Antique Katana On TV Tonight

murphda2

murphda2

Super Moderator and KD Blade Show Boss
I've been watching tv while catching up on e-mails tonight and noticed a preview for "Auction Kings" on the Discovery Channel. They will be showing an episode Tuesday night at 9 pm (CST) which will feature an antique katana. According to the info given in the preview on the show's website, it is a blade dated in the 1740s and the current owner paid $2,500 in 1980 and is wanting to get at least what he has invested in it.

After seeing the footage on the website, I wish I had known this guy to "give him his money back". I'm guessing the owner will multiply his investment by several fold if anyone who knows anything was at the auction. I'll tune in tonight to see.

Here is a link to the show's website. The main video which will show after a 30 second ad will show footage of the sword. Please understand that the current owner's comments about samurai swords may not be 100% accurate.
http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/auction-kings/
 
I was channel surfer when , On some program you are talking about they are katana and a rifle combine from one of the pacifie island.
 
$3,750 was the final bid on the show. I think it would have brought more on fleabay.
 
James Terrio said:
No kidding. After the comments about how "folding the steel makes the wavy line down the blade", I changed the channel.
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Yeah James, I was checking out also, where in the world did he come up with his info? I mean come on, "the folds is what makes this wavy line", err huh!? This guy was so wrong about everything he said it's amazing he had enough sence to buy the thing! And about queching the blade in prisoner, I heard of that, but I thought that was a practice used in Europe, not Japan, I guess I could be wrong about that, the Japanese were ruthless during their time. I hope no one was really paying attention to him, he gave out some very bad info! Rex
 
Unfortunately there's a lot of baloney-sausage out there about knives in general, and especially Japanese swords. I think some of the TV/internet experts get their info from old comic books or something! It's a shame because they really are/were pretty amazing, and the BS turns people off.
 
Rex, I believe what the guy was meaning is that sometimes the blades were tested on prisiners and/corpses to test the sharpness and durability of the blades. Though I do not know this for fact (I'll have to ask Wayne if he ever visited Japan in his younger years, the 1740s), I have read in many references that these tests were performed. Though these tests were not very common and usually only conducted on highly regarded blades (some of the blades have the tests results documented on the tang of the blade and some even have the markings inlaid in gold).
 
I watched that on TV last night . Yes some swords were tested on people , usually captured enemies , I have seen some that were rated 2 bodies and some 3 ! quite a cutter . The sword sold for a few 1000$ maybe 3500.00.? It was made by a decendant to gassan tadayoshi . a well respected smithing family , they still make swords today . It sold very cheap Bubba-san PS I think he may have been referring to fold lines in the shinogi ji or the hada but he did not know a lot about swords . Bubba-san
 
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I saw it too, bubba san your right. To bad because the sword was obviously worth alot more.
 
They didnt break it down , so somebody was shilling for the sword . It was worth a lot more . at least 10 Big ones . old swords in good polish and all its original hardware are getting very expensive . Even in bad economic times they keep gaining in value . They dont actually have to be from a famous smith ! There is an old japanese sayin; " Even a average smith makes an excellent sword once in a while " Bubba
 
I watched another show on TV last night it was a re -run ( auction hunters ) the two guys bought this abandoned locker , inside was a wakizashi in full Koshirae beautiful blade never resharpened since it was made , you could tell it was about 1.25 " or wider . The dummies were cutting watermelons !!! A dealer bought it from them for $ 275. !!!!! He told them that was a normal price . What a liar . Sounds like the guys from Pawn stars , another bunch of lying thieves . I never met an honest pawn broker in my life...... Bubba
 
I seen that one a few months back Bubba. I would have happily paid them twie the price they received.
 
I saw a piece of garbage wakizashi in pawn shop recently, and this guy is a sword dealer !! 500$ for a worn out bare blade it was way to skinny and thin , probably polished 20 times or more . If you are dealing buying selling Japanese blades you have to do your homework . Needless to say I passed on the worn out Wakizashi ...
 
If they had broken it down they might have seen something like this on my type 94 Shin Gunto.
hiltfront.jpg

Japanisesword.jpg

IMG_1949.jpg

From the Sakia family. Family blade with military handle & guard as required by the IJA.
sure wish that I could get the tang translated without costing an arm & a leg.
 
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Bubba-San could most likely do it. You'll need to get a good photo of the mei though. Clean the tang with a sift bristled tooth brush (be very gentle) to get all of the powder off of the tang. Then lightly powder the tang and take a small paint prush to wip the excess from the tang away from the mei and photograph. You'll most likely get the best photos under natural light.
 
Looks like a family sword made long before the war but, was dressed up in gunto hardware to go to war . I cant see it too well , if the powder dont work try making a rubbing by laying white piece of paper over tang and with side of lead pencil rub the tang until you can see it . sometimes they are difficult to read . the sword looks good nice suguha hamon . once you get a decent pics from rubbing or what murph said send me pic and I will give it a shot .... Bubba
 
Bubba-San I did a rubbing. It was tough because the background was rough. file /hammer marks? I do notice that the farther away you view the mie it is somewhat clearer. I would REALLY appreciate any help that you can give me on this. I don't know it i posted the photo right side up or if it is upside down. Let me know how to view it please.
mie.jpg
 
Shin gunto simple means a shinto blade 1600- 1781 dressed up in ww-2 hardware .Its pretty hard to see , how did the powder work ? Its not real clear but I will give it a shot . Maybe a photo taken from angle ? the way I do it when its not very clear is use natural light and use many different angles and take a bunch of photos one will look better than the rest . Try some in the direct sunlight . Which end is towards blade ? or try a lighter rubbing . I will do my best to help you ..... Bubba
 
The blade points to the left. I will take some photos tommorrow in natural light at different angles & post the best photos. you can barely see the top half of the hole for the pin in the photo. It looks punched not drilled. The powder didn't look so good because of the roughness of the tang I think.
 
I sent a photo to John Eliyas Editor Of Japanese Sword Society United States Magazine / periodical he is real good at translating . It may be a few days but it will be right on . I worked on it for a few hrs . Then decided to call John . we should know in a few days
Regards Bubba
 
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