David McDonald

Dear Markus I also did not find anything in my books. Thanks for looking. So maybe meikan-more. I did not know that that the name of donator were placed on ken. Interesting. later david

Dear KM I believe it is an ubu ken so not a yari ken. later david

Dear Markus Thanks, I missed hoso Spent the afternoon looking in my books to see if I can find a listing of Hosakawa Mori ? Looked at Moritoshi first and then look at others. so far I have not yet found a smith that signed like that. thanks again later david

Dear All Looking for some help with the kanji on a ken. Looks like maybe koto or early Shinto 1. The kanji has the 田ta radical (Den, ta – rice field) on the right hand side Not sure of the left hand side 2. looks like 河wa, ga 3. might be a kanji under the mekugi ana but I am not sure 4. maybe 盛mori,　成 nari, or maybe not 5. Might be 命mio,naga, or maybe not 11 ¾ inch long Midare suguha Course masame/running itame hada Thanks for any help david mcdonald

Dear Piers Yes I am still interested. Do you have a source? thank you for the information below. later david

Dear Piers, Koichi and Ron Thanks for your help and information. Piers what is the name of the Book you were looking at. I think it would be good to have in my library. later david

Dear George and Ben I see N M So maybe the first one is easy. Not sure about the second. If I am right then there is no listing in Hawley so now I am not sure. later david mcdonald

Dear All Is there a matchlock book that would list the smiths in Goshu? (not just the kunitomo group) I am not have much luck identifying the mei. Goshu ? ? ju ? mitsu (maybe?) 江州 ? 住 ? 光 Made in Goshu province (Omi province) Moriyoshi 森吉???? thanks david mcdonald jswords@mcn.net

Dear Chris and John Chris I did find someone that will help me do the translation. Thanks for the idea. John thanks for your work. I edited my first post to include your information. I looked at ki fu and new it was a place/town name but did not think Gifu. Very interesting the information that is know about some of these smiths. later david

Dear Chris That would be great. Do you know someone? thanks david

Dear All I am doing research into the Wakasa no Kami Ujifusa family and need some help in translating some of the entries from “Owari and Yagyu Koshirae – Appendix 1 Owari Toko Meikan. As background I bought a hirazukuri wakizashi at the San Francisco Token Kei in 2006. The blade was signed Echigo no Kami Ujitsune 越後守藤原氏恒. In Hawley’s book listing UJI194 has a Echigo no Kami Ujitsune but different tsune kanji and the next listing is for a Bishu Echizen no Kami Ujitsune with the correct kanji for tsune. I thought there was just a mistake. In 2010 at the Nihon Token Hozon Kai I submitted my Ujitsune and it received a PINK paper. Gasp! The blade’s signature looked good and the blade was very well made but the shinsa team looking in the Meikan did not find this smith signing Echigo but only the one signing Echizen no Kami. So PINK! On this list I heard about the new book Owari and Yagyu Koshirae with appendix 1 – Owari Toko Meikan so ordered the book. I found a listing for my Echigo no Kami Ujitsune who was the second son of Wakasa no Kami Ujifusa. I took the blade and the book to the shinsa earlier this month and the team did give it papers and 75 points. It pays to do research. I thought this would make a good article for the San Fran newsletter so I have started working on translating all the entries relating to Wakasa no kami Ujifusa. Tom Helm also thought it would be a good article so now I have to finish the research. I would like to have the romanji that matches with the kanji and then the English translation. I do not read Japanese very well, so any help would be much appreciated. Thanks for any help. This is the first in a number of requests. This one is Wakasa no kami Ujifusa (1st generations). Does anyone have any other English article on the Ujifusa group? Later David Ujifusa Owari and Yagyu Koshirae Appendix 1 – Owari Toko Meikan Page103 second listing First column [氏房] (うじふさ) [ujifusa] (u ji fu sa) (初代*元亀) (Shodai*Genki) Original generation * worked around 1570’s period 天文三年岐阜に 生まれる Tenbun (1532) san nen Gifu ni shō ma re ru Birth 1534 ???? (Born in gifu 1534) 姓は河材氏 Shō ha ka zai shi Surname Hakazai?? (Family name Kawasuki) 名は京三郎 Myō ha kyō san rō ? son (Name Kyosaburo) のち清左衛門 no chi shō Saeimon ??? Saeimon (Afterwards Saeimon) 清州城主織田信長に仕え Cheongju jōshu Oda Nobunaga ni shi e Served the lord of Cheongju castle, Oda Nobunaga 弘治二年関鍛冶総領を譲られる Kōji (1555) ni nen Seki tan-ya Sōryō wo jō ra re ru (In 1557 he handed over his Seki forge.) Second column 永禄十三年四月十九日左衛門尉に任ぜられ[氏房] に改める Eiroku ju san nen chi gatsu ju kyu hi Saemonjō ni jin ze ra re [ujifusa] ni aratameru On 19th day of the 4th month in 1570 changed name to Saemonjō Ujifusa??? 同, 二十二日[若狭守]を受領 Dō, Ni ju ni hi [Wakasa no Kami ] Wo juryō Same year (1570) as above on the 22nd day received title of Wakasa no Kami 信長に従い安士に駐鎚 Nobunaga ni shi ni chū tsui Nobunaga retainer ???? (Accompanying Nobunaga, he was the resident samurai smith) 信長没後岐阜に帰り織田信孝に仕える Nobunaga botsugo Gifu ni kaeri shoku den shin kō ni shi e ru After Nobunaga’s death ?? (Returned to Gifu at Nobunaga's death to serve Oda Nobutaka) 天正十二年尾張国清州に移り Tensho ju ni nen Owari Kuni Kiyosu ni utsuri In 1584 moved to Kiyosu in Owari province 佐久間正勝に仕え Sa kyū kan sei shō ni tsukae ? (Served Masakatsu Sakuma) 同十八年五月十一日没 Dō ju hachi nen go gatsu ju ichi hi botsu Same period, 18th year (1590) 5th mount 11th day died 亨年五十七歳 Kyōnen go ju shichi sei 57 years old at death [氏房] [ujifusa] [若狭 守氏房] Wakasa no Kami Ujifusa [藤原氏房作] Fujiwara Ujifusa saku [左衛門尉藤原氏房] Saeimonjō Fujiwara Ujifusa 初銘 Shomei Original signature 兼房 Kanefusa

Thank you both. I looked in all my dictionaries and could not find monyo. thanks And "At the foot of Mt. Yoshida, forged this from iron." Is a much better way of translating thanks for the help. later david mcdonald jswords@mcn.net

Dear All I am working on a translation of a Masafusa sword I have - Maybe Omote Right hand column 羽山円真之 門葉 Hayama Enshin kore monyō What is monyō?? I think somewhere on this message board the yō was talked about but I can not find where????? Center column 藤原正房作 Fujiwara Masafusa saku 吉田山似麓真住人鍛之 Yoshida Yama ni oite Fumoto Shinju nin Kitae Kore Forged this sword while living at the foot of Mount Yoshida Ura 皇紀二千五百九十九年春 Koki ni Sen go Hiaku kyu ju kyu nen Haru Did I get anything wrong? What does monyō mean? thanks david mcdonald jswords@mcn.net

Dear Dick To add to Joe's translation here is a picture with kanji Hope that helps david mcdonald

Dear Jon Might be Nishibe Munenaga. some of his blades have Seki stamps see Hawley MUN 297 good luck david mcdonald

Dear Ben 以wo motte (using) 安Yasu 来ki 鋼Hagane (steel) (most likely the kanji - but looks different on your sword) 松Matsu 田da 兼Kane 高taka (I am not sure as the images is un-clear in this area) 作Saku hope that helps later david mcdonald

Dear Klaus So what is the title of Markus's book. Does it deal with WWII era sword smiths? thanks david

Dear All This might be the smith Seki ju Mayegawa Kanetsugu saku kore see G& F #35,36 good luck david mcdonald

Dear John and Phillip I agree Masanori. I have a note that this signature style for Masanori is for the smith Noro Masanori A Seki smith and might be Hawley's listing MAS 753 Date: Showa ju kyu nen ju ichi (might be ni) gatsu So the 11th (or 12th) month of the 19th year of Showa. later david mcdonald jswords@mcn.net

Dear Curran I look forward to seeing your koshirae and talking to you about your translation. later david

Dear All I get to go to the Tampa show this year. Yea! I will have my wrapping stand and can do tsuka-maki as you watch. Should be able to wrap 3-4 over the weekend. Should be fun. later david jswords@mcn.net

Dear Teddy 1066 Is what I see. good luck david mcdonald jswords@mcn.net

Dear All that are still reading this thread So with Morita san help I see 東都　近江守藤原継平造 Tōto Omi no Kami Fujiwara Tsuguhira tsukuri 安永四乙未歳八月日 An’ei shi (4th) Kinoto Hitsuji (year of goat) Sei (year) hachi gatsu hi 1775 year of the goat thanks again david mcdonald

Dear Morita and Martin Thanks Morita san!!!! Now, I am curious - can you read sosho or did you just know this smith? After using my list of sosho kanji with no luck I spent time just looking at oshigata in hopes I would see this signature - no luck. thanks again and if you were closer I would take you out for a beer. I am not close so --- if you give me your paypal I will internet a beer to you. Martin not sure if I will get to buy the sword or broker it. If broker it then it will be at the florida sword show. Can't wait to get home and do some more research on this smith. later david mcdonald jswords@mcn.net

Dear All I am having trouble determining the reading this mei written in Sosho style. I see the date as Anei (1772) ??????? hachi gatsu hi And on the signature side only the last kanji might be tsukuru. Any help would be great. later david