Thank you everyone! Very grateful for you help, I am having so much fun researching these.
Peter, I definitely agree, Ive been hunting antiques since I was young and the mystery and research are the best parts. Getting an old box of Japanese swords is a dream come true. That being said, there is so much to learn, and as a chef with a 90+ hour per week schedule, it may have taken me years going through books/online to translate these accurately, so I am very grateful that these communities of experts such as yourself exist. I have studied Budo, Aikido and Iaido since I was young and I love Japanese smithing, I definitely want to learn more. What resources would you recommend? For example, it seems that the "Hizen Kuni Tadayoshi" signature was used by that lineage through many generations and makers. How might one differentiate the time periods? I find any comprehensive collection of this information difficult to find via the Internet.
Does anyone have any (or know where to look) information on Bushu oite Edo Kanesada? I can't seem to find anything aside from a few obscure references to a few different Kanesadas in that area, ranging from 1500-1700.
Also do any of these jump out as being of unusually special provenance? (I don't necessarily trust or understand everything I find online) If so, I want to treat them appropriately. The first one seems to be the jewel, historically speaking. Should any of them be professionally preserved/restored? (there are a few rusty spots on a couple of them) I think I am going to outfit the Showa-to for Iaido practice but not sure about the rest.
Again thank you so much!
Nicholas