Shin-Gunto Two Character Mei

[tbonesullivan]

Well, staring at Kanji lists for the past hour has done nothing but give me eye strain.  Every time I think I have a candidate, I find a way to disqualify it. I can't tell whether the second characters lower left is one continuous stroke, or two different ones. I wish sword smiths (or their assistants) had better handwriting.

 

Is there any type of database of kanji showing how they usually appear when actually signed on a tang?

[ROKUJURO]

tbonesullivan,

please sign all posts with your first name plus an initial so we may address you politely.

The book 'The Samurai Sword': A Handbook (English) by John M. Yumoto shows a number of KANJI in their handwritten appearance. 

The first KANJI might be KANE.
  

[Ray Singer]

Possibly Kanetane - 兼植

[Stephen]

Kanekuni?

[k morita]

Kanetsugu 兼継

[Bazza]

tbonesullivan wrote:

 

>  I wish sword smiths (or their assistants) had better handwriting.

 

Well, in my very limited knowledge of kanji writing styles I would say this a VERY elegant signature, possibly indicating a gendaitou rather than a run-of-the-mill guntou.  It takes a highly educated and experienced person to read this style of kanji.  Luckily we are blessed with Morita san to help us with these more difficult kanji.

 

Might we see pictures of the whole sword, complete tang both sides?? 

 

BaZZa.

[tbonesullivan]

Let me see if I can get more info. My friends know I'm "into Japanese swords" and have had to deal with them sometimes at work, and also took a year of Japanese in college, which doesn't help me at all, but I still get sent pictures from people who've "got a sword".   I'll try to post a large picture of the tang tomorrow. They said there is no writing on the other side of the tang.  It also apparently has a big dragon engraving, which I haven't seen a close up of, but it's supposed to be a sword brought back from WWII. No idea if the dragon engraving is real or something someone added down the line.

 

Fittings are the standard Army pattern, brown painted steel scabbard, etc.

[PNSSHOGUN]

A few Kanetsugu in the smith list, couldn't find any immediate matches to your signature, my guess is it's one of the RJT smiths.

 

Search "Kanetsugu" and start digging: http://www.jp-sword.com/files/seki/gendaito.html

[tbonesullivan]

A few Kanetsugu in the smith list, couldn't find any immediate matches to your signature, my guess is it's one of the RJT smiths.

 

Search "Kanetsugu" and start digging: http://www.jp-sword.com/files/seki/gendaito.html

 

I found it under the Seki Kaji Tosho on that list. I looked for the Kanji instead of the name.

 

兼継 (Kanetsugu)    Real Name: 前川 源一 ( Maekawa Gen'ichi)

[cisco-san]

Hi,

 

Markus list´s at least two Kanetsugu worked in Seki:

 

KANETSUGU (兼継), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Kanetsugu” (兼継), real name Maekawa Gen´ichi (前川源一), born January 15th 1904, he worked as guntō smith and died March 9th 1951
KANETSUGU (兼継), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Kanetsugu” (兼継), real name Maekawa Yoshiki (前川喜儀), born March 5th 1913, he worked as guntō smith and died September 9th 1964

[tbonesullivan]

Hi,

 

Markus list´s at least two Kanetsugu worked in Seki:

 

KANETSUGU (兼継), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Kanetsugu” (兼継), real name Maekawa Gen´ichi (前川源一), born January 15th 1904, he worked as guntō smith and died March 9th 1951

KANETSUGU (兼継), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Kanetsugu” (兼継), real name Maekawa Yoshiki (前川喜儀), born March 5th 1913, he worked as guntō smith and died September 9th 1964

 

Interesting! Maybe they were relatives?