Iaito is a beautiful and sublte art. I wish this photo reflected that better. Light from more than one direction, and at interesting angles would better bring out the details in the sword. A lower camera angle might create a composition that would fill the frame with the sword and not have so much bland reb background in the shot.
I gave this a 6. I'm a big fan of swords in general, and this is a lovely example, but I might have considered sliding the sheath out about 3 inches. I think this would have given it a bit more pop, The shadows are also a slight bit harsh, elevating it 3-4 inches and decreasing the DOF as much as possible might have helped that, as well as caused the detail in the background to show less, while still keeping the braiding on the grip and cording.
Beauty is a subjective thing, I know. In my scoring and comments I'm trying to score based on NOT whether or not I would think a particular subject beautiful, but on whether the photographer has succeeded in creating a beautiful photo. I look for the elements of color, lines, focus and dof interest, lighting, and a certain element of grace and lovlieness. I'm looking for a unique and creative appeal for the highest scorers.
That being said, this strikes me as more of a product photo, like what you might take to sell it on Ebay. Just a fairly straight forward shot with enough lighting to see the details. The red is a bit overwhelming and I think it detracts from your subject. It's not a bad shot, really. (I honestly don't even know what this is....looks like some sort of sword or something?) The angle, colors, and lines just don't convey beauty to me.
I like the red background. However, the few wrinkles (not really wrinkles, but not smooth places) are a bit distracting. Perhaps either pulling the whole thing smooth (if possible) or deliberately adding them to give it a rumpled look.
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