william m Posted April 15, 2008 Report Posted April 15, 2008 Hi there! I was on the old forum but it seems my account was deleted when the forum moved. Anyhow I have two wakizashi that I rather like and am considering doing some work on. However the longer of the wakizashi has a very long mei, if you are able to help that would be fantastic! Sorry for the poor quality of the photos, I will have to get a decent set up tomorrow with good lighting. The longer wakizashi is the one I would really like to restore, but I am wondering where on earth I can get a matching end cap for the saya. Thank you, William http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h156/ ... G_0863.jpg http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h156/ ... G_0864.jpg http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h156/ ... G_0866.jpg http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h156/ ... G_0871.jpg http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h156/ ... G_0872.jpg Quote
Jacques Posted April 15, 2008 Report Posted April 15, 2008 Hi, Hard to read :? My guess: Wakizashi number one: Norishige Wakizashi number two Bizen no kuni Yosazaemonnojô Sukesada. Very big names. Quote
william m Posted April 15, 2008 Author Report Posted April 15, 2008 Hi Jacques, Thank you very much for the help so far. It is greatly appreciated! :D I will get some better photos hopefully tomorrow. Can't wait to find out exactly when these swords were made! Cheers! William Quote
Guest Simon Rowson Posted April 16, 2008 Report Posted April 16, 2008 Hi William, Unfortunately, it looks like someone cleaned the nakago of your Sukesada with wire-wool or something similar. That devalues the sword far more than a missing kojiri and is also much more difficult to put right. Please tell me it wasn't you! Simon Quote
pcfarrar Posted April 16, 2008 Report Posted April 16, 2008 The sword on the left with the sotoba nakago is probably Chikuzen Kongobei. Quote
Jacques Posted April 16, 2008 Report Posted April 16, 2008 Hi, The sword on the left with the sotoba nakago is probably Chikuzen Kongobei. Norishige name doesn't match with this school where all smiths used th kanji Mori ç›› in their art name. Quote
william m Posted April 16, 2008 Author Report Posted April 16, 2008 Ha ha don't worry Simon, I had nothing to do with that. May I ask how you were able to identify the mei, I looked in one of my books "The connoisseurs Japanese sword book" but the amount of information is quite overwhelming! I think I will have to stick with tsukamaki. Any request on anywhere I should take photos of tonight? Thanks! William Quote
pcfarrar Posted April 16, 2008 Report Posted April 16, 2008 Norishige name doesn't match with this school where all smiths used th kanji Mori ç›› in their art name. That's because its gimei The nakago almost exactly matches a Muromachi Shobu Zukuri kongobei katana I have in my collection. Quote
Jacques Posted April 16, 2008 Report Posted April 16, 2008 Hi, That's because its gimei Right Peter, the Sukesada too. Quote
william m Posted April 17, 2008 Author Report Posted April 17, 2008 Yes the tsuba are quite nice, the silver one is signed with both the school and the smiths name. I had a Japanese college at work translate the tsuba for me. Now I know the school and smith I should hopefully be able to date the tsuba. I didn't get around to taking better photos last night, ill try again tonight! William Quote
william m Posted April 17, 2008 Author Report Posted April 17, 2008 Okay up are some new pictures and also the mystery deepens. Waki 2 has a mei on both sides. Here is an image of the new mei. tsuba http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h156/ ... G_0880.jpg swords http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h156/ ... G_0884.jpg http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h156/ ... G_0875.jpg kissaki http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h156/ ... G_0876.jpg The Fuchi puzzled my Japanese collegues. They think it is a name of school but cannot read one of the characters as it is not modern Japanese. http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h156/ ... G_0882.jpg http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h156/ ... G_0883.jpg http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h156/ ... G_0881.jpg Once again many thanks for your responses, I really enjoy reading them all. :D Quote
James Posted April 18, 2008 Report Posted April 18, 2008 I thought I'd give this a go: Eisho (1504), Ju-ichi Nen (11th year), Hachi Gatsu (8th month), Yoshi Hi (Lucky day) = A lucky day in August, the year 1514. Is that correct? Quote
william m Posted April 19, 2008 Author Report Posted April 19, 2008 A second opinion. The mei on the waki 2 says "Bizen no kuni yosozaemon no ju sukesada" The silver tsuba is signed Masamene, Buko sei mami. Quote
Jacques Posted April 19, 2008 Report Posted April 19, 2008 Hi, Yosazaemonnojo Sukesada 与三左衛門尉ç¥å®š is the same name than Yososaemon no jo Sukesada 与三左衛門尉ç¥å®š. Just a different reading. Quote
william m Posted April 20, 2008 Author Report Posted April 20, 2008 Ah! okay very odd! Thanks for the info. And if anybody is interested here is a photo of the menuki I have taken off the tsuka. Quote
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