Translation assistance for possible kamakura era blade

[paxaut]

I hate to bother everyone with my request for help, but I would greatly appreciate any input on this blade. My knowledge is severely limited compared to many others on this forum. In hand it appears to be a late kamakura era blade, based on the overall sugata. The nagasa is over 33 inches in length, but it appears to be machi-okuri by about an inch, and the nakago is roughly 10.5 inches long. The blade possesses a chu-kissaki of about 1.25 inches, a shallow sori of about 0.625 inches, a thick kisane, and a low shinogi. A sugaha hamon can be seen in places, but it is very out of polish. There are a few very worn kanji on the omote side, if the blade was worn tachi style, that are nearly impossible to make out at my skill level, but the kanji on what I think would be the ura side of the nakago are fairly clear. If these are date kanji I would guess possibly 正安 Shôan 1299 or 仁安 Ninan 1166, but the blade does not look like a pre-kamakura tachi to me? Any input you may have would be greatly appreciated. I apologize for my poor pictures. Thanks.

 

 

Paul M. Evans

 

p.s. I have no intention of selling this blade. Thanks.

[Nobody]

I suspect that the kanji which you read “Shoan (正安)” are “saku kore (作之 = ..... made this.)”.

The mei which was inscribed above them might be lost intentionally or accidentally. The blade looks much younger to me.

[nagamaki - Franco]

greetings, for what first impressions may be worth this sword 'appears' to be a late Muromachi copy of a Kamakura sword, which are not all that uncommon.

[paxaut]

Excellent, thank you for the info so far. That is a different style of kore than I am used to seeing so I did not make the potential connection, but I can see it once you point it out. It is definitely old enough to have seen a fair amount of action as there is about a 3/16 of an inch loss to the cutting edge and there are a few strike marks on the mune so the Warring States period makes sense as well. Thank you both.

 

Paul

[reinhard]

I support Moriyama-san's statement. Supposed this sword is of Japanese origin (which I'm not sure of), it is no older than Kambun ShinTo. The lower mekugi-ana seems to be a shinobi-ana (made for reinforcement of the nakago within the tsuka). Therefore the nakago doesn't seem to be greatly shortened, but it should be in case of an old tachi. Furthermore the mei is placed on the haki-ura (opposite side of regular tachi mei). Shallow curvature, strong tapering and small kissaki are pointing towards Kambun era; narrow shinogi-ji could be an indicator for an even later date of manufacture (i.e.ShinShinTo). Another mysterious thing about it is the mei: It doesn't make sense like this, but there are no traces of any additional (worn) kanji, which could explain the remaining two.

All in all: very mysterious, but probably neither late Kamakura nor KoTo.

 

reinhard

[nagamaki - Franco]

Hi, the straightness from the machi area through the nakago in relation to the sword is troublesome (awkward) and could well point to a late copy. Regardless, there is most definitely something sketchy going on with the nakago. As for late Koto copies of Kamakura there are some that are pretty good, but also ones that leave you wondering how such poor copies could be produced in the Koto period.