Unusual mei on Civilian

[vfc]

I think i stuffed up again is it a gimme 

[SteveM]

Not really unusual, just slightly illegible due to corrosion. 兼茂 (Kaneshige, maybe). The reverse side is a date, but this is also badly corroded. ?年五月 (? year, May).

Assume its wartime - sometime between 1940 - 1945. The date may have been deliberately erased in order to try to pass it off as something other than a wartime blade. 

[vfc]

Thank you Steve

I will try and do some research i am glad it is not a gimme.

[ROKUJURO]

Vittirio,

the condition of the NAKAGO looks to me as older than 20th century. No YASURI-ME visible, good patina, faint MEI. Faked MEI (GI-MEI, not gimme) are seen in all periods, so you cannot be sure in this respect. But my impression is that you have an older blade there, whatever the signature may be (KANEUJI? But Steve is the expert!).

[vfc]

Thank's Jean.

So it may be a hand made blade.

[ROKUJURO]

Vittorio,

we are only looking at pictures. I would like to recommend to have an expert have a look on the blade in hand.

[Shugyosha]

Hi Vittorio,

One reason for the darker patina on the tang may be the removal of the date which, as Steve has suggested, may be have been done to pass it off as an older blade. To me there's something about the colour that looks false to me (but again it might just be the photos or my eye). My feeling is that it may not be a natural patina but one put on there, perhaps chemically, to give it an older look and to cover up the new look of the bare metal where the date was taken off.

 

Is there as stamp on the side with the signature (it would normally be above the mekugi ana) or anything to indicate one has been removed?

[SteveM]

Kaneuji is a good call. Could be this guy

http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/oshigata/kaneuji3.jpg

[Stephen]

Agree with Kaneuji

[vfc]

8 hours ago, Shugyosha said:

Hi Vittorio,

One reason for the darker patina on the tang may be the removal of the date which, as Steve has suggested, may be have been done to pass it off as an older blade. To me there's something about the colour that looks false to me (but again it might just be the photos or my eye). My feeling is that it may not be a natural patina but one put on there, perhaps chemically, to give it an older look and to cover up the new look of the bare metal where the date was taken off.

 

Is there as stamp on the side with the signature (it would normally be above the mekugi ana) or anything to indicate one has been removed?

Hi John there is no stamp to me it does not look like anything has been removed but then again i am only a amateur. 

[vfc]

Thank's to you all for your help and support.

[Bruce Pennington]

You can see date characters under the rust. It was all there but covered up by rust.

[Shugyosha]

Hi Vittorio,

I'm very much an amateur too.

I agree with Bruce that you can see the remains of the date under the rust and that it must have been the flat lighting in the other pictures that made the tang look odd to me. It's just natural rust.

Can't see anything that suggests it had a stamp and I think Steve's find on the signature is probably a good one.

[vfc]

Thank's Bruce and John.

I can now start to research Kaneuji