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Post by jeff190 on Jan 26, 2021 19:29:09 GMT
Hello everyone, I got this bare blade from the forum in the beginning of last year, and finally decided to do something with it now. It is a nihonto, mumei, and i believe it is a low end form my limited experience of handling a few certificated nihonto and from the price i got it. I also got the tsuba, fuchi kashira recently. But habaki is missing. There is also rust on the blade that need a polishing. I talked with one professional and got a quote of $299 for polishing, ~$600 for saya and ~$275 for tsuka, but he couldn't do habaki. Now the question is since the blade itself cost me $400, and given the blade is not a high tier, is it worthy to spend the $1500+ for the rest of the work? I'm quite hesitated. To be honest the project is much more than i thought. Is there any low-cost options to go with this blade? Thanks here is a picture of the stuffs:
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Post by randomnobody on Jan 26, 2021 19:33:49 GMT
Only $299 for polishing? Who gave you that quote? It seems awfully low...
I'd probably see if a standard size production janaki fit "well enough" and just have a shirasaya made, once it was polished, but that's just me.
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Post by jeff190 on Jan 26, 2021 19:42:21 GMT
Only $299 for polishing? Who gave you that quote? It seems awfully low... I'd probably see if a standard size production janaki fit "well enough" and just have a shirasaya made, once it was polished, but that's just me. should i mention the name here?...not sure... but yeah that's the price i was told, He also said they use Japanese water stones for our sharpening service
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Post by phoule on Jan 26, 2021 19:45:32 GMT
Normally a good polishing job is around $80-$100 per inch. So it should be over $2000 for a standard size katana. Not sure how a $300 polish is possible...
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Post by jeff190 on Jan 26, 2021 19:50:40 GMT
Only $299 for polishing? Who gave you that quote? It seems awfully low... I'd probably see if a standard size production janaki fit "well enough" and just have a shirasaya made, once it was polished, but that's just me. do you happen to know how much a shirasaya would cost in usual? I'm also thinking buying a standard habaki. but the thickness at the notch of the mune (where habaki is supposed to sit) is 0.22inch or 0.56 cm. WOuld it be too thin for a standard habaki?
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Post by paulmuaddib on Jan 26, 2021 19:52:20 GMT
I’m with random, I’d go Shirasaya. Not every blade needs to be dressed up. In fact Shirasaya makes the blade stand out even more imo. I’ll leave the polishing question to others who are way more knowledgeable than me.
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Post by jeff190 on Jan 26, 2021 20:31:14 GMT
Here is a image on the dimension of the blade at the habaki part. Would it be possible to find a "standard" habaki to fit it?
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Post by jeff190 on Jan 26, 2021 20:32:10 GMT
I’m with random, I’d go Shirasaya. Not every blade needs to be dressed up. In fact Shirasaya makes the blade stand out even more imo. I’ll leave the polishing question to others who are way more knowledgeable than me. Thanks. I do agree that Shirasaya could be a better option
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Post by randomnobody on Jan 26, 2021 20:35:29 GMT
Doesn't seem that far off from typical, but looking at these new photos I realize how small the machi are, and that gives me some concern.
I'll let more educated folk decide if they're going to be a problem; likewise I don't know the answer to your other questions, either, so I'll hope someone else does. Shirasaya will be cheaper than full kit, but prices vary by who's doing it. If it's some production outfit that has parts on hand, they can probably find a habaki that fits. Otherwise, the habaki is probably the cheapest thing to get made.
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Post by jeff190 on Jan 26, 2021 20:59:24 GMT
Doesn't seem that far off from typical, but looking at these new photos I realize how small the machi are, and that gives me some concern. I'll let more educated folk decide if they're going to be a problem; likewise I don't know the answer to your other questions, either, so I'll hope someone else does. Shirasaya will be cheaper than full kit, but prices vary by who's doing it. If it's some production outfit that has parts on hand, they can probably find a habaki that fits. Otherwise, the habaki is probably the cheapest thing to get made. Thanks, dude. I know nothing about the machi problem will be looking forward for someone to tell more. About the habaki... from Fred Lohman's webiste it cost $450 to make..(he listed a basic saya for $650, for reference) ...so man i don't know...i do hope someone happen to have a spare habaki that can match ...
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Post by randomnobody on Jan 26, 2021 21:16:42 GMT
Oof. $299 for a polish, but $450 for a habaki? Shop around.
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Post by RaylonTheDemented on Jan 26, 2021 21:27:01 GMT
Oof. $299 for a polish, but $450 for a habaki? Shop around. Mmm, maybe a zero was missing from the possible e-mail quote (if communication was done by e-mail) and it should read: 2999$ ?
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Post by leed on Jan 26, 2021 21:28:02 GMT
Why not make your own handle out of cool looking medium density wood? You can get scraps from wood stores and cut into halves and then sand or grind to custom shape.
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Post by randomnobody on Jan 26, 2021 21:31:26 GMT
Why not make your own handle out of cool looking medium density wood? You can get scraps from wood stores and cut into halves and then sand or grind to custom shape. This reminds me: There are shirasaya that incorporate the habaki into the tsuka, sort of like an extension, rather than a separate metal part.
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Post by jeff190 on Jan 26, 2021 22:39:15 GMT
Oof. $299 for a polish, but $450 for a habaki? Shop around. no no no, please don't get the wrong impression it was Fred quoting $299 for polishing. I apologize for the misleading communication. It was a different person who doesn't make habaki...I was then looking for people making habaki and saw Fred's website.
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Post by jeff190 on Jan 26, 2021 22:40:19 GMT
Oof. $299 for a polish, but $450 for a habaki? Shop around. Mmm, maybe a zero was missing from the possible e-mail quote (if communication was done by e-mail) and it should read: 2999$ ? the price for polishing and for habaki was from two different person...i apologize for the misleading information...
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Post by jeff190 on Jan 26, 2021 22:41:07 GMT
Why not make your own handle out of cool looking medium density wood? You can get scraps from wood stores and cut into halves and then sand or grind to custom shape. might not be a bad idea...
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Post by JH Lee on Jan 26, 2021 22:46:18 GMT
Please post detailed pictures of your sword over at the Nihonto Message Board, a forum full of experts and professionals and collectors who may be able to tell you exactly what it is you have.
It's one thing to tinker around with a Chinese reproduction. Quite another to squeeze a random cast habaki onto a nihonto and to fit it onto a tsuka that you've carved yourself.
I recommend that you find out all you can about the sword first and take your time gathering the funds to restore and mount the sword appropriately by an experienced craftsman and polisher. Even just a mere surface level repolish/"finish polish" should cost at least $1k if being done by someone who knows what they are up to. Even a full repolish from new foundation up will cost at least that much (but not that much more if you know who to go to).
If you want, you can PM me and I can give you the names of a few reliable people. Right now I have 2 different swords being repolished by 2 different people; both nihonto (an old shinshinto and a gendaito). And there are more affordable remounters than Lohman who arguably produce even better work in less time.
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Post by randomnobody on Jan 26, 2021 22:46:44 GMT
Oof. $299 for a polish, but $450 for a habaki? Shop around. no no no, please don't get the wrong impression it was Fred quoting $299 for polishing. I apologize for the misleading communication. It was a different person who doesn't make habaki...I was then looking for people making habaki and saw Fred's website. Oops, that's right, you did say that.
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karl j
Manufacturer/Vendor
Posts: 178
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Post by karl j on Jan 27, 2021 3:54:35 GMT
"Used Japanese water stones for their sharpening service" Don't walk run from whoever is quoting this and 299 for a polish nonsense.
Given the wear , polishing that blade will be a delicate matter.
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