Translation Would Be Appreciated!

[nc-by-the-c]

I've had partial help and recommendation that I try here

Any translation help/ maker identity/information would be greatly appreciated

I know very little about swords in general

Thanks!

[nc-by-the-c]

[nc-by-the-c]

This is a quote from a member elsewhere

 

"Working hard to read that kanji, or what's left of it with that pitting, it looks to me like:

越前住　下坂　Shimosaka of Echizen. I can't make out the last two characters which would be the name.

The Shimoshita school of swordsmiths originates from the founder Shimosaka Hachirouzaemon back in 1573. There are a number of swordsmiths that use the "Shimosaka of Echizen" before their names. However I believe they are all well before Guntos were introduced in the late 1800s.

So, either you have a very old blade that was turned into a Gunto, or just a common Gunto which had the signature of an old famous swordmaker engraved into the nakago afterwards. Maybe to sell to a GI during the occupation.

I am not qualified to make a judgement...."

 

Maybe it helps?

 

Is it weird that there is no hamon?

[SteveM]

I think this is your man

越前住下坂兼先

Echizen-jū Shimosaka Kanesaki

 

But...your sword has had its interesting features stripped off due to what looks like an amateur polish using some ultra-abrasive material, like sandpaper. 

It greatly reduces the value of your sword. It would cost north of a thousand dollars to try to salvage that sword (look on this site for links of professional Japanese sword polishers). 

 

The problem is that "shiny" or "sharp" does not always equal "good" in the Japanese sword world. Having a polish done by someone who is intimately familiar with Japanese swords, their historical evolution, shape, features, aesthetics, etc.. is something that adds value to swords. An amateur with sandpaper can fatally damage a sword by stripping off the outer steel, where the interesting crystalline structures are found, and expose the inner core steel.  The patina on the tang is also something of interest to sword connoisseurs. I don't know if yours could be salvaged. And, there are an awful lot of fakes in the sword world, so you would first want to have a knowledgeable person take a look and make a judgment on the authenticity.  

[nc-by-the-c]

Wow cool thanks!

Tang was rust encrusted (nonway to even see markings) due to being in the what appears to be walnut handle

I used spray gun cleaner and the rough side of a cotton sock to bring out markings seen, may have had something abrasive prior to my cleaning, the blade simply had what appeared to be dry grease on it, it melted away easily to reveal blade as it stands

Is it weird to not have a distinct hamon?

Would this maker be considered a decent blade maker? What year did he live? Thanks!

 

This reference?

http://sanmei.com/contents/en-us/p1890.html

[SteveM]

This is the one (maybe). 

 

https://nihontoclub.com/smiths/KAN2117

 

I am not 100% sure. There are several smiths who used the name Kanesaki, and even a couple who used "Echizen Jū Shimosaka...", but the references say the signature should be Echizen kuni Jū... and I don't know if the omission of that one word is significant. 

 

I don't really know anything about the Shimosaka group, and I know even less about Kanesaki. But you should be able to find out more if you do a search on that name, or do a search for information on the Shimosaka group. I don't think this particular smith is a smith of great distinction, but his work would have to speak for itself. In the case of this sword, the polish has ruined the steel, so we cannot see what kind of work the smith did on this sword. 

[nc-by-the-c]

Thanks again, it's very exciting to find a 400 year old blade cloaked in WWII "clothing"

I greatly appreciate your time to shed light on something so ancient, it's amazing that records and history trace is maintained so meticulously on these items it really reflects how important these blades are/must be to Japanese culture