kealpe

Pic of the Habaki and part of blade.

One more picture of the other side. Let me know if more or better pics needed. Thanks, Keith

Here's a tang signed on both side. Have no idea as to the maker. Any help is much appreciated. I added a close up of the lower part of the tang where it had deep rust. I also blew it up some so the characters are more visible

I almost forgot! Hi Dan, No, my tang doesn't have any characters on the other side.

Thanks for all the help, guys. Was hoping that the furniture and the groves might help discover the smith. Looking at the tang with a magnifier glass shows horizontal file marks all the way across the tang with leftward slanting file marks closer to the habaki on the upper half of the tang. Almost impossible to see with the eye.

If you look at the bottom of my tang, you can see the start of the next character. I added another tang and was wondering if this is the maker? Thanks, Keith

Here's a close up of the lower tang, you can see the start of the next character.

One more pic. Habaki doesn't want to come off, so I left it alone.

Thanks guys, Much appreciate the help. Crazy someone would cut off the signature, but I guess back then they never thought someone 400 years in the future would care. I added a few pics, maybe someone would be able to tell the sword style. This was an unmolested sword. Scabbard in the pic is the wrong one for this sword. Bad part is the blade has a chip just past the habaki, not sure if it could be corrected by polishing and redoing the edge. Blade with a single and double grove. Beautiful dragons on all hardware.

Thanks for the Japanese lessons. It's good to earn something new every day. Thanks, Keith

I thought some of the signature was cut off when the sword was shortened. This only shows where it was made? Or is this part of the smith's name? Thanks, Keith

I could figure out a few of the correctors but not even close to figuring this one. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks, Keith