Translation Assistance

[Prewar70]

Here are pics, any help would be appreciated.

[Stephen]

Id look for Kanemasa

 

http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/oshigata/index.htm

[Prewar70]

I'm guessing you couldn't have provided a better hint, but when I look at all four Kanemasas, I do not see any resemblance.  How do you do this and what am I missing?

[cisco-san]

Hi James, try to find Kuriki Kanemasa

[Prewar70]

Well some additional digging and I did find this and I do see the signature now.  If it was a snake it would have bit me.  The sword does have a seki stamp above the signature.  What can you tell me about the swordsmith and his blades?

 

[SteveM]

Well, you got the right oshigata, but the translation is wrong.

 

 

(Not 100% confident of the 造)

 

And the Seki stamp would be 関

 

You can find out more about these swords and their manufacture here

http://ohmura-study.net/211.html

And of course, if you use the search function you should be able to find out more at Nihonto Message Board as well. 

[Prewar70]

The Seki character does look like that.  I don't know about the rest of your point though.

[John A Stuart]

If you write  造作 zousa, it means trouble. Maybe it is 製作  John

[SteveM]

Actually there are two readings for 造作

 

1. ぞうさく  to manufacture

2. ぞうさ troublesome　(alternate writing 雑作) ← I wasn't aware of this reading until you mentioned it!

 

http://www.weblio.jp/content/%E9%80%A0%E4%BD%9C

 

But having said that, I'm still not confident of 造 - especially since I found other threads where this same kanji is identified as 謹 (謹作 - kinsaku).

I did find a registration certificate for a Kanemasa (from an auction site) that uses 造作. 

The smith only passed away in 1989...wish I could ask him what it was. I'll tentatively go with 謹作, but to my eyes it really doesn't resemble 謹. 

 

http://aucview.aucfan.com/yahoo/s431219078/

http://www.passionmilitaria.com/t83497-kai-gunto-signe-kuriki-kanesada

http://www.passionmilitaria.com/t91818-kai-gunto-signe-kuriki-kanesada

http://www.swordforum.com/forums/showthread.php?70963-Sword-ID&highlight=kuriki