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Hi John, I can´t decipher the last two characters, but apart from that, the signature reads "Noshû-jû Shizu Saburô Kaneuji XX" (濃州住志津三郎兼氏), meaning "Shizu Saburô Kanuji, resident of Mino province". For me, it looks like an amateurish "attribution" and was IMHO probably carved later onto the blade. For your information: Shizu Saburô Kaneuji is a big name and therefore such an "attribution" has to be taken with a grain of salt. Maybe someone is able to decipher the last two characters, so this may put a new complexion on this matter.

Hi Ken, This was actually my intention And also avoiding the naturalization of "wrong" readings for beginners as for the advanced. I hope not to be dubbed as the schoolmaster of the board. [申し訳ありません]

Sorry for being correct to a dot here, but the reading of the term (京金具師) is "Kyô kanagu-shi".

Hi James, I haven´t heard of a gilded same but there was - although not that often - a kind of "artificial" same for decorative purposes which was made of gilded copper (or even made of pure gold or silver). This kind of "same" is called "uchizame" (打ち鮫) or "uchidashi-zame" (打出し鮫) because the metal plate is embossed (uchi-ide, 打出).

There isn´t much more to add to "Sôshû Hirotsugu", except that it is a mumei naginata-naoshi wakizashi measuring 37 cm, and that it was designated as "hozon-tôken" on the first of april 2003.

At least the going-to-fade sayagaki reads "Namu-myôhô-renge-kyô ?-michi ??", probably stating "Yoshimichi". FYI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daimoku

Usually the Japanese stick to their predecessors, which means in our case to transcriptions of the first classics like the "Sôken-kishô" (装剣奇賞) from 1781, the "Kôto-kinkô meifu" (江都金工銘譜) from 1810, or the "Kinkô-tanki" (金工鐔寄) from 1839. Those works base upon genealogies submitted and researched by and from the artists themselves. Here and there, some furigana are noted within these records. So when a furigana for example of an on´yomi like "Kôjô" was given for one artist of the family, then the previous and following generations were also quoted in on´yomi. But the "problem" is not so present in Japan because they "think" in characters, that means they first and foremost remember the character, the actual reading is of "secondary importance". Experiences in Japan had shown me that it is truly not that bad when one reads a name (especially an old one) in the "wong" reading (i.e. kun or on´yomi). This is much more the problem in the west because we can´t avoid to transcribe the name in any way.

I agree with Jacques that the signature in this case is gimei. Brian, when you take a look at the examples provided by Stephen and Jacques, you will see that the authentic signatures are always made up of a uniform width of the chisel, whereas the vertical stroke to the left (the second strong when counting in stroke numbers) on your "Sa" starts thick, becomes thinner around the center, and grows once more thicker at the ending.

I agree with that. Usually, here are two leagues: kinkô (金工) and tankô (鐔工), whereas Ko-Kinkô, Umetada, Kyô, Daigorô, Kyô-Shôami, Higo, various Shôami from other provinces, and of course Ko-Shôami and Shôami are classified to the first group. The second group is made-up of Kanayama, Owari, Akasaka, Nobuie, Yamakichibei, Hôan, Yagyû, Tochibata, Ko-Tôshô and Tôshô, Ko-Katchûshi, Myôchin, Saotome, Ônin-zôgan, Heianjô-zôgan, Yoshirô-zôgan, Kamakura and the like.

Wow, you live and learn. Thanks for the link. So far I was only aware of THE Ômi-hakkei. Probably they are the most famous?

The "eight views" are completely called AFAIK "The Eight Views of Ômi" (Ômi-hakkei no zu, 近江八景の図). The motif bases on eights scenic views of China which were adopted by the Japanese some time about the Kamakura period for their Biwa lake. Later in the Edo period, when woodblock prints gained popularity, the Eight Views made their round as postcard-like motifs (single or as a whole).

Nice work! It´s always a bonus when nothing rattles along the koshirae. The habaki looks quite massive, would be a great deal for 5.000 Yen if it was made of solid gold

Hi Brian, As you/we have expected, its not a Hoshô Gorô Sadamune. The NHTK attribution reads: "Den Heianjô Nagayoshi" mei: ubu-mumei kitae: dense itame-hada hamon: suguha with ashi bôshi: yakitsume horimono: bôhi on the ura nakago: two mekugi-ana, katte-sagari yasurime remarks: hira-sankaku yari, around Meiô (1492-1501)

Hi Jacques, It´s definitely "tetsu" (鐵), the old kanji for (鉄).

Yes, I know the meaning as a unit of measurement too but then, I expect the "kan" as a suffix like XXX-kan. Such a unit (like ryô for example) sounds not familiar to me as a prefix so I had chosen the lit. meaning of "piercing, penetrating".

Thank you for the praise but I was just the first with replying (Although I was not aware that the (乙丑) referred to the 24th day.)

Hi Brian, The sayagaki reads: BTW: Although the name of the "appraiser" is illegible, I think the kaô is not a Hon´ami one.

Hm, with a lot of fantasy and taking some of the rusty spots as strokes, the last character "could be" mura (村). But it is rather like reading in some of those 3d-pics.

So probably "Bishû Osafune"? But we might never know...

Hi John. Yes, that´s fine. How shall we post this article? Brian? Just one thing has to be remarked: It is a translation of the written form of a german lecture I held last year for the NBTHK, so it might not be that extensive it probably could be. PS: Sorry for keeping this "at thread" and lapsing into off-topic

Yes, the mei closely resembles the "Shôami Kanenori" (正阿弥包矩) depicted in the Shinsen-kinkô-meikan.

Hm, I would agree with Etchû, but would go for kotô Uda school, because the Bizen Iekuni would have signed rather with "Bishû Osafune" at prefix. But that´s just a speculation.

Hi Peter and Brian, The signatur reads:

Thank you for the corrections, Koichi-san. Too early in the morning, or better, too late at night here in central Europe