Gimei or Nidai

[wakiboy]

Gentlemen 

I know I have asked this question before but had no results so here’s hoping..

 I have a Wakizashi signed Bizen Osafune Yokoyama Sukenaga, the blade shows all the workmanship for Sukenaga but the signature is nothing like, I believe the shodai did sign this six character signature in his early years but cannot find an example also there was a Nidai and I’ve not been able to find an example of his...

my question is do you think this is just a Gimei, early Shodai or Nidai...

Ian

[lonely panet]

Didn't think the Yokohama school important enough to be faked.??

[wakiboy]

After following discussions on this group I thought Gimei is the most used term when discussing signatures, Only Joking ,  the way that the signature is cut is so different to the Shodai..

Ian

[Ken-Hawaii]

Ian, please get used to the fact that many, many blades are gimei. That's why you should always buy the blade, not the mei, unless you have kanteisho from NBTHK or NTHK. Even then, be careful.

[wakiboy]

Hi Ken

I didn’t buy the blade because of the signature, I’ve been studying blades since the mid 70s, this waki was purchased without removing the Tsuka purely because it screamed Yokoyama school and the Koshirae was in good condition. I consider this as a Gimei but I have not been able to answer the other two options due to lack of information that’s why I have asked the members .

[SteveM]

Hello,

Here is another six-character Sukenaga signature, dated Tenpō 3. 

I don't know if it is authentic. Actually its even hard to see the signature from this photo, but it looks like a six-kanji signature. 

http://www.adcoop.co.jp/j-sword/j-sword_htm/sw42.htm

[Jacques]

  On 3/1/2020 at 10:50 AM, SteveM said:

Hello,

Here is another six-character Sukenaga signature, dated Tenpō 3. 

I don't know if it is authentic. Actually its even hard to see the signature from this photo, but it looks like a six-kanji signature. 

http://www.adcoop.co.jp/j-sword/j-sword_htm/sw42.htm

 

I see eight (備前長船横山祐永)  as written on the top 

 

The sword posted by Ian bears a 8 ji mei, not a 6 one, and looks suspicious

[SteveM]

Sorry - I meant 8. Must be the virus rotting my brain.