Hi Michael,
Indeed he is. Bob Benson is another.
Moses has done several swords I have owned and each time the work has been nothing short of stunning. Although I no longer own this sword have a look at the blade. It was done by Moses.
japanese sword / nihonto
I miss that sword but am consoled in the knowledge that it has gone to a friend in Sweden who truly appreciates it.
Regards,
Stu
Wow!!! That is stunningby Stu W
I'm looking forward to seeing his work on mine. I'm just an amature and don't focus on these but I did pick up a heavily abused blade in a WWII military mount a year ago. Bob C was very helpful and recommended I send it to Moses for evaluation. While not historically significant, Moses estimated it was from the 1400's or possibly late 1300's so I decided to spend the $ to preserve this piece. He's had it since Sept and expects to finish it by August.
Katana identification
Michael
"Please", Thank You" and proper manners appreciated
My greatest fear is that one day I will die and my wife will sell my guns for what I told her I paid for them
"Don't tell me these are investments if you never intend to sell anything" (Quote: Wife)
Hey guys, I just wanted to post an update. I was able to get some additional pictures of the ww2 katana as well as the stamp on the tang. I am hoping you can tell me the quality and if you believe that $800 is a good deal for this. I looked around and couldn't find the stamp on any of the websites that I know of. I am hoping it is a good quality showato since you said that Kanekado was known to make med to high level gendaitos. Once again, thank you in advance and I appreciate any input I can get.
Stamp:
関
Seki
--Guy
Hi Michael,
That Seki stamp is on the page I linked you to at post #5. It's an indication of a non traditionally made military sword. Value, to me, would not reach the amount you mentioned.
Regards,
Stu
Stu,
thank you for the reply. If you don't mind, can you please pm me and tell me what you think a fair offer would be on this katana. I would still like to get it as long as the price is right. Thank you.
If anyone has any input on the value of this katana I would appreciate it. The reason I am wondering is because I was told that this maker produced med to high quality showato and since this is a showato, i thought the value would go up since there are no chips or cracks and only minor discoloration. Please let me know if i am wrong, i am still new at this and learning as i go along. thank you
Hello Michael,
Showato rank well, and sometimes far, below Gendaito. I mention that just so you are clear on the point in case it was not made clear earlier in the thread.
Now, I noted your request for a PM but I'm going to comment openly about value because I have a process that has served me well and might do the same for others. First off, are you going to be happy with that sword as is? If the answer is yes then offer 400 USD and see if it flies. If not then move as high as 500 USD but no more unless you really plan to keep it long term. If you have any thoughts of upgrading it to a more complete unit with the leather covered saya or metal version with which it was originally issued then you should stop now. The chances of finding a metal saya that will fit are slim and selling something that is not "textbook" is always harder to do than you think. A nice Army Officer Shin-gunto in original Type 98 configuration can be found for 1000-1200 USD. If you frequent gun shows you will find that even a few hundred less, if it's cash in hand, will sometimes get you one on the last day an hour before closing time. Yes, I did mean to write gun shows. Militaria shows are not the best place to buy items cheap as the sellers usually won't fire sale items, even at the closing bell, because those items are their bread and butter. A gun seller sometimes will however as the unsold sword just becomes one more awkward item to pack away and not something they are usually comfortable with as far as understanding it's true value.
Moving on. I work backward to arrive at a value in a case like this. If a complete example with quality fittings is worth for example 1100 USD then I'd begin by reducing the offer by 100 as the tsuba is not a pierced example. Then 200 more for lack of the leather on the saya or an original metal one. We are now at 800. Another 100 for the discoloration on the blade. Now at 700. Add 100 for the grooved blade, a nice touch, but reduce the overall value by 200 as blade is certainly not bad but has visible wear. Now at 600. If a sword is worth 600 then a good deal would be 400-500. Pay any more and it's no longer a deal. It's simply buying at the value it's worth.
Please keep in mind that ...
1) I cannot conduct an in-hand examination of the sword so must estimate values based on the photos. That's never the best method.
2) The sword is not junk nor valueless. It's a perfectly good example of a WW2 gunto, just not as issued. I don't want to be a buzz kill here. Just telling you how I work out values on a piece like this. Others may view it quite differently.
3) Cash is King! A stack of twenties in hand has served many a last minute buyer well over the years.
Regards,
Stu
PS: If you do buy it let us know and we'll explain how to look after it.
Similar Threads
Posting Permissions
.
Bookmarks