What is the soul of your collection ?

[Jacques]

Quote

Yes, I know that this is explicitly a designation for the value of swordsmiths according to the Fujishiro system. But it excludes very good works by lesser-rated or not-at-all-rated smiths.

It is more relevant to judge a smith on the basis of his entire career than to judge one or another sword. The subtlety lies in knowing which are the best works of a particular smith, which the vast majority of collectors can't do.

[Kantaro]

The collection is like existence futile, its all about the hunt with friends.

[Natichu]

1 hour ago, Jacques said:

It is more relevant to judge a smith on the basis of his entire career than to judge one or another sword. The subtlety lies in knowing which are the best works of a particular smith, which the vast majority of collectors can't do.

That certainly is a depth of knowledge that I imagine escapes most. Is there a particular smith then, knowledge of whom you'd put at the heart of your learning? Or a unifying theme among the smiths you have chosen to focus on? 

[Jacques]

The subject is so vast that it's difficult to answer; among other things, the quality of a steel and a hada are things you need to know how to evaluate. For example, it's possible for a trained eye to tell whether a sword is Koto or Shinto just by the look of the steel.

[Rayhan]

The soul of my collection are the memories associated with each sword. 

 

From the first sword, the journey that brought me to it. To the people involved, the good memories and the bad,  the best lessons and the worst (which are actually the most essential) to the friends and loved ones now part of those memories. 

[ZH1980]

Like others have said, the soul of my nihonto collection has little to do with intrinsic value and more to do with sentimentality. As such, some of the most meaningful pieces aren’t necessarily the rarest or most valuable—they’re the ones tied to memories. The tsuba I was given by my daughter as a birthday present, the wakizashi that sparked a long conversation with a fellow collector who became a friend, or the unexpected Mercari find that sent me down a research rabbit hole. These memories give the collection a kind of living thread, binding together styles and schools that might otherwise seem disparate.

[Benjamin]

Indeed we are all the souls of our collection , may it be a real or an "in mind" collection. The question could have been some sort of "who are you?". All of yours answers are very inspiring. Thank you very much.