Help With Sword Mei

[acoyauh]

Hello again,

I found this sword that seems to be a candidate for my padawans' restoration practice - only if it turns out NOT to be nihonto. Under the rust it seems of poor manufacture, but does not seem to be showato since no armory seal is visible.

Can anyone kindly help me transliterate this mei, so I can research the tosho and see if the signature matches. 

I post on the gunto section because it seems to me to be either showato or Chinese...

 

 

 

Any feedback or opinions will be deeply appreciated here. Thank you!

 

[Grey Doffin]

Made yesterday in China, I think.

Grey

[PNSSHOGUN]

Chinese junk. Good to practice restoration on for sure!

[SteveM]

Miyairi Akihira

Compare with the same here

http://www.tsuruginoya.com/mn1_3/a00150.html

[Stephen]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Japanese-Samurai-Katana-Sword-Authentic-Blade-WWII-Vet-Bringback-Signed/202108266992?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D41376%26meid%3D72a13f8f1d754187bfd49999d7fec739%26pid%3D100033%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D8%26sd%3D202111296865&_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042

 

Item location:

Chestertown, Maryland, United States

[Brian]

Good catch.
That seller needs to be flogged.

[Stephen]

Whats worrisome, is what the fourteen bidders think their buying! 

[Brian]

Same as always. Buried treasure.

[vajo]

Chinese Masamune 

[acoyauh]

My opinion is, although the signature looks ok (thank you for that thanslation), it is suspiciously well preserved compared to the corrosion (NOT rust) of the rest of the blade. It is so corroded all over you can't possibly tell what you're buying. This is not how a rusty blade corrodes normally (I restore antiques for a living). What the frogs could they have used to "clean" it and not leave a trace of rust? I need a gallon of that

Thank you all for your feedback! I've been restoring blades for a long time, but I am embarrasingly ignorant on anything kantei. Trying to correct that, though. Nowadays, you don't have to just study nihonto, you also need a masters degree in China forgeries  =/   geez!

[ROKUJURO]

Jean Paul,

the signature does not look o.k. at all, and this is not a question of readability. There are some KANJI on the tang that would have a meaning on other blades, but not here.

Corrosion on steel is always iron oxide, as you may know, and in most of the cases it is (red) rust (Fe2O3). It is difficult to make up an opinion of your blade just by looking at the pictures, but it seems to be a crude weapon that lacks good lines and surfaces. It looks like an unfinished amateurish attempt of making a blade. The blackish colour could be from scale (Fe3O4), but that may be an effect of the photos.

I am not so sure about the provenience of the blade. It could have been made everywhere in some backyard in south east Asia. 

[Brian]

Even without a mei, this would be 100% fake. Just the nakago jiri is enough to confirm that.

[SAS]

Nakago ana is entirely in the wrong place.