Some tips for vintage Nihonto collection

Some tips for vintage Nihonto collection

After 15 months of collecting, I would like to share with "NEW" collectors some tips on Nihonto collections basing on my own experience. I must confess I am no expert and just a green horn.

Firstly, one can either collect :

A. Traditional made Nihonto or 

B. what we often called Military WW2 arsenal blades. 

Complications arises for B) Military WW2 blades as there are three categories :

1. There are those made during the 1940s using modern method (machine made steel)
2. There are those made during the 1940s using traditional method of making katana.
3. There are those WW2 Military Katana using old antique Nihonto (old family blade) that has been remounted in WW2 outfit.

For those who wants the best of both world can go for the WW2 military blade with the "traditional home blade" mounted on the WW2 saya/outfit or WW2 katana made using the traditional method. However, for the WW2 using traditional family blade and using traditional method, one often needs to send it back for a nice repolish in order to bring the katana back to its former glory.

There are some collectors who prefer to collect katana in its natural find. My preference is to have it properyly polished and papered if possible. You can find information from Nihonto Message Board forum and many facebook group as well as reading.

When one is ready to take step into collecting, one needs to know:

 a) Which period of katana you want to focus (koto or Shinto?)

• The production of swords in Japan is divided into time periods:
• Jōkotō (上古刀 "ancient swords", until around 900 A.D.)
• Kotō (古刀"old swords" from around 900–1596)
• Shintō (新刀 "new swords" 1596–1780)
• Shinshintō (新々刀 "new new swords" 1781–1876)
• Gendaitō (現代刀 "modern swords" 1876–1945)
• Shinsakutō (新作刀 "newly made swords" 1953–present)
• I was fortunate as I have received good advice from Jean from the Nihonto Message Board forum as my focus is on Koto.

b) What types : Tachi 大刀 , Katana 刀 , wakizashi 脇差 or Tanto?

• The following are types of Japanese swords:
• Chokutō (直刀, "straight sword"): A straight single edged sword that was produced prior to the 10th century, and without differential hardening or folding.
• Tsurugi/Ken (剣, "sword"): A straight two edged sword that was produced prior to the 10th century, and may be without differential hardening or folding.
• Tachi (太刀, "big sword"): A sword that is generally longer and more curved than the later katana, with curvature centered from the middle or towards the tang, and often including the tang. Tachi were worn suspended, with the edge downward. The tachi was in vogue before the 15th century.
• Kodachi (小太刀, "small big sword"): A shorter version of the tachi, but with similar mounts and intended use, mostly found in the 13th century or earlier.
• Ōdachi (大太刀, "big big sword")/Nodachi (野太刀, "big field sword"): Very large tachi, some in excess of 100 cm, and usually a blade of the late 14th century.
• Uchigatana (打刀): A development from the tachi in the 15th century. Worn with the edge upwards in the obi.
• Katate-uchi (片手打ち, "one handed"): A short type of uchigatana developed in the 16th century, with short tang, intended for one handed use. One of the forerunners of the wakizashi.
• Katana (刀, "sword"): A general term for the traditional sword with a curved blade longer than 60 cm (there is no upper length limit but generally they are shorter than 80 cm), worn with the edge upwards in the sash. Developed from the uchigatana and the sword of the samurai class of the Edo period (1600s to late 19th century).
• Wakizashi (脇差 "companion sword"): A general term for a sword between one and two shaku long (30 cm and 60 cm in modern measurement), predominantly made after 1600. Generally it is the short blade that accompanies a katana in the traditional samurai daisho pairing of swords, but may be worn by classes other than the samurai as a single blade, also worn edge up as the katana.

c) Which schools or dens? Below are the five major schools of swordsmithing, or Gokaden,

• Bizen - Okayama(lower half)
• Mino - Gifu
• Soshou - Kanagawa
• Yamashiro - Kyoto
• Yamato - Nara

In the end, one needs to put aside budget for the hobby. As resources are often limited, my preference and advice for collector is to go for the best that one can afford and stay focus.

So far, my prefernce is on Tachi Koto with good polish and with minimum Tokubetsu Hozon paper. This is to facilitate the passing on to the next generations when I am no longer around and my son can either choose to keep or sell it away. With proper paper, it will make his life easier when come to disposing them. We have to remember that as collector of antiques, we are merely looking after it for a certain period of time and when we are gone, these nice antiques will be taken care by another collector and lover.

As one will never know if this is a right hobby for you, I started with getting a small Tanto and a WW2 military katana (using traditional method of making). Having these two inexpensive Nihonto allows me to find out how deep is my interest in the hobby. Once I am feeling the need to know more, I have started to read and hunt for a better Tachi. Given the vastness in various Katana makers and schools and conditions, one will need to find a good Nihonto dealer to help.

I was unfortunate as my Japanese dealer was friendly and helpful in the begining but relationship turned sour when misunderstanding arises. The key is to get an Experience Nihonto dealer with integrity and profesisonal knowledge!

My former Japanese dealer has much anger and hatred towards the NBTHK for some reason. I have to base on his words and experience and trust. I was supposed to find an Aoe den but ended up in another, which I can accept but his communications skills and much to be improved as he totally cut communications when I questioned him on a few matters. Moreover, his assessment versus NBTHK differs...

Happy Hunting!