Translation Please

[Foletta]

I have some characters on the kai gunto seppa Can anyone tell me what they are ? The right two may be the owners name? Thanks Geoff 

[Bruce Pennington]

Geoff,

 

I can't help with the scratched kanji, hopefully someone will; but the stamped mark is a mystery. It's a mirror image of a kanji, but as it's marked, it has not known meaning. I have collected 2 other pictures of seppa and tsuba with it. I believe it's likely a korshirae manufacturer's company mark, or an inspector of one.

[george trotter]

Number 21, Top kanji is 'ue' or 'upper'. I presume this tells the owner which seppa to put 'on top', ie. on the habaki side of the tsuba..I have seen it before on navy fittings. Can't read the scratched kanji...maybe a closer pic?

Regards,

[Bruce Pennington]

Number 21, Top kanji is 'ue' or 'upper'. I presume this tells the owner which seppa to put 'on top', ie. on the habaki side of the tsuba..I have seen it before on navy fittings. Can't read the scratched kanji...maybe a closer pic?

Regards,

George,

That was the theory from my earlier inquiry on the same kanji, but they said it's a mirror image of the actual. I'm posting a picture of mine.

And I just noticed they're both on navy fittings too.

 

[george trotter]

Hi Bruce, the original kanji is 'UE' upper and the bottom two pics seem to show the same kanji just stamped upside down...there is no kanji I know of that looks like the upside down one except 'shita' (under/lower), but on this the 'side' stroke is on the opposite side of the vertical stroke. maybe they just used the same stamp upside down to indicate 'lower'. Not sure. Maybe Morita san can comment?

Regards,

[Bruce Pennington]

George,

 

I've righted the picture to put it cutting-edge up, and in that position, you can see the stamp is the same as in my other 2 examples - mirror image of the "ue".

 

 

I think the scratched kanji (oddly written with cutting-edge down) might be exactly what you are describing.