Unknown Muromachi Tanto.....help?

[O-Midare]

Good day all, I have this old tired tanto which I can't seem to figure out, I was thinking Mino, but not sure, I just can't figure it out. The mei is pretty well unintelligible. Would this be a derivative of Sanbon Sugi, or genome. About the only thing I am sure of is that it is a Muromachi tanto. Thank You for any and all help.

 

Dwayne R.

[Ray Singer]

I agree that this does look like a Sue-Mino tanto. Nakago shape is similar to Sue-Soshu as well. Appears to be one in which a gimei was intentionally made unreadable.

[O-Midare]

Thank You Ray, Soshu was the other den I was thinking because of the nakago.

[ChrisW]

The mei area of the nakago looks like it had been struck with a small diameter rounded flat of some kind, like a blunt punch almost, several times to obscure the gimei.

[O-Midare]

Chris, seem like they really wanted to get rid of the second kanji. Almost like they peened it.

[Ray Singer]

If I were to take a stab in the dark, my impression is that the mei previously read Kunihiro.

[O-Midare]

If I were to take a stab in the dark, my impression is that the mei previously read Kunihiro.

 

 

 

That's a lot more than I could glean from it Ray, Thank You for your thoughts on this.

[ROKUJURO]

HAMON is probably HAKO-MIDARE.

[O-Midare]

HAMON is probably HAKO-MIDARE.

 

 

Thank You Jean C. for your input and knowledge, much appreciated.

[ChrisW]

Ray truly is a master of gleaning a signature from even the most unruly of mei.