cbecket

Awesome, great information here, thank you!!

Mike and Brian, thank you both for the information. Mike, I didnt get that far as I am learning to navigate the different links and lists. I learn rather quickly as yesterday I did not know anything about kanji or how to read it, I was able to fairly accurately determine the period and year of manufacture, but I am still learning and have much to absorb. I totally misread and missed the mark on the signature side. The names and how they use and go by different names is where I get confused. Thanks again.

I saw a list on the website that has the names of Showa period Tadayuki Swordsmiths Bungo Tadayuki (Tad325) and Mino Tadayuki (Tad330). Is there any way to tell the difference as it looks like the kanji characters for both appear to be the same. I later saw that I was mistaken, the names Mino and Bungo were actually the names of Provinces. Is there a way to know which Tadayuki from which Province was involved?

I appreciate the time and the sharing of your knowledge!

On the side of the tang that contains the signature of the Swordsmith, there are two possibly 3 characters, what do those characters literally translate to, is it just say Tadayuki? And if so, is there any information on him that I can seek out. Was he known, and did he just finish the sword after it was made by machine?

I am new to this, so Tadayuki is the Swordsmith? Is that denoted by the top character? Is the bottom Charachter Kami, and does that mean that Tadayuki was a high level or "Lord" Swordsmith? Did you agree with my opinion of the manufacture date? Also if the name Tadayuki is the swordsmith, was this sword based upon the sword being made by machine and then finished by hand, how did that work? I find this fascinating!

Greetings, I am new to the forum. I picked up what I believe to be a genuine WWII Shin-Gunto sword and I started to research the tang markings and wanted to ask what some of them mean. I believe I dated it correctly as a Showa period made in 1943 with no month markings. It has a Seki stamp. The signature on the back "Mei" puzzled me. I believe it says it was made by a person or in a province named "Taira" by a "Kami" Lord Grade Swordsmith. I would appreciate and be very much interested to hear what you all can tell me about it. It has a green scabbard. I would have posted more pictures, but it would have been over limit on upload size. Thank you for your help. Best Regards!