2 Swords - Not Sure What I Have

[Clueless]

I bought some swords a few years back. Not sure what I have or how to find out about the Japanese ones.

If the makers were rated well or not.

Sorry about the photos; am not good at this.

If anyone knows, thanks.

 

 

[Jean]

First one is signed Yoshisuke

[Shugyosha]

The first two kanji for the second one look like "Echizen" but I can't quite see the third.

[uwe]

Andy,

first mei is Yoshisuke, as Jean already stated. It reads "Shimada ju Minamoto Yoshisuke". Maybe the 11th gen. signed this way! (about 1688).

Second looks indeed "Echizen ju ......"?!

 

Uwe

[cisco-san]

The first one could be Shimada-jū Minamoto Yoshisuke 島田住源義助

edit:typo

[cisco-san]

sorry, I was too late

[Brian]

  On 11/17/2015 at 4:36 PM, cisco-san said:

sorry, I was too late

 

Never be sorry for:

a:- Helping others

b:- Trying to learn how to translate

c:- Confirming the answer someone else has given.

 

No reason to be sorry

[Geraint]

Hi Andy.

 

With regard to the Echizen noju kanji, they sometimes occur like this when there is a full signature on the other side of the tang.  Echizen noju simply means the place name where the sword was forged, a smith by the name of Shigetaka and others sometimes put this on one side and used the other side for the fuller signature.  Either that or we would expect to see more characters following on.

 

At least both swords are genuine Japanese swords though it is still possible that they have false signatures.  More photographs of the whole blade and the whole tang from both sides would help.

 

All the best.

[Clueless]

OK, thank you very much. I will take more photos, for sure, when I get my hands on a better camera, and be back.