooked guys who have stated their desires to “meet me” oneday. I get the occasional threat here. 
@GeorgeLuucas walk in the door, immediately turn right and the last tables in the corner against the right wall. See ya there!

[PNSSHOGUN]

Great photos, what a turnout. If you spot any Type 94 for sale please send their details through.

[dimitri]

The photos make you want to see all these wonders, it's incredible to see so much variety in the prices. There is no such exhibition in France and it is a pity. On one photo there were Kyu gunto, it's incredible. Many thanks for the photos Brian and the other members