Before You Spend Thousands on a Japanese Sword

Buying an antique Japanese sword can be one of the most rewarding experiences for a collector. But it can also become an extremely expensive mistake.

A genuine Nihontō can cost several thousand euros. Important examples can easily reach tens of thousands. At that level, nobody should purchase a sword simply because the photographs look impressive, the description sounds convincing or the auction is about to end.

Before you spend serious money on a Japanese sword, first spend serious time learning about it.

Read. Look. Compare. Research. And most importantly, ask questions before you buy.

Do Not Let Excitement Make the Decision

Online auctions and sales platforms make buying Japanese swords easier than ever. Within minutes you can see a katana, wakizashi or tantō, read a short description and place a bid. That convenience can also be dangerous.

A beautiful sword appears. The bidding starts. Several people show interest. The price rises. You begin thinking that if other people are bidding, the sword must be good. Then somebody bids against you again. Suddenly you are no longer carefully evaluating the sword. You are trying to win.

This is exactly the moment when a collector should become more cautious, not less. Winning an auction does not automatically mean you have bought a good sword. It only means you placed the highest bid.

Thousands of Euros Deserve More Than Five Minutes of Research

Ask yourself a very simple question. If you were buying a car for 10.000, 20.000 or 30.000 euro, would you look at five photographs and immediately transfer the money? Probably not.

You would investigate the model. You would check its condition. You would compare prices. You would ask about its history. You might ask an expert to inspect it. Why should purchasing an important Japanese sword be any different?

Yet collectors sometimes spend thousands of euros on a Nihontō after reading one sales description and looking at a few photographs. That is a considerable risk. Japanese swords are specialised objects, and their value can depend on details that an inexperienced buyer may not even know to look for.

A Beautiful Description Does Not Make a Beautiful Sword

Sales descriptions are designed to attract attention. Words such as rare, museum quality, master smith, exceptional, samurai sword, highly collectible, magnificent and unique can sound extremely convincing. But these words alone prove nothing. Look beyond the description.

• Who made the sword, and is that attribution reliable?
• Is the signature authenticated?
• What is the condition, and has the blade been polished too many times?
• Is the hamon healthy and is the boshi intact?
• Are there forging flaws?
• Has the sword been shortened?
• Are the dimensions desirable for that particular smith and period?
• Does the workmanship actually correspond with the claimed maker?

These questions are much more important than promotional language.

A Famous Signature Can Cost You a Lot of Money

A famous mei can be extremely tempting. You see the name of a highly respected smith and immediately start imagining that you have discovered something special. But the Nihontō world has a long history of gimei, false signatures. A signature alone is therefore never sufficient reason to pay a premium price.

This does not mean every unpapered signed sword is false. It means you should be careful when the value depends heavily on the signature. Before paying serious money for a blade attributed to an important smith, research authenticated examples. Compare the mei. Compare the nakago. Compare the workmanship. And if you do not have enough experience to judge these things yourself, ask someone who does.

There is nothing wrong with saying that you do not know enough about a sword yet. That sentence can save you thousands of euros.

Papers Are Important, But Understand What They Mean

Japanese authentication papers, particularly NBTHK papers, can provide important reassurance. But even here, do not simply see the words Hozon, Tokubetsu Hozon or Jūyō Tōken and stop thinking.

Learn what those classifications mean. Read the paper. Confirm that the paper actually belongs to the sword being offered. Compare the measurements. Look at the nakago. Understand whether the paper certifies a signature or provides an attribution.

And remember that two swords with the same level of certification can still differ enormously in quality and value. Certification is important, but certification does not remove the need for knowledge.

Learn What a Good Sword Actually Looks Like

One of the best investments you can make as a collector costs nothing: look at hundreds of good swords.

Study swords from established dealers. Look at Jūyō examples. Study NBTHK publications. Compare blades by the same smith. Learn how sugata changes through different periods. Look carefully at jihada, hamon and boshi. Study nakago and mei.

Over time your eye begins to develop. You start noticing things that previously meant nothing to you. You begin seeing differences between an average sword and a strong example. That knowledge is extremely valuable, because once you understand what quality looks like, attractive photographs and exciting descriptions become much less persuasive.

Do Not Be Afraid to Ask Questions

Before spending thousands of euros, ask questions. A serious seller should expect them.

• Ask for additional photographs and close ups of the blade.
• Ask for photographs of the complete nakago.
• Ask about flaws and about the polish.
• Ask about the certification.
• Ask for exact dimensions.
• Ask about provenance.
• Ask why the seller attributes the blade to a particular smith or school.

And if the answer remains unclear, continue asking. You are the person spending the money. You have every right to understand exactly what you are buying. If asking reasonable questions seems inconvenient to a seller, that alone should make you cautious.

Compare Before You Buy

Never judge a sword in isolation. If you are considering paying 8.000 euro for a particular smith, search for other examples by that smith. What does that amount normally buy? Can you find a Tokubetsu Hozon example for similar money? Is there a better preserved blade available? Is another sword slightly more expensive but significantly better?

Sometimes spending 2.000 euro more can buy a dramatically better sword. Sometimes waiting six months can save you 5.000 euro. And sometimes the sword you thought was a bargain is expensive when compared properly with the specialist market.

Comparison gives you perspective. Without comparison, the seller or auction effectively determines your idea of value.

Be Particularly Careful With Poor Photographs

Japanese swords are difficult to photograph properly, and that creates risk. A blade may look excellent under strong lighting while important condition issues remain invisible. If you cannot clearly see the hamon, jihada, boshi and nakago, you simply do not have all the information.

When thousands of euros are involved, do not fill the gaps with optimism. Instead of assuming that it is probably fine, conclude honestly that you cannot judge the sword properly from the information provided. That is a much safer approach.

Beautiful Koshirae Can Distract You

A spectacular koshirae can make a sword extremely attractive. But always separate two questions: how good is the koshirae, and how good is the blade?

You can have beautiful mountings surrounding an average sword. You can also have an extraordinary blade in very simple shirasaya. When evaluating Nihontō, never allow decorative fittings to stop you from studying the actual sword.

Strip everything away mentally. Imagine only the blade in front of you. Would you still want it? That question can be surprisingly useful.

Never Assume Other Bidders Know More Than You

One of the biggest psychological traps in an auction is seeing other people bid. It creates confidence: someone else is prepared to pay this much, so it must be worth it. That reasoning can be very dangerous.

You do not know who the other bidder is. It could be an experienced Japanese sword collector. It could also be somebody buying his first sword. He may have researched the smith for six months, or he may simply like the appearance of the koshirae.

Another bidder's confidence should never replace your own research. Two people making the same mistake do not turn that mistake into market value.

There Will Always Be Another Sword

This may be the most important advice in this entire article: do not be afraid to walk away.

Collectors sometimes convince themselves that they will never get another opportunity like this one. Usually, that is not true. There will be another katana. There will be another wakizashi. Another tantō. Another auction. Another collection. Another opportunity.

Perhaps not tomorrow. Perhaps not next month. But good Japanese swords have been collected for generations. The market does not end because you decide not to bid tonight.

Missing one sword costs you nothing. Buying the wrong sword can cost you thousands.

Ask Someone Who Knows

There is no shame in asking for help. In fact, serious collecting has always been built around shared knowledge. If you are considering an expensive purchase and you are uncertain, contact somebody with experience. Show them the photographs. Show them the papers. Ask what they think.

You do not necessarily have to agree with their opinion. But hearing a second perspective can stop you from becoming emotionally attached to a purchase. At Kyodai Originals, we would rather see collectors ask questions before purchasing than contact us afterwards and discover that what they bought was not what they expected.

Build a Collection Slowly

There is no prize for building a collection quickly. A serious Nihontō collection develops over years. Your knowledge changes. Your taste changes. Your understanding of quality changes.

A sword that seems extraordinary during your first year of collecting may look completely different to you five years later. That is normal. Try to buy pieces that can grow with your knowledge rather than pieces you may immediately want to replace once you learn more.

Buy fewer swords. Buy better swords.

Before You Bid, Ask Yourself These Questions

• Who made or is attributed to the sword?
• What period is it from?
• Is the signature reliable?
• Does it have recognised certification, and have I checked the paper carefully?
• Can I clearly see the condition of the blade, and have I seen enough photographs?
• Do I understand the hamon, jihada and boshi?
• Are there visible or possible flaws?
• Have I compared it with other examples?
• Do I understand why this sword is worth the price?
• Would I still buy it if nobody else were bidding?
• Have I asked somebody knowledgeable when I am unsure?

If several of those answers are no, perhaps you are not ready to buy that sword yet.

The Kyodai Originals Advice

At Kyodai Originals, our advice to every new and experienced collector is simple: never be in a hurry when buying Nihontō.

You may be spending 3.000 euro, 10.000 euro, 25.000 euro or considerably more. Take the time that amount of money deserves. Read about the smith. Study comparable swords. Look carefully at the certification. Investigate the condition. Compare prices. Ask for better photographs. Ask questions. Ask another collector. Ask a specialist.

And if something still does not feel right, do not buy it. Another sword will come.

The greatest advantage a collector can have is not a large budget. It is knowledge combined with patience. Because the goal is not simply to win an auction, and the goal is not simply to own more swords. The goal is to build a collection you will still be proud of years from now.

Read. Study. Compare. Ask. And only then, buy.