interesting tanto, need translation help

[Darcy]

I found this tanto... it was bolted into the tsuka, bolts were cut flush, then filled with glue, then taped over heavily. It was an old vet's beloved utility knife I guess. I got all of that off, and I think I am the first one to look at the nakago in 70 years. The blade has seen some abuse and needs to be polished, it's in the style of a Kamakura piece and the hamon is visible in suguba with an elegant turnback. Should polish out OK it looks like to me. Still has the original habaki.

 

Anyway I've been poking at the inscription and am a bit unsure of my translation and would like one of the more pro or native Japanese readers to correct me...

 

Here is what I have:

 

領 rou (head? lead? first?)

恩賜 onshi (imperial gift)

嶋田 shimada (name?)

畝糸 seito (name? practically guessing on these kanji)

太郎 tarou (son)

 

 

於 O (at)

東都 Touto (The Eastern Capital i.e. Tokyo)

忠光 Tadamitsu

造 tsukuru (made)

之 kore (this)

 

There are a few Tadamitsu, and the piece looks relatively skilled so I am thinking it is the better considered fellow Fujita Tadamitsu.

 

I'm not sure if the Imperial Gift means to or from the Emperor... or if it is referring to this tanto (would seem to be... which would be way cool) Shimada would seem easily to be a family name, the Seito doesn't seem like I have it right or maybe I am misunderstanding because I don't think as-is these kanji combine.

 

Here's the image of the nakago if someone can help me out:

 

[Nobody]

Hi Darcy,

 

The tanto might be an interesting finding.

Shimada Shigetaro (嶋田繁太郎):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shigetaro_Shimada

 

Minor corrections are as follows;

領 ryo (receive)

恩賜 onshi (gift from the Emperor)

繁太郎 Shigetaro (a given name)

於 oite (at)

[Stephen]

waiting for the other shoe to drop with pix of sugata ect.

[kusunokimasahige]

Darcy that sure is a nice piece! i like the well done calligraphy on the nakago!

 

indeed many shoes have been dropping off lately, with 40 US$ finds, this find, well...........

 

its raining treasure so to speak... though not here yet! LoL

 

ah well when my masayuki one day gets polished if i have the dosh who knows.......

 

:lol:

 

KM

[sencho]

Awesome find, Darcy.... shoes everywhere!!... still waiting for my ship to come in, though!!!

 

Interesting thought here after Moriyama san's post... would you feel that you needed to return an item to the family if you have a positive of the original owner???

 

Of course there is always the chance that the family would turn around and sell the thing to make a quick yen, rather than kep it as a family heirloom...

 

Otherwise if verified it would make a nice museum peice... seems like it could be an important peice of history..

 

Very nice... would love to see the whole peice, Darcy..

 

Cheers

[Darcy]

Hi guys... well wow thanks for the translation, I was wondering if I was incorrectly splitting that one kanji up but didn't try to see what I could find putting it together.

 

The piece is black through the ji and scratched up. The vet who owned it had it on his workbench doing things with it... so right now there is nothing to see, I can just make out a ghostly hamon because the black patina is a different color there. I don't have my camera with me, used a crappy scanner for the nakago.

 

Now I have to figure out what exactly to do with this. It needs polish, beyond that I have to look into the return option or selling it.

[Brian]

Darcy,

 

How about donating it to the owner of this forum for all his hard work? :D :lol: :D

Kidding. Great find! Nice to know it will be spared and restored. I think this would be an excellent candidate for a proper polish by Bob, and shinsa.

There is no telling if it was sold by the family at one time, captured or lost, so I think the decision is yours and yours alone.

I would be very interested in following the progess of this one as it gets restored.

Sometimes these things just find their way to the right owner.

Nice one!

 

Brian