Gilles

Thank you both of you for this precision. There seem to be another date on that same yari (picture #7), is that right ? Can Mr Moriyama, Kunitaro or Morita help me on this mei ?

Thank you very much David, Anyone can help on that difficult translation ?

Dear all, I need some help on that one. I got a signed fukuro yari and what I grasped is that it is signed FUJIWARA MASATSUGU and the date is XX 4 NEN. You have here five rows of kanji. I am quite sure that it is a shin shinto yari. Can you help me on that MEI ? I will appreciate a lot. PS : please note that picture named 5 and picture named 6 are on the same row.

Markus, I can't wait to see them available. You are such a very prolific author..... :D

Dear Markus, I will order one copy this week-end. Thank you for your very prolific work.

Thank you very much Paul, it helps. Is somebody able to give me details about that swordsmith ??????

Gentlemen, I am looking for any info about the shinshinto swordsmith rioshinshi SUKENORI. The only mei I have spotted on the web is Bushu Ju Rioshinshi Sukenori which can be found on the Index of Japanese Sword Literature made by Grey Doffin (ref 2579). It states that this mei is visible on the shin-shinto Taikan by IImura (the two volume edition). - Is someone able to scan me that signature ? - Can somebody give me some details about that smith ? Thank you for your active help. PS : I have no available mei to show you. :?

First time I see such a shape. But I've noticed that the imagination of the Japanese swordsmiths, especially concerning yari is without limit. :D

Dear Chris, Congratulations. You have here a nice collection. I love those short yari.

It was a very nice fukuro yari. I've tried to get it but the price was too high for me.

Congratulations Jean, Even if it is not a shin shinto sword I must admit that this one is gorgeous. I can't wait to see it with my very eyes...... Thank you for sharing.

Dear Dirk, Thank you for your help, I need those kind of text which are disseminated in several publications. Do other member know other publications in english dealing about this topic ? Best regards,

Dear all, I am looking for essays in english about the Masahide School and the study of fakes signatures and Kokuin compared to genuine ones. I already have the Nihonto Koza (shin shinto volume) which deals about that case but I wonder if any other publications and studies were made or translated in english ? I know that the Japanese published quite a few books about that school. If any of you have translated books about that topic for sale, I would be very interested in. Best regards,

Dear George, I have one AKIHISA sword you mentionned. There is no date, mountings are type 44 high end, and there is a star stamp. I will send you the other details later on. Regards, :D

Dear Moritan san, Thank you very much for your corrections. I wrote them down on my copy of the Modern Japanese Swordsmith book. Such corrections are always useful.

Dear Thomas, Here are some more pictures (of poor quality I am afraid). Please note that the SHIGE on the swordsmith MEI is quite rusted. I hope it will help.

Dear Chris, Adam and Thomas, Thank you so much for the details given. It helps a lot. I will post close-up of the mei after the week-end. If you need other views, please tell me.

Thank you Chris for those details. Is there other opinions ?

Dear all, I have a rather strange mei on what I believe a Shinto period sword. the translation was made thank to our NMB friends. It is signed KANESHIGE. Nagasa: 73 cm, Sori: 1.3 cm, Nakago: ubu, Hamon: ito suguha I understand it is a shinto smith from Mino, do you have other details about this smith and the dates he worked ??? On the other side the signature is : May, the eight year of kanbun period(1668) Owned by Okubo Genba-no-kami,he wore this sword at 91 years old and a svastika at the top of this mei. I will need to know why such a svastika ??? which is a buddhist emblem. Was it made after the death of its owner (Okubo Genba-no-kami) ? About the date, is it the date when the sword was made or is it linked to the name of its owner (date of death) ???? Why such a gold filling, for what purpose, because it does not look like a tameshigiri or an attribution ?? Well, a lot of questions, that is why I ask your help again. Thank you all

Thank you so much for that translation Mr Morita.

Thank you for your help Yimu. Can our Japanese friends on the board help me on that mei ? I will be more than happy to have a definitive translation. :D Thank you again.

Thank you for your help Chris. It helps but I will need a more complete translation if someone can help me ? For the english language I already have an english professor with Jean.

Paul, Don't worry, you are missing nothing. It is now obvious that the sayagaki does not tie up to the mei of the sword. But the blade fits thightly in it

Jean, Sorry for that my friend.

You are right Jean, but I am focused on the mei I've just posted.