Could anyone help with Saya translation please.

[Stegel]

Hi,

 

I obtained this bare blade with only habiki and saya last year. It caught my attention and was within my budget.

The blade is out of polish, but is attributed to Muramasa and is apparently named?

I'm a novice with normal Kanji and it takes me ages to get anywhere with translations, these are a bit more fancy in style and i'd be grateful for any help.

 

I have adjusted the contrast to better see the faint writing on the saya, the reverse side is extremely faint.

 

Thanks

Ernst

[Nobody]

The writings on the saya:

村正 - Muramasa

笹の露 - Sasa no tsuyu

時代 應永頃 - Era: ca. Oei

長さ 貳尺参寸六分有之 - Length: 2-shaku, 3-sun, 6-bu

清雲所蔵 - Owned by Seiun

 

I assume that you have already read the following thread.

Ref. viewtopic.php?f=15&t=14211&hilit=sasa+no+tsuyu

[Stegel]

Many thanks Koichi San!

Also thanks for bringing the other thread to my attention, as i haven't seen it before.

 

Ernst

[pcfarrar]

The blade purports to be suriage but look where the hamon begins...

[Jiro49]

Thats what I noticed as well when it was on ebay.. I asked the seller about the yakidashi but never received a reply?

[cabowen]

While maybe not the case with this particular sword, it is normal to heat the hamon area where the new hamachi will be located to remove it so the steel can be cut and filed easily. The hamon will then run off the edge rather than continue through the nakago.

[John A Stuart]

That is something you notice on a lot of suriage swords. When I first saw that on a sword I wondered what it could mean. Was the sword yakiotoshi originally? After researching the process learned it is common practice. One also needs to be careful in assuming the worst when a faint mizukage is sometimes encountered because of it. All factors must be seriously assessed before dismissing any anomaly. John

[Jacques]

Hi,

 

I just wonder how it is possible.

[Markus]

It is interesting that the nakago shows a slight tendency to tanagobara

and that the sayagaki attributes the blade to an earlier, i.e. Ôei-era

Murmasa and not THE Muramasa.

[runagmc]

When annealing part of the hamon for repositioning of the machi, wouldn't the nioiguchi just stop, rather than run off the edge as it appears to? Also, I would think they wouldn't file into the still hard part of the edge when moving the machi forward... the hamachi appears to be within the yakiba in the last pic. Or would they use a water stone to cut into the yakiba? I guess in modern times a diamond file could do the job...

[Jacques]

Hi,

 

It is interesting that the nakago shows a slight tendency to tanagobara

 

Yes , many red flags: bohi, nakago shape, end of the hamon. I doubt this sword is really suriage.

[cabowen]

When annealing part of the hamon for repositioning of the machi, wouldn't the nioiguchi just stop, rather than run off the edge as it appears to? Also, I would think they wouldn't file into the still hard part of the edge when moving the machi forward... the hamachi appears to be within the yakiba in the last pic. Or would they use a water stone to cut into the yakiba? I guess in modern times a diamond file could do the job... [attachment=0]machi reshaping- annealing hamon.jpg[/attachment]

 

It all depends on the shape of the hamon and how they reshape the nakago, and where, how, how much, heat is applied. In many cases, you are correct, but sometimes not....

[Jacques]

Hi,

 

When annealing part of the hamon for repositioning of the machi, wouldn't the nioiguchi just stop, rather than run off the edge as it appears to?

 

Before all, that depends of how the smith has stopped his hamon when quenching. Nioiguchi may not run out of the edge and stops near the machi. This is a feature often seen (Hizen Tadayoshi school by example). In any case when a sword is suriage nioiguchi cannot run out of the edge (that would mean it is retempered) excepted for those which are originaly very close to the hasaki. However, sometimes in polishing, stones are used to make the hamon running out of the edge. A very close look is necessary to see the real end of the hamon.

 

 

[runagmc]

In any case when a sword is suriage nioiguchi cannot run out of the edge (that would mean it is retempered) excepted for those which are originaly very close to the hasaki.

Jacques, this was the the point I was trying to make with my post. It was kind of a retorical question just to make the point. Your point about the nioi-guchi of ubu Hizen-to fading away before going off the ha is a good one though. This is something I've never heard of or noticed before. I wonder if anyone has any good pictures where this characteristic is visible. I'll have to look through my pics...

[runagmc]

Hi, I did find a nidai Masahiro where the nioi-guchi fades... this was the best example I could find...

[Jacques]

Hi,

 

You can see this kind of feature on this Terukane (which is common for him) and other on the same page.

 

http://taiseido.biz/cn11/cn22/pg428.html