Struggling with this Mei

[Bugyotsuji]

Struggling with this Mei on a Nakago with a date of Anei 6 in the late 1700s.

 

江武李随 = Kobu Takanori/Takayuki...?

江氏李随 = ?

(Possible relation to 江家 Gouke? 大江 Ooe?)

 

I can find no record of such a swordsmith. The easiest answer is Gimei, or unlisted. There is a Takanori　李随 (Place of residence, time line unknown) listed in the 古今金工全集 on p.90 but this is a Kinko metalworker database and not a swordsmith. Is such a thing possible, where a metal worker might create a Koshirae for example, and a blade to go into it? 

 

 

[kyushukairu]

To me, it looks like 江氏, but that does not seem to be a place or a surname... It’s most likely some variant on Edo (such as 江府）

Ps. The reading of 李 is ‘Sue’ (I think you may have mistaken it for 孝), and the name also use the older character 隨, but it still has the same reading as 随, so the smith’s name is most likely Sueyuki.

[Bugyotsuji]

Thanks for that feedback, Kyle and your thoughts. It’s true, I’m getting old, and there is still always more to learn on this road!
I need to sort out 孝, 季 and 李… 

By the way do you see that little cut at the top of 木 making it ノNogi then? 

[Bugyotsuji]

Sometimes it is better to sleep on a problem than chase around in circles.

This could simply be a very clever way to confuse people with a complicated shape-shifting Mei having multiple readings, wasting their time endlessly. Giving up for now.