Ray Singer

Jörg, it would be very misleading to attempt identifying swordsmiths by dimensions. There is a considerable range of variation of dimensions among the body of each swordsmiths work, and very, very often the dimensions have changed over time (machiokuri, various degrees of suriage, etc). However, you can research and compare mei to check validity with a number of references which are available such as the toko jiten, nihonto koza, etc. https://japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/book/sword-books/b738-nihon-toko-jiten-by-fujishiro/ For swordsmiths who are very well know and documented such as nidai Tadahiro, there are a large number of references to look at including the English language Hizento reference below by Roger Robertshaw (who is a member of this group). https://hizento.com/ Best regards, Ray

Here are some other examples of the second generation's mei with the Omi Daijo title. https://www.google.com/search?q="Omi+Daijo+"+"+Tadahiro+"+site%3Aaoijapan.net&oq="Omi+Daijo+"+"+Tadahiro+"+site%3Aaoijapan.net+&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCTIzMTU3ajBqNKgCDrACAfEFO1CIMox-tNA&client=ms-android-google&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

The Tadahiro reference example oshigata above is a shodai (Musashi Daijo) rather than a nidai (Omi Daijo), which the posted sword purports to be.

My feeling is gimei. Was this an auction purchase out of Japan?

No change from what I mentioned above: Masakiyo.

There is a Shinki documented in Sesko, but he was a Kamakura period smith ( which does not appear to be the same time period as this sword).

Soshu ju Shinki. There was an entry below but it appears the site is offline for the moment. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.nihontoclub.com/smiths/SHI961&ved=2ahUKEwinzuuJkcuNAxVnRjABHTQ3In4QFnoECBkQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0t6yOJA7jHE2tDcDmM8FmH

The osuriage blade is attributed to den Rai Kunizane. A famous smith from late Kamakura into Nanbokucho who studied under the Saijo smith Rai Kunitoshi. The Sukesada is signed Bizen no kuni Osafune ju Sukesada. The date unclear due to the inscription being damaged by rust. If you have the entire paper, please share that one with us. There were many Sukesada in the lineage, with multiple individuals using the same name at the same time in parallel. Unless the papers provide more specificity, this would be a generic Sukesada working at the end of the muromachi period (one of many, with it being difficult to identify a specific individual).

Toyosuke saku = made by the swordsmith Toyosuke. https://www.google.com/search?q="toyosuke"+site%3Awww.militaria.co.za%2Fnmb%2F&sca_esv=b95424b251463558&rlz=1C1YTUH_enUS1164&sxsrf=AE3TifNRHXUsv6Rmi2I19-6uPdK_DAiq1g%3A1748394809561&ei=OWM2aOWAIra3wt0PzOmwsQo&ved=0ahUKEwilgbSc_sSNAxW2m7AFHcw0LKYQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq="toyosuke"+site%3Awww.militaria.co.za%2Fnmb%2F&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiKCJ0b3lvc3VrZSIgc2l0ZTp3d3cubWlsaXRhcmlhLmNvLnphL25tYi9IzhdQ1BRY1BRwAngAkAEAmAEzoAEzqgEBMbgBA8gBAPgBAZgCAKACAJgDAIgGAZIHAKAHLbIHALgHAMIHAMgHAA&sclient=gws-wiz-serp

Choshu ju Nio Masa(kiyo) The last kanji is cut off (hidden) under the kozuka.

The Sukesada could easily be worth far more than a Nanbokucho blade, and the opposite could also easily be true. Is the Sukesada a kazuuchimono or a blade with zokumei and special order inscription? Far more information here is needed to give feedback. Both being Tokubetsu Hozon does not provide equivalency between the two swords. The Nanbokucho blade might, for example, have only been taken up to Hozon but be an exceedingly good tokuju candidate. Please share more details with us, and we can provide feedback (and the feedback you receive between a zaimei Sukesada and mumei Nanbokucho blade might also be influenced by individual preferences).

There seem to be duplicate posts, I replied in another post with the same question about translation. 於武州江戸越前康継 Oite Bushu Edo Echizen Yasutsugu.

Please see below. https://www.japaneseswordindex.com/koa.htm

I believe it is Naosuke

Noshu Seki ju Kojima Katsumasa saku

There is a mei remnant of Musashi (no) kami __. 武蔵守 There were several individuals who had that formal title, it is not clear which one this is. https://nihontoclub.com/view/smiths/meisearch?order=field_smith_signature_value&sort=asc&type=All&mei_op=contains&mei=武蔵守

Nagamitsu.

https://www.google.com/search?q=ishihara+kanenao+site%3Awww.militaria.co.za&oq=Ishihara+Kanenao+&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBggBECMYJzIMCAAQRRg5GIAEGKIEMgYIARAjGCcyBwgCEAAY7wUyCggDEAAYogQYiQUyBwgEEAAY7wUyBwgFECEYjwIyBwgGECEYjwLSAQgzMTQ0ajBqN6gCFLACAfEFoLNhfjuyH-jxBaCzYX47sh_o&client=ms-android-google&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

This is the WWII Seki smith Ishihara Kanenao. There are other examples of his work posted here on the discussion board, findable within search.

Appears to be a ken. I agree it looks shinshinto. The inscription of Amakuni likely is a reference to the famous early Yamato smith.

Please see below. https://www.google.com/search?q=Ikkansai+Kunimori+site%3Awww.militaria.co.za&oq=Ikkansai+Kunimori+site%3Awww.militaria.co.za+&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRiPAjIHCAIQIRiPAjIHCAMQIRiPAtIBCTIwMDg3ajBqN6gCFLACAfEF_egf9dfAVdTxBf3oH_XXwFXU&client=ms-android-google&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

Hi Steve, just to clarify this seems to be a different one from the example published. The same design, albeit with a thicker heaver execution. I would be inclined to leave as it is. Just my personal take, but I don't see it as being a detractor, and it am not sure that it would be easy to find someone to properly replicate the outer frame of the kozuka-ana as seen in the published example.

Here is a link for that sword.

I use the term "umegane" here loosely. It really should only refer to metal inlaid into the blade as part of the repair process. In this case it appears that welding has been used to fill a void or flaw in the ji. The last place that I recall seeing this was an Enju daito, with a repair having the same appearance.

Unfortunately this looks very much like a welded "umegane" (a modern repair to fill a flaw in the blade). We've discussed the same type of feature here previously in another sword that was sold online.