Rivkin

Personally: In terms of sugata I would compare it a larger type of kodachi, and in this case its a good match, but unfortunately more or less similar proportions were practiced from early Kamakura to mid Nanbokucho. The work itself is quite a significant departure from Tomonari (i.e. "Mogusa"-Yamato influence in nie) and tilts more towards ko-Ichimonji direction. Retempering is a very interesting conclusion since there is no mizukage and the curvature while deep does not come out as wildly departing from the norm. Probably very faint utsuri and somewhat repressed hada were taken as evidence its saiha. I would not expect NBTHK to put any extra information on the papers, so assuming it just states Tomoyasu (saiha). I don't think this would be past mid-Kamakura, but at the same time I don't think there is a strong guarantee its ko Bizen specifically, though maybe papers do say its ko Bizen... Looks like a great candidate for Tanobe sensei's sayagaki, probably on a separate saya.

The original form like this would be the end of Nanbokucho, early Muromachi and it would be a naginata. However, the nakago would be different. What is more a concern is that the Bizen-like hamon is very non-repetative, it has one or two places with distinctive Muromachi-style crab claws, but then it goes to do something else. There is a lot of tobiyaki, almost hinting towards hitatsura, but everything in nioi and tobiyaki have very elongated, at times comma like shape. Altogether it looks like Momoyama period's provincial work (Kaga, Bungo, sometimes you find it in Mino like Senjuin, Fuyuhiro etc.) in a period mixed style, already with a drilled hole and tight jigane, getting ready to shinto transition but not yet there (and no sugu boshi). Shinshinto imitations did not favor a mixture of styles mixed together in nioi. Bungo "bucket" was probably chosen because jigane is light, and overall such wide hamon with such tobiyaki was practiced more often in Bungo than in other places around the end of Muromachi to early Edo, but nevertheless the attribution might not be 100% certain especially since no specific name is added. Overall it feels like an attractive sword.

So I guess from now on you are going to reign in your friends and their "silly" "moronic" name calling?

Your and Jacques presence is limited to barging into discussions with zero knowledge, zero contribution. Only grand statements that people are "doing it wrong". Want to be taken seriously - contribute. Write a good article, a book, can't do that - at least put some nice blade of your own out, or learn basics about understanding blades - and demonstrate those with good, on the subject arguments. Its really not that difficult to begin, and it is really more interesting to do than chasing after people who "post wrong".

This (arguably unimportant) topic has been dead for a month. Beginners do tend to have crappy blades and many questions. Don't like it - put up a good blade of your own.

My main concern would be that "nagare" is auspicious enough to be called "masame", there is rough shirake utsuri, sugata might be Muromachi, etc. etc..

This one is Meiji so the purpose might be unclear (decorative), but I've seen quality netsuke which were miniature and semi-functional swords. Sometimes dolls also have neat swords.

Nah, does not look like a shoshin granite. Imitation.

It is out of polish, with a very crudely moved hamachi, married with modern repro tsuba. However, I personally don't see glaring mistakes which Chinese typically make. The signature is chiseled faintly, in Japanese rather than Continental calligraphy, the nakago has decent patina. Sugata is a bit strange, being completely straight it is not a good match for the nakago, but such things do happen and most elements are executed ok-ish. Also I suspect its not a particular expensive smartphone placed closer to the nakago, it tries to auto-correct for distortions in optics (the cheaper the optics the more it distorts) and therefore it might be straightening the blade. The work itself is periodic gunome with even togari-choji appearing in some "gunome" elements. This is something one sees on showato now and then, on Chinese fakes, but it also appears on Bizen and Bizen like swords from the end of Muromachi. Overall I would be inclined to think its Bizen Yasumitsu from 1560s. Its a lower grade sword in poor condition, but I don't think its a crime.

Without full clear image of the nakago its difficult. It can still be from around 1570 in poor polish, but we need to see the full nakago without angles etc.

.... I got to learn writing seller's description like this one.

In my limited experience, recent NBTHK papers to "Wake" have a decent chance of being challenged. Basically its a small Kamakura period group that sometimes forged with stand out mokume hada not unlike some of Aoe works, sometimes did very ko Ichimonji looking quiet style with indistinct itame jigane, you have suguha-notare, you have saki choji, and at times you have both on the same blade. Their hamon tends to be a bit on a weak side with limited expression. So if its Bizen but clearly a weird one there is a recent tendency to say Wake. When its shown to someone else they might say instead Aoe or some mainline Bizen smith. Ofcourse if you send it to a drastically different shinsa high chance they'll say Muromachi Kaga. Its not a very distinctive style and therefore "Bungo-Kaga" is a real risk when looking for alternative opinion.

The writing style is consistent with Muromachi.

Its something quite weird. Nakago is more or less clearly 20th century or at least no later than the very end of Edo. Sugata which is as straight as they come, uncommon kissaki proportions. Silver inlaid signature which makes little sense. But at the same time everything is done with diligence, it does not have the aura of some crappy thing churned out in search for a random buyer. This is the kind of case where I would look at activity and if its good, it can still be a decent blade, with a puzzle.

Honami Nishu loved writing sayagaki to big names...If it was ko Bizen it was at least Tomonari, if Naminohira it was Yukiyasu, if Sairen - Bungo Yukihiro. More optimistic than green papers. Otherwise... there is unfortunately not much to be seen in photos. Suppposedly it has great jigane, which maybe true, but the photographs do not present any evidence.