Cutting Test

[Guest Nanshoku-Samurai]

Hello,

 

I'm seeking some help as to who had performed this cutting test. If anybody recognizes this Kao please kindly let me know please.

 

Thank you,

 

Max

[Ford Hallam]

Hello Max,

 

In my opinion it looks like the Kao was either cut with a round gouge shaped chisel or something like a ball burr in a Dremmel drill. This would imply that this rather poorly shaped and executed Kao was added by someone completely unfamiliar with the more usual Japanese metalwork techniques. It's hard to tell from the images you've posted but this would seem to make the whole inscription suspect.

 

Just my opinion,

 

cheers, Ford

[Guido]

I agree with Ford 100%, the entire inscription looks fishy to me. There are a couple of points in how it was done (very crudely, btw), and *what* is written, that makes it very unlikely this Mei is genuine. I even have doubts that it was done by someone adept at Japanese.

 

Not that it really matters anymore at this point, but the name is given as Nobuhide, so that's what the Kao should stand for.

[Guest Nanshoku-Samurai]

Dear Ford and Guido,

 

thank you very much for kindly giving my your oppinion on this cutting test.

 

To be honest I did not expect it. I was rather convinienced that the Mei was legit. The sword had been purchased directly from the vet's family (who was very unfamiliar with Japanese swords) so the Mei would have had to be faked pre WWII.

 

Guido, could you please explain to me why you think that the meaning of the inscription adds to your feeling of it being fake?

 

I would be very happy to learn more about it.

 

Thank you again for your thoughts.

 

Max