naginata blade please help

ariel · 14th October 2017, 07:02 AM

One of the most frustrating things about Japanese blades is that they are either perfect or worthless.
Professional polish of this one will cost you several thousands of dollars. It will remove a lot of the most precious metal and the final result will likely be disappointing.

Personally, I refuse to touch Nihonto with a fifty foot pole.

Lee · 14th October 2017, 08:53 AM

Ariel is, I fear, absolutely correct in his observations.

I would suggest you enjoy it as it is, except for mild oiling or waxing to reduce further degradation. It does appear to have genuine age and this speaks as to its history.

Several years ago, I found an omi-no-yari at Brimfield. I was second in line as there was a 'proper' nihonto collector already looking at it. He asked the dealer the price and then observed in response that, from losses to the engravings, it was already a bit too tired from repeated polishings. I paused and allowed him to take six steps away and then I immediately repeated the mentioned price back to the generalist dealer and promptly peeled this requested price from my bankroll. We were both smiling. For me this was a 'Brimfield eureka!'

I was prepared to enjoy it as it was and still am. Some wax on the blade and a tiny touch of glue here and there, but otherwise still exactly as it was. I am not saying that the nihonto collecting community is wrong in their quest for flawless perfection, only that, characterizing myself as a general ethnographic arms collector, this is not my goal - for me the excitement is in the tangible evidence of very different times and places that such pieces provide.

It has already been presented in these forums, so I'll not repeat the rest. There is a link to the Nihonto Message Board in that thread.

estcrh · 16th October 2017, 04:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ariel

One of the most frustrating things about Japanese blades is that they are either perfect or worthless.
Professional polish of this one will cost you several thousands of dollars. It will remove a lot of the most precious metal and the final result will likely be disappointing.

Personally, I refuse to touch Nihonto with a fifty foot pole.

Ariel, a very negative view. While it is quite expensive to polish a Japanese blade(around $100 per inch), the results are often stunning and not "disappointing" at all. People sometimes do insist on polishing very old and worn blades or blades that are just not of a good quality and this "can" result in a disappointing result. Sometimes a hidden fault will be exposed during polishing even on a good looking blade.....but the final result when you finish polishing any Japanese blade is not "likely to be disappointing".

Were did you hear that a Japanese blade is either "perfect or worthless"??? This is not the case at all, it really depends on the blade and the owner, some people are perfectionists and some people just enjoy collecting and do not expect perfection. I have some Japanese blades that are far from perfect and they are also far from worthless.

14th October 2017, 08:53 AM	#2
Lee EAAF Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Upstate New York, USA Posts: 937	Confession of a General Ethnographic Arms Collector Ariel is, I fear, absolutely correct in his observations. I would suggest you enjoy it as it is, except for mild oiling or waxing to reduce further degradation. It does appear to have genuine age and this speaks as to its history. Several years ago, I found an omi-no-yari at Brimfield. I was second in line as there was a 'proper' nihonto collector already looking at it. He asked the dealer the price and then observed in response that, from losses to the engravings, it was already a bit too tired from repeated polishings. I paused and allowed him to take six steps away and then I immediately repeated the mentioned price back to the generalist dealer and promptly peeled this requested price from my bankroll. We were both smiling. For me this was a 'Brimfield eureka!' I was prepared to enjoy it as it was and still am. Some wax on the blade and a tiny touch of glue here and there, but otherwise still exactly as it was. I am not saying that the nihonto collecting community is wrong in their quest for flawless perfection, only that, characterizing myself as a general ethnographic arms collector, this is not my goal - for me the excitement is in the tangible evidence of very different times and places that such pieces provide. It has already been presented in these forums, so I'll not repeat the rest. There is a link to the Nihonto Message Board in that thread.

14th October 2017, 07:02 AM	#1
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	One of the most frustrating things about Japanese blades is that they are either perfect or worthless. Professional polish of this one will cost you several thousands of dollars. It will remove a lot of the most precious metal and the final result will likely be disappointing. Personally, I refuse to touch Nihonto with a fifty foot pole.