SteveM

A lot of errors in (what I'm guessing is) that machine-translation of the authentication paper. The authenticating organization is NTHK (not Nihonto Kenkyukai OR NBTHK, but a different organization altogether). Migakiage mumei →　Suriage mumei Itsutsume Chojiri midare ko → Gunome-chōji midare (no "ko" on the end, just a misreading of れ) Nifuki →　Futasuji-hi　(the meaning given is correct, but the kanji and reading are both wrong). Nagasa is 2 shaku, 2 sun, 6 bu (the translation read 貮尺 incorrectly etc... For a machine translation, it has done reasonably well - you couldn't imagine anything this accurate 5 years ago. The technology has become so advanced that it nails a lot of the difficult text, and only gags on the super technical stuff. The problem is that the super technical stuff is what is used to pinpoint schools and smiths. But, I imagine this is also a matter of time. In another 5 years, the level of machine translation and interpretation will be exponentially better.

I think this one's Shoami Ieshige (家重).

皇敵無骨 = Kōteki Bukotsu Enemies of the Emperor/Empire are savages. (Well, the meaning of "bukotsu" is "unrefined", but somehow that doesn't quite work as a slogan when translated back into English, although you can find a lot of web sites that use this as a translation). Even the word "savage" or "brute" doesn't feel particularly impactful to our ears, but perhaps in 1940s Japan this was a profound insult. The other bit on Dee's sword looks like 対米英宣戦之告被作　Made upon the declaration of war against the US and Britain.

Glyphwiki lists 𨸩 as an alternate form of 改 https://glyphwiki.or...iki/simch-kx_t162305 posting as a pic in case the link goes dead.

This is what I have heard as well. My understanding is that artificial stones are consistent in composition, and they give the polisher a much more predictable (hence, desirable) outcome, without any of the unexpected impurities of natural stones.

https://nihontou.jp/...ugu/tuba/1180/00.htm https://nihontou.jp/...ougu/tuba/905/00.htm https://www.choshuya.co.jp/senrigan/干し網図鍔（鐔）　銘　埋忠橘宗義/鍔/宗義 https://www.bonhams....5-1868-dated-1860-2/ https://www.alamy.co...-image391579422.html

Fishing nets, and then probably fish drying from lines.

Shōhei 6, June 1st (1351). Aoi Art has a short description of this cloth (originally leather). I think there might be a couple of threads on it here on NMB as well. https://sword-auction.com/en/product/7208/鎧兜/

Unique Japan mistranslated that mei. It should be 兼松一則 (Kanematsu Kazunori).

臨川堂？　Rinsendō It would be the smith's "art name". But it doesn't quite fit with Shōami, as far as I know, but maybe I'm missing something.

In the case of the Naotane, and in the case of Guido's swords, the pair were signed and dated with the same date, indicating they were made with the intention/expectation of them being used as daisho. Having consecutive registration numbers is probably another strong factor. I think these two things are the main criteria for the NBTHK, although Guido also mentions they should have the same features (the deki).

Historical Armor and the History of the Military Founders of the Ii Clan by NAKAMURA Tatsuo

Or 長光 (Nagamitsu)

Rakutō (East Kyōto). So Kyōto is the right location 城州愛宕郡洛東住 (Jōshū Otagi-gun, Rakutō-jū) but I can't find the smith. I also suppose its Yasutaka 保高, but Wakayama is a bit inconclusive on it. He lists two smiths using those kanji, but doesn't mention location for either, or typical mei styles. He just notes that both are late Edo.

開眼子 (literally, "child with opened eyes") is the "art name" of the artist, Kanezui. The use of "child" in the art name, and the image of the child on the tsuba, is coincidental. The theme of Hotei with a child (particularly, a child in Chinese dress from the Tang dynasty) is an often-used motif. You can find other examples if you search for Hotei with Tang-dynasty Child (布袋唐子). I don't know the meaning or the origin (well, I guess the origin is Tang China).

The perfectionist in me demands I repeat the correction from the other thread. Please forgive: The theme as described on the paperwork is 雨龍 (amaryū, or rain dragon), not 雲龍 (unryū, dragon in clouds).

The characters look like "常之", but I could find no extant signatures of Yabu Tsuneyuki in my books, or online, to tell if this signature is a match. I did find an exquisite set of menuki from the Wakayama Prefectural Museum, that is from Yabu Tsuneyuki. (link below). Unfortunately there is no shot of the mei. The catalogue says it is signed "Yabu Tsuneyuki" (藪常之). chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://wave.pref.wakayama.lg.jp/news/file/33039_2.pdf

Looks like fake Japanese writing. Possible to get a look at the sword?

200 years ago this shorthand script would have been much more familiar to people. The shorthand script (grass script, kuzushi-ji, etc.) would have been a part of an educated person's upbringing. And, the poems and literature that is often referenced on these items would have been more familiar to (again) educated people. I think the modernization of Japan and standardization of hiragana pushed this kind of calligraphic script out of the mainstream.

Small correction: 雨龍図鐔 (tsuba with image of "rain dragon")

Yes, it should be a haiku. About 一花; the most obvious reading (to me) is Ikka, but it could also be read as ichige, or other readings. I doubt it is the author's name, but the way it is offset from the rest of the text does make me wonder. I'll wrestle with this a bit more. The leaf, the gourd, and the poem should all tie together.

一花 (ikka) on the left side, but the right side is a bit too cryptic. A mix of kanji and hiragana and hentaigana that is tough to crack (for me). Ikka means "one flower", but that doesn't help me figure out the rest. The image looks like a leaf and a gourd. Again, it may be a clue as to the poem/text, but it is beyond me.

肥前作 御鍔 Hizen Tsuba

I can see all of the pictures now. The "Seki" stamp on the top of the tang also identifies this as a WW2 blade.

The theme of the menuki is referred to as takarazukushi (宝尽くし) lit. abundance of treasures, filled with treasures. It is a theme that is also found on kimono fabrics, and features the lucky items shown on Dale's post above.