First purchase advice

[Bosco]

Hi,

 

This is going to be my first purchase, any advice on this Nihonto ?. According to the dealer the condition is Old polishing, but generally excellent in its present condition for conservation, appreciation. This is all the photo I got. Comes with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon certificate. 

 

[Rivkin]

I would simply put a link to the sale, especially since the photos got compressed quite a bit. Its even hard to say what is it - Naminohira?

[sabiji]

Looks like a very old, but also very worn blade.

I hope the spots on one side of the monouchi are not umgane, but just loose welds. It's really hard to see.

[2devnul]

1 hour ago, Bosco said:

This is going to be my first purchase

 

My advice, make your first purchase here on forum, from dealer/member with good reputation. You won't regret it.

I can't say much about the blade you posted, better (and more) pictures could help you to get more opinions. Looks like O-suriage Koto blade. Thin Suguha and Hamachi might suggest it has seen multiple polish. Might be showing core of the blade (as @sabiji pointed) due to that. What is the blade attribution per NBTHK? 

[Bosco]

4 minutes ago, 2devnul said:

 

My advice, make your first purchase here on forum, from dealer/member with good reputation. You won't regret it.

I can't say much about the blade you posted, better (and more) pictures could help you to get more opinions. Looks like O-suriage Koto blade. Thin Suguha and Hamachi might suggest it has seen multiple polish. Might be showing core of the blade (as @sabiji pointed) due to that. What is the blade attribution per NBTHK? 

 Hi , the NBTHK attributed to Senjuin Yamato den. 

[Lewis B]

Its a long blade @71.4cm. I won't post the link as that is the perogative of the poster. But its clearly had many polishes and a lot of the activity is compromised. Basically its tired. I think I would be looking elsewhere for my first early Koto blade. The Senjuin FS here on NMB is a much better example IMHO.

[Bosco]

2 minutes ago, Lewis B said:

Its a long blade @71.4cm. I won't post the link as that is the perogative of the poster. But its clearly had many polishes and a lot of the activity is compromised. Basically its tired. I think I would be looking elsewhere for my first early Koto blade. The Senjuin FS here on NMB is a much better example IMHO.

Thank you so much. Your comment very accurate. Is there a way to learn to check the blade health/condition ?. I tried to look at many sources but couldn’t find anything. 
 

For me, I like koto blade, long with a deep sori. Some how I just love the way its curve. I want to buy one where I can keep and admire it from time to time.

[Lewis B]

The obvious things: the small hamachi distance, from where nakago ends and the Ha (edge), mentioned earlier and the motokasane measurement. In this example its 0.49 which is thin for Yamato Gokuden, suggesting the blade has seen many polishes.

 

Higher rez image of the monouchi area

[2devnul]

38 minutes ago, Bosco said:

For me, I like koto blade, long with a deep sori. Some how I just love the way its curve. I want to buy one where I can keep and admire it from time to time.

 

I can sell you mine Koto Bizen Osafune Wakizashi. It comes with very nice Koshirae too. 

Check this out: https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/48905-could-it-be-bizen-kiyomitsu-which-one

 

 

I can sell it for 2750$ + shipping costs. 

 

 

[sabiji]

Let's not kid ourselves: would a healthy blade with intact hada, with this length, from this time, from this school, cost the price quoted here at a Japanese dealer?

It would realistically start at least three times the price.

 

It is an old, worn and tired warrior that may have had a quite decent basic quality in its younger years.

[Lewis B]

6 minutes ago, sabiji said:

Let's not kid ourselves: would a healthy blade with intact hada, with this length, from this time, from this school, cost the price quoted here at a Japanese dealer?

It would realistically start at least three times the price.

 

It is an old, worn and tired warrior that may have had a quite decent basic quality in its younger years.

Yet it has TH papers. That surprises me.

[Michaelr]

Way to purchase your first blade- LOOK AT 1000 BLADES, LEARN ABOUT THEM, BUY BOOKS, REFER BACK HERE OFTEN, THEN AND ONLY THEN buy your first blade

[George KN]

Alternative learning process- buy the cheapest rust free blade you can find with a hamon that you like, at the dodgiest auction you can find with no seller information, and then try and find out everything you can from it (Measurements/Flaws/Mei/School).

 

So long as it isn't fake (feel free to ask here before purchase!), I've found it a great way to learn whilst remaining motivated. Even a completely worn nihonto has resale value, and it's good to learn sword care and handling well before risking it all on a single high value one.

[2devnul]

3 hours ago, Bosco said:

Senjuin Yamato den

What I found in books. Juyo token example. 

 

[sabiji]

1 hour ago, Lewis B said:

Dennoch liegen TH-Papiere vor. Das überrascht mich.

No, I'm not surprised. Have a look at Tsuruta-San, there are some Ko-Mihara, Ko-Uda, Enju, even Kyo-Mono with TH, which reach up to just under 1.5 million yen, all of which have their irregularities, faults and shortcomings.

Sometimes he has blades from this environment and price segment that show a really good and even jihada and also the Nioiguchi is right from front to back and promises good quality. Unfortunately, others also seem to have a good eye. In any case, such blades are sold quite quickly.

[Hokke]

2 hours ago, Bosco said:

Thank you so much. Your comment very accurate. Is there a way to learn to check the blade health/condition ?. I tried to look at many sources but couldn’t find anything. 
 

For me, I like koto blade, long with a deep sori. Some how I just love the way its curve. I want to buy one where I can keep and admire it from time to time.

There are two ways to go about this and it would appear you are already leaning. There are basically two types of collectors. First, there are those with a deep appreciation of the history of nihonto. Then there are those who just want something they find visually appealing and the specifics of the blade are secondary. Based on your comment above, it would seem you are the latter. Absolutely nothing wrong with this type of collector and it makes your decision somewhat easy I would think. The question is, can you afford it? If the answer is yes, then you have to ask yourself, am I ok with taking a considerable loss on this purchase in the future? If the answer is yes, then it seems you have found something to add to your collection, easy peasy. Sometimes we just want what we want, regardless of the advice of others. We've all been there at some point in our lives, myself included. Good Luck with your purchase

[Bosco]

15 minutes ago, 2devnul said:

What I found in books. Juyo token example. 

 

This is just my guess, the edge of the blade seem thicker than the one I posted ?. As in it it still has lot of meat .

[Bosco]

9 minutes ago, Hokke said:

There are two ways to go about this and it would appear you are already leaning. There are basically two types of collectors. First, there are those with a deep appreciation of the history of nihonto. Then there are those who just want something they find visually appealing and the specifics of the blade are secondary. Based on your comment above, it would seem you are the latter. Absolutely nothing wrong with this type of collector and it makes your decision somewhat easy I would think. The question is, can you afford it? If the answer is yes, then you have to ask yourself, am I ok with taking a considerable loss on this purchase in the future? If the answer is yes, then it seems you have found something to add to your collection, easy peasy. Sometimes we just want what we want, regardless of the advice of others. We've all been there at some point in our lives, myself included. Good Luck with your purchase

Thank you for your information. I do appreciate it, I think im in between that two type of collectors. I’m busy with my life but I still try to learn and understand bit by bit everyday. But I still can’t resist that beauty of a deep sori from a Koto Tachi. Maybe its just me. I will try to look at more and more swords from now before I can buy one at the right price.