Kanetoki help

[Stephen]

Asking for a friend...he has most except dedication or made for

[SteveM]

囗　塚原　銘囗囗　

 

Tsukahara Mei ? ? 

 

Super curious to see what this says. I think it might say that Tsukahara is the one who cut the very elegant mei. Annoying how that mekugi-ana just about obliterates that kanji. The kanji after 銘 also has the same 金 radical, but I can't figure it out. 鎚 (kanazuti) maybe? Hoping someone can figure out the rest. 

 

Note: Tsukahara was the name of another Seki smith, so it could be a gassaku (although I don't think that's what the mei says)

 

 

[mywei]

Hard one for me

I agree Steve it could be 鎚 after the 銘

I think the last character is 作

 

I guess this could infer that Tsukahara 'hammered' the mei which seems a bit of a strange way to put it

Another possibility could be that Tsukahara served also as the hammer assistant "向こう鎚" while Kanetoki forged it (鍛)  

[Stephen]

Thank you so much my friends.

[Babu]

If I'm right in my assumption then the Smith makes the mekugi ana so the refit hole is the one punched through the Kanji.

Beautiful signature and statement though very expertly and confidently carved.