Oh G - I Am Defeated - Mei Help Anyone?

[Cuirassier]

Hello Guys

I tend to buy guntos and with that, every so often I get a Gendito or older whose mei taxes me.

I actually have a formula I use with the reference books I have, but this one has beaten me.

Clearly shinshinto by the style, the best I can do is Kokuki Mitsuoki, but I am sure that is wrong.

It is a wakizashi from a gunto (no Seki or other stamps); the blade has not been cared for but has definate Gendaito characteristics.

 

My methodology is to go through "Modern Japanese Swordsmiths" first, to try and find the two (last) name characters; sometimes / often I get lucky, and find the maker.

If that fails, I use "The Arts of the Japanese Sword" to try and identify the characters, then use nohonto smith database sites and general Google searches to try and find the smith.

 

All this has failed in this case.

Please, put me out of my misery!

 

Cheers in advance

Mark

 

 

[SwordGuyJoe]

Best guess for me is Seki smith Ueno Yoshioki. I highly doubt shinshinto, but Seki gunto based on the mei. Can you post other pics? This is very sloppy, so I could be wrong...

[Cuirassier]

Hi Joe

Ueno Yoshioki is spot on, thank you; I found a match in an earlier thread here. The "interesting" or rather strange thing is there is no Seki stamp.

Again, thank you.

[SwordGuyJoe]

It could indicate that the blade is traditionally made, though more likely that the sword was created before they started stamping them.  If you post some good pics of the blade itself, people would be willing to give their opinions on gendaito vs. showato. 

[Cuirassier]

Thanks Joe

But there is no doubt in my mind, it is not gendaito, unfortunately.