Please help to translate this cutting test inscription

[Drago]

Hi,

 

this blade is currently being offered for sale. Since the quality isn't that great and it seems tired I'm not really interested in buying. But ever since I saw the offer I've been thinking about what that might mean.

 

Unfortunately one or two symbols aren't legible.

 

So far, I only figured out:

一ノ胴 ? シ ? ウテ (one body, but can't figure out the rest)

明 ? 光八月中 ?? (no idea at all)

 

Looking forward to your answers.

 

[Toryu2020]

Drago -

 

looking at the date, start with the first character. If you think it is Mei (明) then you need to look at all the year periods that start with Mei. If you are convinced this is a Tameshi-mei then you should only be looking at nengo after 1600 or so. If this character is not "Mitsu" then what other character, often seen in dates might it be? and that number 8 character appears to me to be pretty common. If there were two characters before it what might they be?

 

The other side I agree is a puzzle but maybe photos of different angles may help. Are you convinced there is a character between "tsu" and "U"?

 

neat stuff,

 

-t

[Drago]

Thanks Thomas.

 

You're right, there probably is no symbol between the tsu and u.

 

About thet date: I'll get back to you.

 

EDIT:

1. There are only two periods I found that start with 明: 明暦 (Meireki 1655-1658) and 明治 (Meiji) I'd tend to say it's the first one, because test cutting on bodies during the Meiji period sounds odd (though no unimaginable).

2. The next kanji could be 元 (gen), which would mean the first year of that period. So that would translate to: February 1656 or April 1869.

3. And the rest is a name? 浣 and I can't find the last one.

[cabowen]

The nakago is in very rough condition and the cutting test (1 body cut) is poorly done. The whole thing looks a bit amateurish at best.

[Jean]

Tom,

 

I want to congratulate you on your didactic, outstanding the way you guided Drago in his quest. I wish that for each translation requested someone could provide these guiding lines

[Drago]

Yeah, that was good.

 

But I still haven't figured out that name or whatever it is after the month. Can you tell me what it says?

[cabowen]

中浣様

 

？？？

[Drago]

Ah! I just couldn't find that last one. Thanks.

 

中浣様 second third of a month... I never heard of that expression before.

 

So what is you opinion? Is that mei real?

[Markus]

Jôkan, chûkan and gekan (上浣・中浣・下浣) for the third of a month are rare for sword

inscriptions but not uncommon in general. The last character (様) means "tameshi" in

this context.

My opinion is that the mei is real but done by a non-professional sword tester who

also refrained from signing his name.