Series · Part 2 This article is the sequel to "The Unsigned Blade — Why Mumei Swords Are Among the Most Valuable in the World." It stands alone as a practical guide to kantei, but readers who begin with Part...

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A collector contacted Tozando asking to purchase a sword by a specific Mukansa smith — one of Japan's roughly ten living masters who have been formally recognised as beyond competitive judgment by the NBTHK. The question was straightforward: "Do you...

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A collector in Kyoto once passed on a Tokubetsu Hozon-certified katana attributed to a Sōshū-den workshop — unsigned, no maker's name anywhere on the tang — and paid considerably less than a signed Shintō blade he bought instead. The signed...

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In November 2025, Tozando traveled to New York — carrying blades from the Bizen Osafune tradition to two of the city's most prominent art spaces: the Onishi Gallery on East 79th Street, and the Salon: Art + Design fair at...

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