Help With Mei that has "Kin" ???? and 3 Mekugi-ana Nakago

[Klink]

Can't figure this one out as the rust is covering half of the Mei but I think I got the "Kin" symbol right.  Tried to look up Smiths with Kin and ???  but to no avail.....  Also the other side looks like "Ichi Katana ??? ".  Number One Katana ???!  .  I am lost I'm afraid....    

[Jcstroud]

I would like very much if you could provide more pictures of the entire sword if you would be so kind.   Thanks

[SteveM]

Not "kin", but "kane" (same kanji, different pronunciation)

金房　Kanefusa / Kanabō

 

Other side is a something and the number 6 (六) 

Looks like 一刀六, but needs a bit of digging around to find out what it is/means. Literally its one, sword, six, but the meaning is unclear.

[Klink]

So do you see this as a Tachi cut down?  I read where the file marks on the Nakago are the smiths personal space where you can tell right handed file marks or left handed..... What I see what looks like something other than file marks but more like a vice or ???  

 

Also the "Kane" as pronounced with fusa.... is that KAN492?  or the Kanabo Schools of smiths from the Kanabo area of Nara.  

 

 

Quote...

While Kanabo (金房) swords, particularly katana, are known for their somewhat inelegant shapes, they were, however, highly prized by Samurai of the Sengoku Era of constant warfare.  This is because of their superior strength and cutting ability.  This helps to explain the existence of so many Kanabo (金房) blades today when compared with other swords that were produced in great numbers during this period of constant warfare.  Simply put, they worked.  They were made for combat and proved their capabilities.

 

 

 

Edited November 22 by Klink

[SteveM]

Can't say anything without seeing the whole sword/sugata. It does look like those bright marks on the tang were caused by a vise or something. 

[Trenchnut]

Professional craftsmen have an angle made of softer material between the vise and the workpiece. That said, I have seen guns that have been ruined by the bite of the vise.

Edited November 22 by Trenchnut

[Klink]

Ok I did my best!

Nagasa 66.36 cm

Sori 1.59 cm, Naka-zori curve

Motohaba 3.04 cm

Saki-haba 2.175 cm

Motogasane 8 mm

Sakigasane 5.3 mm

Weight 813.6 g

 

 

[SteveM]

OK, these don't help much because they are bit out of focus, and the machi area of the blade (not the spine) is what I wanted to see (see the red circle in the photo below). All I can say is that it is possible this sword could have been shortened down. 

 

But then you have an anomaly because I don't think any of the Kanabō smiths made any tachi. They are from an era when the tachi production was dwindling. And, I don't know if any of them signed with just the two-character Kanabō name. Also, I haven't looked at any of my references to see if there were any smiths besides the Kanabō group who used these two characters as a name (Kanefusa). So, not a lot of concrete info for you.