Modern mei translation

[FletchSan]

Hi All,

 

Looking at a modern sword for a friend and trying to translate the nakago.

 

I've translated the date to December, 2000.

 

平成十二年十二月

 

Struggling a bit with the mei... i think it's

 

濃州春?作 - Noshu Haru ? Saku

 

thanks,

 

Ben

[FletchSan]

Maybe Harutada?

 

濃 No
州 Shu (Mino)
春 Haru
但 Tada
作 Saku
 

[xiayang]

Hi Ben,

 

I'd say the mei is

 

濃州清舟作

 

The Japanese reading of this would be Nōshū Kiyofune saku, but I suspect this is actually a Taiwanese-made blade.  There's a knife and sword manufacturing company registered under that name in Taiwan (see here or Google-translated version here).

 

[FletchSan]

Wow great work Jan - I have found a few others with the same mei and date now so suspect you are right and a non-Japanese perhaps still "traditionally made" iaito.

 

I would have sworn Japanese made though - here are a few pics.

[NewB]

To me, this is NOT a traditionally made, authentic, Japanese nihonto. 

 

Just my 2 cents

 

J.

[FletchSan]

Yes it's not, it's a steel Iaito from my research - found a few examples that are very similar looks like a custom order through a place called "sword store" that have them made in Taiwan. Mystery solved