Yoshitaka Sword Repost/update With New Pictures

[mercierarmory]

I was recently asked by a fellow forum member to re-post some information about my Yoshitaka sword along with new photos and seeing it is one of my most prized pieces in my collection, I was happy to do so. It was thought that the old post became buried and this would be a fresh opportunity for those that missed it to see and for new members to see it as well.

 

I purchased this in 2009 over the Internet from the son of the soldier who brought it home as a souvenir. The craziest thing is I didn't see it in person for almost six months because I was deployed to Iraq at the time. The original posts about the mei translation in the link below were made by me from Iraq actually.

 

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/4772-extensive-tachi-mei-need-assistance/

 

Anyway, the blade was/is in good condition but the tsuka was shattered in shipping. There never was an tsuba (I would love to know what it looked like!) and the saya, which I still have, is in bad shape but is rather unique. In 2013 I got a shirasaya made for it and couldn't be more happy.

 

Comparing the mei to other know Yoshitaka pieces, it appears to have been completed by a different hand. Sometimes I could understand if they were completed perhaps years apart from each other but the one Sanmei has was completed the same year. 1870.

 

Thanks to the translation assistance, this is what was posted:

 

[Omote]

以誠義報皇國 – With faith and loyalty, serve the Empire.

明治三年二月日 (Meiji 3 nen 2 gatsu hi) - Feb. 1870

備州之産岡嵜吉吾道美仍好鍛之 – This was well forged by 岡嵜吉吾道美 (Okazaki Kichigo Michiyoshi?; I am unsure about this part) from Bishu.

 

[ura]

備州岡山住逸見竹貫齋藤原義隆 (Bishu Okayama ju Itsumi Chikukansai Fujjiwara Yoshitaka)

 

 

 

 

There was question about Fujiwara used with Yoshitaka when he used Minamoto but seeing I am not, in the least bit, familiar with Japanese swords like some of the members here I still have questions.

 

First, if it is signed Yoshitaka, why is it "well forged by" Michiyoshi? Does anyone have a revised idea of the mei on the ura?

 

Second, what was the reasoning behind the cold stamp? I haven't seen a lot of swords with this and curious why one piece would have one over another.

 

Overall it's a beautiful sword that I would love to know what it looked like when new and the reason it was made. The blade is in good condition and could really use a polish but for something this long, it would break the bank and my wife would disown me.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Mike

[ggil]

Very unique and wow that saya!  I think the (?hot stamp?) was another way for the maker to ensure that his blades/mei weren't copied, or rather the copies were less likely to be taken as shoshin.  I mean, someone can tack on a mei after the fact but stamping is more involved. 

[mercierarmory]

LOL that is strange. Autocorrect changed "hot" stamp to "cold" stamp.

[cisco-san]

yakiire on the wrong side of the blade

Very interesting blade!!