Help

[Daniel]

Hello!I just bought a showato in guntokoshirae and now I have a few questions.The seller told me it's rated two million Yen according to TokoTaikan but what does it mean bad,average or good?Question no two.When he(the seller)imported it from Japan for me It had the Torokusho attached to the saya when it arrived.I thought only real nihonto could recieve one.Altough he said mine were handmade but it's still a shomato with a sekistamp.Can someone explain?Now the final question at least for this time I would be very grateful if you guys could help me translate the mei I know that some kanjis mean Yasutsuna,I presume it is the ww2 seki smith Ittosai Yasutsuna but I need help with the rest.I'm a complete stoneageman with computers so I haven't learned how to attach pictures yet, yes there still some of us left on the planet:) But there are great pictures of my sword at http://www.nihonto.nu under sale 1200 Euros page three listed as Gunto Yasutsuna.Sorry for the extra work.Hope my english is understandable It has passed a "few" years since school,seventeen more precisely.Best regards Daniel

[Amon]

Hi Daniel!

 

Their new site are still under construction.

 

Best regards,

[Daniel]

Hello now the site is up again regards Daniel

[outlier48]

Hi Daniel - the site is up and running. The piece in question is listed on page 3 of the 1200-2200 Euro section of the sword sale items. I'm sure the folks on the board will be able to answer you questions (I know very little about seki smiths).

 

Charlie Brashear

[Amon]

Hi Daniel!

 

My two cents if it's worth something.

It's a Showato, not a Nihonto.

How it got a Torokusho especially for a Showato....

And if the Torokusho is original the sword has not left Japan on a legal way.

Handmade yes but not in a traditional way from Tamahagane,

Especially with a Seki stamp on it.

And that Nakago doesn't seem to belong in Toko Taikan.

 

I may be wrong so correct me if I am!

 

Best regards, John

[Daniel]

Well he didn't say 2 million Yen reffering to TokoTaikan.He just said that it was rated two million yen and when I tried to find some info regarding Japanese swordratings Tokotaikan were the only one using the Yen system at least what I found.Is there anyone outhere with some answers about the translation or what the rating means.Many thanks for your replys/Daniel

[John A Stuart]

It is an older rating system. 2000000 yen now around $20000, so, obviously can't be used as an indication of current value. It's use is in relating average value of a sword made by a particular smith in relation to other smiths. Too, you have to remember swords made by a smith can have a whole range of value, some are juyo level and some more average. John

[george trotter]

Hi Daniel,

Your sword seems to be a Showa gunto made in Seki by Asai Yasutsuna (that is what his mei says)...he is the same man as the Ittosai Yasutsuna you mentioned. He started at Seki on Showa 16th year.8th month.18th day (18th August 1941). He was a WWII Seki Tosho. I looked up Toko Taikan and he is definitely not there. Perhaps you need to ask the seller where he got the 2 million yen reference from? I am not really familiar with gunto prices except on ebay, but since yours is clean, complete and in good order, I suppose you paid the current price. As for the paper that came with it, if you could post a pic of it perhaps we could comment, but I don't know of any shinsa passing a Seki stamped blade as Nihonto...but, you never know.

By the way Daniel, your English is just fine...

Regards,

George Trotter

[Amon]

Hi Daniel!

 

If you bought the sword recently and are not 110 procent satisfied I

belive the seller has a 6 months guarantee on their swords.

 

Best regards, John

[Daniel]

Hi Thanks for helping me out.Just to clear some things out.I´m aware that my sword is a showato and I have never believed it to be anything else and I am very satisfied with the sword .The guy I bought it from was very clear that it was just a showato,so I haven´t been tricked he´s an honest seller.Don´t want people to get wrong ideas.The reason for my questions were just curiousity about my sword.For example if the sword also had a date written exept for the signature Yasutsuna.Concerning the registration card i just felt it to be strange how my sword could have one.Of course the card could possibly be something else.But it seems identical to other cards I have seen on the net.Hope you´ll have some patience with me tough this is my first sword(but not the last,lucky for me my wife doesn´t read this)I paid about 1200 Dollars for I think that´s a reasonable price I wasn´t looking for a bargain.

[Daniel]

Just learned to add pics So here´s some more Best regards Daniel

[Daniel]

Hi again friends what do you think the paper is,any ideas?

 

Best regards Daniel

[John A Stuart]

A torokusho. See here Daniel. John

http://www.jssus.org/nkp/japanese_sword_laws.html

Strange how I had always thought one couldn't be obtained for machine made gunto. Maybe yours has been regarded as traditionally made. ? 井 安綱 I can't make out the first kanji on the torokusho or on the sword. It isn't Ittosai.

[george trotter]

Hi John and Daniel....the first character on the sword and the torokusho is Asa...his family name is Asai...you must be getting old John, I gave the mei in the post above.

The paper merely gives the mei, the length and the sori...no date or other detail that I can see.

Regards,

George.

[george trotter]

Oh, paper also says the sword has 1 peg hole.

Geo.

[John A Stuart]

:lol: I am not having a good day for sure. Too much reading prep'ing my Scythian work. Glad your there to help an old gaffer cross the road. Thanks, George

[Daniel]

Once again thank you for helping a newbie like me.So it was a torokusho like I thought.Very strange indeed,now we have a Sekistamped Showato with a Torokusho guess we'll have to call in our dear friend Sherlock Holmes

Daniel