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TIPS FOR BUYING / SALE  OF A NIHONTO

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​ The Rules to follow for a successful purchase or sale.

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We are going to address here a very important topic that concerns us all.

 

These tips are not exhaustive, but will allow you to consider the purchase of an old Japanese sword with greater serenity. We remain at your disposal for any further advice.

 

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The passion for Japanese swords:

 

It's a bit difficult to explain, but a Japanese sword conveys a feeling of calm, concentration, boundless admiration. An object with such a level of detail and execution so extraordinary that it is impossible not to be inspired every time you hold one in your hands. A real Japanese sword truly represents everything that makes Japan special. And it is for this reason that every enthusiast dreams of buying a Japanese sword, whether it is a modern Shinken or an ancient Nihonto.

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Preamble :

 

If you want to acquire parts from the Japanese sword market, be very careful and be sure to follow the advice that follows.Your goal is to buy an exceptional object or to create a collection, but obviously, according to your budget, which is the first criterion. The difficulty is to buy well. This is why it is important to be very careful and serious when it comes to acquisitions.

 

We will guide you in your approach because the purchase of a Japanese sword must be done in full reflection.

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You will find advice to help and guide you in your project. We remain at your disposal, to advise you at best during your purchases or your sales. Do not hesitate to contact us, we also have a duty of advice and support.

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The main questions we ask ourselvese :

 

When a person owns or wishes to acquire an antique or more recent Japanese sword, many questions arise:

 

1 - What should I buy and at what price?

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2 - How do I develop my project?

 

3 - Which blacksmith made this blade?

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4 - How much is this saber worth and/or, is the sale price correct?

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5 - Can I have it authenticated and where?

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6 - Is it authentic or is it a copy?

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7 - Is it really a Japanese sword?

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8 - Is it old or recent and from what period?

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9 - What should I pay attention to when buying a sword?

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10 - How do I sell my saber and at what price?

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11 - How to avoid the pitfalls of sales by physical auction or on the Internet?

 

Lots of interesting and thoughtful questions that I asked myself and still ask myself.

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A Japanese sword is no small investment, and we all want to make the best decision for what is right for us.

 

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1 - What should I buy and at what price? :

First of all, you have to define what you want to buy. You will find sabers of varying qualities, states, periods, with blades signed or not and at very different prices. Prices are steadily rising, with a few exceptions.

 

There are many Japanese swords and sword parts on the market, some of which are highly sought after. You need to know what is the right part at the right price that you are willing to buy.

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2 - Develop your project by determining:

 

• The type of saber or accessories:Katana, Wakizashi, Tanto, Tsuba, Tsuka, etc.

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• The time :Muromachi, Edo, Empire of Japan, etc.

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• The state:exhibition, original, restored, to be restored, etc.

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• The blade with or without signature:bladeZaimei"presence of a signature",Mumei"without signature": the blade may never have been signed, or may have lost the signature following a shortening. Attention the only signature, is not necessarily a guarantee of quality. Unsigned slides are sometimes more valuable than signed slides. Also watch out for blades Gimei“false signature”.

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• The saber with or without certificate:NBTHK, NTHK, NPO, etc.

 

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3 - Which blacksmith made this blade? :

 

• Generally the name of the smith is inscribed on the Nakago of the blade. If the signature is“Authentic” Zaimei, the name of the blacksmith will be correct. The prices are very high.

 

• If the blade isMumei "without signature",either the name of the smith was determined after a Kantei (NBTHK or other type certification examination) is correct or there is no certificate and the blade can only be appreciated for its quality and its aesthetics. Prices can also be very high.

 

• The blade can be signed, but the quality and the technical characteristics do not correspond to the name of the blacksmith and his school, this signature is considered asGimei "false signature".It may be a quality blade, but generally they are lower quality blades. Prices are generally lower.

 

 

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4 - How much is this saber worth and is the sale price correct? :

 

• This is a very difficult question to answer. As much on the technical aspects, it is easy to decide in favor of a sword rather than another, as much for it is difficult to have a price base adapted to each sword. Prices are difficult to control because they are subject to the law of the market and the more demand there is, the more prices soar. This is why you have to set limits.Then with time and experience, it is possible to determine if a sword is overpriced or if it is a fraudulent sale. However, no one is immune to a perfect counterfeit.

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5 - Can I do it authenticated and where? :

 

• You can have your sword authenticated with Japanese sword preservation associations, such as the NBTHK, the NTHK or the Ministry of Education of Japan, etc. This examination is chargeable and does not necessarily imply the attribution of said sword. certificate. There are several levels of certifications (more information on: https://www.atelier-du-sabre-japonais.com/certifications-katana)

 

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6 - Is it authentic or is it a copy? :

 

Because there is far too much responsibility to respond to such requests:

 

• ​ We do not provide any guarantee on the authenticity or not of the signature.

 

• We only provide an opinion on whether or not the blade is authentic.

 

• We do not provide any guarantee on the numerical estimates.

 

  

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7 - Is it really a Japanese sword? :

 

• We can determine whether it is a Japanese sword or not.

 

 

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8 - Is it old or recent and from what period? :

 

• Here too we can determine whether it is a recent or an old sword.

 

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9 - What should I pay attention to when buying a saber? :

 

• Care must be taken to check all the points mentioned above.

 

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10 - How do I sell my saber and at what price? :

 

• Proceed in the same way as in the paragraph "How much is this sword worth and is the selling price correct?" without forgetting that this time, you're the seller and it's up to you to determine the right selling price, at the risk, if you don't, of not selling your sword.

 

 

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​11 -How to avoid the pitfalls of physical or Internet auctions? :

If you want to buy a sword from individuals, auction houses or auction websites, it will be difficult to be able to control everything and have a guarantee that only a professional can guarantee you. We are going to give you some tips to avoid the pitfalls of such procedures.

 

In all cases, the following instructions must be observed:

For private sales and for auctions, 2 possibilities are available to you.Physical auctions/purchasesOrinternet auctions/purchases:

 

• First, by movingdirectly, you have the possibility of being able to take the sword in your hands and observe it, in order to evaluate it. Unfortunately, this means having the necessary information and knowledge and you will quickly realize that you do not have all the necessary information (moreover, the information is often wrong, because the assessment has not necessarily been carried out by a connoisseur) to your decision-making. Moreover, if during the auction, several swords are on sale, you will in all probability not have sufficient information for the purchase and the time to carry out a quick examination. However, you need it, in order to avoid blind purchases. Some sellers refuse that potential buyers of their swords can examine them. This poses real problems.

 

• Second, you can't move around and you can't examine the sword directly., other than on photos and relying on the too small amount of information necessary for your decision-making. In this case, there is always an even greater risk than when you have the opportunity to examine the saber directly on site. For once, the purchase is much more delicate and I advise you not to overestimate the saber and to set yourself a reasonable limit. Because if the saber does not correspond to the description, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to invalidate the sale and return it.SIf during the auction, several swords are on sale, you will in all probability not have sufficient information for the purchase and the time to carry out a quick examination. However, you need it, in order to avoid blind purchases.

 

In conclusion, auctions present a plethora of problems and everyone has experienced them:

 

• Too many choices of swords

• Too many bidders

• Too much bad information or not enough.

• Not enough time to examine the saber

 

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The rules :

 

• Be careful and serious in your purchases and sales.Savvy shoppers focus on items that generate real interest.

 

• Prioritize live physical auctions/salesyou, rather than internet auctions.

 

• Beware of sales on Ebay-type sites, we have seen many fraudulent sales and no one is immune to a bad surprise.Be careful, an ad with too beautiful photos, exceptional and plethoric characteristics (authentic, antique, rare, exceptional, NBTHK, etc.) and a fairly low selling price, should alert you, because unscrupulous sellers do everything possible to deceive the potential buyer, beware even if the blade is signed, because some sellers do not hesitate to have the signature of a famous blacksmith engraved on a blade that was not originally signed.

 

• Ask for as much information as possible, as many quality photos as possible

 

• Ask if the seller has the official and valid certificate, especially when the sale concerns swords supposedly certified by organizations such as the NBTHK or other.Beware of fake certificates.

 

 

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Important Notes:

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Some purists believe that genuine modern or ancient Japanese swords should not be modified, polished and rebuilt, as they believe this alters their history.. But when a temple or shrine is either completely rebuilt or moved, is it the same thing? Doesn't it retain its sacred character and all its appeal? And what to do with swords in a very bad state of conservation?

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For our part, we think that the 2 conceptions defend and respect each other.

 

Some collectors prefer swords with polished blades and braided Tsukas and other collectors prefer swords with blades and Tsukas in their original state.

 

However, they are all genuine antique (Nihonto) samurai swords.

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