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Thank you greatly Chris. Paul

An Image Shack link has been added. Thank you. Paul

I have some guesses on a couple of the easier kanji, but am struggling with the rest. Here are my attempts: 4,5, and 6 kanji from the top: shu ju shi ? 8th kanji: yama 9th kanji: masa That is not much help, sorry. Thank you. Paul http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/8840/tach16.jpg http://cid-7f27db395d89a304.skydrive.li ... 89A304!191

Hello all, I am taking a stab in the dark with this translation and would appreciate any input. My best amateurish guess is: 紀 政次 (Ki Masatsugu) My showa references are sadly lacking so I have the internet to rely on for oshigata examples. I would provide more pictures of the blade if I though it would help, but with the thick layer of oxidation and the very tip of the kissaki missing there isn't much else to see. Thank you. Paul http://img802.imageshack.us/f/starstampgendeito014.jpg/ http://img840.imageshack.us/f/starstampgendeito012.jpg/ http://img834.imageshack.us/f/starstampgendeito010.jpg/

Excellent, thank you for the info so far. That is a different style of kore than I am used to seeing so I did not make the potential connection, but I can see it once you point it out. It is definitely old enough to have seen a fair amount of action as there is about a 3/16 of an inch loss to the cutting edge and there are a few strike marks on the mune so the Warring States period makes sense as well. Thank you both. Paul

I hate to bother everyone with my request for help, but I would greatly appreciate any input on this blade. My knowledge is severely limited compared to many others on this forum. In hand it appears to be a late kamakura era blade, based on the overall sugata. The nagasa is over 33 inches in length, but it appears to be machi-okuri by about an inch, and the nakago is roughly 10.5 inches long. The blade possesses a chu-kissaki of about 1.25 inches, a shallow sori of about 0.625 inches, a thick kisane, and a low shinogi. A sugaha hamon can be seen in places, but it is very out of polish. There are a few very worn kanji on the omote side, if the blade was worn tachi style, that are nearly impossible to make out at my skill level, but the kanji on what I think would be the ura side of the nakago are fairly clear. If these are date kanji I would guess possibly 正安 Shôan 1299 or 仁安 Ninan 1166, but the blade does not look like a pre-kamakura tachi to me? Any input you may have would be greatly appreciated. I apologize for my poor pictures. Thanks. Paul M. Evans p.s. I have no intention of selling this blade. Thanks.