Gyakutagane vs Sakatagane? Which one?

[Lewis B]

I have to admit this has me stumped having never chiseled metal in my life. Does this appear to be chiseled in gyakutagane (left to right) or sakatagane (right to left) style?

 

 

Closeups of the horizontal strike.

Far left                                                                                                                                          

 

Center

 

Far right

[ROKUJURO]

Lewis,

might be difficult to decide in this state of corrosion, but I think you can go with any KANJI writing guidance book. 
In the above "MITSU" KANJI, the two small strokes up right and left are clear for me, but for the longer strokes, while no longer visible, I would expect them to have been made like brush strokes. 

[Lewis B]

Thanks Jean. I wonder if this might be the clearest indicator on the migi-harai (diagonal) strike on kuni. The left downward edge is noticeably sharper/straighter compared to the right upper edge.

 

 

 

And the upper vertical strike on mitsu, where the burr has been pushed to the right.

 

 

To my eye this suggests a gyakutagane style of carving.

[Nobody]

4 hours ago, Lewis B said:

I have to admit this has me stumped having never chiseled metal in my life. Does this appear to be chiseled in gyakutagane (left to right) or sakatagane (right to left) style?

 

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Gyakutagane and Sakatagane have the same meaning (right to left). The only deference is how the kanji is read.

 

逆鏨 (gyakutagane/sakatagane) –reverse tagane (right to left)

順鏨 (juntagane) – forward tagane (left to right)