Eric M

Thx

I think it is Ishido Teruhide

Hello. Any help to translate this gendaito mei will be appreciated. Thx

Thx a lot Steve

Nice sword. Do you know why they were using alphanumeric figures vs only Japanese ones?

I would guess such saya was still used in battle, especially when it had its leather saya coverage. Mine was close enough to get a shrapnel or bullet (which miraculously did not damage the blade - not sure about its owner!).

nice blade & mounting. what makes you think it is a 94 model? I would have thought it is more an early nice 98

hello any help welcome to translate this showa smith I think it is YOSHI XXX (looks like a NORI to me) SAKU any idea who he was? thx for your help eric

thx a lot for your help

difficult to see with the pics but it is Kanmuri Otoshi Zukiri (it does not turns back to thick near the tip) armour piercer would be indeed have a thickness of more than 1cm what makes you feel it is Bizen?

I would agree with Brian (+my pics are not very good I must admit) the sword was in WWII mounts with its original saya covered with leather (which gives more the feeling of a 19th century one with metal complex kojiri) from a practical side I would not understand why somebody would bother creating a gimei beginning of 20th century (especially as the smith is not very known) would not the modern steel used end of 19th century create less pattern?

interesting debate I saw quite a few oil quenched blades but never saw any nioi-guchi, mostly a dull hamon (commonly found on type 3 WWII blades or machine made kai gunto). it would be great to see example of oil quenched blades and nioi guchi some more pics to fuel the debate (hopefully the pics are a bit better)

what would make you think it is bungo? (i could not find a Fujiwara Yoshisada in bungo) the tanto is out of polish and in the style of a armor piercer (7mm thickness at the mune machi) the hamon is thin suguha

the pictures do not show properly the blade but I do not believe it is a mass product / WWII blade / oil quenched blade as -nie and nioi in the hamon (that rules out the oil quenching) -sharpened edge near the habaki (vs unsharpened edge near the habaki for most of the sword produced in the XXth century) -presence of ware -blade light and well balanced

What makes you believe it is gimei? Regarding the blade itself it is 100% traditionnally made (the pictures do not show the activity properly)