I am curious about this online website Tokyo Nihonto. I am very new to this but it raises alarms as its prices are far lower than others

[KevinAnderson62]

I have looked at several other sites, Unique Japan, Seiyudo, Samurai Museum, and others that come up in searches, and while this Tokyo Nihonto site claims to have NBTKH for them.   How is it possible that they are selling these nihonto for ~2-5k when others are selling them for ~10-40k?

 

Tokyo Nihonto | Authentic Japanese Swords for Sale (tokyo-nihonto.com)

[Bugyotsuji]

Hi Kevin,

Tell us something about yourself first, your motivation. Are you advertising the site, or looking to buy safely, for example?

[KevinAnderson62]

I'm 45, I've recently changed course a bit in my life, have a MA in Asian Studies and finished my PhD in philosophy, I've finally gotten a decent job teaching and I can maybe afford to get an affordable piece of Japanese history.  I'm just looking to get something authentically from Japan and not get scammed.

[Bugyotsuji]

In the meantime I had a quick look around that website. The information says that they started this business in 2023, right?. If this is true then they may not have much of a track record, so your question will be hard to answer. Maybe someone on this site has bought from them recently? 

 

It's a bit of a minefield out there Kevin, so do not rush into anything!!! Good luck!

[SteveM]

Occasional poster to this site

 

 

[Brian]

Legit, and a dealer here. You'll see his posts for sale here.

[Matsunoki]

5 hours ago, KevinAnderson62 said:

How is it possible that they are selling these nihonto for ~2-5k when others are selling them for ~10-40k?

Kevin, the price and the value of perfectly genuine swords can vary hugely from a few hundred£ all the way to hundreds of thousands. No two swords are the same and the value depends on many inter-related factors.

[Bugyotsuji]

Often those just starting out will accept less of a profit than long-time dealers. 

[raaay]

Kevin , there are  plenty of Japanese swords for sale in the UK , you just need to do a bit of research i.e. Auctions / Antique fairs and Antique shops / Dealers etc.

[Tcat]

On 5/6/2024 at 8:22 PM, KevinAnderson62 said:

I'm just looking to get something authentically from Japan and not get scammed.

 

Probably the fastest shortcut to peace of mind would be to only buy a sword with NBTHK papers. This way there is no argument, but you will be paying a premium. Very sorry state of affairs in the UK right now regarding issues with the post and laws around swords in general.

[Brendan campbell]

Kevin, there is the Birmingham arms fair the 16th June , at the motorcycle museum.usually there are around 4-5  dealers who specialises in Japanese swords and then the others who have the odd sword. Also you will meet other collectors, like myself 

who will be there . The last fair I sat outside having a coffee , with David Thatcher ( Japanese Armour) and  Ian Bottomley (Royal Armouries ) with my friend Bal Singh ( tsukamaki binder) .Moving around the fair were several To-Ken members who had a 2 day meeting that week end , overall a wealth of knowledge at that fair. Obviously it depends on your location in the UK were you are based. Also if you look on Bamfords Auction site , today they have around a dozen swords for their June sale. 
hope this helps . 

[Seiko]

On 5/7/2024 at 11:26 AM, KevinAnderson62 said:

I have looked at several other sites, Unique Japan, Seiyudo, Samurai Museum, and others that come up in searches, and while this Tokyo Nihonto site claims to have NBTKH for them.   How is it possible that they are selling these nihonto for ~2-5k when others are selling them for ~10-40k?

 

Tokyo Nihonto | Authentic Japanese Swords for Sale (tokyo-nihonto.com)

Just got notified by the message now. Sorry for delay ! Thanks for your questions and other members of the forum giving answers.

I'm the owner of Tokyo Nihonto. As other members said, Nihonto price can really vary a lot ! There is not like a fixed market, after all Japanese swords are piece of art. Obviously there is range of price depending on the sword smith, certificate, the type of sword, the state of the sword and many other factors. Some people are selling antique sword for prices lower than $1000, it's not the best antique sword but still exist. If you want a certificate prices would more start around $1 k to $2k I would say.

Concerning us, we are new and just a small team of 3 in Japan. So we have less expenses than other business allowing to afford cheaper pieces. Also, as we are new, we tend to target more entry range nihonto because people don't know us yet very well so they would feel more confortable rather than buying a $40k piece. Some people like Ray can do that because the have been there a long time and have a really good reputation. One advantage we also have is that we are directly in Japan and have good relationships with dealers here or swordsmiths so we can find good deals.

Please note that there are different grade of NBTHK, the better grade the more expensive in general.

If you have any concern or question you can send me a message too