Buying A Tachi

[Scully]

Evening All,
Although i'd usually post this in the Iaido section, I though t I'd may get more results here,
For collection purposes (no i'm not some numpty ken/iaidoka who wants to use a tachi, I'm a collector) I want to buy a tachi, although it will only be for occasional display and collection, I'm not into buying horrible quality wall hangers. (E.g ryan sword etc)
So if anyone can find me a good website that sells a good quality tachi, sharp or blunt, doesn't matter too me, please post,

Regards

Scully

[b8amack]

You thought you'd get more results in the bogu section than in the iaido section?

[Scully]

You thought you'd get more results in the bogu section than in the iaido section?

The iaido section didn't seem to know an awful lot outside of katana used in iaido,
and since there are a few kendoka who know swords pretty well but probably stay away from the iaido section because they don't train in it, I guess i thought i'd get better results, now when I look at it that logic doesn't seem so great......

[dillon]

I would venture to guess that the people who would likely know about tachi distinct from katana (e.g. as a particular knowledge) would be either nihonto collectors or someone who happens to practice a koryu where tachi use is in the curriculum (e.g. the ones where everything is done in yoroi). Perhaps try asking on one of these sword collectors' forums:

http://www.thejapanesesword.com/forum/index.php
http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/

If you're looking to buy an antique, tachi will occasionally turn up on any of the usual market channels (sword dealers, etc.). Just keep an eye on them. Otherwise, I suppose you can get a shinsakuto (newly made nihonto) as a tachi made to order. Longer swords are more prone to failure at the tempering stage due to differential temperatures getting trickier the longer the work gets. Katana have something like a 30% failure rate at the quench. This is why those super long (2-3m) swords are rare and only made for shrines or temples (the gods must have been happy with the smith in allowing the blade to come through).

By traditional standards however, what would be today a longish iai-shinken might be considered a tachi in feudal times so it would be like getting a long iaido shinken but with the smith's engraved name and mounting reversed. If you've ever seen a katana in a museum, they seem very short by today's standards while a tachi is typically only slightly longer than what many of use have for iaito.