You opinion? Real? Mei?

[Drago]

Hi

 

I know that discussing active auctions might be disadvantageous. But in this case I feel compelled to do that.

 

Lately I found myself looking for a chance to buy a good and cheap Wak. I found this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/221240821310

 

What is your opinion? Real? What about the mei? I didn't find a lot of smiths that signed starting with "Mu"...

 

Unfortunatley, the seller said he can't take any better pics.

[Marius]

good and cheap.

 

that is an oxymoron.

 

Besides - beware of sellers who cannot produce good pictures.

[SwordGuyJoe]

 

What is your opinion? Real? What about the mei? I didn't find a lot of smiths that signed starting with "Mu"...

 

 

There's a strong reason for that... It isn't "Mu". It is the most common first kanji in Showa period blades. Take a minute and try to find it. This is a simple one. Use the kanji links at to top of the page.

[Drago]

There's a strong reason for that... It isn't "Mu". It is the most common first kanji in Showa period blades. Take a minute and try to find it. This is a simple one. Use the kanji links at to top of the page.

 

I took more than one minute. But I just can't figure it out. When you said "most common" I thought KANE. But this looks nothing like it.

And the second, MORI? But the lower strokes look different.

 

Could you please tell me?

 

Besides Mariusz: I wouldn't go so far as to call it oxymoron. Sometimes you just get lucky, and I'm hoping for that.

[Curran]

Tobias,

 

As he said.... the most common one.

Go with your first though on the "most common".

 

Given estimates of over 20million Japanese swords produced and the largest share of them come from a certain area, I'd be willing over 1million swords have this character as their first character in the signature. Especially if you go through all the WW2 Seki blades....

This character gets chopped so many different ways... but is almost always the same. Learn this one. This exercise should cement it in your brain for the next 20 years.

[Soshin]

 

I took more than one minute. But I just can't figure it out. When you said "most common" I thought KANE. But this looks nothing like it.

 

Hi,

 

There is more then one way to write "Kane" in Japanese. Off the top of my head I know of three different Kanji characters for "Kane".

[Drago]

Wait a second, do you mean okane no kane? 金? But doesn't the one on the blade have the fire radical under it like MU?

 

Or am I completely wrong here???

 

Oh, and was I right about the last one?

[Soshin]

Hi Tobias H.,

 

I haven't replied until I was able to do so with my laptop computer as it has multilingual support. Here are the Kanji I was thinking of for "Kane". Not all are used in sword smiths name and some are even used in the name of tsuba makers.

 

1. Kane　金

2. Kane　兼

3. Kane　鉦

4. Kane　包

 

 

 

P.S. If you still can't figure it out let me know.