Kanehisa help please

[Mark C]

Hi Everyone,

 

Hope you are all well.

 

I have a showa period Katana signed Kanehisa and dated Showa 18 (1943). The sword has no stamps of any description on it. I would like to find out if possible which wartime Kanehisa it could be out of the several listed during that period.

Another question would be the date as it only has the mei of: Showa ju hachi nen - Is this usual with no month or made by characters?

 

Mekugi ana is in a very strange position as well and the evidence that an ana was started in the more normal position.

 

Another thing I have noticed is that on the date picture, The characters seem to have been chiselled after the lacquer painted numbers have been applied when you zoom in on the picture, Was thing normal?

 

Anyways, any help greatly appreciated. It would be great if I could find other two character signatures to compare with mine.

 

 

 

All the best

 

 

[Shugyosha]

Hi Mark,

I can't tell you much other than the date is the 18th year of showa: 十八 - Ju hachi nen so 1943?

[Mark C]

Thanks John,

 

Don't know why I put showa 20 down, Old age setting in 

 

That will teach me not to try and multitask

 

Edited

[Scogg]

I cannot help other than to eliminate a possibility. I once owned a showato signed by Osawa Kanehisa, and the mei appears very different to my eye. 

 

From Marcus Sesko's book, Japanese Swordsmiths:
KANEHISA (兼久), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Kanehisa” (兼久), real name Ōsawa Kan´ichi (大沢勘一), born January 2nd 1915, student of Kojima Kanemichi (小島兼道), he worked as a guntō smith and died July 7th 1945, ryōkō no retsu.

 

Best,

-Sam 

 

[mecox]

@Mark C   can you show / describe the koshirae to see where the hole fits.

[Mark C]

Hi Mal,

 

Here are two pics of the tsuka, It all seems to fit just in a strange place.

 

 

All the best

[mecox]

Mark, thats rather strange, dont follow it, including the start of another hole.  Hard to believe its original like that.

[Scogg]

Does it not defeat the purpose of offsetting the chūso if the mekugi-ana ends up off-center directly beneath it? 
 

Really interesting! 
-Sam

[Mark C]

Morning Both,

 

Thanks for your comments.

 

I know, it is strange, I have been over the tsuka and nothing seems to be out of place.

There is no signs of a repair, recent rebind, bodge up or anything else untoward.

 

The spotted hole would of matched up perfectly as well ??

 

Regards