Translation Help - Katana

[bearFNF]

A friend of mine received this blade about forty years ago from a farmer who was using it to chop open hay bales. The farmer brought it back to the USA after WWII. He says it is about 300 years old from a previous translation he had done, but he can't find the paper work. I would like to rescue this from him and would appreciate any help you can give translating the markings. Its in pretty rough shape but deserves preservation none the less.

 

From what I can tell I think the first two symbols are "Bishu" or "Bingo" but I have not been able to find the others. There are eleven in total.

 

Thank you for any help you can give me.

[Bugyotsuji]

Bingo no Kuni Tojo Ju Kojima Nori/Yasu/Nobu/Yoshi/Taka/Nari(?) kuni Saku

[John A Stuart]

Who is that 宜邦 , I wonder?  John

[SteveM]

I'm thinking 備後国東城住小鳥宜邦 Bingo no kuni Tōjō-jū Kotori Nobukuni (or Yoshikuni, or Masakuni, etc...). The four dots on the bottom of that kanji are the giveaway, and also there is still a location with the name 小鳥原 in what would have been Tōjō Bingo (present day Hiroshima). Except it has an unusual pronunciation 小鳥原 hitotobara, so I don't know exactly how this inscription might be pronounced. (The region's website says this area used to be a steel-producing area). 

 

But...as John above, and I suspect Piers too, I couldn't find any smith with the name 宜邦 in any of my references or searches. Unfortunately, the hay-whacking years have really taken their toll on this poor blade, so I don't think there is much to salvage.  

[bearFNF]

Thank you for the info. There's definitely an art to reading these. I have a lot to learn.

 

I agree, it's in pretty bad shape. It's amazing it is still straight after all the abuse.

 

Bob

[Stephen]

 i think this is Yoshi 宜