Looking For Help

[dancingbear038]

I have a friend who passed recently and his widow asked me to help with his sword collection. There are three in military mounts, one not, and one that is nodachi. As I take more pictures I will post them. Here is the first one with a signature on the tang.

[Mark C]

Hi,

 

I would have a guess at:

 

Motte yasu Gi Ko Kitau Kore (forged this with Yasugi steel).

 

Is there anything on the other side?

 

P.S - Please sign your posts with your name (Board rules)

 

Mark C

[dancingbear038]

Yes, there is writing on the other side, thanks.

 

Tom B.

[Mark C]

Hi Tom,

 

My guess is:

 

Seki Ju Kojima Kanenori Saku.

 

Mark C

[SteveM]

Yes, Kojima Kanenori is right. 

Tom, if you are new to the word of Japanese swords, Kanenori is the name (or the artist name) of the smith who made this sword. He is a fairly well-known maker of ww2 swords, so you should be able to find some info on him if you search here, or search other sites. "Well-known" doesn't necessarily mean the sword is valuable. There are a lot of variables. Again, a search should provide a lot of interesting reading for you.

 

 

 

関住小島兼則作

Seki-jū Kojima Kanenori saku

 

The other side is 

 

以大和鋼鍛之

Yamato hagane wo motte, kore wo kitau (in the idiosyncratic, counter-intuitive way of reading kanbun) - which means, "made with Japanese steel"

 

 

 

A rare inscription, I think. I've never seen it, and it doesn't show up in any searches. 

[Mark C]

Hi Steve,

 

Very interesting, found something very simular in Slough's page 98

 

All the best

 

Mark C