Overview
I have observed that today people are becoming more interested in Japanese culture and especially in the martial arts they have practiced and practice today. A Japanese sword had an important role in the life of a Samurai and Japan people have kept the tradition of respecting the sword until today.
Many people share this respect and they consider having a sword, and especially a Japanese one, in their homes is a prestigious thing.
So if you are among these people, you should firstly make the decision what kind of sword you want to buy: is it an expensive, yet highly-qualitative Japanese hand forged sword, or is it a mass-produced inexpensive blade of a respective quality.
My short guide will provide you with basic steps of choosing and then buying a sword for your needs.
Making a Decision
First for all you should ask yourself for what needs do you want to have the sword. One reason may be collecting, other may be learning sword art and a more reasonable answer is investing.
If you are a beginner in this field then try buying an inexpensive sword. However it is not an easy task to buy a cheap sword that would cut well. Only after reaching proficiency in the field of learning about swords you can continue your research by purchasing a sword that is more expensive, meaning one that values more than 1000 US dollars.
Choosing a Place to Buy from
You can get a sword in several places. These might be: eBay, different gun-shows, private dealers, shops that sell antiques, flea markets. You may also find web-sites that sell swords for public.
It is important to know some tips about buying via eBay. There are not so many good bargains on eBay. Note that swords made in China, Taiwan, or Hong Kong can be fakes and very often it turns out to be so. In the category of countries that sell fakes Australia may also be included.
It is safer to buy within the boarders of such countries as: the United States, Japan, Canada and Europe. A very important thing about swords is reference. Study all the feedback, positive and negative. If you find some negative feedback that concerns you, then you can email the particular reviewer and understand what was he or she concerned with.
When you find a blade that you would like to purchase, than before making the final , you should mail the seller and ask some questions that you may have concerning the product. It is important to have several important questions on which you receive concrete and detailed answers.
Being acknowledged with how to buy a product correctly you may look forward to spotting a good deal. The latter can come from people that are naive about the product they sell. For example only an expert can recognize a really valuable osuriage and mumei. The former is a shortened blade and the latter is a blade without signature.
Some sellers are not aware of the fact that they may have a real sword, considering a shortened blade something of a low quality. Note that if a certain blade is signed then it doesn't mean that it is genuine and of good quality. On the market of swords about 70 per cent have fake signatures of the original sword smith. Swords that whether do not have bids or have low-end bidders are the ones to be aware of.
Sword Furniture
When buying a sword consider purchasing furniture for it. Sometimes its value is more than the value of the swords. The whole set of furniture for swords is called godoka and it includes: fuchi (collar situated below the tsuba, which is the handle of the sword), kashira (the base of the handle), 2 menuki (furniture for the sword handle that provides a better grip), and tsuba (sword guard).
Note that sword furniture is also reproduced. It is important to be informed on some specific information concerning sword furniture because there is no way you will receive your money back when having made your purchase.
Realize the Importance
Buying a real Samurai sword is a good investment. Today's market of swords is quite low. This is why you can buy some very valuable blades for reasonable prices. Just like the fluctuations of the market the prices can be various. Note that the investment you make depends on the quality of your sword.
Thus you should be well informed about Japanese swords. There is a huge amount of information concerning this topic. Japanese swords represent a very large field and understanding all the elements is both crucial and difficult. This is why, when making your research you try to ask an expert for advice and not just rely on yourself. Note that a small detail can serve a huge deal for the value of the sword.
See also
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Owner: "lavrov" Last edited on January 31, 2007 3:29 am by "lavrov"
