How old is the average Nihonto collector?

[Robert S]

60+.  Bought my first nihonto last year, but collecting and occasionally making knives and edged tools for 45+ years

 

Robert S

[Kyoto-13]

41

 

Long standing interest. Only collecting for last 6 months!!!

Thanks to all who have shared their years of knowledge!!!

[Higo-san]

I like this topic ! I am 38 - and started collecting Japanese art almost 20 years ago.

 

Best

 

Chris

[Kantaro]

Well the average age on 46 collectors is 50 years old.

 

[Benjamin]

45 years old

I'm a young one year collector

 

I would be interested in the average age of first acquisition

[GeorgeLuucas]

27 minutes ago, Benjamin said:

45 years old

I'm a young one year collector

 

I would be interested in the average age of first acquisition

That's a great idea for a new thread. I'd start it, but I don't want to take your idea. 

I'd certainly participate. I imagine we all have a story!

Cheers,

-Sam

[Conway S]

25+

[jesup]

61+, have been collecting since about 20, though only had a gunto (originally for kenjustsu practice) and an old koto tachi in WWII mounts until I was about 30.

[nulldevice]

30

[Omne47]

60 and just started collecting nihonto a couple of months ago. I have collected Korean and Japanese ceramics for 40 years though.

 

[Shuko]

72

 

Started when I was about 9 but stopped for 60 years when women fascinated me more. Sad thing is I know more about Nihonto than women and I know very little about Nihonto

[Lewis B]

1 hour ago, Shuko said:

72

 

Started when I was about 9 but stopped for 60 years when women fascinated me more. Sad thing is I know more about Nihonto than women and I know very little about Nihonto

Bravo

[Winchester]

40 years old…..

[Kantaro]

The average age on 53 collectors is 50 years old.

 

[chi fan wong]

55 here.

[ZH1980]

40+

[Honya]

47

[John C]

On 8/10/2024 at 9:19 AM, Kantaro said:

The average age on 53 collectors is 50 years old

If you're collecting stats, I would be interested to know the total number by age range. For example 3 ranges, 10-30 years old, 31-50 years old, 51+. 

 

John C.

[Jon]

On 8/4/2024 at 8:42 PM, Alex A said:

Was thinking this looking at the San Francisco pic earlier.

 

Id say about 55,

 

Young uns dont have the spare cash to waste

I’m not sure the old ones do either 😂🤣

[Kantaro]

The average age on 57 collectors is 50 years old.

[Iekatsu]

38, collecting since 19

[Barrie B]

53 years young.

 

Started when I was 20, with a Gunto prchased from Sydney Antiques Centre, that I still own today... Back then I was just a 'militaria' collector, but when I bought that Gunto and started researching it, I was hooked on Nihonto forever.

 

Thanks to the Australian Nihonto collectors, I'm still collecting today.

 

Barrie.

[Kantaro]

The average age on 59 collectors is 50 years old.

[Mister Gunto]

54. 

 

I've been into collecting militaria since I was a kid. Fascinated with Japanese blades ever since seeing the original "Shogun" series on TV back in the early 1980's. (Plus all the old WW2 documentaries I watched growing up) 

 

But I never considered getting into collecting actual Nihonto until about 7 years ago, when I picked up my first WW2-era Gendaito as part of an unexpected local buy. Nowadays, it's the primary focus of my collecting.

[obiwanknabbe]

46+ now, but I started collecting in my teens. I imagine many of us got our starts because of martial arts training and how it connected us to Japanese culture and history. I do further suspect that much of our training is owed to having grown up on B ninja movies in the 80s (zodiacally also known as the decade of Chuck Norris), and early exposure to the seven samurai on late night tv.

[Lewis B]

One of my earliest influences was Red Sun featuring Charles Bronson about a pledge to hunt down a famous missing/stolen Japanese sword. In my first year at University  when I was 18 I attended a Kurosawa film festival showing 3 of his movies back-to-back (its amazing the stamina we have in our youth, as they're not easy watches). All this reinforced an appreciation for the culture and representative collectibles eg netsuke. Japanese swords were way out of my budget but I always made a B line to see them in museum collections. Interestingly I was never as fascinated by the historic swords from my own Anglo Saxon culture. Exception might be famous Ulfberht blades, which have a mystical origin and interesting metallurgy. 

[2devnul]

42 here 

I'm into Japanese swords and martial arts for more then 20 years now. But I was able to start/afford collecting antique Nihonto just recently. 

[Kantaro]

The average age on 62 collectors is 50 years old.