Koto Tanto Sayagaki Translation needed

[Ed Hicks]

Koto Tanto Sayagaki Translation needed for an associate...All help is appreciated...Old Tanto is mumei now due to heavy corrosion to its nakago and slightly tired, but of very good quality. Thanks, Ed

[george trotter]

Hi Ed,

one of the sayagaki-kanteisho guys will answer this in detail I'm sure, but to me it seems to say "Written/recorded in Meiji 27" (1894).

and it is presumably written by "Honami Mishinzen"? which seems to mean Honami line.

There seems to be something written on the end of the saya...maybe a pic?

Regards,

[DirkO]

could be Hon'Ami Chikayoshi from the Kozan lineage - Kanji seem to match.

 

[cabowen]

This is pretty straightforward from a reading standpoint and with very little effort these clearly written kanji can be found in an online reference. Be nice if people made an effort to figure these simple ones out on their own first....

 

It is a date, followed by a comment that it was examined on this date. The other writing is the name of the examiner, mentioned above.

[Ed Hicks]

This is pretty straightforward from a reading standpoint and with very little effort these clearly written kanji can be found in an online reference. Be nice if people made an effort to figure these simple ones out on their own first....

 

 

Chris,

 

Being one of those people I tried to translate it and got the date fine, but the rest did not make sense...I'm not a language expert and this one baffled me...I'm dyslexic in at least six languages, so the challenge was a bit less than straight forward, at least for me...What can I say, I'm not an educated man.

 

I do appreciate the help from all the replys with this translation and I wanted to be accurate for the owner's sake...I had hoped it was an attribution, but it seems pretty interesting as it is. Ed

[kunitaro]

本阿弥親善

Hon ami Chikayoshi

明治二十七年甲午十月審定記之

Meiji 27nen Kinoe-uma (1894) 10gatsu (Oct,) Shintei (shi) kore (wo) ki (su).) examined/noted

 

It is strange that there is no attribution (maker) however, the Sayagaki itself looks genuine.

Is it possible to post photo of the blade ?

[cabowen]

 

Chris,

 

Being one of those people I tried to translate it and got the date fine, but the rest did not make sense...

 

Didn't realize you translated the date...would have helped to tell us that at the start.

 

No big deal, just appreciate it when people make an effort.

[george trotter]

Kunitaro san,

I could not find the kanji "shin" of "Shintei" in my kanji jiten...it is written differently on the saya than the way you have written it here....so although I knew what the writing meant, I did not know the exact kanji ...muzukashii da to omoimasu.

 

Chris san, I also thought the name was Chikayoshi (pretty simple), but because of the above "strange" kanji I checked Chika in my O'Neill, and could not find it written this way...so I thought it must be part of the "line" inscription.

Suppose I should stay out of sayagaki readings... :D (there is none more dangerous than he who does not know he does not know).

Regards,

Edit to add: just re-checked O'Neill and yes...this Chika IS there...duuh!

[cabowen]

It's the same chika kanji as used by the gendai tosho Ota Chikahide...

[george trotter]

Hi Chris,

yes I knew the kanji but because of the other "strange" writing of "shin" in shintei, I erred on the side of caution and checked O'Neill, but could only find the version with simpler left radical (I missed the correct one first time round... didn't check my O'Neill properly)....so, thinking it may not actually be read Chika in this case I didn't quote Chikayoshi

Regards,

[kunitaro]

Dear Trotter san,

If you follow the stroke order of Kanji, make easier to recognize hand writing letter, I think.

Best regards,

[george trotter]

Hi Kunitaro san...many thanks...my problem was that I did not know exact Honami "system" of sayagaki mei, so I wasn't sure if it was normal signature....them, Idid not check my kanji book correctly and missed this Chika

I saw another Honami sayagaki mei just last night and it is the same first 3 kanji...(only different personal name).

Now that I know the sayagaki mei "system" I won't make the mistake again...I hope

Regards,

[Ed Hicks]

Tanto images...Blade is 13 1/2 inches long...Best I could do today.

[kunitaro]

The blade looks interesting.

It looks a bit tired and the polish is really bad.. Looks Gunto polish.

The blade could be Sue-Seki (late 16th century Mino school) but it could be older...

The patina (near habaki) is good (old).

And Horimono (hi) looks very well done, very deep and beautiful and it is original. (not later done), could be much better than Sue-koto.

If I were you, I will give good polish and send it to Shinsa.

It is only my opinion by seeing those photos.