Kanefusa tanto translation help

[pcfarrar]

A friend owns a nice small tanto in black lacquered saya/tsuka that is made by Fujiwara Kanefusa.

 

Does anyone have any idea which generation of Kanefusa this is? Presumably its not the 23rd as he would have been too old?

 

Also I think the tanto is a special order, can anyone help with a translation of the name?

 

Thanks,

 

Peter

[Drago]

What I see is:

 

皇紀二千六百四十八年秋吉日

Imperial year 2648 (1988), a lucky day in autumn

 

為

means something like deed, action or execution (of a task)

二十三代藤原兼房作

23rd generation Fujiwara Kanefusa saku

山本昌敬重代

Yamamoto Masanori successive generation

[cabowen]

tame in this case means "for". It was made for Mr. Yamamoto.

[Drago]

I see.

But in this context, what does 重代 mean?

[cabowen]

For Mr. Yamamoto and the successive generations of his family I believe....

[Drago]

Aah. That makes sense. Thanks.

[george trotter]

Nice looking tanto, hada, hamon, mei. I know Seki smiths are not everyone's preference, but that is nice IMHO.

(one of the few hamon types that maybe should be polished in hadori haha)

Just joshin'

Regards,

[cabowen]

There is no comparing war era with post war era smiths in Seki.....The post war work, generally speaking, is light years ahead of what was made there during the war.

[kunitaro]

When did 23rd Kanefusa die ?

[pcfarrar]

When did 23rd Kanefusa die ?

 

Thanks everyone for the help so far.

 

Wasn't Kanefusa born in 1900. It seems a bit unlikely he would make this tanto when he was 89?

[Jacques]

Hi

 

According the Mino-to Taikan, Kanefusa 23 dai is born in 1890...

[Markus]

It´s pretty confusing. As Jacques said, the Mino-to Taikan says Meiji 23 (1890).

This is also what Kazuno says in his Toko Taikan and what I adopted for my index.

The Tosho Zenshu in turn says Meiji 13 (1880) and the Mino Toko Taikan Meiji 32

(1899). The latter year is also found in the Nihon Jinmei Daijiten.

[george trotter]

ONO 1977 p.91 says born Mei 33- Feb 8.

Here is the page.

[kunitaro]

What I have here is "Nihonjin-mei Daijiten +Plus Digital version"

It says

Fujiwara Kanefusa (Kato Koichi) 1899 - 1977

－昭和52年7月1日死去。78歳。－

--1977 July 1st died Age of 78 --

[george trotter]

I see he died in the same year that Ono sensei published his book.

It is interesting that so many different dates of birth are given in the various publications.

[cabowen]

I would tend to believe Ono san's information as I believe he obtained it by direct survey of the smiths themselves.

[kunitaro]

The tanto was made 11 years after 23rd Kanefusa died.

 

The signature of this tanto is from 24th Kanefusa, not 23rd Kanefusa.

 

as we know some smith signed 2+2 as 4, because 4 (shi/death) is un-lucky number in Japan.

24th Kanefusa didn't like to cut 4, so, he cut 三+ ' as 4.

23+1 = 24th Kanefusa

[george trotter]

That is interesting Kunitaro san,

I knew about shi= death but I did not know this special way to avoid writing the unlucky number.

Thank you, that solves the mystery...Drago will be happy :D

regards,

[kunitaro]

Trotter san,

This special way is only 24th Kanefusa did.

[Brian]

Fantastic info!

No way we would have known that otherwise.

 

Brian

[Drago]

Well, I AM happy. But I suppose Peter will be happier. :lol:

 

I knew about the double two, but this 3' is new to me. Thanks Kunitaro.