Mei on Wakizashi

[steve oakley]

Seeking some assistance for a mei on nakago that has been cut down.

 

I have had a go and looked at the second kanji and thought that it was similar to Shige or Kore but I'm probably way off the mark. I picked it up a while ago and it was sold to me as a mumei blade???

 

thanks

Steve O

[Grey Doffin]

Pretty easy mei, Steve. You shoud try harder before you give up. If you do give up check the spoiler.

 

Kanesada

 

Grey

[Gabriel L]

To be fair, the modern computer font version of the first kanji and the most common hand-carved form are different enough to stymie a novice; but to give you a huge hint, that first kanji is *extremely common* on Seki blades.

[steve oakley]

Gabriel,

Your right about there being differences computer font. I was looking for mino smiths before hand due to the hamon on the blade.

 

Grey,

Thankyou for the translation. Is the second kanji a variation. I only ask fromm a previous post that talks about Kanesada. I posted some additional images and have been looking for a similar mei.There was a Kanesada active in 1504 which talks about the Z mei?

 

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=17682&hilit=Kanesada

"one thing worth noting are the changes in mei styles during this smiths working life. His early works display the "SADA" character cut with the "E" shaped "MAKOTO" character. Later on the lower part of the "SADA" character looks like the "NO" character in some works, hence the name "NOSADA". From around 1503 the lower part of the "SADA" character was cut with the "KORE" character which is "Z" shaped. This smith was occasionally referred to as "KORESADA" because of this."

 

Some key features to look for would be a high SHINOGI, a very active hamon that displays gunome choji, o-midare/notare and hoso-suguha. The hamon displays mainly nioi with small amounts of nie.

 

 

 

regards

Steve O

[Geraint]

Hi Steve,

 

What do you think about the nakago and the location of the mei?

 

All the best.

[steve oakley]

Geraint

 

I was hoping for some other examples of the mei to compare. After i bit of searching, the mei i have found for the 1504 Kanesada is different to the one i have.

 

http://www.sho-shin.com/kanesada.html

 

Steve O

[Jean]

Who was Kanesada (1504), Steve?

 

 

 

KANESADA 2nd EI-SHO 1504 MINO 82 K 107 KAN 2023 JO-SAKU/JUYO 800

 

 

I am not surprised signature does not match.....Hundreds of Gimei

[steve oakley]

Jean

 

Gimei, i prefer genuine replica :lol:

 

Besides the cut on this mei is thinner strokes and newer looking. Was thinking that there may have been others that signed this way.

 

Steve

[paulb]

Picking up on Geraints point the blade is suriage, if not O-suriage. I cant see where the mei is in relation to the whole nakago but if the blade is shortened as indicated by the remains on the mekugi ana at the giri, then the mei must be a later addition.

Also look at the shape of the nakago and the line of the hi. From the image they look a little strange and distorted. I cannot judge from what I can see in the image but suggest you look closely at the junction of the nakago and the blade. It may indicate what if anything has been done to the sword when it was modified.

[Jean]

If you want to investigate Mino Smiths, taking into consideration the number of smiths, you'll better invest in the Mino to Taikan which will give you all th entries for Mino Smiths and each lineage. Heavy book.

 

You say, you prefer Genuine replica to Gimei; it is neither a genuine replica of the mei or a genuine replica of this swordsmith. your blade is Mino den with an added mei.

[cabowen]

The hamon is a bit too uniform and regular for an early Kanesada I should think....