Removed Mei?

[Infinite_Wisdumb]

Saw this blade for sake with a Kicho paper from the 70s.  I know, "green papers are bad".

 

Well, i scroll down anyways and see this for the tang - thoughts?

 

[MarcoUdin]

In my opinion looks scrubbed, not sure why though, could be a showato??

[WillFalstaff]

I think gimei have been often removed from blades in order for them to be submitted to shinsa. 

[PNSSHOGUN]

Mei can be removed professionaly, or like this. Professionally the Patina will be restored.

[waljamada]

I recognize that sword actually.  I thought the blade had a great choji style hamon with some other cool features and looked a meaty blade.  Fittings are mostly newer with some edo menuki/tsuba and I do like leather ito tsukas so overall its still a sleek koshirae in my opinion.  Like others mentioned the mei was likely removed because it had a gimei signature and then was attributed with the white papers to the different smith.  Would possibly (probably?) paper now as a different smith, but one would hope even with white papers it was a solid educated guess.  A member here told me they didn't think it was the smith (i cant remember who it was atteibuted to) in the kicho papers.

[robinalexander]

Is it possible the tang held the owners name and that is was used in WW2? 

 

Maybe a wild guess but could explain the rough removal.  Seen some horrible Mon removal jobs.

 

Rob