ribendao

Its the Chinese character 造。 Basically means to create or make. For example 在中国制造的 means "made in China."

Thanks for everyone's input. So would my most recent picture be evidence of a clear Mizukage?

Thank you Chris. I just looked up mizukage and the below close up picture might just be one. As for the debate over the effectiveness of Edo period fire departments (lol, love this forum), I'm sure they did the best they could. I'm at least grateful they saved this sword for me.

Thanks Chris, been wondering this for a while. I guess the fire department was busy back then.

Ill have to check when I get home but I believe the hamon does not run through to the nagako. I am also guessing ubu. The nagako just feels unaltered to me.

Yeah I think retemper is a good possibility. Why would someone have there sword retempered in the past anyways? I know this is not the ideal collector's piece but I still like it and enjoy looking at it each time I take it out. I didn't spend much on this blade and hopefully I can at least break even if I ever decide to sell it and get a more desirable one. In the meantime I don't mind collecting a mini arsenal of cheap nihonto :) P.S. Name is Jonathan. I believe I bought a Dawson's book from you in the past.

Thanks JP and Brian. Do you think it is suriage or ubu? Kazu -ichi-mono would be disappointing but would explain these flaws. Despite the flaws it still looks beautiful in the right light. Just wish I could get a good idea of the aprox time period it comes from.

Bought this one off an auction before the new year and it finally arrived. It has some pretty major flaws and a dull hamon but I like it none the less. I'm trying to get an idea of the approximate age. I'm guessing it is from sometime around the Genroku period based of the shape of the sugata. However, I could be completely wrong and its a modern fake for all I know (hope not). Can anyone help me with an aprox. date? Also, how serious are these flaws pictured? Would be a shame if it was considered a "dead blade." Thanks in advance.

The blade is up for auction and only in double digit prices right now but that is bound to go up. This blade just caught my eye for some reason but those rust spots are unlike other rust I have seen and really ugly too. Such a shame because the blade looks like it would look amazing in full polish. Thanks for everyone's reply. Ill try to get it cheaply and then maybe keep it as a project sword.

Been looking at this waki on the online auctions for the past few weeks. It has some really intense rust spots on it but I can tell there is a really nice blade underneath. You guys think its worth putting a bid in? Could it be salvaged? I

didn't buy it. Ended up selling for $2,200 before auction fess lol.

I really do it. Especially the o kissaki. But it looks like its gonna go for at least $1,200 and i'm not sure if that will be good deal or not. Either way, Ill try to wiggle in there as cheap as possible.

Thanks JP. It does look nice though either way.

Thinking about bidding on this wakizashi but I suspect it is gimei. Looks like most of Tadayoshi's blades have straight hamon unlike the wavy one this has. If it is a legit mei I might have to bid on it. What do you guys think?

Yeah I think it might be Gimei. All of Kunihiro's other signatures are written as Hizen Ju Fujiwara Kunihiro. Plus this blade looks like someone cleaned the rust off the side of the nagako that has the signature. This is the other side of the nagako...