translation help

[markeo]

i have had this sword for a few years and have always been curious what the inscription says

 

wasn't sure if this should go in the nihonto section or the general translation section

 

 

i believe the top side of the characters is the left of the pictures

[Jacques]

Hi,

 

 

Enpo san nen ni gatsu hi 延宝三年二月日

 

 

 

 

Inoue Shinkai 井上真改

 

 

A very big name

[markeo]

Hi,

 

 

Enpo san nen ni gatsu hi 延宝三年二月日

 

 

 

 

Inoue Shinkai 井上真改

 

 

A very big name

 

 

thank you very much

 

can you give me any more details on what it means or who inoue shinkai is?

[Brian]

Mark,

It is signed supposedly by Inoue Shinkai. Google him, and you will find he is a big name smith. The fact that this is such a big name means it is highly likely this is a gimei (false) signature, but you would need to have it verified to find out for sure. Gimei was very common, and the better the smith, the more their signatures were faked.

The other side is the supposed date, in this case I think 1675, second month.

 

Brian

[markeo]

thank you

[Brian]

Mark,

Just to add....I am not saying it is gimei, just that they very often are. However you do need to post a decent pic and get some opinions, and even after that, try and get it to an expert for examination in hand. Gimei is common, but there are real ones out there, so never give up until you are sure.

 

Brian

[Jacques]

Hi,

 

Just to add; there were only eight saijo saku swordsmiths during Shinto era, Inoue Shinkai was one of them.