Translation Question

[Giloth]

Any help with a translation would be very much appreciated.  Thanks!

[ROKUJURO]

Help is difficult as it does not look like Japanese or Chinese.

Please sign all posts, if Giloth is not your real name.

[Giloth]

Help is difficult as it does not look like Japanese or Chinese.

 

Please sign all posts, if Giloth is not your real name.

Interesting.  I don't know any Japanese but I am semi-fluent in Mandarin and I couldn't find the characters in an online Japanese dictionary via writing them out in correct stroke order.  

 

What would this mean?  A fake?  I believe the sword is old based on its patina and general condition.  Would additional pictures help?  If so please let me know what is most useful as I don't want to spam a million images.

 

Thanks again,

 

Jason R. 

[John A Stuart]

Nonsense Chinese, "one attack is worth a thousand troops" ?? Obvious replica. John

[SteveM]

迟ホ次郎 - is something trying hard to look like a Japanese name. 次郎 -jirō is a viable personal name, but 迟ホ is a funny hybrid of a kanji that is not used in Japan, and a katakana "ho" that has no place in a family name.

 

The reverse side has a similar jumble of seemingly random kanji. I'm afraid it makes no sense. 坎?征千代. 

 

Could still be an authentic blade that somebody tried to tart up by adding kanji (and hoping to sell to a naive newbie). Unfortunately the odds of this being a blade of any value are pretty low. 

[Giloth]

Thank you all for the help so far.

 

I bought this off eBay in about 2000 and forgot about it until recently.  I believe it was about $200.  The seller was located in Ohio.  What would be the point of faking something like this?  I have kitchen knives with less forging (see attached image) that cost more.  Is there any hope that it's a genuine antique?  What would my next step be to find out?

 

Best,

 

Jason R. 

 

 

[Ray Singer]

Unfortunately no chance this is authentic. Very typical Chinese fake.

[Geraint]

Dear Jason.

 

(Ray beat me to it!)

 

I think the image of the forging pattern on the blade is pretty conclusive and confirms that this is a Chinese made fake.  If you want to be sure then usually a photo of the habaki, hilt and tsuba and perhaps the kissaki should suffice to confirm what seems to be the case.

 

As to why this was available for the price you payed, well it's quite possible that somewhere along the line someone got burned and was glad to take a loss.  The person who sold it to you might have been genuine in his belief that it was Japanese but at that price one would think not.

 

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

 

All the best..

[Giloth]

That's too bad, though I had a suspicion when I couldn't make sense of the writing on the tang.  Oh well, at least I don't have to baby it. 

 

Thanks to all again for the help.

[John A Stuart]

The whole phrase is;  坎苇征千代. I am not sure, a pit trap covered in reeds attacks a thousand troops; meaning, a good strategy is worth a thousand men. It sounds very Sun Tzu like, but, I can't find the phrase. John