My oldest Japanese sword is 550 years old and was put into military mounts during WW2. Like yours it is in perfect condition. These old swords a jewels to be treasured..
Hello, from Japan. Nationality doesn't matter if you love swords. Please cherish that sword as much as possible. If it gets scratched, it will eventually need to be sharpened, which means the blade is getting thinner. We also pay attention to the drawing and sheathing of the sword. If you possible, would you appreciate it if you could study the handling of the sword and deepen your understanding.
Thank you! I knew to draw and sheathe the blade with the blade up and spine down to "ride" on the spine and keep the blade away from contact with the wood. The excitement overwhelmed me since it was my first real antique nihonto. I do talk over top of the sword, but after all of my videos, not just this one, the sword(s) get cleaned (WD40) and oiled (choji for antique, RemOil for replicas) with microfiber towels before being put away. I am learning more about antiques now that I have some.
Amazing! I deeply admire your dedication to learning. I am delighted to meet someone who shares the same passion for swords as you do. Unfortunately, there are many people in Japan who do not handle swords well. I sincerely hope that more people who love swords will increase. I believe it is fate that the sword has come into your possession, and it is fortunate for that sword.
@@SamuraiJames Great video and I can tell you care a lot about the sword and swords in general. I'm not an expert but I'd probably recommend against WD-40 on a 500 year old blade. Not sure what a good alternative is (a museum preservation expert might know), though the choji oil would be correct once the blade has been cleaned. I don't have anything as old or valuable as that, but I use mineral oil on my swords and it seems to work well. Either way, liked and subbed!
Hi interceptor, the wd40 is just to clean off the blade. After that it gets wiped down again to dry (removing the wd40 that hasn't evaporated yet). For my repros they usually get RemOil as the protective coat. The antiques get classic choji oil. Certain types of mineral oil are fine.
amazing. I am a known dealer of Japanese Swords and watching your video gave me renewed vigor and inspiration. I hope all of my customers unbox with as much eagerness and enthusiasm as you do
Hello from Japan. Some of you may think that the skin of the sword is rough. But this is evidence of being folded and forged. Practical products used for iaido have this kind of skin. Not being overly polished also means that it is beautiful.
Thank you for watching and commenting. I like the various hamon patterns of these swords. It gives great variety between blades of the same, something that European swords generally do not (single steel).
@@SamuraiJamesdifferential hardening , lamination, patern welding were all used in various European swords especially before the 10th century, unfortunately there are not many preserved examples and it's not something people are making on the production market
Yes, early period swords did. Once they started doing mono tempered steels the other types became fairly rare (exceptions like middle eastern Damascus swords). That's what I meant with generally. Particularly within the time frame of the katana. But kudos on knowing that!
I have an antique (17th century) Kora sword in “quam”, second in estimation to the Mohammed’s Ladder that was my first antique blade. I have another antique kora, (both battle blades as opposed to ceremonial blades). You could tell by the heft alone that the Kora with “quam” is a much more nimble weapon.I have a few antique Talwar & a Shamshir as well. The Talwar is 17th century as well, with an European blade. I also have a few Indo-Persian antique spears…I’ve ALWAYS wanted an antique Japanese blade.
I love how gentle you are with handling the box……you know that thing was thrown around, kicked, dropped and stuffed inside many compartments while being shipped. Just look at the box!!!😂😂😂
Haha yes and it hurts my heart to know that! I've had international packages arrived with the box partially torn open or looking like it was delivered by a dog who carried it through a desert and the ocean in it's mouth before dropping it on my door step.
Tamahagane玉鋼 is a type of high-purity steel produced using the tatara method, an ancient Japanese ironmaking technique. This unique refining process is unparalleled worldwide and stands as a testament to Japan's exceptional technological prowess and cultural heritage.
I can’t begin to imagine what thoughts that would come into my head while holding such an impressive piece. I don’t know what you paid for it but the way I see it is that if you really like it then it’s worth what you’re willing to pay for. At the end of the day it’s not worth spit to some but to people like you me and the folks that made comments it’s worth everything
What a treasure. Jealous. To have it so well preserved, both type mountings and paperwork is just wonderful. I have 5 antique blades and as 3 of them were spoils of war the blade furniture isn’t as beautiful as your piece. The 2 peg holes offer more intrigue to your blade, would be great to know that history. Often it means a blade has been shortened, it’s another historical bonus for you. Enjoy, treasure and never ever put the blade away uncleaned if there is a possibility someone touched it with bare hands. It will break your heart.😊
Thank you, I am very happy with it. That's awesome that you have five antiques! I've since learned that the furniture is Edo period (150-400) and not Meio period, but such is the way it goes with first time buying. It gets a maintenance cleaning every 3 months, as well as a proper wipe down any time it is handled. I can't imagine to be the person that ruins it after it survives for over 500 years!
About 50 years ago I went to Manchester UK (I think) museum who have a good selection of Japanese Armour and swords. I flew over from Ireland. When I got there the whole exhibit was closed for redecoration. "Awww Jasus says I, Ye gotta be feckin jokin". I had been studying Japanese armour and history for about 10 years and I just didn't think the exhibit would be closed. So the head banana saw my plight because I was crying and led me down to the basement where the whole exhibit was packed in very large cardboard boxes with paper. He knew, I knew what I was doing and left me with the stuff. I stress this was used antique armour. Most of it was not "Show Armour" but real stuff which had been used in battle. No Muramasa swords but a number of different swords which looked as if they had been used. Nicks all over them. No 1940 reproductions either. I was able to lift the stuff out and handle with care. I will never forget that.
That's awesome! I finally got my hands on some antique ashigaru tier suneate and kote and it felt great. I'd love to be able to get that kind of behind the scenes museum access.
i once was at a private auction and bought 6 old katanas for 10k, 1 of them was a fake muramasa (was made 200 years after his death, its a well made fake and still valuable in its own right), 1 was an nco shin gunto, 3 of them were victorian era blades, but one of them was a ww2 shin gunto and its blade was an actual gem, the shin guntos blade was made by hikoshiro sadamune, i had the blade sent to japan to be restored and refitted to my preferences and it is now so valuable that my insurance legally wont let me disclose its value, it just shocks me how these rare gems can be forgotten about, i only forked over 10k because i knew i could make my money back on the victorian era blades, but no one other than some weeb looking guy bid on them (and i mean weeb, guy had 5 sailor moon tattoos that i could see) edit: the swordsmith who restored the blade said in one of our interactions that he has never seen a finer blade in his 50 years of swordsmithing and even suggested a few things i should do with the fittings, such as colours and materials, even going as far as to tell me specific people i should get to make each individual fitting
Almost certainly someone who didn't know any better of what the blade was. There was a painting found above a stove in France recently that was rare and sold at auction for 24 million. Crazy stuff but it happens!
@@SamuraiJames like my wifes old neighbour, he inherited his grandparents old house, and they had 3 authentic mings in the basement, its weird how these things always sound made up "oh i just found it in the attic" but they happen way to often edit: from what i heard, the guy broke two of the in transit to the auction house
Yes, the prices are high on nihonto and European antiques have gone up exponentially too. If I had a time machine I'd go back and buy a few hundred, but also I'd just go back further in time and steal - err transfer ownership of - a bunch of real antiques!
I wonder where my family blade set is. The Hojo Clan blades from the kamakura period. Great grandfather Masaichi Hojo “Hojio” could only bring the tanto. They wouldn’t let him take the katana and wakizashi on the boat. Somehow the tanto was stolen from the home back then and ended back in Japan.
I hope they weren't destroyed but that's always a chance with the WW2 surrenders and destructions. Perhaps one day you will find one, or the entire set.
I agree that there are a lot of manufactured swords from China, but on the other hand almost everything is made in China nowadays. I make some very nice katana, but I admit that my partner who forges the blades is Chinese in origin. He is also from a long family line of sword makers from Longquan where they forged the first steel swords over 2000 years ago.
Understood. The vast majority of reviews and videos on here are about modern repros made in China (or at least Asia). This one is a real Japanese made antique and I wanted to distinguish that in the title. I also have some modern pieces made in China and generally have no complaints about them, with exceptions to certain bits of certain swords which are specific to makers / fitment and in most cases are expected given the price points.
If I had unlimited money and could take it there myself I would. It's in good condition overall and gets maintenance to keep it in good condition. I've heard of people losing them in the mail and I was so nervous waiting for it to get here I can't imagine sending it back and forth again.
Thanks! I wonder the same but I don't think it's possible to track if it wasn't a very high ranked daimyo and even then mostly swords by Masamune and other top tier smiths, and that one in particular because of the curse associated with the blades
I don't want to say the specific amount since I don't know how that affects the value long term, but it's the most expensive sword I own. It's amazing they sell swords like this but I've seen older and in better shape for sale too, I think the oldest was 1300s.
If you're in the market for one they go for about a thousand with no paperwork or signature in moderate condition, or into tens of thousands for very high quality with paperwork and tang signatures from specific high end smiths. It's my most expensive sword, but less than my most expensive armor, for a general range. But each sword carries it's own value based on history, paperwork, when the paperwork is from, current condition, and how much a buyer really wants it if it is in an auction setting.
Haha I was so excited to get this sword, and I couldn't do any second takes on it. My brain was struggling for other words most of the time because it kept going "hey you're holding a 500+ year old sword, did you know that"?
They listed it at 11.4cm / 4.48in but I agree it doesn't look like that. Maybe it was supposed to be 1.4cm and they mixed up the measurements. My 3cm sori tachi feels like a deeper curve than this one.
cool sword. very cool. samurai james. meet samurai jason lol. i trained in the bujinkan and other samurai bujutsu school for about 8 years the i moved to the mountains in oregon to live in the national forest to train for a decade on all that i learned. i made many fun videos training bojutsu. archery. in full samurai armor. bajutsu. horsemanship in samurai armor. shuriken jutsu. sui ton no jutsu. kenjutsu etc. very cool old sword you got there. real nice.
Ah I thought the name was familiar, I took a look at your channel and I used to watch some of your videos years ago including the armor ones. Nice to meet you and thanks for watching and commenting!
My understanding is that everything is the same age, as it wasn't specified that the koshirae is from a later period. The sageo looks a bit old, but not as old as I'd expect given the wear on the saya. It could definitely be Edo or more recent.
@@SamuraiJames Fair enough. It just looks in extremely good shape for 16th century. Plus, I have hardly seen 16th century blades with mostly full period koshirae. The koshirae, other than the metal parts, has almost always been Edo Period. But, I am ffaaarrrrr from an expert.
It has some small flaws when you see it up close. It was probably remounted once in it's earlier lifetime since there are two mekugi ana. The blade is so well polished it feels like the blade should be Edo and the koshirae from Meio, but I know it's because it has a recent polish. They have listings for bare blades, blades with only shirasaya, and standalone koshirae, I hope they didn't sell a Meio blade with late Edo fittings. The saya has quite a bit of wear / age that doesn't seem like Edo period wear, more of usage in war, however I'm far from an expert on that either.
@@SamuraiJames Again fair enough. You have held it, looked at it close, have documents, ect.... I am just some potato brained shmuck that saw a video of it haha
I enjoy some anime here and there. About to check out the Onimusha one, it was one of my favorite game series as a kid back on PS2. I would love to visit Japan sometime. Almost got to go 4 years ago but things did not pan out. Maybe in 2030ish.
It is from Iron Mountain Armory with numerous non-standard customizations. They will give a free quote if you have something in mind. Tell them I sent you.
When living in Japan and working as a commercial photographer I was given the opportunity to photography what I recall was a Kamakura age sword, I was instructed by the owner to not breath through my mouth or talk over the blade. I realize you are narrating your video and are very excited but exhaling strongly was noticed. Also, and this is difficult to explain, when opening the wood storage case, grasp the case with your hands on opposite sides of the seam and placing the thumbs on the opposite sides, use the thumbs to push the sides gentility apart. This method is not only gracefully ceremonial it insures the separation of the two parts smoothly without any edge contact or accident. I am not being critical of your handling of the blade, and you may already know what I’ve said, but wish to possibly add to your awareness. One last note from my experience, when polishing a blade one is taught to hold a folded piece of cloth in your mouth to discourage breathing through the mouth and depositing moisture on the blade.
Excitement got the better of me when I was taking it out of the saya and I was thinking more about the video than the sword itself when pulling it out sideways. I do know about the talking over it part, which is inevitable in a video, and as soon as I hit stop on the camera any sword that am I using a video gets a wipe down with WD-40 to clean it off, air dried a bit, then given a fresh wipe down with oil before putting it back in the saya. This particular sword gets a wipe down and fresh choji oil fairly often (about every 6 to 8 weeks). As long as it is properly cleaned and protected there won't be any damage. I follow this same process even for modern made swords, except I use RemOil instead of choji oil (it is cheaper and easier to get). Thanks for watching, commenting, and I must say I am jealous that you got to photograph and see that sword in person!
Yes, with it being around for about a century worth of the Sengoku period it likely saw some amount of battlefield use. There's no large contact damage to it, which doesn't mean it was never used. I would be surprised if it never saw battle in it's early years (the first century - wish I could call a century my "early years" lol).
Yes they are! In limited quantities, in specific ways, at a high cost, and generally only by specific people that the government allows to produce real swords for exporting. Sports equipment such as iaito do not count (to them).
Those are more likely to find at estate sales, pawn shops and similar than pre-Meiji blades. I see them for sale online sometimes but they are past my period of interest (Edo and prior).
Yeah the koshirae isn't 500 years old it doesn't look the style of the muromachi period. The samurai had koshirae remade over the years of passing down
Correct, I'm overdue on an update video. API confirmed they aren't 500 years old but did say they are Edo period - so 150-400 years old. I'm new to antiques and couldn't tell for sure, only that they looked correctly aged / not faked.
A 500 year old sword.. I bet my ass it's not cheap to buy and import.. U.S. Custom must be smiling. Congrats and please take care of it. hope it will survived another 500 years
Thanks! It's my most expensive sword but I don't regret it at all, even knowing that I'll never be cutting with it or doing anything beyond display and research / hands on inspections. I know some people with even more expensive swords, these things run a huge range depending on age / quality / maker / history.
@@SamuraiJames I know... my Grandfather is a caretake of a 200+ year old FILIPINO KRIS Battle Sword Family Heirloom which i only saw twice.. still waiting who could be the next caretaker among His children/grandchildren.
@@SamuraiJames could you please read message correctly I didn’t asked if you would sell it I asked what value does it have please learn read since you didn’t read correctly or didn’t bother to then you got to much time on your hands 🙌
I read it correctly. You asked value. Did you mean how much did I pay for that? Because that is a different question. It is one of a kind and the value will fluctuate depending on the market and if it is sold directly or at an auction. So if you want to know what the worth value is, it is priceless to me for having something in hand that I can study to learn about a real sword from 525 years ago which will never be captured by a modern replica.
@@SamuraiJames no your adding a question to a question apparently you don’t no the value of the question since you can’t seem to answer it the first time I know a antique dealer found a original Samurai outfit an it’s original sword 🗡️ an garments when the samurai’s were discovered well before the 1500 hundreds
They did an excellent job. Having the tsuba separate so it wouldn't cause any damage during shipping either. My first purchase from them and I am very impressed. It's such a cool sword. A few of my friends saw it and the most frequent comment was "replica of a 500 year old sword?" with general shock that it actually IS over 500 years old. The saya has some wear, the tsuka is worn as expected of a sword made in the middle of the sengoku / warring states era, the shirasaya has some rubbed areas, but the blade is so amazing. Also, YT says there's 2 replies here but I only see one, I don't know what happened to the other one.
Я заказывал у них в компании, этим мечом вы можете разрубить канистры от бензина наполненные водой пополам, я брал ширасайю в ножнах с рунами из дамаска, на даче рублю ей борщевики
![How much Real Japanese sword[with body cutting tests]? REALLY expensive swords with Bill Rannow](/img/n.gif)
My oldest Japanese sword is 550 years old and was put into military mounts during WW2. Like yours it is in perfect condition. These old swords a jewels to be treasured..
That's awesome!
@@Sgravion Yes it is.
Hahahahha
Hello,
from Japan.
Nationality doesn't matter if you love swords. Please cherish that sword as much as possible. If it gets scratched, it will eventually need to be sharpened, which means the blade is getting thinner. We also pay attention to the drawing and sheathing of the sword. If you possible, would you appreciate it if you could study the handling of the sword and deepen your understanding.
Thank you! I knew to draw and sheathe the blade with the blade up and spine down to "ride" on the spine and keep the blade away from contact with the wood. The excitement overwhelmed me since it was my first real antique nihonto. I do talk over top of the sword, but after all of my videos, not just this one, the sword(s) get cleaned (WD40) and oiled (choji for antique, RemOil for replicas) with microfiber towels before being put away. I am learning more about antiques now that I have some.
Amazing! I deeply admire your dedication to learning. I am delighted to meet someone who shares the same passion for swords as you do.
Unfortunately, there are many people in Japan who do not handle swords well. I sincerely hope that more people who love swords will increase. I believe it is fate that the sword has come into your possession, and it is fortunate for that sword.
@@SamuraiJames Great video and I can tell you care a lot about the sword and swords in general. I'm not an expert but I'd probably recommend against WD-40 on a 500 year old blade. Not sure what a good alternative is (a museum preservation expert might know), though the choji oil would be correct once the blade has been cleaned. I don't have anything as old or valuable as that, but I use mineral oil on my swords and it seems to work well. Either way, liked and subbed!
Hi interceptor, the wd40 is just to clean off the blade. After that it gets wiped down again to dry (removing the wd40 that hasn't evaporated yet). For my repros they usually get RemOil as the protective coat. The antiques get classic choji oil. Certain types of mineral oil are fine.
He's prob gonna chop wood with it bro
amazing. I am a known dealer of Japanese Swords and watching your video gave me renewed vigor and inspiration. I hope all of my customers unbox with as much eagerness and enthusiasm as you do
Always wanted a *real* Japanese sword. Utterly amazing. Congrats!
Thanks!
Hello from Japan. Some of you may think that the skin of the sword is rough. But this is evidence of being folded and forged. Practical products used for iaido have this kind of skin. Not being overly polished also means that it is beautiful.
Thank you for watching and commenting. I like the various hamon patterns of these swords. It gives great variety between blades of the same, something that European swords generally do not (single steel).
@@SamuraiJamesdifferential hardening , lamination, patern welding were all used in various European swords especially before the 10th century, unfortunately there are not many preserved examples and it's not something people are making on the production market
Yes, early period swords did. Once they started doing mono tempered steels the other types became fairly rare (exceptions like middle eastern Damascus swords). That's what I meant with generally. Particularly within the time frame of the katana. But kudos on knowing that!
Thank you for the clarification. Is this what is meant by “wabi sabi”.
I have an antique (17th century) Kora sword in “quam”, second in estimation to the Mohammed’s Ladder that was my first antique blade. I have another antique kora, (both battle blades as opposed to ceremonial blades). You could tell by the heft alone that the Kora with “quam” is a much more nimble weapon.I have a few antique Talwar & a Shamshir as well. The Talwar is 17th century as well, with an European blade. I also have a few Indo-Persian antique spears…I’ve ALWAYS wanted an antique Japanese blade.
As a tsuba collector it’s a treat to watch the unpacking of this piece of Japanese history.
Thank you! It was quite a treat to do it, as it was my first antique Japanese sword.
Such a beautiful peace of art and history, it has always been a dream of mine to own a traditional Japanese sword.
Thanks! I am very happy to have it. Save up and watch for what comes on the market to buy.
No matter what anyone thinks or says, positive or negative, that’s one impressive piece of history and art in a beautifully crafted sword
Thank you!
I love how gentle you are with handling the box……you know that thing was thrown around, kicked, dropped and stuffed inside many compartments while being shipped. Just look at the box!!!😂😂😂
Haha yes and it hurts my heart to know that! I've had international packages arrived with the box partially torn open or looking like it was delivered by a dog who carried it through a desert and the ocean in it's mouth before dropping it on my door step.
Tamahagane玉鋼 is a type of high-purity steel produced using the tatara method, an ancient Japanese ironmaking technique. This unique refining process is unparalleled worldwide and stands as a testament to Japan's exceptional technological prowess and cultural heritage.
It is a beautiful metal / work of art.
The wooden blade to hold the fittings is called a tsunagi.
Thank you!
Very cool, I always keep a look out for antique japanese swords
Bro just threw away 500 year old bubble wrap.
520+ hahaha
I can’t begin to imagine what thoughts that would come into my head while holding such an impressive piece. I don’t know what you paid for it but the way I see it is that if you really like it then it’s worth what you’re willing to pay for. At the end of the day it’s not worth spit to some but to people like you me and the folks that made comments it’s worth everything
What a treasure. Jealous. To have it so well preserved, both type mountings and paperwork is just wonderful. I have 5 antique blades and as 3 of them were spoils of war the blade furniture isn’t as beautiful as your piece. The 2 peg holes offer more intrigue to your blade, would be great to know that history. Often it means a blade has been shortened, it’s another historical bonus for you. Enjoy, treasure and never ever put the blade away uncleaned if there is a possibility someone touched it with bare hands. It will break your heart.😊
Thank you, I am very happy with it. That's awesome that you have five antiques! I've since learned that the furniture is Edo period (150-400) and not Meio period, but such is the way it goes with first time buying. It gets a maintenance cleaning every 3 months, as well as a proper wipe down any time it is handled. I can't imagine to be the person that ruins it after it survives for over 500 years!
I think I was your 500th sub. Katana looks awesome! Its in really good shape for being 500 years old.
Thank you, and welcome to the channel!
My jaw is still on the floor, what a piece of art and history.
Thank you! I really enjoy it.
About 50 years ago I went to Manchester UK (I think) museum who have a good selection of Japanese Armour and swords. I flew over from Ireland. When I got there the whole exhibit was closed for redecoration. "Awww Jasus says I, Ye gotta be feckin jokin". I had been studying Japanese armour and history for about 10 years and I just didn't think the exhibit would be closed. So the head banana saw my plight because I was crying and led me down to the basement where the whole exhibit was packed in very large cardboard boxes with paper. He knew, I knew what I was doing and left me with the stuff. I stress this was used antique armour. Most of it was not "Show Armour" but real stuff which had been used in battle. No Muramasa swords but a number of different swords which looked as if they had been used. Nicks all over them. No 1940 reproductions either. I was able to lift the stuff out and handle with care. I will never forget that.
That's awesome! I finally got my hands on some antique ashigaru tier suneate and kote and it felt great. I'd love to be able to get that kind of behind the scenes museum access.
You are now ready for The Quickening. If you do prevail, all the lightning stings a bit but totally worth it. There can be only one
The gathering will happen some day! :-D
james-san you are back!!!☺ im happy to see you back and thank you for your cool program!💪
I am, and thank you. Working on another video tonight, should be ready by Tuesday again.
Beautiful blade man. Congrats on the piece of history.
Thank you!
i once was at a private auction and bought 6 old katanas for 10k, 1 of them was a fake muramasa (was made 200 years after his death, its a well made fake and still valuable in its own right), 1 was an nco shin gunto, 3 of them were victorian era blades, but one of them was a ww2 shin gunto and its blade was an actual gem, the shin guntos blade was made by hikoshiro sadamune, i had the blade sent to japan to be restored and refitted to my preferences and it is now so valuable that my insurance legally wont let me disclose its value, it just shocks me how these rare gems can be forgotten about, i only forked over 10k because i knew i could make my money back on the victorian era blades, but no one other than some weeb looking guy bid on them (and i mean weeb, guy had 5 sailor moon tattoos that i could see)
edit: the swordsmith who restored the blade said in one of our interactions that he has never seen a finer blade in his 50 years of swordsmithing and even suggested a few things i should do with the fittings, such as colours and materials, even going as far as to tell me specific people i should get to make each individual fitting
That sounds amazing, lucky score! Congratulations, and enjoy it.
@@SamuraiJames i know, makes you wonder, who would put such a rare balde into a shin gunto
Almost certainly someone who didn't know any better of what the blade was. There was a painting found above a stove in France recently that was rare and sold at auction for 24 million. Crazy stuff but it happens!
@@SamuraiJames like my wifes old neighbour, he inherited his grandparents old house, and they had 3 authentic mings in the basement, its weird how these things always sound made up "oh i just found it in the attic" but they happen way to often
edit: from what i heard, the guy broke two of the in transit to the auction house
@@bigfrankfraser1391didn't someone once find a van Gogh in there attic
In the late 80s I collected old katana's from the 15th to 17th centuries, back then they were still affordable. Today the prices are just sick.
Yes, the prices are high on nihonto and European antiques have gone up exponentially too. If I had a time machine I'd go back and buy a few hundred, but also I'd just go back further in time and steal - err transfer ownership of - a bunch of real antiques!
One of my bucket list weapons! How lucky for you!
Thanks! Even after having it a while, it still brings a smile to my face.
Loved the forging layers beautiful sword.
Me too! Thank you!
調べてみまたらデータが残っていました。
刀：白鞘入り、拵え付き（保存刀剣）研磨済
銘：備州長船家光
鞘書 備秀長船家光 大宮三代 明応の頃
備州長船家光の中でも上作にランクされる。
はばき:金無垢一重 と推定。 25グラム
刃長:60.9センチ
反り:1.4センチ
目釘穴:2個
元幅:2.68センチ
先幅:1.65センチ
重ね:0.6センチ
刀身重量:410グラム
時代：室町時代 明応の頃
体配：片手打ちと称する短めの刀で反りやや深く付き、切先が伸びる
地鉄：小板目肌と小杢目肌が良く練れて地沸が付き映りが現れる
刃紋：刺し裏近辺に大肌が出ております
鎬地：小板目肌に流れ柾目が見て取れる。
特徴：家光は長光の門人とも大宮盛景の子供とも言われている。
拵：
鍔：延茎の鉄鐔に花の紋様を透かす。 刀匠鐔
縁頭：赤銅地に花の紋様を彫る
鞘：黒塗り鞘
目貫：鎧の図柄に金色絵をほどこす
片手打ちと称する作品で当時に戦争が騎馬で 戦わず地上で戦う時代へと変化をしていった頃の作品。
多少の古疵はありますが１４９２年以前に制作された刀 だそうです、
日本人として大切にして頂いてうれしいです。
Yes indeed, that was the listing information, thank you. It is very cherished and I feel blessed to have it.
I wonder where my family blade set is. The Hojo Clan blades from the kamakura period. Great grandfather Masaichi Hojo “Hojio” could only bring the tanto. They wouldn’t let him take the katana and wakizashi on the boat. Somehow the tanto was stolen from the home back then and ended back in Japan.
I hope they weren't destroyed but that's always a chance with the WW2 surrenders and destructions. Perhaps one day you will find one, or the entire set.
Yeah never know these days
I agree that there are a lot of manufactured swords from China, but on the other hand almost everything is made in China nowadays. I make some very nice katana, but I admit that my partner who forges the blades is Chinese in origin. He is also from a long family line of sword makers from Longquan where they forged the first steel swords over 2000 years ago.
Understood. The vast majority of reviews and videos on here are about modern repros made in China (or at least Asia). This one is a real Japanese made antique and I wanted to distinguish that in the title. I also have some modern pieces made in China and generally have no complaints about them, with exceptions to certain bits of certain swords which are specific to makers / fitment and in most cases are expected given the price points.
I know this is a silly western question, but how much did it cost? Sorry just curious.
GOT 3, 1647, 1678, AND 1691 ... SEND EM TO JAPAN EVERY 3 YRS FOR 'TUNE-UP!'
Awesome! I'd be so nervous about them getting lost in transit.
Neighbor, you do you, but if something with that age and history came to hand, I'd have to restore it to full function.
If I had unlimited money and could take it there myself I would. It's in good condition overall and gets maintenance to keep it in good condition. I've heard of people losing them in the mail and I was so nervous waiting for it to get here I can't imagine sending it back and forth again.
Beautiful to see how passionated you are!
Thank you! This was my first antique Japanese sword and very exciting.
Very cool. Cant wait for full video!!
Thanks! Might circle back with some close ups and a closer inspection of it. I've got a couple videos in the queue first.
@@SamuraiJames close ups & the price tag video? Lol
It would have been exiting to see you actually find it and buy it ,and process of shipping it
I bought it on the internet and had it shipped from Japan. If I traveled to buy it I would definitely include video of that. Maybe some year.
Calling yourself a samurai and owning swords like those seems like something that might land you a curse
So I'll ask. What did it cost?
Very cool video. It makes you wonder who actually carried this when it was made, I would like to know that if it were mine.
Thanks! I wonder the same but I don't think it's possible to track if it wasn't a very high ranked daimyo and even then mostly swords by Masamune and other top tier smiths, and that one in particular because of the curse associated with the blades
I wonder how much it cost. 15-20k?
Beautiful piece, congratulations!
Thank you!
So how much did it cost? I find it amazing that one can even purchase such an historical antique of that age commercially.
I don't want to say the specific amount since I don't know how that affects the value long term, but it's the most expensive sword I own. It's amazing they sell swords like this but I've seen older and in better shape for sale too, I think the oldest was 1300s.
@@SamuraiJames I appreciate the reply I was just curious to the ballpark figure. But regardless thank you for sharing.
If you're in the market for one they go for about a thousand with no paperwork or signature in moderate condition, or into tens of thousands for very high quality with paperwork and tang signatures from specific high end smiths. It's my most expensive sword, but less than my most expensive armor, for a general range. But each sword carries it's own value based on history, paperwork, when the paperwork is from, current condition, and how much a buyer really wants it if it is in an auction setting.
I'm really jealous ngl.
Also, take a shot every time he says cool lol.
Haha I was so excited to get this sword, and I couldn't do any second takes on it. My brain was struggling for other words most of the time because it kept going "hey you're holding a 500+ year old sword, did you know that"?
Thats a beautiful sword. I hope i get to own a real functional katana from japan some day. I know it will be very expensive. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks! Save up and watch for what you want. You will get there in time.
Well that was very educational and interesting thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Surely the sori is not 11 cm because I've seen far more extreme SORI than that such as Nodachi as I was on a chase to fine deep tachi sori.
They listed it at 11.4cm / 4.48in but I agree it doesn't look like that. Maybe it was supposed to be 1.4cm and they mixed up the measurements. My 3cm sori tachi feels like a deeper curve than this one.
I’m curious as to the cost?
So great to see this history, great video. Cheers...
Many thanks!
I know that feeling, I collected swords 10 years ago, and my real sword (Muromachi) ended up putting me in debt!
That sounds like an awesome sword!
cool sword. very cool. samurai james. meet samurai jason lol. i trained in the bujinkan and other samurai bujutsu school for about 8 years the i moved to the mountains in oregon to live in the national forest to train for a decade on all that i learned. i made many fun videos training bojutsu. archery. in full samurai armor. bajutsu. horsemanship in samurai armor. shuriken jutsu. sui ton no jutsu. kenjutsu etc. very cool old sword you got there. real nice.
Ah I thought the name was familiar, I took a look at your channel and I used to watch some of your videos years ago including the armor ones. Nice to meet you and thanks for watching and commenting!
Wow!, most impressive!, I’m so happy for you,…an utterly amazing purchase!
Thank you! I am thrilled with it.
Very cool. I would love to own a 16th century sword, but I do not see that ever happening. As for the koshirae, is it possible that is Edo Period?
My understanding is that everything is the same age, as it wasn't specified that the koshirae is from a later period. The sageo looks a bit old, but not as old as I'd expect given the wear on the saya. It could definitely be Edo or more recent.
@@SamuraiJames Fair enough. It just looks in extremely good shape for 16th century. Plus, I have hardly seen 16th century blades with mostly full period koshirae. The koshirae, other than the metal parts, has almost always been Edo Period. But, I am ffaaarrrrr from an expert.
It has some small flaws when you see it up close. It was probably remounted once in it's earlier lifetime since there are two mekugi ana. The blade is so well polished it feels like the blade should be Edo and the koshirae from Meio, but I know it's because it has a recent polish. They have listings for bare blades, blades with only shirasaya, and standalone koshirae, I hope they didn't sell a Meio blade with late Edo fittings. The saya has quite a bit of wear / age that doesn't seem like Edo period wear, more of usage in war, however I'm far from an expert on that either.
@@SamuraiJames Again fair enough. You have held it, looked at it close, have documents, ect.... I am just some potato brained shmuck that saw a video of it haha
That's a beautiful blade!
Thank you! I really like it.
A lovely piece. Is this going to be fore display or a little bit of tameshigiri???
Thank you. Display only as I could not bear the thought of any accidental damage from tameshigiri on such a piece of history.
Congratulations James!!!
Thanks!
His first and here I am like, yeah I remember my first… 13 swords later.
Haha I am that way with repros! A lucky 13 antique swords later? Congratulations, sounds like an excellent collection.
@@SamuraiJames I lived there and instead of turning into an anime nerd, I got into all manner of Japanese weapons and armor collecting. Glad I did!
I enjoy some anime here and there. About to check out the Onimusha one, it was one of my favorite game series as a kid back on PS2. I would love to visit Japan sometime. Almost got to go 4 years ago but things did not pan out. Maybe in 2030ish.
Would you tell me where you bought You're samurai suit of armor and how much did it cost?
It is from Iron Mountain Armory with numerous non-standard customizations. They will give a free quote if you have something in mind. Tell them I sent you.
Thank you sir
Wow. Nice. A piece of Nihon history. Must have costed as much as small family car 😮
Thank you! Not a really fancy car price but yes haha
Simply gorgeous
Thank you!
Very nice. I love Japanese swords.
You might like some of my videos
"HURRY, HURRY, HURRY" I CAN'T WAIT.
I felt the same way opening it haha
@@SamuraiJames 🤣🤣🤣
@@SamuraiJames Cold Steel makes a pretty good sword for home defense.
あなたや、あなたの子孫がその刀を大切に扱ってくれるように願います。
May I ask what does a sword Like that cost?
It depends on the quality and rarity. Anywhere from a couple thousand to a couple hundred thousand.
thanks man something cutting edge
Sword puns! Yay!!
When living in Japan and working as a commercial photographer I was given the opportunity to photography what I recall was a Kamakura age sword, I was instructed by the owner to not breath through my mouth or talk over the blade. I realize you are narrating your video and are very excited but exhaling strongly was noticed. Also, and this is difficult to explain, when opening the wood storage case, grasp the case with your hands on opposite sides of the seam and placing the thumbs on the opposite sides, use the thumbs to push the sides gentility apart. This method is not only gracefully ceremonial it insures the separation of the two parts smoothly without any edge contact or accident.
I am not being critical of your handling of the blade, and you may already know what I’ve said, but wish to possibly add to your awareness. One last note from my experience, when polishing a blade one is taught to hold a folded piece of cloth in your mouth to discourage breathing through the mouth and depositing moisture on the blade.
Excitement got the better of me when I was taking it out of the saya and I was thinking more about the video than the sword itself when pulling it out sideways. I do know about the talking over it part, which is inevitable in a video, and as soon as I hit stop on the camera any sword that am I using a video gets a wipe down with WD-40 to clean it off, air dried a bit, then given a fresh wipe down with oil before putting it back in the saya. This particular sword gets a wipe down and fresh choji oil fairly often (about every 6 to 8 weeks). As long as it is properly cleaned and protected there won't be any damage. I follow this same process even for modern made swords, except I use RemOil instead of choji oil (it is cheaper and easier to get). Thanks for watching, commenting, and I must say I am jealous that you got to photograph and see that sword in person!
Congratulations 👏
Now you're carrying the curse of all the blood was shed with these swords...
WOW! 500 years old, you know this was probably used in battle, some lives on that blade....#GREENWITHENVY
Yes, with it being around for about a century worth of the Sengoku period it likely saw some amount of battlefield use. There's no large contact damage to it, which doesn't mean it was never used. I would be surprised if it never saw battle in it's early years (the first century - wish I could call a century my "early years" lol).
Are swords still being made in Japan?
Yes they are! In limited quantities, in specific ways, at a high cost, and generally only by specific people that the government allows to produce real swords for exporting. Sports equipment such as iaito do not count (to them).
@@SamuraiJames Which company/brand would you recommend that won't break the bank but still solid enough to use for the zombie apocalypse?
WOW!!! What a treasure!!!
Thank you! I am very blessed to get it.
Where did you purchase this from?
AOI in Japan
Are you going to test cut with it?
Not with a centuries old antique, no
I wish I could find a decent reliable source for Guntos.
Those are more likely to find at estate sales, pawn shops and similar than pre-Meiji blades. I see them for sale online sometimes but they are past my period of interest (Edo and prior).
So inceridbly cool indeed. Congatulations.
Thank you!
刀名 備州長船家光（室町後期≒1449～1565）
Thank! Meio period is what the appraiser judged it as. It has NBTHK certificate.
Yeah the koshirae isn't 500 years old it doesn't look the style of the muromachi period. The samurai had koshirae remade over the years of passing down
Correct, I'm overdue on an update video. API confirmed they aren't 500 years old but did say they are Edo period - so 150-400 years old. I'm new to antiques and couldn't tell for sure, only that they looked correctly aged / not faked.
Where did you get it from. I would love a real sword and I love Japanese history
AOI in Japan
Where did you order this sword from please let me know thanks
AOI Japan
The sword may be 500 years old but it’s highly unlikely that the koshirae is that old. Timber and the use of it don’t last that long.
Correct, later learned that the fittings are Edo period. I need to do a follow-up video to this.
GREAT, Next time you have to fight "Trolls", "Vampires", or "Zombies", you'll be ready.
🧛🧛♂🧛♀...🧟🧟♂🧟♀.......sorry I didn't have one for Trolls..
500 year old sword. I'd guess it's safe to say it's probably lopped off a head or two in that time.
With a century of that during the Sengoku period, I agree
where did you purchase the katana? Thanks
AOI Art in Japan
@@SamuraiJames thank you 👍
Two more necessary details of the sword fittings are not shown. Two seppa.
Thanks for pointing that out! I'll get some for my follow up video in a few months.
Should be nice to see the hamon closely
I'm working on a follow up video. The pictures in here were from the seller.
how much is it for info ?
A 500 year old sword.. I bet my ass it's not cheap to buy and import.. U.S. Custom must be smiling. Congrats and please take care of it. hope it will survived another 500 years
Thanks! It's my most expensive sword but I don't regret it at all, even knowing that I'll never be cutting with it or doing anything beyond display and research / hands on inspections. I know some people with even more expensive swords, these things run a huge range depending on age / quality / maker / history.
@@SamuraiJames I know... my Grandfather is a caretake of a 200+ year old FILIPINO KRIS Battle Sword Family Heirloom which i only saw twice.. still waiting who could be the next caretaker among His children/grandchildren.
Wow. Very cool!
Thanks!
Is the koshirae also 500 years old?
When I got the sword I thought they were. I later learned they are not, but are from the Edo period (150-400 years old).
Awesome! Congrats!
Thanks!
Awesome Video Loved it!,,
Glad you enjoyed it!
Why are these being allowed to leave Japan
Because some people who don't live in Japan care about them more than the people who do live there
How much is the swords 🗡️ ⚔️ worth value 💵
It is not for sale
@@SamuraiJames could you please read message correctly I didn’t asked if you would sell it I asked what value does it have please learn read since you didn’t read correctly or didn’t bother to then you got to much time on your hands 🙌
I read it correctly. You asked value. Did you mean how much did I pay for that? Because that is a different question. It is one of a kind and the value will fluctuate depending on the market and if it is sold directly or at an auction. So if you want to know what the worth value is, it is priceless to me for having something in hand that I can study to learn about a real sword from 525 years ago which will never be captured by a modern replica.
@@SamuraiJames no your adding a question to a question apparently you don’t no the value of the question since you can’t seem to answer it the first time I know a antique dealer found a original Samurai outfit an it’s original sword 🗡️ an garments when the samurai’s were discovered well before the 1500 hundreds
being nosy, how much was this beautiful piece of art?
That's something I don't want to share publicly, but it is my most expensive sword
i was wanting to know because might like to buy.@@SamuraiJames
This one is not for sale but they have swords on their site ranging from about a thousand to tens of thousands depending on age, condition, maker
I must have missed it if it was said, but where did you order that from?
AOI Art in Japan
@@SamuraiJames Thank you very much. I hope to have one of those one day.
You're welcome. It's something I wanted for a long time and feel very lucky to have.
I bought a Yamashiro wakizashi from the Nanboku-cho period, 1300's. It's an amazing piece and so is yours. Congrats!.
@@ChoneyPony thank you! Congratulations on yours, it sounds awesome.
Gloves. I'm thinking a legit antique Nihonto. Get ready for several more comments. Haha.
Can see the care they put into packaging, not just slapped in styrofoam.
Very, very nice indeed. Great video. I would be fighting the urge to cut with her. Just one cut. You know you want to.
They did an excellent job. Having the tsuba separate so it wouldn't cause any damage during shipping either. My first purchase from them and I am very impressed. It's such a cool sword. A few of my friends saw it and the most frequent comment was "replica of a 500 year old sword?" with general shock that it actually IS over 500 years old. The saya has some wear, the tsuka is worn as expected of a sword made in the middle of the sengoku / warring states era, the shirasaya has some rubbed areas, but the blade is so amazing. Also, YT says there's 2 replies here but I only see one, I don't know what happened to the other one.
I bought the same one at the mall
Lol no
I wonder how much it’s worth???? But people who appreciate beautiful things-don’t count money…
Thank you! I enjoy it very much.
What's the price?
It is not for sale.
@@SamuraiJames The price you got it.
No one draws a sword on its side pal
Awesome piece! How much did it cost?
Thanks! Let's just say it's my most expensive sword.
@@SamuraiJames haha as someone who collects nihonto, that is a totally understandable response lol
You know the struggle then haha
link for the website pls!
www.aoijapan.com/
@@SamuraiJames thx!
How mush did you spend
It is the most expensive sword I own
Я заказывал у них в компании, этим мечом вы можете разрубить канистры от бензина наполненные водой пополам, я брал ширасайю в ножнах с рунами из дамаска, на даче рублю ей борщевики
What did you order? Congratulations.
@@SamuraiJames Ширасайя Масамунэ с рунной гравировкой на клинке из марганцового Дамаска ( синий клинок) и ножнах чёрных лакированных из магнолии