Translation Help - Tanto Sword

[w201]

Greetings everyone,

 

My friend recommended this forum to get translation help on a Japanese sword. I would like to get more information on this sword so I can know more about it. He was able to translate some of the characters, he thinks it reads "Geishoku Awa," 

 

He believes some of the characters are no longer in use. Any help would be appreciated. 

 

Thanks in advance!

 

[Brian]

Upside down. Please post right way up.

[w201]

Apologies, done!

[Geraint]

Dear w201.

 

Please add your name to your posts as we all do.  Alarm bells ringing on this one, could we see some photographs of the rest of the sword?  Also any fittings that it has.  That would help confirm or deny what I fear.

 

All the best.

[Brian]

I've seen Showato with that sort of yasurime, but then I have also seen Paul Chen..
We'll have to wait to see what the translation says. On my way out for dinner..hopefully someone can assist, and that it isn't what it appears it may be.

[w201]

Hey there- picture of the entire sword as you requested. Do you guys think it's a fake or a modern sword made to appear old?

 

[hxv]

The chiseling and yasurime look spanking new compared to the patina in the rest of the nakago.

 

Hoanh

[w201]

I thought so too, anyone want to take a stab at the kanji?

[SAS]

It looks like an amateur had their way with it.

[Brian]

For all intents and purposes, there are NO decent shinogi zukuri tanto.
(Yes....I know there will always be the odd exception..and child's swords) but when you don't see great quality right off the bat, and you have a shinogi zukuri tanto...avoid.
It is going to be late Meiji junk, or the front end of a broken sword..or Chinese.
I think this is the middle one.

[w201]

So you think it's the front end of a broken sword? I definitely respect your opinion, and I'm not a sword expert, but I don't think it is and I can show you why. Or I can just tell you, but if I remove the habaki, the blade is a little bit thicker there, and that wouldn't be the case if it was the end piece of a broken sword?

 

Would seeing it without the habaki help you make a better decision? Also, I don't know if it's cladded or damascus, I can't see a clear hamon line, but there is some cloudy grainy patterns all along the blade.

 

Okay, so can anyone translate the Kanji at all, or is it illegible? Want to know if it's original to the sword or added later.

 

***EDIT - More Pictures*** 

 

 

[SteveM]

The middle photograph (sword on black cloth) has the correct orientation, and I can make out the kanji for a location name 阿波 (Awa), which is the name for an old province name in Shikoku. On the right side, it looks like 於大中, which implies another place name, but I can't read the kanji clearly. The two top photographs are oriented in reverse, i.e. the kanji are showing up mirrored. 

 

Directly under the mekugi ana looks to be 武藝嘱 (bugeishoku), maybe a martial arts-related term. 藝 is the old form of 芸. 

 

The last symbol on the right side looks vaguely like an Om (sanskrit) symbol ω

 

The mekugi ana is a later addition since it is obscuring the first kanji. 

[w201]

So is this thing basically a piece of crap, does it have any value at all?

[Brian]

The hada that can be seen in one pic is not Japanese. I'm leaning towards Chinese fake.
But you need to have it looked at in hand by someone. Nothing I see there points to quality I'm afraid. The whole shape is awkward and contrived.

[w201]

This was my first purchase into the world of Japanese swords- well, Chinese swords- but we all have to start somewhere. Hopefully I'll have better luck next time. I Appreciate your time guys!