Lovely silver mounted tanto, help on mei please.

[Ron STL]

Looking at a very pleasantly mounted tanto that may soon reside here. No pictues of the koshira at the moment, but did snap a shot of the signed fuchi. Signed in grass writing, I am lost trying to read it. Anybody out there able to read this mei? Nice kao might help. The tanto is signed/dated to Bizen Katsumitsu, 1521. A Jo saku rated smith. Three previous Katsumitsu are rated Saijo, to my surprise. Just a pleasant "package" that needs a new keeper for awhile. Thanks for any info on the maker. 

Ron STL

[Ken-Hawaii]

Is that the fuchi or the koiguchi?

[Ron STL]

Picture is of fuchi. Attached, a shot of the koshirae. Ron STL

[Yuradneprov]

Can you show a couple pictures of the actual blade and nakago. Thanks

[Rivkin]

The tanto is signed/dated to Bizen Katsumitsu, 1521. A Jo saku rated smith. Three previous Katsumitsu are rated Saijo, to my surprise. Just a pleasant "package" that needs a new keeper for awhile. Thanks for any info on the maker. 

Ron STL

 

[?] I might be completely in the wrong here, but I doubt this rating was done by Fujishiro. Can be someone retyping his information, though I am saying this without actually looking. 

 

Kirill R.

[Ron STL]

I tried a couple times to post some pictures of the tanto today, but kept running into a problem completing the post. I'll send a few photos here and the the otherf few with a separate post. As for the rating, I'm pretty sure i checked that "Josaku" rating in Fujishiro and not just in the translation volumn. This Katsumitsu apparently is not one of the family (generations) but a branch member. Still trying to convince myself of the details. Comments welcomed. Ron STL

[Ron STL]

Okay, my follow-up photos of the Katsumitsu. Ron STL

[SteveM]

Is it possible to get another picture of the mei on the fuchi? The mei is partially lost in the glare. 

It looks like 清 something, possibly 清定 (Kiyosada), with a three-kanji go next to it. The go is kind of like 萬台齊, but there is no such name/go in Wakayama, so I don't think either of those are correct.

 

I think 清 is correct, but the second one, while having the same upper part as 定, has a different lower part, so 清-something, but I can't figure it out.

The go ends with 斉(齊) which is typical, but the top two throw me. 

[Yuradneprov]

I have a katsumitsu wak. Here is the mei. There are 6generation for the most part the mei looks similar on all.

[Rivkin]

I tried a couple times to post some pictures of the tanto today, but kept running into a problem completing the post. I'll send a few photos here and the the otherf few with a separate post. As for the rating, I'm pretty sure i checked that "Josaku" rating in Fujishiro and not just in the translation volumn. This Katsumitsu apparently is not one of the family (generations) but a branch member. Still trying to convince myself of the details. Comments welcomed. Ron STL

 

Sorry, I meant other Muromachi generations being sai-jo-saku. That seemed quite unusual.

 

Kirill R.

[Ron STL]

Is it possible to get another picture of the mei on the fuchi? The mei is partially lost in the glare. 

It looks like 清 something, possibly 清定 (Kiyosada), with a three-kanji go next to it. The go is kind of like 萬台齊, but there is no such name/go in Wakayama, so I don't think either of those are correct.

 

I think 清 is correct, but the second one, while having the same upper part as 定, has a different lower part, so 清-something, but I can't figure it out.

The go ends with 斉(齊) which is typical, but the top two throw me. 

 

I have tried a scan of the fuchi to clarify the signature, and it appears to be as clear as it is possible. I'll attach a copy of this scan in hopes that it will help identify the carver. I believe you're referring to the two kanji - Kiyo... - above the kao, correct? Let's see how it goes. Thanks to helping out here. That script is beyond me. Ron STL

[Tigerinbamboo]

Very pretty tanto and koshirae ????

[SteveM]

Thank you for the scan. It doesn't bring me any closer to an answer. In fact, it leads me to doubt that either 清 or 定 is correct. Too difficult for me. 

[Ron STL]

Appreciate the attempt to translate, Steve. I'll just not worry about who the maker was. One day somebody will make a computer program to "face recognize" the many kao on such fittings. That too, sounds impossible but then I'm a dinosaur when it comes to such technology. Ron STL