Translation help - first time poster!

[Deperty]

Hello all;

 

im a first-time poster, and looking for help with a translation. I don’t have many reference texts (yet), and am having trouble making out some of the strokes. I’m hoping that some experience from members might help. 
 

Thank you in advance!

[SteveM]

Hello Andrew,

 

Date on one side, swordsmith's name and location on the other side. Unfortunately, the date is badly eroded, as is the location. The smith's name looks like 真貞 (Sanesada). There were several smiths who used this name, from as far back as the 1300s to the 1600s. If we could pick out the location or the date (obviously) we could pinpoint which smith made your sword. If we had a look at the entire sword, it would also be a help, as the shape of the sword indicates which era the sword is from. 

[Deperty]

Thanks very much!! I’ll get some more photos up as soon as I’m able to. The polish is in a poor state, and I’ll do my best to describe what I’m seeing....hopefully the photos will allow more identification. I’ll have them up soon.

[Deperty]

Here’s a few more:

 

1) kissaki

[Deperty]

2) habaki and up

[Deperty]

3) full length

[Deperty]

4) mid-section of the blade

[Bugyotsuji]

Andrew, if you could lay out the whole thing, tip to tip, with an aerial shot, then we can see the shape of the end of the nakago, and the curvature through the nakago and into the blade, and the overall shape. 

 

Also if you could get two or three different angled shots of the Mei where your thumb is, the faint dotted lines might just match with something. For example it might then fit with something like... 備中國住真 Bitchu no Kuni Ju Sanesada. (?) 

[NewB]

Looks like a delightful study and depending on traditionally trained togishi's kantei, potentially worth restoring (based on my rookie eye)

 

 

 

John

[Bugyotsuji]

From that angle the date looks like 文治 but that's a while ago! (1185-1190)

[Deperty]

Thank you to everyone - I’ll take more pictures this evening, and post. I’m excited to learn more from each of you.

[Deperty]

Please see attached - a few more shots as requested:

 

1) each side of the nakago. Perhaps a different angle/light will help make out some of the characters better

 

2) a full-length shot of the entire blade tip-to-tip

 

Another observation that may help (though my exposure to katana-length blades is still limited: it feels heavy, to me. Beefy. I’m not sure how else to describe it. Hoping this adds to the ‘feel’ of the sword (as best we can, virtually).

 

Again - thank you to all for your thoughts, comments and assistance. I truly appreciate it.

[Deperty]

More....

[Deperty]

Full length...

[Bugyotsuji]

Many thanks Andrew.

 

It may be my imagination, but the Mei could start with 備州 ... Bi Shu

[Jacques]

Nakago shape seems typically  Bizen but not for that times  and no smith with this name at that nengo. I would add that in Bunji era nengo were not used and nagamei are quite rare