Help with tanto mei

[Viper6924]

Hi!

 

I have a tanto that I would need some assistance with.

 

I´ve tried myself. Have patience with a beginner

 

ten + mon + ? + kuni + shige

 

The cuttingedge is about 29,5 centimeter

 

All help would be greatly app.

 

All the best!

 

Jan

[george trotter]

It looks like HASEBE KUNISHIGE

 

There are a number of prominent smiths who signed as this, you will need to do some research.

Hope this helps

[Viper6924]

Thats a great start George. I really happy to get all the info I can. I´m also happy I managed to read the mei some what correct Can You translate the whole mei?

 

Any more info would be great. I included two more pictures. Perhaps it can help.

 

And again George, thanks!

 

Jan

[Toryu2020]

Jan -

Looks like you are making a terrific start as a beginner! FWIW the kanji are 長谷部国重. I for one look forward to hearing about the fruits of your research...

-t

[Viper6924]

Thanks Toryu for the kanji.

 

Do You know the exact translation of 長谷部国重 ? Or some one else, for that matters?

 

Thansk again!

 

Jan

[Thierry BERNARD]

George has already given you the answer!

[Viper6924]

Ahh!

 

I thought Kuni+shige was the two last kanjis. And that George based on that gave me his first name to.

 

So the full mei reads HA+SE+BE+KUNI+SHIGE.

 

That means I nailed the two last kanjis and missed the three first ones.

 

Better than nothing I guess

 

Based on this I wonder what timeperiod we are talking about. The guy I bought this tanto from told me it had been dated to Tenmon.

 

Well, again a big THANK YOU to all who helped me so far.

 

Jan

[Guido]

I googled "Hasebe Kunishige" and got 6.160 hits. Geez, how difficult can it be to get some info on this smith ...?

[Viper6924]

I hear You, Guido I guess thats the charm with this hobby. And it´s not getting any easier if it´s a famous name on the mei. But this is why this message board is so fantastic for a beginner like myself.

 

/Jan

[Viper6924]

And just now a Hasebe Kunishige tanto went on sale on ebay for 12000 dollar. A guy from Toronto. The tang looks older than on my. But it was pretty bad pictures.

 

Funny!

 

 

Jan

[MIA-nihonto]

So that everyone knows on this message board, Jan made an incredible error suggesting this Hasebe Kunishige posted on Ebay is not a genuine. In fact, this Hasebe Kunishige tanto was recently papered this past October 2011 shinsa by Mr. Miyano. The photos may not be of good quality that were posted on ebay but the tanto definitely is.

[Guido]

... Jan made an incredible error suggesting this Hasebe Kunishige posted on Ebay is not a genuine.

Huh? Jan didn't do any such thing, at least not on this message board. And who is Mr. Miyano?

BTW, NMB has a real name policy - or is your real name Mia?

[cabowen]

And who is Mr. Miyano?

 

President of the NTHK-NPO and judging by his record at the kantei contest at the NBTHK conventions over the last 40+ years, the top kantei-ka in Japan.....

[uwe]

Hi,

I have one too :D

 

Uwe

[Jacques D.]

Hi,

 

Never seen a Hasebe Kunishige with such a ji kuni.

 

A nice example here : http://www.aoi-art.com/sword/sale/08113.html