(please excuse the hjelp of AI to craft this message, as it helps me with the details I should provide in my post)
Hello everyone,
I’m hoping to get some help identifying a Japanese short sword that has been in my family for a long time. My father was gifted this piece over 50 years ago, but unfortunately, we have zero provenance or background info on it, and we aren't sure about its authenticity or era.
I finally managed to carefully remove the handle to check the tang (nakago). From my amateur attempts at translating the signature (mei), it looks like it might read 兼永 (Kanenaga), but I would love an expert opinion to confirm if I'm reading it correctly, and if it appears to be a legitimate piece.
A few details/observations:
Blade length measures 31.5cm from the habaki to the tip.
Features two peg holes (mekugi-ana) and a two-character signature. Though the handle only has one hole for the peg, indicating perhaps a modification.
Any insights into the signature, the smith, the school, or the era of the blade and fittings - and perhaps even the value - would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you for your time and help.
Here is the album with high res images since I was limited to what I could upload as attachments.
https://imgur.com/a/L9pbPSz
