This is currently on the Japanese net for sale. I am biding on it now, but its such a wonderful example. A dealer owns it here in Tokyo. Its going up to $2000 at the moment so there will be a fight for it.

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Seaforth,

The sword appears to have a family mon on it as well. Identified with a blade inscription I assume?

I asked the vendor for the inscription, but no reply yet. Also, the mon.

Bidding is stiff and I really am surprised at this.... I see only 2000 tops for this....

The value is in the inscription. Please let us know the translation.

Hi,

The inscription just records the name of the swordsmith that made the sword that once resided in there. It was a Bizen Sukesada dated Tensho 5.

I knew that might be the case, but why the high price, I don't know. I have been collecting gunto and its fittings for twenty years and I had never seen this go so high before.

At Token Shibata's Shop in Ginza he has an exact example and a much rarer one (The fittings are 1914 pattern, but the its for a wakizashi size and the has a wakizashi sword by Kanda Kanetsugu c. 1644 with Hozon papers for $3000. Go figure.....

Its at 3000 now. I'm out. Anybody else???

You never know what will happen with an auction. Don't forget the "greater fool theory" that states it only takes two and one of those bidders can become the greater fool and pay too much.

You did the right thing to get out after your set top bid is exceeded.