Mei Katana Yoshimichi

[jelda44]

Hello friends,

I ask you for translation help.

I bought Katana Yoshimichi.

Would you please help me with the translation of Mei ?

 

Thank you very much

 

Jiří

Czech Republic

[ROKUJURO]

Jiri,

it is TAMBA no KAMI YOSHIMICHI, but I cannot tell you if the MEI is genuine. It is a very famous smith who has been faked many times.

[Brian]

Yes...but look at the other side of the nakago

[TheGermanBastard]

  On 11/3/2017 at 6:02 PM, Brian said:

Yes...but look at the other side of the nakago

 

Both sides actually which is not that common. I am sorry that I can't help but my blant guess is a cutting test. No Kao though. Someone here sure should be able to help you. Mei does not look but at first sight. Can you please show thze blade, too. Thank you

[jelda44]

I attach a few photographs of the blade 

[TheGermanBastard]

According to the signature this one wants to be the Kyoto branch. Hence you would expect sudare-ba hamon

 

However I don't see that so I tend towards it being Gimei.

[ROKUJURO]

  On 11/3/2017 at 6:02 PM, Brian said:

Yes...but look at the other side of the nakago

That is not the MEI.

[Stephen]

no its a short story!

[SteveM]

I think its a dedication for the person who commissioned the sword. 

 

On the far left side 

 

（寛）文十二年壬子四月十七日

 

(Kan)bun 12, zodiac year "Mizunoene" (1672), April 17th

 

I am taking a leap of faith with Kanbun. The habaki is covering up what should be the first kanji of the era name, but year number is indeed 12, and there were only a few eras which spanned at least 12 years during the Yoshimichi lineage, and of these Kanbun seems the most plausible (edit: not to mention it corresponds correctly with the zodiac year). I can't quite make out the kanji after the zodiac year, but I think its April 17th.

 

Edit: I just noticed the picture of that part without the habaki. It looks like that part of the sword has been polished to the point where that kanji is no longer visible. 

[Vermithrax16]

Nakago seems like it was shaved down at some point?

[Yoshimichi]

Dear Jiri:

 

If the mei is good, from the attached examples of the 4th and 5th generation  Yoshimichi smiths I collected over the years, my guess would be 4th generation. We often see sudare-ba with the 4th generation. The hamon on your blade does not show much if any sudare-ba from the photos. It does have the typical Yoshimichi yakidashi hamon in the 3-4 inch area leading up to the hamachi. The position of the two radicals (strokes) above the "michi" kanji are most similar to the 4th and 5th generation. The 2nd, 3rd, and 6th generations have different stroke positions. I hope these help with your search to nail the mei down. 

 

Regards,

Bill E. Sheehan (Yoshimichi)

[Yoshimichi]

Dear Jiri:

 

My last attempt at attaching the oshigata for the 4th and 5th generations failed. Send me an email to besheehan@aol.com, and I will try to attach them to a return email to you.

 

Regards,

Bill E. Sheehan (Yoshimichi) 

[Jacques]

Agreed with Bill on the yondai (fourth generation)

[CSM101]

Here is a 4. generation Tamba o Kami Yoshimichi right from the textbook. Sudareba, papers, etc.

 

Compared to your sword I would say gimei.

 

Uwe G.

[Yoshimichi]

Dear Jiri:

 

Here are the 4th and 5th generation oshigata I mentioned. Hope these help.

 

Regards,

Bill E. Sheehan

Scan-Yoshimichi 110417.pdfFetching info...