Can someone please help me with the translation on my sword ? Please and thank you !

[Bigcfromjp]

[Bigcfromjp]

I cleaned the tang a little … I know I shouldn’t have but otherwise it was hard to get a clear picture.

[nulldevice]

Cleaning the tang is never a good idea as the patina is crucial to both the value of the sword and the preservation of the tang. 

 

大進法師 - Daishin Hoshi is what this appears to be signed who was a smith that was a son of one of the best tanto makers of all time, Shintogo Kunimitsu. He also is known as Daishinbō (大進坊) or Daishinbō Yūkei (大進坊祐慶). 

 

I can't confirm the authenticity of the mei but pictures of the entire blade would be helpful and others can chime in on the mei itself. 

[Bigcfromjp]

Thank you so much. As soon as I’m able to I’ll get pictures of the blade.

[nulldevice]

I look forward to seeing them. As far as I can find in my references, Jussi's old sword database, and the internet I can only see drawings (oshigata) of this smith's signatures and no photos of extant work signed by Daishinbo. 3 of the 4 juyo blades by this maker are mumei and there is a yari with the designation "mei ga aru" meaning the signature casts some doubt by the NBTHK. I don't have pictures of that yari but someone may be able to post pictures. 

 

https://www.nihonto-museum.com/blog/daishinbo-yukei

The link above has some good material and old oshigata of signed blades. 

[robinalexander]

Making the mei clearer

 

Chance, for future reference, just put some talcum/baby powder on the tang and then wipe it 'off' with the fleshy part of your hand.  The powder will stay in the mei depressions and can be better seen.  Try it a few times if need be.

 

The tang is the only part of the sword that should be handled (never the blade).

 

Rob

[Bigcfromjp]

 I’ve had it since I was a kid… I wasn’t sure at the time of what I had and sadly kids will be kids… it’s a little beat up but hopefully this helps. As for Robs reply I will be getting talcum or baby powder to make the mei further legible. 

[nulldevice]

Can you give measurements from the notch on the back of the sword where the tang meets the blade to the tip? 
 

it looks like it’s a shortsword. It also wouldn’t happen to have an inscription on the reverse side would it? Sometimes they’re dated and it may be faint if it is there. 

[Bigcfromjp]

The measurement is 7 1/2 inches and as for the inscription on the other side I don’t believe there is one. The picture is taken from the other side of the tang.

[Bigcfromjp]

Wait I’m sorry I think I measured the wrong way. I believe you wanted the measurement from the notch to the tip of the blade right ?

[Bigcfromjp]

[nulldevice]

Thanks for those new measurements. At 24" and with the signature where it is, this would be considered a shobu zukuri tachi that has been slightly shortened (suriage) at the tang. Shobu zukuri refers to the shape of the tip and that this sword doesn't have a kissaki but rather the shinogi (ridgeline) continues all the way to the point of the sword. 

 

The bad news is that the blade is like you said pretty hammered. Even before you got it, it looks like it had already been quite polished down numerous times. I can't tell if towards the tip, I see old remnants of a small groove that may have been carved in the blade that has since been polished away or if it just an opening in the steel. Was this sword ever in a fire? The portion above the tang looks sort of scaly. 

 

The signature, if authentic would make this a very special reference from a very famous late 1200s - early 1300s swordsmith, but its the workmanship of the sword that confirms the signature and as is, the sword is in a pretty rough state to make any judgements. I'll let others give their thoughts on the matter. 

[Jacques]

From Markus Sesko's Nihotô meikan translation :

Quote

Daishinbō (大進坊), Shōwa (正和, 1312-1317), Sagami – „Daishinbō“ (大進坊), „Daishinbō-hōshi Yūkei“ (大進坊法師祐慶), this smith and masterly horimono carver is listed in old sword documents as son of Shintōgo Kunimitsu (新藤五国光) or it is also mentioned that „Yūkei“ (祐慶) was the Buddhist priest name of Kunimitsu´s third son Kuniyasu (国泰), anyway, Daishinbō Yūkei followed a religious path and went from Kamakura over the Sōtō-jinja (走湯神社) and some years as yamabushi mountain ascet at Mt. Haguro (羽黒) in Dewa province finally to Nikkō (日光) where he worked as priest of the Futarasan-jinja (二荒山神社), the Sōtō-jinja belongs to a temple complex of the Izusan-jinja (伊豆山神社) which is located in the present-day city of Atami (熱海) in Shizuoka Prefecture, geographical studies on Sagami province called „Shinpen Sagami no Kuni fudoki-kō“ (新編相模国風土記稿) from the 12th year of Tenpō (天保, 1841) mention a signature of Daishinbō which bears the supplement „Sōtō-Daigongen“ (走湯大権現), an area at the foot of the mountain where the Sōtō jinja and Izusan-jinja are located, however, most known signatures of this smith are dubious and it is said that he primarily focused on cutting horimono onto blades of Yukimitsu and Masamune