Your Thoughts Please

[Ooitame]

What are your thoughts?

 

Second question, why would they suriage right through the writting?

[Bazza]

- Because the sword is an instrument/tool first and foremost and the "fit" to an owner/user/wearer is MOST important??  Much like altering a stock on a custom gun.

 

OR

 

- Because the writing is considered gimei or unimportant???

 

OR

 

...

 

BaZZa.

[mywei]

It appears to be a part of a kinzogan tameshi-mei [三つ胴] or 'three torsos'. Also the nakago has been further suriage I think as the characters on the left are partially cut off

[Bugyotsuji]

Perhaps much of the rest of the gold zogan inlay was lost already, but the most important words, Mittsu-do were thought worth saving.

[Ooitame]

Gentlemen, thank you for your thoughts.