# Sometimes I miss my wakizashi **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 7, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-miss-my-wakizashi/325213 "2005-10-07T16:46:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-miss-my-wakizashi/325213/1 "2005-10-07T16:46:33Z")
Back in the early-1980s I bought a WWII Japanese admiral’s flag (a large one, to be flown from a ship) for $75 at a swap meet. Shortly thereafter I met a guy who would trade a wakizashi for it. The wakizashi had a WWII handle, tsuba and scabbard, which were obviously incorrect. I took the wakizashi to a Japanese sword store and found out that it had been made c.16th Century and the tang was signed. I really liked that sword. But I was young, and I needed money. A friend _really_ liked it, so I sold it to him for $150. I asked him a few times over the years if he still had it, and if he’d like to sell it back. ‘What? My prized possession?’ Nope. He’s keeping it. Sometimes I really miss that sword. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-miss-my-wakizashi/325213/2 "2005-10-07T23:08:33Z")
! That’s me being speechless. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-miss-my-wakizashi/325213/3 "2005-10-08T00:16:10Z")
You\*\*…sold\*\*…a 16th century wakizashi… for $150!!! :eek: If there was ever a call for the “putz” smiley outside the Pit, this would be it. ---
**Author:** ![Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-miss-my-wakizashi/325213/4 "2005-10-08T01:52:25Z")
I can see the appraisers at the Antiques Roadshow already lining up to slap him. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-miss-my-wakizashi/325213/5 "2005-10-08T03:24:09Z")
Well to be fair… I _did_ only pay $75 for it. And I was a _kid!_ :o At least I know it’s in good hands. ---
**Author:** ![Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-miss-my-wakizashi/325213/6 "2005-10-08T06:22:10Z")
My dad once sold an early pressing of Alice Cooper’s “Killer” at a garage sale for $1. He found out a few years later that that particular release was worth around $200. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-miss-my-wakizashi/325213/7 "2005-10-08T06:35:46Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > You\*\*…sold\*\*…a 16th century wakizashi… > > for $150!!! > > If there was ever a call for the “putz” smiley outside the Pit, this would be it. So like, what’s a 16th Century wakizashi with a signed tang worth? What’s it worth in El Paso? ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-miss-my-wakizashi/325213/8 "2005-10-08T06:39:30Z")
> [@Palooka](#): > > So like, what’s a 16th Century wakizashi with a signed tang worth? What’s it worth in El Paso? Well, presumably less that a Hanzo katana. ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-miss-my-wakizashi/325213/9 "2005-10-08T06:47:03Z")
> [@Cerowyn](#): > > Well, presumably less that a Hanzo katana. So… more or less than a Nazi battle flag and paratrooper helmet? What if you throw in an Itallian Fascist helmet? ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-miss-my-wakizashi/325213/10 "2005-10-08T12:41:14Z")
> [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](#): > > So… more or less than a Nazi battle flag and paratrooper helmet? What if you throw in an Itallian Fascist helmet? And that relates to the movie joke how? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-miss-my-wakizashi/325213/11 "2005-10-08T14:15:35Z")
> [@Palooka](#): > > So like, what’s a 16th Century wakizashi with a signed tang worth? What’s it worth in El Paso? I don’t know about a Koto period wakizashi, but a quick search turned up a Shinto period one in similar condition for $475. Of course values depend on period, condition of the blade, condition of the accessories, maker, etc. and may reach several thousands of dollars. But given that I got my blade so cheaply (from a guy who, in the 1980s, would not trade a certain katana for a very nice classic Triumph), and that this was 20 years ago and there has been inflation in the meantime, I probably got a ‘fair’ price for my wakizashi. As I said the fittings were WWII. Also there were a couple of small nicks and scratches on the blade. Still in very nice condition for a non-serious collector, but not anything special for a serious collector. But I still miss it sometimes. I should have kept it.