Help w/Tanto Translation

Edward G · **Joined:** Thu Oct 08, 2009 1:57 pm **Posts:** 77

Good Afternoon all:

Please help with Tanto Inscription on Blade Itself (above Habaki).....Unusual Shape of blade appears to be possibly Kissaki-moroha-zukuri, and appears handmade with Hi (Horimono) on both sides of blade.

Thanking you for any information in advance

Edward G

kusunokimasahige · **Posted:** Thu Apr 12, 2012 10:49 pm

Looks to me like part of a cut down/broken sword/naginata made into a crudely shaped tanto

End of WWII action perhaps ?

KM

cabowen · **Posted:** Thu Apr 12, 2012 11:39 pm

The end of the war and crude part are correct, but this is not a piece of something larger....These were made in large numbers, usually in Seki, as souvenirs and the like. They are commonly referred to as kamikaze daggers, hara-kiri knives, etc. Whenever you see a few crudely cut kanji on the blade and a mekugi-ana located towards the bottom of the nakago, you can almost bet it is a souvenir piece....or just a piece....

kusunokimasahige · **Posted:** Fri Apr 13, 2012 12:07 am

Thanx for the info Chris

I thought to see a broken item in the shape.

Last month on Yahoo JP auctions I saw several broken swords of which some (the tips) were made into tanto....
Hence the idea i got with this one.

KM

Edward G · **Joined:** Thu Oct 08, 2009 1:57 pm **Posts:** 77

Thank you Chris & KM for the information, I appreicate the comments and discussion. I knew it was Showa Period....do you happen to know what the Kanji on the blade says?

Edward G. :dunno:

Edward G · **Joined:** Thu Oct 08, 2009 1:57 pm **Posts:** 77

Please help with translation of inscription. I have a posted a close-up of the below. Any thoughts or opinions would be appreciated

[img=http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9127/img1544o.th.jpg]

Edward G.

kusunokimasahige · **Posted:** Sat Apr 14, 2012 4:02 pm

Sorry Edward, its total gibberish to me.

Looks like someone tried ancient Mesopotamian Cuneiform writing on the blade....

KM

cabowen · **Posted:** Sat Apr 14, 2012 4:26 pm

....with a screwdriver.....

Edward G · **Joined:** Thu Oct 08, 2009 1:57 pm **Posts:** 77

Thanks again Men for looking at the picture.

Edward G

k morita · **Posted:** Mon Apr 16, 2012 1:55 pm

Hi,
I continued thinking about this "inscription" for several days.

Several strork of kanji are slipping out from right place.-----This means,chiseled by an amateur.
Although it is not sure, the inscription looks like an owner's family name "Terashima".寺　島

Your opinion?, Moriyama-san.

Nobody · **Posted:** Mon Apr 16, 2012 2:25 pm

I was also thinking it for several days.
I was sure that the second kanji was 島, and I thought they meant the owner's family name. However, I could not be sure about the first kanji. It looked 生, 牛, or 年 to me, but any one of them seemed to be the answer.
I am still unsure, but 寺 might be the correct answer.

k morita · **Posted:** Mon Apr 16, 2012 2:38 pm

Thank you,Moriyama san.

So, our collective view (opinion) is a family name "Terashima".寺　島

Edward G · **Joined:** Thu Oct 08, 2009 1:57 pm **Posts:** 77

Thank You greatly Moriyama san, and k morita....This information is more than I had hoped to recieve !!! :clap:

Edward G.

Help w/Tanto Translation

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