Nihonto Collecting Guide

[Rivkin]

There are questions about collecting that come up (or worse do not come up but are present) which are, unfortunately, not covered in any of the books.

So I wrote a guide which answers at least some of them: papers, polish, etc..

It is a directly phrased document which I am planning to put it in my signature since unfortunately I don't have time anymore to manage my website.

 

cert.pdf

[Lewis B]

This is a great resource, especially for those new to Nihonto collecting. Thanks for posting.

[Rayhan]

That is a wonderful gift of knowledge for collectors, thanks @Rivkin 

 

Im sure a lot will be discussed around this document and it's views. Looking forward. 

[Brian]

Thanks Rivkin.
If ok with you, I'll convert to a .pdf and add it to the downloads section under member articles for future reference?

Edit to add: Sorry, I see it's already a .pdf, so if ok, I'll go ahead and upload. It's a great article, with lots of important points. well done.

[Rivkin]

2 minutes ago, Brian said:

Thanks Rivkin.
If ok with you, I'll convert to a .pdf and add it to the downloads section under member articles for future reference?

Edit to add: Sorry, I see it's already a .pdf, so if ok, I'll go ahead and upload. It's a great article, with lots of important points. well done.

Thanks, sure!

[Brian]

Done, it's in the downloads section and highly recommended. Much appreciated.

[Bosco]

Thank you, downloaded and saved. This explained a lot for beginner like me. 

[Rivkin]

Thank you very much for all the kind words!

[Jussi Ekholm]

Just finished reading it and it is amazing Thank you for putting everything together,

[Gakusee]

Well written. Even the sarcasm is good. 

[EdWolf]

Thank you very much. Well written and informative. 

[Lexvdjagt]

It's a beautiful source of information for new collectors, I like the deep dive into shinsa and the attribution of mumei blades.

[atm]

This should be required reading for anyone signing up for a NMB account (along with guidelines for taking and posting photos).

[b.hennick]

Thank you! I enjoyed reading your treatise. There is a lot of good information there. 

[Kanenaga]

Kirill,

 

What a wonderful treatise. Right up there with the commentaries of the immortal Darcy. 

 

Les

[Robert S]

Love the "undying optimism" description of dealer's pitches :-) .

[Mister Gunto]

Excellent document!!!

 

"Psychologically, every non-purchased blade can lead to regret, and every purchased one can generate remorse. Every obscure piece of information leads one to believe there might be something great hidden there or on the contrary instills a great fear the blade is not what it appears to be."

 

Dude, you cut open my skull and looked right into my brain with these words.

 

Thanks for creating this. 

[Jacques]

Kirill, how many shinsa have you participated in? I read your paper, which is not based on any serious references. If I were a reviewer for an appropriate scientific journal, I'd reject it.

 

Now, if people can't see the difference between a real specialist and a self-proclaimed expert, I can't help it.

[CSM101]

Dear Jacques!

 

Since it is not a scientific text it doesn´t need references. It is all based on experience and knowledge. 

 

 

Greetings from an armchair expert

[PNSSHOGUN]

A useful guide, thank you for sharing. Sources (where reasonable) are always welcome and elevate the quality of any text.

[DKR]

I thank the author for his personal opinion and experiences.

 

It's nice to read that I'm not the only one with similar experiences.

 

(written by someone who has been interested in Japanese swords for almost 30 years)

[Brian]

It's a lot better than the guide you wrote Jacques. Oh wait....you didn't write one.
Hmm....how about you do one for us, make some good use of your time. You can make it all scientific and academic-y if you like.

[Rivkin]

Thank you very much for all the kind words. Unfortunately, it moves me in the direction of publishing a newsletter since I just realized I forgot to include deciphering of NTHK and NTHK NPO scores as well as what's the difference between saiha and high end renewed quenching like Yasutsugu.

[Okan]

Great work, Kirill! Thank you!!

 

 

 

[Natichu]

Very much appreciate the guide and all the work that went into it @Rivkin. And if you do go the newsletter route, sign me up! 

[Hoshi]

Dear Kirill, 

 

I read your treaty with attention, and I am glad to say that my initial position of skepticism has been wholly dispelled by your balanced analysis. 

 

There a few sections that could be improved, I believe, that would make your treaty "state of the art" recommendation in the western world.

 

In any case, it is a great foundation to build upon. 

 

This is a great service to the community, and I applaud you for taking the time to craft it. 

 

Best,

 

Hoshi

[O-Yumi]

For some reason I can't download as a PDF? Is there some other way I can get it?

[Jacques]

8 hours ago, Brian said:

It's a lot better than the guide you wrote Jacques. Oh wait....you didn't write one.
Hmm....how about you do one for us, make some good use of your time. You can make it all scientific and academic-y if you like.

I've been asked to write an article a few times, and I've always refused because I don't think I'm legitimate enough to do so. Anyone can write anything, but that doesn't make it a valid reference.

An example (i choose it for a reason) : 

https://www.skyfall.fr/wp-content/2016/05/Earth-Science-Reviews_FG_2016-.pdf

[Scogg]

If all you read is peer reviewed academic sources, then stick with peer reviewed academic sources. This isn't that. It's a sword collectors guide, for Pete's sake 

I personally found it really helpful and informative. Thank you for putting it together, awesome work! 

[2devnul]

@Rivkin

 

Thank you very much for taking time in creating and sharing!