Kanenori Kicho Paper Translation Needed

[pt1093]

 

     I had the rest of this Kicho paper translated a while ago, and am just getting around to what could not be translated originally.  Someone penciled in something in parentheses below the signature is what I need translated.  I understand this is the area NBTHK appraiser would add notes.  Would they have used pencil or is this an additional note by some previous caretaker?

 

Paul T.

 

[Stephen]

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/forum/15-translation-assistance/

[Jussi Ekholm]

I tried and unfortunately I can't get two of the characters right, and it bugs me a lot.

 

関?六住?代兼則之作 is my guess with the 2 missing blanks.

 

The addition is most likely made by some previous owner. He/she has scratched wakizashi over and changed it to katana. Sword length in current state seems to be 1 shaku 9 sun 8 bu 8 rin which is really close to modern "accepted" katana length requirement.

[SteveM]

関孫六住初代兼則之作

Seki Magoroku (jū) shodai Kanenori kore saku

[Jussi Ekholm]

Nice one Steve, I figured it might be shodai but I couldn't fit it for sure.

 

1st generation Kanenori would point it towards Ōei period and founder of San'ami school. I think references mention only signed tachi and tanto by this smith. I'd think some later Muromachi period Kanenori would be better fit. As it was so short katana I might guess somewhere late 1400's to early 1500's.

[Surfson]

Is it odd that the Magoroku part is written in pencil?

[SteveM]

Yes it is unusual that wakizashi is crossed out and "katana" is written in pencil, and then the penciled-in attribution to a very big name is also weird. 

 

And I also thought the "Seki Magoroku jū" was weird. Why does "jū" come after the Magoroku? I would have expected Seki-jū, not Magoroku-jū, but the writer is obviously someone who knows Japanese so I put it down to a way of using "jū" that I am not familiar with. 

[pt1093]

Steve M, thanks your getting me excited now.  The scratch off from wakizashi to katana appears to be in the original appraiser ink. This was sold as a 1500 era blade, glad to see it might just be!  It does have a few minor problems:  very slightly out of straight at the photo of the fukuri, with a few nicks on the mune.  I also attached a photo of the nakago for review.  The owner at the 1959 time of appraisal was Mr. Hashimoto Kisaku, who may be the founder of Nomura Holdings.

[pt1093]

Jussi, I commend your translating abilities, they are way above mine.  As an worker in the metal industry all my life, my second language is drawing interpretation, third being some Espanol.  Just so my head is straight how do I pronounce your name in US English?

[Guido]

According to the papers it's a hair under 2 shaku (60.6 cm) at 60.2 cm, so it's a wakizashi. Btw, if a mistake is made while writing a kanteisho, a new one will be issued - there a no sloppy corrections by crossing out kanji and adding others.

[pt1093]

That's OK because this is not a kanteisho, but  a 1959 kicho nbthk?  I also have an NBTHK with out punched numbers, but it is valid none the less.   

[Guido]

That's OK because this is not a kanteisho, ...

 

[Jean]

You are becoming fussy Guido LoL Paul meant old kanteisho/papers but you are right even if old papers, it is still a kanteisho inappropriate words..