Possible Rai Kunitoshi/Noriyuki 2.

[Eric Scovell]

Would like some information on those names . Should they be on separate peices of the same sword... I am really new to this please don't hate on me ....my sincere apologies for my ignorance towards proper knowledge of my sword or any meanings of the mei

[SAS]

Photos would help a lot to see what we are talking about, welcome from a former (native) Oregonian.

[Ken-Hawaii]

Welcome, Eric. The Rai school is well-known, founded by Rai Kuniyuki in mid-Kamakura (approx. 1250), & there were quite a few famous tosho (swordsmiths). Rai Kunitoshi was one of the more famous

 

Can you show or tell us what you're looking for?

[Marius]

Eric, I guess what you are asking is where you can find the signature of the smith on  a sword. Well, there is only one place - the tang (nakago in Japanese), which is the part of the blade that goes inside the hilt. 

 

Here is a little info on the tang of a Japanese sword:

 

http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/tang.html

[Tanto54]

Following up on what Marius said, other parts of your sword (non-blade parts) may be signed too, like the tsuba (blade guard), fuchigashira (collar and pommel), etc.; however, the sword smith who made the blade would only sign the nakago (tang) as Marius said (however, if your sword is in shirasaya - a plain white/yellow wood scabbard, it will often have sayagaki or back ink writing on it that will include the sword smith's name - usually not in his handwriting but instead in some "expert's" handwriting).  The other parts of the sword, if signed, are signed by the various makers of those individual parts (blade guard, etc.). 

[Eric Scovell]

The sword has a signature on it there seems to be a problem with it but so far everyone says it looks like a real sword I'll have to figure out how to put pictures on