Iaito for sale

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[amandal]

Originally $700, this custom iaito from swordstore (purchased about 2006) is lightly used and in beautiful shape. It's definitely not a wallhanger. I'd be pleased to show it in person in Seattle. I am 5'7" for reference. I'm asking $400, but would also be happy to bargain, trade, or haggle. It does need someone who will train with it. Ping me and I will gladly send you pics.

Tsuka ito: black cotton
Tsuba: plum branch
Fuchi Kashira: plum flower
Menuki: horses
Saya: black stone
Sageo: black
Tsuka handle length: 8.5 sun/28 in/71.2 cm
Blade length: 2-3-5/28 in/71.2 cm
Same: natural color

[MM]

I would be interested. Email is WV_Mark at Yahoo dot com. Can you email pics?

Mark Murray

[amandal]

Done, and I also have the original invoice somewhere...

I would be interested. Email is WV_Mark at Yahoo dot com. Can you email pics?

Mark Murray

[amandal]

It's still available.

[Keith Larman]

Just fwiw you measurements of the tsuka length cannot be correct. You list at 8.5 sun, that's normal, or about 10.15 inches or about 25.8 centimeters. Just fwiw.

[amandal]

Hmm... I think that is what the invoice gave me. I'll double check. Probably a typo on my part.

[Keith Larman]

It's no big deal, but I think you repeated the inches and centimeter measurements of the blade itself (nagasa -- measurement from blade notch on the back of the blade to tip in a straight line) under the tsuka length section. 8.5 sun is a conventional length for a tsuka and is listed (I assume) correctly. That's quite standard for a Japanese made iaito and the default for companies like Swordstore. 8.5 sun comes out to a little over 10 inches or a little under 26 cm.

Just fwiw. No big deal... If it's a "conventional tsuka" your listing should say...

Tsuka handle length: 8.5 sun/10.15 in/26.8 cm
Blade length: 2-3-5/28 in/71.2 cm
Same: natural color

[Keith Larman]

Or to put it another way I'm pretty sure you don't have a 28 inch long tsuka on that iaito... :D

[Keith Larman]

Oh, and it might help if you put which model number it was. You'll find numbers like 1a, 1001, 2002, 3003, etc. Features vary a bit from model to model. If you spent 700 I'd guess it was in the 2002 but those were usually wrapped in silk if memory serves. But anyway, check the invoice for the model number because they do vary a bit from the bottom end to their top end.

And fwiw to those looking, Swordstore has put out some very nice iaito over the years. If it is lightly used and in good shape paying 400 for a 700 piece is a good deal. And FWIW as a guy doing custom swords the length is about right for probably 70-80% of folk out there. The tsuka is the conventional length for iaito made in Japan and the blade length is just about right for most people. So if you wanted to have a good quality piece that is vastly better than entry level production swords but also won't cut a finger off as you learn to use it, not a bad deal at all.

FWIW. Good luck with it.