Well after seeing these pictures on another forum, and after spending long time trying to translate the mei, and then realizing that it had been already done, that Brians comment got me laughing so hard since I had drawn those kanji to paper so I didn't break my neck in the process...
Well at least I got it pretty much correct which for me is a huge success. As a beginner it's always nice to know you were on the right track.
I got only: Bizen ju Osafune, and now that you had those missing links of mine translated it all makes sense.
I got little different dating, mine was: Eisho Jyu Nen Hachi-gatsu Hi 1513 August. To my eye that one kanji reads like 10.
As I couldn't get registered yet on that other forum, I'll throw my tips in here. Not knowing where you are from but it you might want to meet some local collectors/sellers of antique weaponry. They would most likely be able to at least guide you in the right direction (where to find help with nihonto in your area). By reading these both threads I believe you live somewhere in US, so there will be lots of people with real wide knowledge.
And of course, it would be nice if you could throw some close-ups for us.
