Mei Help

[AndreasU]

beside my discussion in another thread about this specific sword, I would like to ask someone if he can help me with the mei.

Also I would like to know if there is some information available about this smidth!

 

Thanks in advance

 

Andreas

[sencho]

I don't think this is kanenaga like you say in your other post...

 

I am working through this right now... although Moriyama san might be online pretty soon!!!

 

 

:lol:

 

cheers

[AndreasU]

Hmmmm,

 

one of my Japanese collegues already confirmed that!

[Stephen]

cropped turned and reduced so one can see it without eye/head strain.

 

i see Noshu Seki ju nin Kanegage kitau kore

my be this guy cut looks close.

http://home.earthlink.net/~ttstein/kanenag4.jpg

[sencho]

I think this is what you have got.... KANENAGA is probably right after waking up properly and having a cup of strong coffee!!!

 

濃　州　関　住　人　包　永　鍛　之

 

NO

SHU

SEKI

JU

NIN

KANE

NAGA

KA (KAJI)

KORE

 

funny looking KORE (to me anyway!!)

 

too many characters can say Kane in that lot... got me confused again!!

 

cheers

[AndreasU]

Hey thanks a lot,

 

NOW the question, good or bad smidth

 

I can understand that Kanenaga forged this in town Noshu in Seki province but what does "Ju Nin" say?

[sencho]

Not sure mate.... can't find much in my books...

 

by the way the 2nd to last character is interesting,

 

Stephen has KITAE which is entirely possible with the example he posted..

 

I have no example of KA (KAJI) which is a character for a sword smith (as in the profession)

 

both characters are the same...

 

鍛え (KITAE) (verb "forged by")

 

鍛冶　(KA JI) (noun "sword smith")

 

... with their respective 'bits on the end' !!! :lol:

 

By the way I am no way a 'spurt at any of this, so I could well be wrong on some of my grammer and translation...

 

Maybe our resident Moriyama san can help us at this point....

[sencho]

I can understand that Kanenaga forged this in town Noshu in Seki province but what does "Ju Nin" say?

 

JU NIN in modern times means "resident of" which would fit in this case... but not sure if this was the meaning back then... a lot of things changed after the war...

 

cheers

[Nobody]

NOW the question, good or bad smidth

 

I can understand that Kanenaga forged this in town Noshu in Seki province but what does "Ju Nin" say?

濃州関住人包永鍛之

It reads “Noshu Seki (no) junin Kanenaga kore o Kitau (or Kitau kore)â€.

Its exact translation may be “Kanenaga who is a resident of Seki in Noshu (province) forged thisâ€.

Junin means just “residentâ€.

 

He is listed as one of WWII Seki sword smiths on the following page, although I do not know if he was good or bad. His real name is Amaike Ginjiro (天池銀次郎) according to the list.

http://www.geocities.com/alchemyst/seki.htm

[AndreasU]

WOW

 

Amazing what comes out as information here!!!!

Thank you very much for your help!!

 

No my wish is that you participate on the "sword definition" discussion in the Nihonto section

 

Andreas

[Nobody]

Practically, the explanation of sencho san is not wrong.

However, more precisely……………..

 

鍛える (kitaeru) (verb “forgeâ€)

鍛ふ (kitau) (= 鍛える but old term)

鍛え (kitae) (noun “forgingâ€)

 

鍛冶 (kaji) (noun “smithâ€)