New Nihonto Pics And Mei Help

[tenkendojo]

Greetings from a new and inexperienced nihonto enthusiast here! Just wanted to share a few pic of my recently acquired shinsakuto blade, and would like to seek some help with the mei inscriptions. 

 

 So here's the whole blade, a gendaito or shinsakuto katana blade with an impressive 2.6shaku (30.5in) nagasa. Sorry I am not very good at taking photos, the flash on the camera made the Choji hamon pattern look way more intense than it actually appears...

 

 

Here's a couple photos of the hamon under more natural lighting conditions. Please correct me if I'm wrong, it seems that this blade is polished with a traditional sashikomi finish (as opposed to the hadori finish more commonly seen in contemporary blades):

 

The blade features a fine wood-grain Ji-nie pattern, and Chu-kissaki:

 

There are several surface scratches on the blade, and a chipped area on the cutting edge. Otherwise I haven't noticed any other major flaws:

 

Here's the nakago of the blade, with a mei that I don't really recognize. Based on my rusty kanji knowledge and some internet research, I think the mei reads "Oite Bushuu Takakura Minamoto Juou (於武州高倉源寿王):

 

[SteveM]

You've read it correctly. Here is another one for comparison.

http://www.e-sword.jp/sale/2014/1410_1044syousai.htm

[tenkendojo]

You've read it correctly. Here is another one for comparison.

http://www.e-sword.jp/sale/2014/1410_1044syousai.htm

 

Thanks for the tip! Is there anyway to tell if my blade is a Gimei?

[SwordGuyJoe]

http://sinogi-okegawaten.server-shared.com/ok-syasin-gendaitou/juou-k48394/k48394.html

 

http://www.giheiya.com/shouhin_list/japanese_sword/iaiyoushinken/01-1180.html

 

Here's a couple more. You can do a search on this "刀　源寿王"

[tenkendojo]

http://sinogi-okegawaten.server-shared.com/ok-syasin-gendaitou/juou-k48394/k48394.html

 

http://www.giheiya.com/shouhin_list/japanese_sword/iaiyoushinken/01-1180.html

 

Here's a couple more. You can do a search on this "刀　源寿王"

Thanks for the links! I did a quick nakago comparison between my blade and the tachi from your first link, it appears that the two share very similar nakago shape and mei calligraphy style (see pic below):

[SwordGuyJoe]

I don't know the smith well, but there are some big differences there. I'd recommend comparing multiple mei to see if he just has a lot of variation in his signature. He may, but if not, I'd look hard at your sword.

[tenkendojo]

I don't know the smith well, but there are some big differences there. I'd recommend comparing multiple mei to see if he just has a lot of variation in his signature. He may, but if not, I'd look hard at your sword.

 

Would you mind telling me more on those big differences you noticed? Sorry I am relatively inexperienced, so any info would be valuable learning experience for me.