k morita

Joe, Are you thinking about translation of the kanji characters inscription on the blade is "A Littlele Help" ? Do you owning this blade now? Who is the smith?

Hi, The mei says Sukehisa ( 祐久 ).

Hi. The inscription on the tang has a mistake of one kanji letter. looks like "Nan-raku-tetsu" (南樂鉄) . I can't read it as Nan-ban-tetsu (南蠻鉄) .

Hi, It says 清寂(seijaku; sei-jaku in Japanese),meaning is Silence/Tranquility/ purity and tranquility. On the other hand, "seijaku" means [The state that heart(Spirit) was silent and clear] in Zen Buddihsm..

Hi, Japanese likes eating dried fish.

Hi, drbvac This is right translation of the mei. 加州金澤住炭宮作之丞兼則 and Kao. Kashu Kanazawa-ju Sumimiya Sakunojo Kanenori +kao

Hi PeterS, The web site(Link) you pointed out misread the signature of the Sumimiya sword.

#2 pic Making sword.

Hi, Here is a pic of Takahashi Nobuhide. Date is maybe 1920s. He's doing demonstration to make swords on the school grounds in Army Cadet School. He is doing "Tsuchioki" process (applying a clay coating)on the blade. He was wearing glasses. Reading glasses?

Hi, Thanks. What is carved on the blade?

Maybe shinto blade. See Markus's Meikan 　" Senriki " (千力) in Higo or Tosa.

Joe, Recently,You improved your skill in decipherment of Sosho-kanji. Great!! Bill, Date of this sword: 昭和十六年八月吉日　( A lucky day,August 1941 ) Carver's signature of right side sosho mei: 昭和十七年四月日,越後三條住阿部昭忠彫之　(Carved by Abe Akitada living in Sanjo,Echigo,in April, 1942)) 1). Abe is a family name. 2). Echigo is Niigata prefecture. Sanjo is Sanjo city in Niigata prefecture.

Hi, This sword mei says " Yoshimichi " (吉道) ,not Yoshinao. WWII Seki smith.

Hi, Thank you for interesting thesis. I'll upload here his pics of sword making several days later. Here is the Link. His sword when Nobuhide was 84 years old in 1928. http://www.l-wise.co.jp/super-jsa/auction.cgi?num=10127&mode=detail

Hi, The mei says "濃州關住人源天秀謹之鍛" "Noshu Seki no junin,Minamoto no Amahide kore o tsutsushimi te kitau." (Respectafully forged this(sword) by Minamoto no Amahide,living in Seki,Mino province(Gifu prefehture).)

Hi, I cannot decide between 枩(Shō) and 堂(Dō) of the first Kanji. If it's "Shō", 枩園敬寫(Respectafully draw by Shōen) . If it's "Dō" , 堂園敬寫(Respectafully draw by Dōzono). Dozono is a family name.

Hi, Looks like 秋廣(Akihiro) to me.

June 6, 2003

Hi, I belive the scroll was writen by a Buddhist priest or some thing,not Kano Sokan. Meanin of the poem: わざものは、千たび火に入れ、水にいれ、鐡砧あてて、打ちぞきたえし。 (An excellent sword(Wazamono) is made with putting steel on a fire one thousand times and putting it in the water,and being hammered it on anvil.) This poetry also teaches hardships in a life and growth,i think. Signature: 方廣大淵叟　(Hōkō Daiensō) , the stamp "Daien(大淵)"　,and the lower stamp "Sokan or Munehiro (宗寛)". Maybe " Daiensō " is writer's "Go". Sorry poor my English.

Hi, This poem is a famous Haiku-poem by Matsuo Basho.

Maybe "Mitsutoshi".

Hi, Right side:　 I'tōshi (一東子)

Hi, The mei says Goto Senjo(後藤仙乗).

Hi, Nice find !!! The title says 中心摺形(nakago suri-gata) . Surigata is the same meaning as Oshigata. "Suri" means Rub or Rubed.

Hi,