Katana News — 2026-10-24: Bonhams Paris Fire Sale Verdict & Quigley Estate Auctions

A dealer's lot-by-lot verdict calls Bonhams Paris's October sale a "fire sale," the Michael Quigley estate announces late-2026 auctions, and r/Katanas IDs a supposed WWII katana as a 16th-century koto blade.

1. Dealer's Verdict: Bonhams Paris October Sale Was a "Fire Sale"

Experienced dealer "DT" published a lot-by-lot analysis of Bonhams Paris's October 2026 Japanese arms sale, reporting hammer prices far below estimate — Lot 1 (est. £5,500–7,600) hammered at £1,848, Lot 6 (est. £1,700–2,500) at £462 — and flagging several lots as reproduction or late-20th-century pieces. He notes the no-reserve lots were consigned by a Spanish dealer taking the full financial risk, and contrasts the outcome with "very disappointing results at Bonhams in New York." The write-up is an opinionated market read from a dealer, not an auction house report.

Source: Samurai Art (dealer "DT") — Web

2. Michael Quigley Estate Announces Late-2026 Sword Auctions at IGavel

IGavel Auctions memorialized collector-scholar Michael Quigley (d. November 29, 2025), announcing that remaining pieces from his 70-year collection of Japanese swords, fittings, medals, and Asian antiquities — including material cited in Dawson's Swords of Imperial Japan — will sell in a series of auctions "during the last few months of 2026" through Lark Mason / IGavel and Emedals. Quigley organized the first NBTHK shinsa held outside Japan (Dallas, 1971) and hosted the Annual Japanese Sword Show for 15 years. The auction house's own page carries the late-2026 timing; no exact sale dates are shown yet.

Source: IGavel Auctions / Lark Mason — Web

3. r/Katanas IDs a Supposed WWII Katana as a 16th-Century Koto Blade

A member posted eight photos of a blade believed to be a WWII katana, hoping for a translation, date, and identification. Commenter u/xia_yang translated the tang inscription as "Minamoto Kuniyori saku," pointing to a Muromachi-era (roughly 16th-century) smith, while others read the peg-hole shape and rust as koto-period work — only the scabbard being wartime military mount. The thread is a clean example of the community's ID machinery working.

Source: u/Schulze_II26 — Reddit

4. Commissioning a Fukuoka Ichimonji Tachi: Kawachi Kunihira vs. Kawashima Kazuki

A poster researching contemporary Japanese smiths asked for firsthand impressions while weighing a commission of a Fukuoka Ichimonji-style tachi. The choice is between mukansa smith Kawachi Kunihira, with his established reputation, and Kawashima Kazuki, whose Bizen/Ichimonji-lineage work offers the flamboyant choji-midare hamon, rich hataraki, and robust tachi-sugata the poster wants. The thread doubles as a readable sketch of how collectors evaluate living smiths.

Source: u/Crimson_Rhapsody — Reddit

5. r/Katanas Debates the Best Production Cutters in the $1–1.5K Range for 2026

A poster with 15 years of HEMA experience, now studying Japanese sword arts, asked which production cutter to buy for tameshigiri in the $1,000–1,500 bracket — ruling out both iaito and an Edo-period antique for safety. Commenters pointed to Dragon King's Kawanakajima, the Hanwei Tori XL, used Citadel or Motohara pieces, and the Swordis Shadow Dancer configurator, with a side discussion on Bugei's quality control since the 2019 CAS Iberia acquisition. A useful market snapshot for mid-range buyers.

Source: u/Possible-Thought270 — Reddit

6. 1944 Shin Gunto Gets a New Shirasaya Mount — for $575

Months after asking how to restore a weather-worn 1944 shin gunto, a member posted five photos of the finished result: a traditional shirasaya made by Wally Hostetter for $575 plus shipping. The poster praised both the communication and the craftsmanship. It is a small, well-documented restoration story from the maker community.

Source: u/The_Eee — Reddit

7. Kill Bill "Bride Katana" ID'd as a Cheap Wallhanger Replica

A member asked what they had: a sword left behind by a deceased relative, found in a corner, magnetic blade, purportedly a Kill Bill Bride katana replica. Commenters judged it a cheap stainless-steel wall decoration — one noted the coloring was wrong even as a copy — and helpfully linked a better eBay replica. The blade stayed; the myth did not.

Source: u/Plastic_Dragonfly762 — Reddit

8. Michonne's Walking Dead Katana Gets a Shop-Floor Showcase

A video post shows a man in an "Aceros de Hispania" blade shop holding up a Michonne-style Walking Dead katana — black-and-white handle wrap, brown scabbard — with the comments drifting into fan chat. Light on substance, but the strongest engagement of any TV-prop video in this window.

Source: u/Aceros_de_Hispania — Reddit

9. First Hanbon Katana Arrives — in White

A first-time buyer posted nine photos of a new white-handle, white-scabbard katana from Hanbon Forge standing on a branded wooden stand, tagged "New Sword on the way." The top comment set the tone: the white will stay white for about 30 seconds. Buyer-story fare, but the 31-upvote response shows the maker still moves product.

Source: u/ExtensionChampion878 — Reddit

10. Honest Out-of-Pocket Review: Shadow Dancer Nagamaki in Crucible Steel

Independent reviewer PNW Sword & Board posted a detailed part-one review of the Shadow Dancer Nagamaki (1095 crucible carbon steel, differential clay tempering, 31.1" blade, ~$533 retail), describing it as unbiased and paid for out of pocket, with a cut-testing part two promised. Full blade specs are included, plus a shout-out to RVA Katana for a Delrin mekugi. Posted October 21, three days before this edition, but the most substantial independent review in the window.

Source: PNW Sword & Board — YouTube

SamuraiSwordMan publishes full specs — steel, hardness, and heat treatment — on every blade. If a listing anywhere won't do that, walk away.