SteveM

関福田兼丈作　Seki Fukuda Kanetake-saku (Made by Fukuda Kanetake, of Seki city) Kanetake is the name of the smith. Fukuda is the family name.

Just a quick update; there will be no meeting for the Southern California Sword Club this month. Stay tuned for news regarding the December meeting.

Mei is 包矩 (Kanenori). Presumably Shōami Kanenori. Other examples https://www.touken-world.jp/search-sword-guard/art0002612/ https://www.yamasiroya.com/tsuba/post_21.html　　(same tsuba as above, I think) https://www.aoijapan.jp/鍔正阿弥　包矩/

Here's a snip from that site (Robert Benson's site, by the way). If I'm not mistaken, this information is a few years old, and this page was made when Woody was still working under Bob Benson's guidance. Woody since branched out on his own and was working in the Las Vegas area, but he's now back in Hawaii. I don't know the exact details, but I believe he is helping Bob out (now as a peer, instead of an apprentice, but "peer" may be a word that Woody might not agree with). Anyway, I do not know either men personally, so my info comes 2nd and 3rd hand. Woody is well-known in the States, so I'm slightly surprised Axel has never heard of him, but no doubt he will be seeing Woody's name pop up more often now.

Also see "Woodrow Hall". https://togishi.com/about-us.html

Gotō Kanehira 後藤包平

江戸神田住 伊藤甚右衛門政方 Edo Kanda-jū Itō Jin'emon Masakata edit: misspelled the given name.

辛業　→　卒業

I was thinking it was some kind of tool/device used in dyeing kimono fabrics. They used to wash kimono fabric in cold river waters to "set" the dye. But, it doesn't look like a drying table or dyeing table (like the one below), which is kind of close, but somehow not right. The one on the tsuba looks like some implement used to roll up fabric. Anyway, my guess is some device used in silk weaving or dyeing/washing. https://icac.or.jp/public/culture/tool/

Yes, I agree. Definitely getting better by the day. There are a few errors in the character recognition, but its surprisingly good, given the handwritten and slightly faded nature of the source. @Deez77 I wouldn't call that 草書体. Just typical handwriting. Translation at the link below. https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/53956-help-please-with-inscription-on-tsuba-box/?do=findComment&comment=565372

尚古堂花親 　　　→　　光親 Mitsuchika (art name of Shōkodō, other pronunciations possible, but I think that's the one) 内田家水図 →　　田家山水図　Rural/Pastoral mountain scene 金地錦紋色絵 　　→　　鍔　据紋色絵　　　suemon-iroe describes the metalworking technique of applying a decorative element made from an alloy or other precious metal into a space carved out for it into the base metal. I think the other line (Tatemaru-gata) was already given in the other thread. Edit: I'll put it here for completeness, and because there is an error in the other thread 竪丸型　赤銅地　鍔　Tsuba, oval-shaped, base-metal of shakudō (no kinzōgan).

大日本京都住 一光堂 宮部篤良 Dai Nippon Kyoto-jū Ikkōdō Miyabe Atsuyoshi

嘱託＝contract employee

Got it! I'll keep you posted. Steve

I think he's talking about this bit here, but I'm not sure if it is actually a "P Y", or if it is part of the design of the bamboo leaves on snow.