Please help with two kanji from Tanobe Sensei sayagaki

[Guest Simon R]

I would greatly appreciate your help with two unfamiliar kanji in a sayagaki by Tanobe-sensei.

One appears in the description of the smith, Yasutoku, and the other appears at the end of the blade's length.

 

Thanks in advance!

Simon

[Jussi Ekholm]

As I saw your other thread about your sword. I would think the one in length would be half.

 

NBTHK paper would have the length as 2 shaku 1 sun and bit

Tanobe would have 2 shaku 9 bu and half in sayagaki if I see things correctly.

[xiayang]

1 minute ago, Jussi Ekholm said:

As I saw your other thread about your sword. I would think the one in length would be half.

Indeed, the first character is Tanobe san's way of writing 半 (half).  The second character is 所.

[Guest Simon R]

Thank you so much!!!!

[SteveM]

On 5/28/2023 at 4:17 AM, Jussi Ekholm said:

NBTHK paper would have the length as 2 shaku 1 sun and bit

 

More nitpicking - sorry.

The 弱 (jaku) on the NBTHK paper means "just under" or "almost". So the paper and the sayagaki are in agreement on the length. 

 

 

[Jussi Ekholm]

Thanks for the correction Steve, I had misunderstood the meaning, so it is very good to know for the future

[Bugyotsuji]

Jussi, you can find both 弱 Jaku and 強 Kyo, in 強弱 'Kyo-jaku' 'strong & weak' a pair of common useful words like 'plus/minus', meaning just short of, & slightly more than...

 

Used also in earthquake magnitude announcements, etc. ５弱, 5強 = 5-, 5+

[SteveM]

I'm also a bit curious if Simon had a translation for the month? I have an idea, but it feels kind of unlikely. 

 

Edit: my idea wasn't as unlikely as i thought, but its the first time I've seen him use it.  

Spoiler

恵風  = February

 

[Jussi Ekholm]

Thanks for further info Piers I think I have had Jaku and Kyo mixed/mashed up. So it is good to know that info. Of course by actual length the scale is in mm in this case but it is important stuff in general.