Mei translation help and body cutting test?

[waljamada]

Was wondering what this tang has inscribed.  Is it a mei and body cutting test?  Naming the purchaser, just mei and date? or perhaps also naming the polisher?   Thank you in advance for sny help.  I apologize but this is the best photo I can get and I tried to make the kanji more legible.

[kyushukairu]

There are a couple of characters which I can't make out too well, but it seems to be a commemorative piece
 

~chu kuni ju Yamazaki (no) kami Tsuneyoshi (~中國住山崎守常吉)
Made for 1,100 year anniversary (?記念千百年為作)

[waljamada]

Interesting, the "chukuni" part, does that mean China?

[SteveM]

陸中国住 = Rikuchūgoku-jū, is my guess. An area in north-east Japan.

祝記念二千六百年為作 = Made in celebration of the 2600th year. Referring to the imperial year counting system. Must be a wartime era sword. 

[waljamada]

Interesting to learn its a wartime sword.  Does make sense though as when you Google Tsuneyoshi you basically get wartime era results.  The blade with that tang is a 29.5"  cutting edge and made in the shape of early koto blades being very straight with little sori.  As a tribute sword its shape/style makes more sense.

[Babu]

1940. 

[waljamada]

Is a blade like this worth taking on as a project and polishing?  Looking for opinions.  Would probably hope to do just a Hofine finish polish since its a showa blade in pretty healthy yet terrible polish state..  If it needed more than that plus figuring out its fittings it wouldn't be worth it to me.  Even then just acquiring the blade plus the finish polish and id be in for the 2k range with the blade alone. 

 

A blade like this, is it unique enough to be worth it in others opinions?  Or are 29.5 inch cutting length commemorative Tsuneyoshi blades cool but not that interesting in the grand scheme?  Does the market care for such things if I would ever want to sell is my basic question.  Have a rule to never pay more than at minimum I could get back with the hobby.

 

Also I am attaching more photos of it.  I cant make out a hada and the picture quality is pretty terrible.  Can sometimes see a hamon and the kissing tip photo looks like someone either fully buffed the blade or even used an acid?

[Babu]

Buffed is my guess.

It's a hard question to answer but I wouldn't treat it as any more valuable than any other war era sword.

I was looking at a similar one the other day over in the UK, here it was £950. 1940 commemorative sword.

I passed on it.

I would suggest it's better for people specialist in WW2 swords answer.

[waljamada]

Have decided to pass on it.  While I think its a neat blade in concept my passion for it doesn't light my core.  I think for a project blade it should do that as I imagine it a patient laborious process done mostly out of love and appreciation.  Inappreciate all the help and i think I can interpret commemorative blades now in the future from the help here.  Also had fun learning about Tsuneyoshi and Murato blades while researching him.